Climate change and glacier retreat drive shifts in an Antarctic benthic ecosystem

Sahade, Ricardo; Lagger, Cristian; Torre, Luciana; Momo, Fernando; Monien, Patrick; Schloss, Irene R; Barnes, David K. A.; Servetto, Natalia; Tarantelli, Soledad; Tatián, Marcos; Zamboni, N.; Abele, Doris

doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500050

Cited by 181 publications

(198 citation statements)

References 46 publications

(100 reference statements)

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“…As polar and sub-polar regions become warmer, glacial meltwater and erosion of melting tundra (Węsławski et al, 2011) will enhance water column turbidity in coastal zones (Grange and Smith, 2013;Sahade et al, 2015), reducing water column light levels and phytoplankton production, which could affect near-shore deep-sea systems. The increased sedimentation in deep coastal areas, particularly fjords, may also smother or clog the breathing and feeding apparatus of sessile suspension-feeding fauna.…”

Section: The Polar Deep Seasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems

Sweetman

Thurber

Smith

et al. 2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

271

297

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The deep sea encompasses the largest ecosystems on Earth. Although poorly known, deep seafloor ecosystems provide services that are vitally important to the entire ocean and biosphere. Rising atmospheric greenhouse gases are bringing about significant changes in the environmental properties of the ocean realm in terms of water column oxygenation, temperature, pH and food supply, with concomitant impacts on deep-sea ecosystems. Projections suggest that abyssal (3000-6000 m) ocean temperatures could increase by 1°C over the next 84 years, while abyssal seafloor habitats under areas of deep-water formation may experience reductions in water column oxygen concentrations by as much as 0.03 mL L -1 by 2100. Bathyal depths (200-3000 m) worldwide will undergo the most significant reductions in pH in all oceans by the year 2100 (0.29 to 0.37 pH units). O 2 concentrations will also decline in the bathyal NE Pacific and Southern Oceans, with losses up to 3.7% or more, especially at intermediate depths. Another important environmental parameter, the flux of particulate organic matter to the seafloor, is likely to decline significantly in most oceans, most notably in the abyssal and bathyal Indian Ocean where it is predicted to decrease by 40-55% by the end of the century. Unfortunately, how these major changes will affect deep-seafloor ecosystems is, in some cases, very poorly understood. In this paper, we provide a detailed overview of the impacts of these changing environmental parameters on deep-seafloor ecosystems that will most likely be seen by 2100 in continental margin, abyssal and polar settings. We also consider how these changes may combine with other anthropogenic stressors (e.g., fishing, mineral mining, oil and gas extraction) to further impact deep-seafloor ecosystems and discuss the possible societal implications.

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Section: The Polar Deep Seasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems

Sweetman

Thurber

Smith

et al. 2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

271

297

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“…Some long-term changes in the structure of benthic communities have already been observed in the Antarctic (e.g. Pabis and Sobczyk 2015;Moon et al 2015;Sahade et al 2015), but there remains a need to develop a system of monitoring sites that will allow comprehensive and meaningful evaluation of global environmental changes in the benthic fauna of the whole region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low abundance and high species richness: the structure of the soft-bottom isopod fauna of a West Antarctic glacial fjord

et al. 2017

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Isopods belong to the most speciose groups of the Antarctic benthic fauna, although the knowledge on their diversity and small-scale distribution patterns is still limited. Here we analyze the diversity of the isopod fauna in the Admiralty Bay, a glacial fjord on the King George Island. The basin is located in the region of the Antarctic Peninsula, the fastest warming area of the Southern Ocean. The study provides important baseline data for future research, particularly with respect to temporal fluctuations in benthic fauna, associated with global changes observed in that part of the world. Forty species of isopods representing 19 families were recorded on the soft bottom of the Admiralty Bay. The analyses were based on 99 quantitative samples collected, within the 20-502-m depth range, with a 0.1 m 2 van Veen grab. The materials for the analyses were obtained in the austral summer seasons of 1984/1985 and 1985/1986. The data revealed a high number of isopod species occurring at a low abundance, the mean abundance amounting to 4.8 ± 8.6 ind./0.1 m 2 . Most of the species occurred at low abundances, 25% of the species being represented by singletons. Caecognathia polaris, the most abundant species, showed the mean abundance of merely 1.2 ± 4.2 ind./0.1 m 2 . Species richness, diversity and abundance of the isopod fauna were much higher in the central basin of the Admiralty Bay than in the Ezcurra Inlet, an area affected by a strong disturbance of glacial origin.

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“…These areas are greatly influenced by the retreat of the Fourcade Glacier as well as by high rates of freshwater run-off and sedimentation caused by the meltwater creeks disemboguing into the cove. This has already led to shifts in the benthic communities and has also created new habitats available for colonization (Quartino et al 2013;Sahade et al 2015;Deregibus et al 2016). Pioneer species as well as species with a broad ecological niche, are expected to occupy new areas within the succession process.…”

Section: The Influence Of Sampling Methods and Environmental Factors Omentioning

confidence: 99%

Fishing for scavengers: an integrated study to amphipod (Crustacea: Lysianassoidea) diversity of Potter Cove (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica)

et al. 2017

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Amphipoda from the superfamily Lysianassoidea Dana, 1849 play an important role in Southern Ocean benthic food webs due to their high biomass, abundance and predominantly scavenging mode of feeding. Our knowledge on the lysianassoid fauna, even in well-studied areas of the Western Antarctic Peninsula, is incomplete. Here we report the findings of an integrated study of lysianassoid amphipods of Potter Cove, King George Island/ Isla 25 de Mayo (KGI), combining morphological and molecular species identification (COI barcoding) methods, investigating more than 41,000 specimens from baited traps. For comparison, 2039 specimens from the adjacent Marian Cove were analysed. Ten lysianassoid species were recorded in the deeper outer Potter Cove, whereas the inner cove (<50 m) was dominated by a single species, Cheirimedon femoratus Pfeffer, 1888 (99.44% relative abundance). It is hypothesized that the impoverished lysianassoid fauna inside the meltwater-influenced inner cove represents a 1model for future conditions along the Western Antarctic Peninsula under conditions of increased glacial melting. 2Abyssorchomene charcoti (Chevreux, 1912)

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Climate change and glacier retreat drive shifts in an Antarctic benthic ecosystem

Abstract: Climatic change in the Antarctic Peninsula has driven profound shifts in the seabed.

Cited by 181 publications

References 46 publications

Major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems

Major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems

Low abundance and high species richness: the structure of the soft-bottom isopod fauna of a West Antarctic glacial fjord

Fishing for scavengers: an integrated study to amphipod (Crustacea: Lysianassoidea) diversity of Potter Cove (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica)

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