Benthic community productivity in the Magellan Region and in the Weddell Sea

• Published in: Scientia Marina
• Main Authors: Thomas Brey, Dieter Gerdes
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 1999
• Subjects: zoobenthos; productivity; antarctica; magellan region; Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling; SH1-691; Weddell; Weddell Sea; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.1999.63s1145; https://doaj.org/article/dc1a7d65d7c241ce81a87199b5ae3544

Our comparison of macrobenthic biomass, production and productivity of the Magellan region (14 - 349 m water depth) and the Weddell Sea (132 - 548 m water depth) is based on multi box corer samples collected in both areas. Biomass is slightly but not significantly lower in the Magellan region (7.3 g C m-2) than in the Weddell Sea (12.0 g C m-2). Annual production and P/B ratio are higher in the Magellan region (5.1 g C m-2 y-1, 0.7 y-1) as compared to the Weddell Sea (3.6 g C m-2 y-1, 0.3 y-1). In the Magellan region, Mollusca, Polychaeta and Arthropoda dominate benthic production, whereas in the Weddell Sea Polychaeta, Porifera and Echinodermata are the most productive taxa.