Variability in Zoobenthic Blue Carbon storage across a Southern Polar Gradient

Frinault, Bétina A.V.; Barnes, David K.A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9076-7867. 2024 Variability in Zoobenthic Blue Carbon storage across a Southern Polar Gradient. Marine Environmental Research, 199, 106621. 14, pp. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106621

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.

Preview

Text (Open Access.) © 2024 The Authors. 1-s2.0-S0141113624002824-main.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Download (4MB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

The seabed of the Antarctic continental shelf hosts most of Antarctica's known species, including taxa considered indicative of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs). Nonetheless, the potential impact of climatic and environmental change, including marine icescape transition, on Antarctic shelf zoobenthos, and their blue carbon-associated function, is still poorly characterised. To help narrow knowledge gaps, four continental shelf study areas, spanning a southern polar gradient, were investigated for zoobenthic (principally epi-faunal) carbon storage (a component of blue carbon), and potential environmental influences, employing a functional group approach. Zoobenthic carbon storage was highest at the two southernmost study areas (with a mean estimate of 41.6 versus 7.2 g C m−2) and, at each study area, increased with morphotaxa richness, overall faunal density, and VME indicator density. Functional group mean carbon content varied with study area, as did each group's percentage contribution to carbon storage and faunal density. Of the environmental variables explored, sea-ice cover and primary production, both likely to be strongly impacted by climate change, featured in variable subsets most highly correlating with assemblage and carbon storage (by functional groups) structures. The study findings can underpin biodiversity- and climate-considerate marine spatial planning and conservation measures in the Southern Ocean.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106621
ISSN:	0141-1136
Additional Keywords:	Zoobenthic carbon storage, Blue carbon, Antarctic, Benthos, Climate change, Ecosystem function, Functional groups, Vulnerable marine ecosystems, Dropstones, Ecosystem service, Ice-cover loss
Date made live:	27 Jun 2024 08:16 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/537281

Actions (login required)

View Item

Document Downloads

More statistics for this item...