(Table 2) Megafauna density 2002, 2004 and 2007 in the deep-sea observatory AWI-HAUSGARTEN, Fram Strait ...

• Main Authors: Bergmann, Melanie, Soltwedel, Thomas, Klages, Michael
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2011
• Subjects: Event label; Sampling date; DEPTH, sediment/rock; Caulophacus arcticus; Caulophacus arcticus, standard deviation; Cladorhiza gelida; Cladorhiza gelida, standard deviation; Porifera; Porifera, standard deviation; Porifera indeterminata; Gersemia fruticosa; Gersemia fruticosa, standard deviation; Bathyphellia margaritacea; Bathyphellia margaritacea, standard deviation; Actiniaria; Actiniaria, standard deviation; Nemertea; Nemertea, standard deviation; Mohnia spp.; Mohnia spp., standard deviation; Gastropoda; Gastropoda, standard deviation; Ascorhynchus abyssi; Ascorhynchus abyssi, standard deviation; Verum striolatum; Verum striolatum, standard deviation; Amphipoda; Amphipoda, standard deviation; Crustacea indeterminata; Crustacea, standard deviation; Saduria megalura; Saduria megalura, standard deviation; Isopoda; Isopoda, standard deviation; Bythocaris spp.; Bythocaris spp., standard deviation; Crustacea; Bathycrinus carpenterii; Bathycrinus carpenterii, standard deviation; Comatulida; Comatulida, standard deviation; Hymenaster pellucidus; Hymenaster pellucidus, standard deviation; Asteroidea; Asteroidea, standard deviation; Kolga hyalina; Kolga hyalina, standard deviation; Elpidia heckeri; Elpidia heckeri, standard deviation; Pourtalesia jeffreysi; Fram Strait; IPY
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.807446; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.807446

Although megafaunal organisms play an important role in deep benthic ecosystems and contribute significantly to benthic biomass in the Arctic little is known about their temporal dynamics. Here, we assessed the interannual dynamics of megafaunal organisms from the HAUSGARTEN observatory in the Fram Strait, an area where the effects of climatic forcing are particularly evident. We analysed three congruent camera transects taken in 2002, 2004 and 2007. Environmental parameters were measured in order to be able to put our faunal results into an environmental context.Our results indicate that although the densities of megafaunal species show different patterns over time, most exhibit an overall decrease between 2002 and 2007 and total megafaunal densities decreased regularly from 2002 to 2004 to 2007 (12.16 +/- 0.96 to 7.41 +/- 0.43 ind/m**2). This concurs with a steady increase in bottom-water temperatures and a decrease in the total organic content and microbial biomass of surficial sediments at the same time ... : Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150 ...