Macrozoobenthos of two Antarctic glacial coves: a comparison with non-disturbed bottom areas

• Main Authors: Jacek Siciń, • Krzysztof, Pabis • Krzysztof, Ja_ Zd_ Zewski •, Alicja Konopacka, Magdalena Bła_ Zewicz-Paszkowycz
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Admiralty Bay; Antarctic; King George Island; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1053.3162; http://invertebrates.uni.lodz.pl/wp-content/themes/kzbih/pdf/Sicinski_et%20al%202012.pdf

Abstract There are only few studies on shallow Antarctic benthic communities associated with habitats affected by intense mineral sedimentation inflow. The analysis of macrofaunal communities associated with two shallow, isolated glacial coves was performed in Admiralty Bay (King George Island) and compared with non-disturbed sites. Multivariate analyses (hierarchical classification, nMDS) clearly separated glacial cove communities (two assemblages) from the sites situated outside both basins (two assemblages). The community influenced by the streamflow of glacial discharge of meltwater situated in the area with sandy-clay-silt sediments had a very low species richness, diversity and abundance. It was dominated by eurytopic, motile deposit feeding polychaetes such as Mesospio moorei, Tharyx cincinnatus and Leitoscoloplos kerguelensis as well as the bivalve Yoldia eightsi. The second glacial community of the area located at a grater distance from the outlet of the stream was characterized by sandy-clay-silt and clay-silt deposits and showed also a low diversity and species richness. The most abundant here were peracarid crustaceans, with the dominant opportunistic feeder Cheirimedon femoratus. Community from the non-disturbed area with silty-clay-sand, and silty-sand sediments had higher species richness and diversity. The assemblage of fauna from the sandy bottom has values of those two indexes similar to those found in the disturbed areas.