| Summary: | Biodiversity is natures most valuable resource. The Southern Ocean contains significant levels ofmarine biodiversity as a result of its isolated history and a combination of exceptional environmentalconditions. However, little is known about the spatial and temporal distribution of biodiversity on theAntarctic continental shelf, hindering informed marine spatial planning, policy developmentunderpinning regulation of human activity, and predicting the response of Antarctic marine ecosystemsto environmental change. In this thesis, I provide detailed insight into the spatial and temporaldistribution of Antarctic benthic macrofaunal and demersal fish biodiversity. Using data from theGeorge V shelf region in East Antarctica, I address some of the main issues currently hinderingunderstanding of the functioning of the Antarctic ecosystem and the distribution of biodiversity at theseafloor. The focus is on spatial biodiversity prediction with particular consideration given topreviously unavailable environmental factors that are integral in determining where species are able tolive, and the poor relationships often found between species distributions and other environmentalfactors.
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