TY - JOUR

T1 - Vertical distribution patterns of macrofauna in the sediments of the Arctic cross-shelf trough and adjacent shelf - Similarities and differences from lower latitudes

AU - Syomin, Vitaly L.

AU - Zimina, Olga

AU - Крылов, Алексей Алексеевич

AU - Нехаев, Иван Олегович

AU - Bogin, Victor

AU - Zakharov, Vladimir

PY - 2024/6/1

Y1 - 2024/6/1

N2 - Vertical distribution of macrobenthos in sediments remains poorly studied; data from higher latitudes are especially scarce. At the same time, it is believed to contain important information about communities that should not be neglected. Hence, our main objectives are to study the peculiarities of macrobenthos vertical patterns in the Arctic and to find out features specific to this region. For this, 24 stations were sampled in 2019 aboard the R/V “Akademik Tryoshnikov” while drifting in the North Barents Sea and along a transect south-west of the Franz Joseph Land. Sediments were obtained using a box corer; afterwards, subsamples were taken by a tube corer and cut into vertical sub-cores. Three to four strata (depending on biotope) characterized by similar species composition and abundance were distinguished. No direct relation between the increase in species richness and the complication of vertical structure was found. Avoiding competition through dwelling in different layers at one station was observed in some groups of closely related species. Factors playing important roles in determining infaunal properties depended on the layer. The thin upper layer played a more important role in terms of species number and abundance as compared to lower latitudes. However, the most abundant and widespread polychaete species Spiochaetopterus typicus penetrated down to 30 cm. It formed vertical distribution patterns in deeper sediment layers at most stations, including facilitating penetration into deep layers for other species. The exception was stations dominated by large maldanid polychaetes. Such a vertical pattern, with a particularly large share of species richness and abundance concentrated in the several upper cm combined with the very deep penetration of a few species, is likely typical of the Eurasian Arctic shelf.

AB - Vertical distribution of macrobenthos in sediments remains poorly studied; data from higher latitudes are especially scarce. At the same time, it is believed to contain important information about communities that should not be neglected. Hence, our main objectives are to study the peculiarities of macrobenthos vertical patterns in the Arctic and to find out features specific to this region. For this, 24 stations were sampled in 2019 aboard the R/V “Akademik Tryoshnikov” while drifting in the North Barents Sea and along a transect south-west of the Franz Joseph Land. Sediments were obtained using a box corer; afterwards, subsamples were taken by a tube corer and cut into vertical sub-cores. Three to four strata (depending on biotope) characterized by similar species composition and abundance were distinguished. No direct relation between the increase in species richness and the complication of vertical structure was found. Avoiding competition through dwelling in different layers at one station was observed in some groups of closely related species. Factors playing important roles in determining infaunal properties depended on the layer. The thin upper layer played a more important role in terms of species number and abundance as compared to lower latitudes. However, the most abundant and widespread polychaete species Spiochaetopterus typicus penetrated down to 30 cm. It formed vertical distribution patterns in deeper sediment layers at most stations, including facilitating penetration into deep layers for other species. The exception was stations dominated by large maldanid polychaetes. Such a vertical pattern, with a particularly large share of species richness and abundance concentrated in the several upper cm combined with the very deep penetration of a few species, is likely typical of the Eurasian Arctic shelf.

KW - зообентос

KW - свойства осадков

KW - Арктика

KW - желоб Франц-Виктория

KW - Arctic

KW - Community structure

KW - Franz victoria trough

KW - Niche partitioning

KW - North barents sea

KW - Sediment properties

KW - Vertical distribution

KW - Zoobenthos

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/7d21b17b-abe4-377e-8f32-a08e80905481/

U2 - 10.1016/j.dsr.2024.104315

DO - 10.1016/j.dsr.2024.104315

M3 - Article

VL - 208

JO - Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers

JF - Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers

SN - 0967-0637

M1 - 104315

ER -