Title Community structure and spatial distribution of benthic fauna in the Bellingshausen Sea (West Antarctica)
Author Saiz, J.I.; García, F.J.; Manjón- Cabeza, M.E.; Parapar, J.; Peña-Cantero, A.; Saucède, T.; Troncoso, J.S.; Ramos, A.
Author Affil Saiz, J.I., Universidad del País Vasco, Departamento de Zoología, Bilbao, Spain. Other: Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain; Universidad Málaga, Spain; Universidad da Coruña, Spain; Universidad de Valencia, Spain; Université de Bourgogne, France; Universidade de Vigo, Spain; Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Spain
Source Polar Biology, 31(6), p.735-743, . Publisher: Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany. ISSN: 0722- 4060
Publication Date May 2008
Notes In English. 28 refs. GeoRef Acc. No: 284710
Index Terms Southern Ocean--Bellingshausen Sea; Antarctica--West Antarctica; Antarctica; Bellingshausen Sea; benthic taxa; biota; cluster analysis; communities; ecology; ecosystems; Southern Ocean; statistical analysis; West Antarctica
Abstract The structure and spatial distribution of the macrofauna community of the Bellingshausen Sea in the western sector of Antarctica was studied during the "BENTART- 06" oceanographic expedition. This is one of the least explored Antarctic seas. A total of 20 box cores were sampled at 11 stations ranging from 157 to 3,304 m depth, using an USNEL-type box corer (BC) dredge. Representatives of 25 higher taxa of invertebrates were collected. Deeper sampling sites were less rich in taxa (4-7 taxa), whereas the figures were higher at shallower sites (up to 17 taxa). Faunal density on the sea bottom revealed a horizontal spatial gradient from the western sites with extremely low figures towards the eastern ones with the highest figures close to the Antarctic Peninsula. (mod. journ. abst.)
URL http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s00300-008-0414-3
Publication Type journal article
Record ID 84175