Benthic communities in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: Conservation value of animal forests at the Burdwood Bank slope

Abstract

The characterization of benthic communities at the Burdwood Bank slope (≥200 m depth) is provided, comprising data from the marine protected area (MPA) Namuncurá II (created in December 2018), as well as from some deep bathyal surrounding areas in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. This information was acquired during two research cruises with RV Puerto Deseado (Argentina) during 2016 and 2017. Marine animal forests were detected in the study area: coral gardens, mainly composed of alcyonaceans, were detected in the south and west of Burdwood Bank (MPA Namuncurá II) and neighbouring areas, whereas pennatulacean aggregations were detected in the north‐west of the plateau. The three‐dimensional structures of live but also dead corals provide substrate and refuge to many associated species. Benthic communities dominated by sponges were also recorded between 200 and 300 m in depth. Six sites that meet the characteristics of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) are reported. Conservation strategies applied to scarcely known austral Argentinean waters led to the establishment of a pioneer MPA (Namuncurá I). Following the management plan that aimed to establish the biodiversity of Namuncurá I and neighbouring areas, the area of protection has now been enlarged to include the southern slope of the bank (currently Namuncurá II), where marine animal forests were detected, at depths below 200 m. The data presented here provide empirical evidence to support the conservation value of the region.

Antifouling Diterpenoids from the Sponge Dendrilla antarctica

“…Between April and May of 2017, a scientific expedition was conducted onboard the research vessel ‘Puerto Deseado,’ with the aim of acquiring knowledge on oceanography, geology, biology, ecology and conservation value of the Marine Protected Area ‘Namuncurá/Burdwood Bank’ and nearby regions [18–20] . The benthic community was sampled using bottom trawls, and samples of the sponge identified as D. antarctica Topsent 1905 ( sensu Burton, 1932 as D. membranosa [Pallas, 1766], [21] ) were collected in coastal waters of Tierra del Fuego.…”

Ontogeny versus environmental forcing off the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: Nutritional condition of Fuegian sprat (Sprattus fuegensis) early stages

“…Understanding recruitment success in the MPAN/BB has implications for future conversation of this region's pelagic ecosystem services. Besides sheltering a high biodiversity including vulnerable benthic fauna as cold‐water corals, this submarine seamount also sustains a main spawning ground for various fishes and represents an important foraging site for numerous top predators (Falabella et al, 2009; Sánchez and Ciechomski, 1995; Schejter et al, 2020). To successfully preserve this rich habitat, in which Fuegian sprat play a key trophic role (Riccialdelli et al, 2020), it is indispensable to understand the governing dynamics and generate appropriate ecosystem‐based management strategies (Ruckelshaus et al, 2008; Sponaugle, 2010).…”

Legislación e instrumentos de manejo existentes para la protección de los fondos marinos en la Plataforma Continental Argentina

“…Como se mencionó antes, en sectores que antes eran considerados fondos de alta mar, se registraron importantes arrecifes de corales de aguas frías que constituyen EMV's (Muñoz et al 2012;Portela et al 2012). Estas comunidades son equivalentes a las halladas en el Banco Burdwood y adyacencias y son un importante objeto de conservación a nivel mundial (Schejter et al 2020). Por otra parte, especies de interés comercial como el cangrejo rojo (Chaceon notialis) y la langosta de profundidad (Thymops birsteini) se encuentran en fase de pesca experimental en zonas con profundidades cercanas a los 1.000 m en el lateral argentino por fuera de la Zona Común de Pesca Argentino-Uruguaya (Mauna et al 2017).…”