A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure
Under the typical high-latitude conditions of temperature, productivity and settlement of chlorophyll and phaeophytin to the sediment, many benthic organisms in the Antarctic show strong seasonal variation. Although meiofauna comprise an important component of the southpolar benthic ecosystem, our k...
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/502581/ https://doi.org/10.3354/meps202013 |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:502581 2023-05-15T13:48:07+02:00 A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure Vanhove, S. Beghyn, M. Van Gansbeke, D. Bullough, L.W. Vincx, M. 2000 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/502581/ https://doi.org/10.3354/meps202013 unknown Inter-Research Vanhove, S.; Beghyn, M.; Van Gansbeke, D.; Bullough, L.W.; Vincx, M. 2000 A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 202. 13-25. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps202013 <https://doi.org/10.3354/meps202013> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2000 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.3354/meps202013 2023-02-04T19:37:21Z Under the typical high-latitude conditions of temperature, productivity and settlement of chlorophyll and phaeophytin to the sediment, many benthic organisms in the Antarctic show strong seasonal variation. Although meiofauna comprise an important component of the southpolar benthic ecosystem, our knowledge of them is limited. The metazoan meiofauna and the surrounding sediments were studied fortnightly for 18 mo in a shallow bay at Signy Island (Factory Cove, South Orkneys, Antarctica) to test whether and how the temporal variability of the environment influenced meiobenthos dynamics. By examination of the distribution of the abundance and biomass of the total community, the density of higher taxonomic groups, and of individual dominant nematode genera and feeding categories, we assessed changes in faunal structure. Short-term variations were often effective, and several correlations were observed between temperature and food availability (chlorophyll and its derivatives and bulk organic matter, C and N, in both sediment and water column). However, complex temporal patterns characterised the otherwise fairly predictable seasonal variations of the Antarctic ecosystem. The results suggest that variations in meiobenthic population density and structure were primarily regulated by the input and availability of organic matter and less so by water temperature, which was constantly low. The virtual lack of a Œwinter stop¹ also leads to the conclusion that food was not limiting in the Antarctic coastal sediment. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Signy Island Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic The Antarctic Signy Island ENVELOPE(-45.595,-45.595,-60.708,-60.708) Shallow Bay ENVELOPE(67.467,67.467,-67.817,-67.817) Factory Cove ENVELOPE(-45.597,-45.597,-60.708,-60.708) Marine Ecology Progress Series 202 13 25 |
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Open Polar |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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ftnerc |
language |
unknown |
description |
Under the typical high-latitude conditions of temperature, productivity and settlement of chlorophyll and phaeophytin to the sediment, many benthic organisms in the Antarctic show strong seasonal variation. Although meiofauna comprise an important component of the southpolar benthic ecosystem, our knowledge of them is limited. The metazoan meiofauna and the surrounding sediments were studied fortnightly for 18 mo in a shallow bay at Signy Island (Factory Cove, South Orkneys, Antarctica) to test whether and how the temporal variability of the environment influenced meiobenthos dynamics. By examination of the distribution of the abundance and biomass of the total community, the density of higher taxonomic groups, and of individual dominant nematode genera and feeding categories, we assessed changes in faunal structure. Short-term variations were often effective, and several correlations were observed between temperature and food availability (chlorophyll and its derivatives and bulk organic matter, C and N, in both sediment and water column). However, complex temporal patterns characterised the otherwise fairly predictable seasonal variations of the Antarctic ecosystem. The results suggest that variations in meiobenthic population density and structure were primarily regulated by the input and availability of organic matter and less so by water temperature, which was constantly low. The virtual lack of a Œwinter stop¹ also leads to the conclusion that food was not limiting in the Antarctic coastal sediment. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vanhove, S. Beghyn, M. Van Gansbeke, D. Bullough, L.W. Vincx, M. |
spellingShingle |
Vanhove, S. Beghyn, M. Van Gansbeke, D. Bullough, L.W. Vincx, M. A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure |
author_facet |
Vanhove, S. Beghyn, M. Van Gansbeke, D. Bullough, L.W. Vincx, M. |
author_sort |
Vanhove, S. |
title |
A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure |
title_short |
A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure |
title_full |
A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure |
title_fullStr |
A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure |
title_full_unstemmed |
A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure |
title_sort |
seasonally varying biotope at signy island, antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure |
publisher |
Inter-Research |
publishDate |
2000 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/502581/ https://doi.org/10.3354/meps202013 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-45.595,-45.595,-60.708,-60.708) ENVELOPE(67.467,67.467,-67.817,-67.817) ENVELOPE(-45.597,-45.597,-60.708,-60.708) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Signy Island Shallow Bay Factory Cove |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Signy Island Shallow Bay Factory Cove |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Signy Island |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Signy Island |
op_relation |
Vanhove, S.; Beghyn, M.; Van Gansbeke, D.; Bullough, L.W.; Vincx, M. 2000 A seasonally varying biotope at Signy Island, Antarctic: implications for meiofaunal structure. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 202. 13-25. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps202013 <https://doi.org/10.3354/meps202013> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps202013 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
202 |
container_start_page |
13 |
op_container_end_page |
25 |
_version_ |
1766248660188790784 |