nerc.ac.uk

Differences in the carbon flows in the benthic food webs of abyssal hill and plain habitats

Durden, J.M.. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6529-9109; Ruhl, H.A.; Pebody, C.; Blackbird, S.J.; van Oevelen, D.. 2017 Differences in the carbon flows in the benthic food webs of abyssal hill and plain habitats. Limnology and Oceanography, 62 (4). 1771-1782. 10.1002/lno.10532

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.
[thumbnail of Open Access paper]
Preview
Text (Open Access paper)
lno10532.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

Download (353kB) | Preview
[thumbnail of Updated assessment of PAP food web post-print.pdf]
Preview
Text
Updated assessment of PAP food web post-print.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

Inputs of detritus from the surface ocean are an important driver of community dynamics in the deep sea. The assessment of the flow of carbon through the benthic food web gives insight into how the community is sustained, and its resilience to fluctuations in food supply. We used a linear inverse model to compare the carbon flow through the food webs on an abyssal hill and the nearby plain at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain sustained observatory (4850 m water depth; northeast Atlantic), to examine the partitioning of detrital input in these substantially different megafaunal communities. We found minimal variation in carbon flows at the plain over two years, but differences in the detrital inputs and in the processing of that carbon input between the hill and plain habitats. Suspension feeding dominated metazoan carbon processing on the hill, removing nearly all labile detritus input to the system. By contrast, half of all labile detritus was deposited and available for deposit feeders on the abyssal plain. This suggests that the biomass on the hill is dependent on a more variable carbon supply than the plain. The presence of millions of abyssal hills globally suggests that the high benthic biomass and respiration, and reduced deposition of detritus may be pervasive, albeit with varying intensity.

Item Type: Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1002/lno.10532
ISSN: 0024-3590
Date made live: 31 Jan 2017 13:07 +0 (UTC)
URI: https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/516090

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Document Downloads

Downloads for past 30 days

Downloads per month over past year

More statistics for this item...