Abstract
AbstractUnderwater imagery survey was conducted to address changes in Antarctic benthic megafauna communities by recent glacial retreat in Marian Cove, where distance from the glacier was proportional to retreat period. Benthic megafauna communities showed lesser variation due to frequent ice-scouring at 10 m than deeper seabed. At deep seabed (50–90 m), where glacier impacts decreased, benthic megafauna was scarce right in front of the glacier, but near the glacier (~10 years after seabed exposure), density peaked (128 ind. m−2) with pioneer species. At the outermost site, pioneer species were extremely limited (5 ind. m−2) while late-successional species were abundant (42 ind. m−2). Taxonomic and functional diversities peaked near the glacier and outermost site, respectively, indicating different mechanisms of structural and functional change after glacial retreat. This study showed a four-step successional process of benthic megafauna communities after glacial retreat in Antarctic nearshore: high disturbance, colonization, transition, and maturing stages.
Funder
Korea Polar Research Institute
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Reference68 articles.
1. Watt, Lize-Marié van der. “Antarctica”. Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Antarctica.
2. Clarke, A. Antarctic marine benthic diversity: patterns and processes. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 366, 48–55 (2008).
3. De Broyer C. et al. (eds.), Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge, XII, 498 (2014).
4. Gili, J.-M. et al. Are Antarctic suspension-feeding communities different from those elsewhere in the world? Polar Biol. 24, 473–485 (2001).
5. Gerdes, D. et al. Response of Antarctic benthic communities to disturbance: first results from the artificial Benthic Disturbance Experiment on the eastern Weddell Sea Shelf, Antarctica. Polar Biol. 31, 1469–1480 (2008).