Biodiversity change after climate-induced ice-shelf collapse in the Antarctic

• Published in: Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
• Main Authors: Gutt, J., Barratt, I., Domack, E., d'Acoz, C.D., Dimmler, W., Gremare, A., Heilmayer, O., Isla, E., Janussen, D., Jorgensen, E., Kock, K.H., Lehnert, L.S., Lopez-Gonzales, P., Langner, S., Linse, K., Manjon-Cabeza, M.E., Meissner, M., Montiel, A., Raes, M., Robert, H., Rose, A., Schepisi, E.S., Saucede, T., Scheidat, M., Schenke, H.W., Seiler, J., Smith, C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Euphausia superba [Antarctic krill]; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Antarc*; Antarctic Krill; Euphausia superba; Ice Shelf; Ice Shelves; Iceberg*
• Online Access: http://www.vliz.be/nl/open-marien-archief?module=ref&refid=210820

The marine ecosystem on the eastern shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula was surveyed 5 and 12 years after the climate-induced collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves. An impoverished benthic fauna was discovered, that included deep-sea species presumed to be remnants from ice-covered conditions. The current structure of various ecosystem components appears to result from extremely different response rates to the change from an oligotrophic sub-ice-shelf ecosystem to a productive shelf ecosystem. Meiobenthic communities remained impoverished only inside the embayments. On local scales, macro- and mega-epibenthic diversity was generally low, with pioneer species and typical Antarctic megabenthic shelf species interspersed. Antarctic Minke whales and seals utilised the Larsen A/B area to feed on presumably newly established krill and pelagic fish biomass. Ecosystem impacts also extended well beyond the zone of ice-shelf collapse, with areas of high benthic disturbance resulting from scour by icebergs discharged from the Larsen embayments.