Marine benthos in the eastern Canadian high arctic: multivariate analysis of standing crop and community structure. Arctic

• Main Author: Denis H. Thomson
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1982
• Subjects: Arctic; Baffin Bay; Baie de Baffin; Canada; Detroit; Eclipse Sound; Lancaster Sound; Baffin
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.514.9823; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic35-1-61.pdf

ABSTRACT. Standing crop in 204 grab and diver-operated airlift samples taken in Lancaster Sound, Eclipse Sound, and northern and central B a f h Bay at depths of 5-1088 m was highest between 15 and 105 m. Standing crop was highest in Lancaster Sound and least in central Baffh Bay. Three species assemblages derived by factor analysis bore some similarities to communities described by other workers. Depth and location were better predictors of community composition and standing crop than were depth and substrate. The narrow range of grain size found in any one depth range probably accounts for the relative lack of substrate effect on standing crop and community composition. Differences among areas are probably related to food availability. High standing crop and communities including filter feeders may be maintained to considerable depths in Lancaster Sound by high current speeds and possible high primary productivity. Currents are weaker and biomass lower in northern Baffin Bay than in Lancaster Sound. The weakest currents were found in Eclipse Sound and central Baffin Bay; deposit feeders and low biomass characterized depths>25 m in both areas. Key words: benthos, community structure, standing crop, multivariate analyses, Canada, High Arctic RI%UMfi. Deux cent quatre dchantillons ont et6 recueillis par “grab ” ou par des plongeurs, B des profondeurs de 5-1088 m, dans les dCtroits de Lancaster et d’Eclipse et dans les parties nord et centre de la baie de Baffin. Le nombre total d’organismes le plus Clevd se retrouvait dans les profondeurs entre 15 et 105 m. Le detroit de Lancaster enregistre le plus grand nombre total d’organismes et la baie de BafEn a le plus petit nombre total d’organismes. L’analyse factorielle a permis de distinguer trois assemblages d’esp&ces comportant certaines similitudes avec des communautes decrites par d’autres chercheurs. La profondeur et la position constituaient de meilleurs