Patterns, processes and vulnerability of Southern Ocean benthos: a decadal leap in knowledge and understanding.

• Published in: Marine Biology
• Main Authors: Kaiser, Stefanie, Brandão, Simone N., Brix, Saskia, Barnes, David K.A., Bowden, David A., Ingels, Jeroen, Leese, Florian, Schiaparelli, Stefano, Arango, Claudia P., Badhe, Renuka, Bax, Narissa, Blazewicz-Paszkowycz, Magdalena, Brandt, Angelika, Brenke, Nils, Catarino, Ana I., David, Bruno, de Ridder, Chantal, Dubois, Philippe, Ellingsen, Kari E., Glover, Adrian G., Griffiths, Huw J., Gutt, Julian, Halanych, Kenneth M., Held, Christoph, Havermans, Charlotte, Janussen, Dorte, Lörz, Anne-Nina, Pearce, David A., Pierrat, Benjamin, Riehl, Torben, Rose, Armin, Sands, Chester J., Soler-Membrives, Anna, Schüller, Myriam, Strugnell, Jan M., Vanreusel, Ann, Veit-Köhler, Gritta, Wilson, Nerida G., Yasuhara, Moriaki
• Other Authors: Biocenter Grindel and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Wellington (NIWA), British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Marine Biology Department, Universiteit Gent = Ghent University (UGENT), Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-Universität Bochum Bochum, Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences (DISTAV), Università degli studi di Genova = University of Genoa (UniGe), Natural Environments Program, Queensland Museum, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Scott Polar Research Institute, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies Hobart (IMAS), University of Tasmania Hobart, Australia (UTAS), Zakład Biologii Polarnej i Oceanobiologii, Uniwersytet Łódzki, Wydział Nauk Geograficznych, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research Wilhelmshaven, Allemagne (DZMB), Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Biogéosciences UMR 6282 (BGS), Université de Bourgogne (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), Department of Biological Sciences Auburn, Auburn University (AU), Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Sektion Marine Evertebraten I, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Unitat de Zoologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Department of Genetics, La Trobe University Melbourne -La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO - UC San Diego), University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), University of California (UC)-University of California (UC), School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong (HKU)-Swire Institute of Marine Science, Department of Earth Sciences Hong kong, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Additional funding was gratefully received from the German Research Foundation (DFG, code KA 2857/1-1) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (S. Kaiser). S.N. Branda˜o was a Alexander von Humboldt fellow and also received support from SYNTHESYS and Encyclopedia of Life. C. Arango acknowledges support from the Australian Antarctic Science Grants (project AA3010) and CAML and the organizers of the Wilhelmshaven workshop for travel funding. NIWA staff was supported by the New Zealand Government under the New Zealand IPYCAML Project (IPY2007-01); project governance provided by the Ministry of Fisheries Science Team and the Ocean Survey 20/20 CAML Advisory Group (Land Information New Zealand, Ministry of Fisheries, Antarctica New Zealand, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and National Institute of Water and Atmosphere Ltd); partfunding was provided by the Ministry of Science and Innovation project COBR1302 (Biodiversity & Biosecurity). BAS staff was supported by the British Antarctic Survey Polar Science for Planet Earth Programme. A. Brandt acknowledges the support of the German Research Foundation (DFG) for support of the ANDEEP and ANDEEP- SYSTCO expeditions and various Southern Ocean projects (Br 1121/22, 1-3; Br 1121/26, 1-4; Br 1121/27-1; Br 1121/28-1; Br 1121/33-1; Br 1121/34-1; Br 1121/37-1; Br 1121/38-1; Br 1121/39-1; Br 1121/40-1; Br 1121/41, 1-; Br 1121/43-1; 436 RUS 17/20/02; 436 POL 17/6/03; 436 RUS 17/91/03; 436 RUS 17/103/05; 436 RUS 17/58/06) as well as to the University of Hamburg. J. Ingels and A. Vanreusel acknowledge support from the Belgian Science Policy and the ESF IMCOAST project with contributions of Research Foundation Flanders. F. Leese and C. Held were supported by DFG grants MA 3684/2 and LE 2323/2 within the priority program 1158. B. David and C. De Ridder received support from the Belgian Science Policy (Research project SD/BA/02A; BIANZO II) and ANR Antflocks ANR ANTFLOCKS (No. 07-BLAN-0213-01). D. Janussen thanks the DFG (DFG-Projects JA 1063/14-1.2, JA-1063-17-1), and SYNTHESYS (GB-TAF 885, NL-TAF 11, ES-TAF 1705, AT-TAF 2600) for their support. C. Havermans was financially supported by the Belgian Science Policy with an ''Action II'' grant (contract number WI/36/H04). T. Riehl received funding from the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes). N. Wilson's participation was facilitated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and an NSF OPP grant ANT-1043749.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2013
• Subjects: [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology; environment/Ecosystems; [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; Antarc*; International Polar Year
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00863882; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2232-6

23 pages International audience In the Southern Ocean, that is areas south of the Polar Front, long-term oceanographic cooling, geographic separation, development of isolating current and wind systems, tectonic drift and fluctuation of ice sheets amongst others have resulted in a highly endemic benthic fauna, which is generally adapted to the long-lasting, relatively stable environmental conditions. The Southern Ocean benthic ecosystem has been subject to minimal direct anthropogenic impact (compared to elsewhere) and thus presents unique opportunities to study biodiversity and its responses to environmental change. Since the beginning of the century, research under the Census of Marine Life and International Polar Year initiatives, as well as Scientific Committee of Antarctic Research biology programmes, have considerably advanced our understanding of the Southern Ocean benthos. In this paper, we evaluate recent progress in Southern Ocean benthic research and identify priorities for future research. Intense efforts to sample and describe the benthic fauna, coupled with coordination of information in global databases, have greatly enhanced understanding of the biodiversity and biogeography of the region. Some habitats, such as chemosynthetic systems, have been sampled for the first time, while application of new technologies and methods are yielding new insights into ecosystem structure and function. These advances have also highlighted important research gaps, notably the likely consequences of climate change. In a time of potentially pivotal environmental change, one of the greatest challenges is to balance conservation with increasing demands on the Southern Ocean's natural resources and services. In this context, the characterization of Southern Ocean biodiversity is an urgent priority requiring timely and accurate species identifications, application of standardized sampling and reporting procedures, as well as cooperation between disciplines and nations.