Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea
Ice shelves cover ~1.6 million km 2 of the Antarctic continental shelf and are sensitive indicators of climate change. With ice-shelf retreat, aphotic marine environments transform into new open-water spaces of photo-induced primary production and associated organic matter export to the benthos. Pre...
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2022
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11121705 https://doaj.org/article/384533f5121b4d65aff82ee40ad5109a |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:384533f5121b4d65aff82ee40ad5109a 2023-10-09T21:47:05+02:00 Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea Bétina A. V. Frinault Frazer D. W. Christie Sarah E. Fawcett Raquel F. Flynn Katherine A. Hutchinson Chloë M. J. Montes Strevens Michelle L. Taylor Lucy C. Woodall David K. A. Barnes 2022-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11121705 https://doaj.org/article/384533f5121b4d65aff82ee40ad5109a EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/12/1705 https://doaj.org/toc/2079-7737 doi:10.3390/biology11121705 2079-7737 https://doaj.org/article/384533f5121b4d65aff82ee40ad5109a Biology, Vol 11, Iss 1705, p 1705 (2022) climate change ice shelf continental shelf coastal polynya benthic assemblages benthic biodiversity Biology (General) QH301-705.5 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11121705 2023-09-10T00:50:52Z Ice shelves cover ~1.6 million km 2 of the Antarctic continental shelf and are sensitive indicators of climate change. With ice-shelf retreat, aphotic marine environments transform into new open-water spaces of photo-induced primary production and associated organic matter export to the benthos. Predicting how Antarctic seafloor assemblages may develop following ice-shelf loss requires knowledge of assemblages bordering the ice-shelf margins, which are relatively undocumented. This study investigated seafloor assemblages, by taxa and functional groups, in a coastal polynya adjacent to the Larsen C Ice Shelf front, western Weddell Sea. The study area is rarely accessed, at the frontline of climate change, and located within a CCAMLR-proposed international marine protected area. Four sites, ~1 to 16 km from the ice-shelf front, were explored for megabenthic assemblages, and potential environmental drivers of assemblage structures were assessed. Faunal density increased with distance from the ice shelf, with epifaunal deposit-feeders a surrogate for overall density trends. Faunal richness did not exhibit a significant pattern with distance from the ice shelf and was most variable at sites closest to the ice-shelf front. Faunal assemblages significantly differed in composition among sites, and those nearest to the ice shelf were the most dissimilar; however, ice-shelf proximity did not emerge as a significant driver of assemblage structure. Overall, the study found a biologically-diverse and complex seafloor environment close to an ice-shelf front and provides ecological baselines for monitoring benthic ecosystem responses to environmental change, supporting marine management. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Weddell Sea Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic The Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea Biology 11 12 1705 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
climate change ice shelf continental shelf coastal polynya benthic assemblages benthic biodiversity Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
spellingShingle |
climate change ice shelf continental shelf coastal polynya benthic assemblages benthic biodiversity Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Bétina A. V. Frinault Frazer D. W. Christie Sarah E. Fawcett Raquel F. Flynn Katherine A. Hutchinson Chloë M. J. Montes Strevens Michelle L. Taylor Lucy C. Woodall David K. A. Barnes Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea |
topic_facet |
climate change ice shelf continental shelf coastal polynya benthic assemblages benthic biodiversity Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
description |
Ice shelves cover ~1.6 million km 2 of the Antarctic continental shelf and are sensitive indicators of climate change. With ice-shelf retreat, aphotic marine environments transform into new open-water spaces of photo-induced primary production and associated organic matter export to the benthos. Predicting how Antarctic seafloor assemblages may develop following ice-shelf loss requires knowledge of assemblages bordering the ice-shelf margins, which are relatively undocumented. This study investigated seafloor assemblages, by taxa and functional groups, in a coastal polynya adjacent to the Larsen C Ice Shelf front, western Weddell Sea. The study area is rarely accessed, at the frontline of climate change, and located within a CCAMLR-proposed international marine protected area. Four sites, ~1 to 16 km from the ice-shelf front, were explored for megabenthic assemblages, and potential environmental drivers of assemblage structures were assessed. Faunal density increased with distance from the ice shelf, with epifaunal deposit-feeders a surrogate for overall density trends. Faunal richness did not exhibit a significant pattern with distance from the ice shelf and was most variable at sites closest to the ice-shelf front. Faunal assemblages significantly differed in composition among sites, and those nearest to the ice shelf were the most dissimilar; however, ice-shelf proximity did not emerge as a significant driver of assemblage structure. Overall, the study found a biologically-diverse and complex seafloor environment close to an ice-shelf front and provides ecological baselines for monitoring benthic ecosystem responses to environmental change, supporting marine management. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bétina A. V. Frinault Frazer D. W. Christie Sarah E. Fawcett Raquel F. Flynn Katherine A. Hutchinson Chloë M. J. Montes Strevens Michelle L. Taylor Lucy C. Woodall David K. A. Barnes |
author_facet |
Bétina A. V. Frinault Frazer D. W. Christie Sarah E. Fawcett Raquel F. Flynn Katherine A. Hutchinson Chloë M. J. Montes Strevens Michelle L. Taylor Lucy C. Woodall David K. A. Barnes |
author_sort |
Bétina A. V. Frinault |
title |
Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea |
title_short |
Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea |
title_full |
Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea |
title_fullStr |
Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea |
title_full_unstemmed |
Antarctic Seabed Assemblages in an Ice-Shelf-Adjacent Polynya, Western Weddell Sea |
title_sort |
antarctic seabed assemblages in an ice-shelf-adjacent polynya, western weddell sea |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11121705 https://doaj.org/article/384533f5121b4d65aff82ee40ad5109a |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Weddell Sea |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Weddell Sea |
op_source |
Biology, Vol 11, Iss 1705, p 1705 (2022) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/12/1705 https://doaj.org/toc/2079-7737 doi:10.3390/biology11121705 2079-7737 https://doaj.org/article/384533f5121b4d65aff82ee40ad5109a |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11121705 |
container_title |
Biology |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
1705 |
_version_ |
1779309822721654784 |