Characterization of deep-sea benthic invertebrate megafauna of the Galapagos Islands

Abstract

The deep sea represents the largest and least explored biome on the planet. Despite the iconic status of the Galapagos Islands and being considered one of the most pristine locations on earth, the deep-sea benthic ecosystems of the archipelago are virtually unexplored in comparison to their shallow-water counterparts. In 2015, we embarked on a multi-disciplinary scientific expedition to conduct the first systematic characterization of deep-sea benthic invertebrate communities of the Galapagos, across a range of habitats. We explored seven sites to depths of over 3,300 m using a two-part Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) system aboard the E/V Nautilus, and collected 90 biological specimens that were preserved and sent to experts around the world for analysis. Of those, 30 taxa were determined to be undescribed and new to science, including members of five new genera (2 sponges and 3 cnidarians). We also systematically analysed image frame grabs from over 85 h of ROV footage to investigate patterns of species diversity and document the presence of a range of underwater communities between depths of 290 and 3,373 m, including cold-water coral communities, extensive glass sponge and octocoral gardens, and soft-sediment faunal communities. This characterization of Galapagos deep-sea benthic invertebrate megafauna across a range of ecosystems represents a first step to study future changes that may result from anthropogenic impacts to the planet’s climate and oceans, and informed the creation of fully protected deep-water areas in the Galapagos Marine Reserve that may help preserve these unique communities in our changing planet.

Tourist Preferences for Seamount Conservation in the Galapagos Marine Reserve

“…These efforts are being led by CDF in collaboration with GNP and numerous international research institutes (Darwin Foundation, 2020). The recent discovery of both new marine species and endemics show that seamount ecosystems should be specially considered for conservation (Salinas-de-León et al, 2020).…”

“…Each species was presented with a fact on their biological characteristics, ecological importance or human uses. Finally, four species were identified as "new species" because these species were discoveries from the Nautilus expedition (Salinas-de-León et al, 2020). A copy of the Figure is provided in the Supplementary Material.…”

“…Our study is now possible as a result of new information on the ecology of deep seamount communities collected through deep-sea surveys in (Salinas-de-León et al, 2020 and its findings help inform the practical policies that will be essential to ensure sustainable management of ecosystems in the deep and open ocean, e.g., via any new UN 'BBNJ' treaty. The recent findings of new species can be understood given the isolated and volcanic nature of the Galapagos archipelago, standing approximately 1000 km into the Pacific ocean, representing an oasis of life in the vastness of the ETP abyssal (ocean zone > 3000 m deep) plain.…”

Identifying Black Corals and Octocorals From Deep-Sea Imagery for Ecological Assessments: Trade-Offs Between Morphology and Taxonomy

“…Advancements in camera technology and imaging platforms have also facilitated the acquisition of higher quality imagery, enabling more accurate species identification (Durden et al, 2016;Schoening et al, 2016;Clark et al, 2019). There are a variety of deep sea studies using benthic imagery and encompassing a broad range of objectives including biodiversity assessments (Thresher et al, 2014;Auscavitch et al, 2020;Lapointe et al, 2020;Salinas-de-León et al, 2020), identification of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME) (FAO, 2009;Jones and Lockhart, 2011;Dautova et al, 2019;Baco et al, 2020;Williams et al, 2020a), marine protected area (MPA) planning (Davies et al, 2017) and monitoring and recovery studies related to activities such as fishing (Althaus et al, 2009;Clark et al, 2019;Baco et al, 2020;Williams et al, 2020b) and potential seabed mining (Boschen-Rose et al, 2021).…”

“…The requirements for taxonomic resolution differ depending on the specific objectives of the study. High resolution taxonomic information is required for biodiversity studies reliant on species identifications (Auscavitch et al, 2020;Lapointe et al, 2020;Salinas-de-León et al, 2020). Multivariate analyses of community structure or bioregional studies are not as reliant on species level data, because data are commonly combined over several taxa or aggregated to higher taxonomic levels (Williams et al, 2010;Tanner et al, 2018;Clark et al, 2019).…”