Global benthic biogeographical regions and macroecological drivers for ophiuroids

• Published in: Ecography
• Main Authors: Victorero, Lissette, Samadi, Sarah, O'Hara, Timothy, D, Mouchet, Maud, Delavenne, Juliette, Leprieur, Fabien, Leroy, Boris
• Other Authors: Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université des Antilles (UA), Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB ), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université des Antilles (UA), Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), MARine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation - MARBEC (UMR MARBEC ), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM), LABEX BCDIV projet TDSB
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2023
• Subjects: deep-sea biogeography macroecology networks ophiuroids plate tectonics; deep-sea biogeography; macroecology; networks; ophiuroids; plate tectonics; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Southern Ocean; Pacific; New Zealand; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04185815; https://hal.science/hal-04185815/document; https://hal.science/hal-04185815/file/Ecography%20-%202023%20-%20Victorero.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06627

International audience Delineating biogeographical regions can provide important insights into the processes shaping large-scale species distribution patterns. Here we aimed to 1) identify global marine benthic biogeographical regions for ophiuroids extending from shallow waters to the deep sea and 2) quantify the importance of contemporary environmental conditions and geological features in shaping the delineated biogeographical regions. We delineated marine benthic biogeographical regions using a bipartite network analysis applied to a historical dataset of brittle stars. We then examined the faunal exchanges between the regions, and applied random forest models to evaluate the relative role of contemporary environmental conditions and tectonic configuration underlying the proposed biogeographic scheme. We propose ten main large biogeographical regions across the benthos. The biogeographical regions with the highest species richness and endemicity rates were found in the Indo-Pacific region, Tropical West Atlantic and Southern Ocean, and South America. The key transition regions fall within the subarctic areas of the Pacific and the waters surrounding Southern Australia and New Zealand. Tectonic configuration, surface temperature and salinity were found to be the most important predictors of the ten delineated biogeographical regions. Our biogeographic delineation, including the deep sea, is in partial agreement with those proposed in previous studies. Our results suggest that contemporary environmental conditions (sea water temperature and salinity) strongly influence the modern distribution of ophiuroids, but that plate tectonics left a marked imprint on regional species pools. Future work based on multiple benthic taxa, and with a better understanding of the environmental conditions in the deep sea, are needed to evaluate the robustness of our proposed division.