Possible effects of global environmental changes on Antarctic benthos: a synthesis across five major taxa

Because of the unique conditions that exist around the Antarctic continent, Southern Ocean (SO) ecosystems are very susceptible to the growing impact of global climate change and other anthropogenic influences. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand how SO marine life will cope with exp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology and Evolution
Main Authors: Ingels, Jeroen, Vanreusel, Ann, Brandt, Angelika, Catarino, Ana, David, Bruno, De Ridder, Chantal, Dubois, Philippe, Gooday, Andrew, Martin, Patrick, Pasotti, Francesca, Robert, Henri
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Earth and Environmental Sciences
ANTHROPOGENIC CARBON-DIOXIDE
ECHINOGAMMARUS-MARINUS LEACH
ANIMAL TEMPERATURE LIMITS
RECENT CLIMATE-CHANGE
REDUCED SEAWATER PH
GREEN SEA-URCHIN
OCEAN DEEP-SEA
PARACENTROTUS-LIVIDUS LAMARCK
OXYGEN MINIMUM ZONE
EASTERN WEDDELL SEA
Isopoda
global climate change
Foraminifera
Nematoda
zoobenthos
Southern Ocean
Echinoidea
Amphipoda
Antarctic
Lamarck
The Antarctic
Weddell
Weddell Sea
Antarc*
Online Access:https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/2038701
http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-2038701
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.96
https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/2038701/file/2074049
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Summary:Because of the unique conditions that exist around the Antarctic continent, Southern Ocean (SO) ecosystems are very susceptible to the growing impact of global climate change and other anthropogenic influences. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand how SO marine life will cope with expected future changes in the environment. Studies of Antarctic organisms have shown that individual species and higher taxa display different degrees of sensitivity to environmental shifts, making it difficult to predict overall community or ecosystem responses. This emphasizes the need for an improved understanding of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem response to global climate change using a multitaxon approach with consideration of different levels of biological organization. Here, we provide a synthesis of the ability of five important Antarctic benthic taxa (Foraminifera, Nematoda, Amphipoda, Isopoda, and Echinoidea) to cope with changes in the environment (temperature, pH, ice cover, ice scouring, food quantity, and quality) that are linked to climatic changes. Responses from individual to the taxon-specific community level to these drivers will vary with taxon but will include local species extinctions, invasions of warmer-water species, shifts in diversity, dominance, and trophic group composition, all with likely consequences for ecosystem functioning. Limitations in our current knowledge and understanding of climate change effects on the different levels are discussed.

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