Abyssal food-web model indicates faunal carbon flow recovery and impaired microbial loop 26 years after a sediment disturbance experiment

Jonge, Daniëlle de; Stratmann, Tanja; Lins, Lidia; Vanreusel, Ann; Purser, Autun; Marcon, Yann; Rodrigues, Clara F.; Esquete, Patricia; Ravara, Ascensão; Simon-Lledó, Erik; Breugel, Peter van; Sweetman, Andrew K.; Soetaert, Karline; Oevelen, Dick van

doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2020.102446

Cited by 32 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 206 publications

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“…All of these factors suggest that the contribution of monothalamids to carbon cycling in the CCZ does not match their abundance and diversity although, given their large contribution to benthic communities, it may still be considerable. However, there are very few reliable data about their biomass or rates of metabolic activity, which are crucial parameters if foraminifera are to be included in carbonbased, food-web modeling studies (van Oevelen et al, 2011;de Jonge et al, 2020). Gooday et al (2020b) review the role of xenophyophores as a potentially important source of seafloor heterogeneity in parts of the deep sea where they are an abundant component of the megafauna.…”

Section: Role In Food-webs and Carbon Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Biodiversity and Distribution of Abyssal Benthic Foraminifera and Their Possible Ecological Roles: A Synthesis Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone

et al. 2021

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Benthic foraminiferal research in the North Pacific has a long history, with works published over a century ago providing important information about the taxonomy and distribution of morphospecies. These studies focused mainly on areas outside the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). Our knowledge of foraminiferal faunas within the CCZ originates largely from recent baseline investigations related to likely future seabed mining of the polymetallic nodule deposits. These have revealed highly diverse assemblages of sediment-dwelling morphospecies among the meiofauna and macrofauna, as well as megafaunal xenophyophores and nodule-attached fauna. Morphological analyses have been complemented by metabarcoding studies that yielded even higher numbers of molecular species (Operational Taxonomic Units - OTUs). Monothalamids, the vast majority undescribed, constitute a substantial proportion of both morphological and molecular datasets, with multichambered agglutinated and calcareous foraminifera being less common. Their importance in this abyssal (>4,000 m depth) habitat likely reflects food limitation combined with carbonate dissolution close to and below the carbonate compensation depth. Literature records, supported in a few cases by genetic data, suggest that many morphospecies found in the CCZ have wide geographical distributions across the Pacific abyss and in other oceans. At smaller spatial scales (several 100s of kilometers) there is a general uniformity in assemblage composition. Nevertheless, many morphospecies are too rare to conclude anything about their geographical distributions. Similarly, the part played by benthic foraminifera in CCZ ecosystems is largely a matter of speculation, although their abundance across different size classes suggests that it is significant. Meiofauna-sized taxa that consume freshly-deposited organic detritus may be important in carbon cycling, particularly at the shallower, more eutrophic eastern end of the CCZ. Megafaunal xenophyophores can provide habitat structure for other organisms, potentially enhancing benthic biodiversity. Foraminifera of all sizes could be among the earliest recolonisers of disturbed or redeposited sediments. Their potential contributions in terms of both ecology and biodiversity make these protists significant members of benthic communities in the CCZ.

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Section: Role In Food-webs and Carbon Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Biodiversity and Distribution of Abyssal Benthic Foraminifera and Their Possible Ecological Roles: A Synthesis Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone

et al. 2021

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“…Previous modelling studies about the impact of deep-seabed mining on the benthic ecosystem focused on carbon flows 13 , 48 . These food-web models, however, group individual taxa in feeding types 49 , 50 which can mask biodiversity loss.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Abyssal food-web studies traditionally focus on trophic interactions (i.e., consumer-resource relationship; e.g., 8 – 13 ), because life at abyssal plains is considered ‘food-limited’ due to its dependence on fluxes of particulate organic matter (POM) from surface waters 14 . The top sediment layer is typically well-oxygenated, reducing the importance of habitat modification by sediment ventilation or bioturbating fauna 15 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polymetallic nodules are essential for food-web integrity of a prospective deep-seabed mining area in Pacific abyssal plains

Stratmann

Soetaert

Kersken

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Polymetallic nodule fields provide hard substrate for sessile organisms on the abyssal seafloor between 3000 and 6000 m water depth. Deep-seabed mining targets these mineral-rich nodules and will likely modify the consumer-resource (trophic) and substrate-providing (non-trophic) interactions within the abyssal food web. However, the importance of nodules and their associated sessile fauna in supporting food-web integrity remains unclear. Here, we use seafloor imagery and published literature to develop highly-resolved trophic and non-trophic interaction webs for the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCZ, central Pacific Ocean) and the Peru Basin (PB, South-East Pacific Ocean) and to assess how nodule removal may modify these networks. The CCZ interaction web included 1028 compartments connected with 59,793 links and the PB interaction web consisted of 342 compartments and 8044 links. We show that knock-down effects of nodule removal resulted in a 17.9% (CCZ) to 20.8% (PB) loss of all taxa and 22.8% (PB) to 30.6% (CCZ) loss of network links. Subsequent analysis identified stalked glass sponges living attached to the nodules as key structural species that supported a high diversity of associated fauna. We conclude that polymetallic nodules are critical for food-web integrity and that their absence will likely result in reduced local benthic biodiversity.

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“…Previous modelling studies about the impact of deep-seabed mining on the benthic ecosystem focused on carbon flows (de Jonge et al, 2020; Stratmann et al, 2018). These food-web models, however, group individual taxa in feeding types (van Oevelen et al, 2010; Soetaert & van Oevelen, 2009) which can mask biodiversity loss.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Abyssal food-web studies traditionally focus on trophic interactions (i.e., consumer-resource relationship; e.g., (Aberle & Witte, 2003; Dunlop et al, 2016; Iken et al, 2001; de Jonge et al, 2020; van Oevelen et al, 2012; Sweetman & Witte, 2008)), because life at abyssal plains is strongly food-limited (Smith et al, 2008). The top sediment layer is typically well-oxygenated, reducing the importance of habitat modification by sediment ventilation or bioturbating fauna (Meysman et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polymetallic nodules are essential for food-web integrity of a prospective deep-seabed mining area in Pacific abyssal plains

Stratmann

Soetaert

Kersken

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Polymetallic nodule fields provide hard substrate for sessile organisms on the abyssal seafloor between 3,000 and 6,000 m water depth. Deep-seabed mining targets these mineral-rich nodules and will likely modify the consumer-resource (trophic) and substrate-providing (non-trophic) interactions within the abyssal food web. However, the importance of nodules and their associated sessile fauna in supporting food-web integrity remains unclear. Here, we use seafloor imagery and published literature to develop highly-resolved trophic and non-trophic interaction webs for the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCZ, central Pacific Ocean) and the Peru Basin (PB, south-east Pacific Ocean) and to assess how nodule removal will modify these networks. The CCZ interaction web included 1,028 compartments connected with 59,793 links and the PB interaction web consisted of 342 compartments and 8,044 links. We show that knock-down effects of nodule removal resulted in a 17.9% (CCZ) to 20.8% (PB) loss of all compartments and 22.8% (PB) to 30.6% (CCZ) loss of network links. Subsequent analysis identified stalked glass sponges living attached to the nodules as key structural species that supported a high diversity of associated fauna. We conclude that polymetallic nodules are critical for food-web integrity and that their absence will likely result in reduced local benthic biodiversity.

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Abyssal food-web model indicates faunal carbon flow recovery and impaired microbial loop 26 years after a sediment disturbance experiment

Cited by 32 publications

References 206 publications

The Biodiversity and Distribution of Abyssal Benthic Foraminifera and Their Possible Ecological Roles: A Synthesis Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone

The Biodiversity and Distribution of Abyssal Benthic Foraminifera and Their Possible Ecological Roles: A Synthesis Across the Clarion-Clipperton Zone

Polymetallic nodules are essential for food-web integrity of a prospective deep-seabed mining area in Pacific abyssal plains

Polymetallic nodules are essential for food-web integrity of a prospective deep-seabed mining area in Pacific abyssal plains

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