Benthic biodiversity in the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area

Brasier, M; Grant, Susie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7941-3948; Trathan, Phil ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6673-9930; Allcock, L; Ashford, O; Blagbrough, Hilary ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6904-777X; Brandt, A; Danis, B; Downey, R; Eléaume, MP; Enderlein, Peter; Ghiglione, C; Hogg, Oliver; Linse, Katrin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3477-3047; Mackenzie, M; Moreau, C; Robinson, LF; Rodriguez, E; Spirdonov, V; Tate, Alexander ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7880-3271; Taylor, M; Waller, C; Wiklund, H; Griffiths, Huw ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1764-223X. 2018 Benthic biodiversity in the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area. Biodiversity, 19 (1-2). 5-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2018.1468821

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This is an original manuscript / preprint of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Biodiversity on 20 Jun 2018, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14888386.2018.1468821.
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Official URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/148883...

Abstract/Summary

The South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf (SOISS) Marine Protected Area (MPA) was the first MPA to be designated entirely within the high seas and is managed under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). To assist with research and monitoring of the MPA, an international expedition (‘SO-AntEco’) was undertaken in the austral summer of 2016 to contribute towards a better understanding of selected benthic habitats within the region. The benthic assemblages of the SOISS MPA region were found to be strongly correlated with the texture of the seafloor, where hard substrates hosted a greater number of individuals, taxa and biomass with a dominance of filter feeding vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) taxa, and soft sediments were dominated mostly by deposit feeders. Substantial differences in the abundance of VME taxa were found between sampling gears (shallow underwater camera system and Agassiz trawl). We conclude that camera systems may be more suitable for VME assessments, but additional trawling is advisable for collecting all faunal types and for higher taxonomic resolution. The designation of VME locations based purely on large scale geomorphic classification is not advisable, due to small scale variation in substrate and other local physical influences.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2018.1468821
Additional Keywords:	Southern Ocean, Antarctica, benthos, protected area, vulnerable marine ecosystems
Date made live:	26 Feb 2019 15:34 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522357

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2018.1468821

Additional Keywords:

Southern Ocean, Antarctica, benthos, protected area, vulnerable marine ecosystems

Date made live:

26 Feb 2019 15:34 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522357