Body size and age of specimen of the Antarctic clam Laternula elliptica collected in Potter Cove (KGI), supplement to: Philipp, Eva E R; Husmann, Gunnar; Abele, Doris (2011): The impact of sediment deposition and iceberg scour on the Antarctic soft shell clam Laternula elliptica at King George Island, Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 23(2), 127-138

• Main Authors: Philipp, Eva E R, Husmann, Gunnar, Abele, Doris
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA - Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science 2011
• Subjects: LATITUDE; LONGITUDE; Sample ID; Laternula elliptica, length of valve; Laternula elliptica, height of valve; Laternula elliptica, age; Biology; Jubany_Dallmann; Carlini/Jubany Station; Impact of climate induced glacier melt on marine coastal systems, Antarctica IMCOAST/IMCONet; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Gunnar; King George Island; Potter Cove; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Iceberg*
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.776567; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.776567

Recent rapid changes of air temperature on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula results in increased sediment discharge and ice scouring frequencies in coastal regions. These changes are bound to especially affect slow growing, sessile filter feeders such as the Antarctic bivalve, Laternula elliptica, a long-lived and abundant key species with circumpolar distribution. We investigated the effect of sedimentation and ice scouring on small/young and large/old individuals at two closely located stations, distinctly influenced by both types of disturbance. Small individuals dealt better with disturbance in terms of their respiratory response to sediment exposure, reburrowing ability, and survival after injury, compared to larger animals. At the more disturbed station L. elliptica population density was lower, but larger animals reburrowed faster after iceberg disturbance and reduced their metabolic rate under strong sediment coverage, compared to larger animals of the less disturbed station, indicating that an adaptation or learning response to both types of disturbance may be possible. Smaller individuals were not influenced. Laternula elliptica seems capable of coping with the rapidly changing environmental conditions. Due to a decrease in population density and mean population lifespan, L. elliptica could however lose its key role in the bentho-pelagic carbon flux in areas of high sediment deposition.