Continental-scale patterns in benthic invertebrate diversity: insights from the MacroBen database.

• Published in: Marine Ecology Progress Series
• Main Authors: Renaud, Paul E., Webb, T. J., Bjørgesæter, A., Karakassis, Ioannis, Kedra, M., Kendall, M. A., Labrune, C., Lampadariou, N., Somerfield, P. J., Wlodarska-Kowalczuk, M., Vanden Berghe, E., Claus, S., Aleffi, I. F., Amouroux, J. M., Bryne, K. H., Cochrane, S. J., Dahle, S., Degraer, S., Denisenko, S. G., Deprez, T., Dounas, C., Fleischer, D., Gil, João, Grémare, Antoine, Janas, U., Mackie, A. S. Y., Palerud, R., Rumohr, H., Sardá, Rafael, Speybroeck, J., Taboada, S., Van Hoey, G., Weslawski, J. M., Whomersley, P., Zettler, M. L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Inter Research 2009
• Subjects: Latitude; Benthos; Biodiversity; North Atlantic; Mediterranean; Arctic; Baltic; Continental shelf
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/57702; https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07963

14 páginas, 8 figuras, 4 tablas. Latitudinal clines in species diversity in limnic and terrestrial habitats have been noted for well over a century and are consistent across many taxonomic groups. However, studies in marine systems over the past 2 to 3 decades have yielded equivocal results. We conducted initial analyses of the MarBEF (EU Network of Excellence for Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function) database to test for trends in local and regional diversity over the latitudinal extent of European continental-shelf waters (36° to 81° N). Soft-sediment benthic macrofauna exhibit little evidence of a latitudinal cline in local (α-) diversity measures. Relationships with water depth were relatively strong and complex. Statistically significant latitudinal trends were small and positive, suggesting a modest increase in diversity with latitude once water-depth covariates were removed. These results are consistent regardless of whether subsets of the database were used, replicates were pooled, or component taxonomical groups were evaluated separately. Local and regional diversity measures were significantly and positively correlated. Scientific cooperation through data-sharing is a powerful tool with which to address fundamental ecological and evolutionary questions relating to large-scale patterns and processes. The authors acknowledge the support of the MarBEF Network of Excellence ‘Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning’ which is funded by the Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems Programme of the European Community’s Sixth Framework Programme (contract no. GOCE-CT-2003-505446). This publication is contribution no. MPS-09014 of MarBEF. Peer reviewed