Dynamics of meiofaunal assemblages on the continental shelf and deep-sea sediments of the Cretan Sea (NE Mediterranean): relationships with seasonal changes in food supply

Danovaro, Roberto; Τσελεπίδης, Α.; Otegui, Ana; Croce, N. Della

doi:10.1016/s0079-6611(00)00026-4

Cited by 127 publications

(46 citation statements)

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“…In the deep sea, the distribution and abundance of benthic communities is closely related to the quantity and quality of food input to the seafloor (Thiel, 1983;Tselepides and Eleftheriou, 1992;Pfannkuche et al, 1999;Danovaro et al, 2000a;Tselepides et al, 2000c). In an extremely oligotrophic area such as the eastern Mediterranean Sea, meiofaunal abundance and biomass of deep sea sediments is generally low, decreasing sharply with increasing water depth (Danovaro et al, , 2000a.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In an extremely oligotrophic area such as the eastern Mediterranean Sea, meiofaunal abundance and biomass of deep sea sediments is generally low, decreasing sharply with increasing water depth (Danovaro et al, , 2000a. Benthic standing stocks have been found to be 2-25 times lower in the eastern part of the Mediterranean compared to the more productive northwestern part (de Bovée et al, 1990;Danovaro et al, 2000a). A notable exception are the Hellenic and Pliny trenches, which occasionally behave as benthic hot spots by accumulating organic matter and therefore supporting surprisingly high meiofaunal abundance (Tselepides and Lampadariou, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Distribution of meiobenthos at bathyal depths in the Mediterranean Sea. A comparison between sites of contrasting productivity

Τσελεπίδης¹,

Lampadariou²,

Hatziyanni³

2004

Sci. Mar.

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The Mediterranean Sea, one of the most oligotrophic basins in the world, is characterised by a west-east productivity gradient because of the hydrographic differences between its two subbasins, the different productivity levels in the surface waters and the variability in vertical fluxes of organic carbon to the seafloor (Danovaro et al., 1999 In order to study the distribution of meiobenthos (Metazoa and Foraminifera) at bathyal depths along a westeast productivity gradient in the Mediterranean Sea, stations along the continental slopes of the Balearic Sea, west Ionian and east Ionian Seas were sampled during the DESEAS Trans-Mediterranean Cruise in June-July 2001. Standing stock of total meiobenthos differed considerably among the sampling stations, with marked differences occurring between sampling depths and sites. At 600 m depth, meiobenthic abundances were slightly higher over the Balearic continental slope, whereas at the deeper stations (800 m and 1500-1700 m), abundances were significantly higher in the west Ionian Sea. Significant relationships were found between the abundances of major groups and the chloroplastic pigments, indicating that food availability is a major factor controlling the distribution of meiobenthos. Apart from the overall differences in productivity between the western and eastern Mediterranean Sea, local hydrographic features and topographic differences greatly influence the spatial variability of the environmental parameters within each sub-basin and thus the distribution of meiobenthos in the bathyal zone.Key words: meiobenthos, deep-sea, bathyal, Mediterranean Sea, Balearic Sea, Ionian Sea. RESUMEN: DISTRIBUCIÓN DEL MEIOBENTOS EN FONDOS BATIALES DEL MEDITERRÁNEO: UNA COMPARACIÓN ENTRE LUGARES DIS-TANTES. -Para el estudio del meiobenthos (Metazoa y foraminifera) en los fondos batiales del Mediterráneo a lo largo del gradiente de productividad oeste-este, se hicieron muestreos en la plataforma continental del mar Balear y del mar Iónico oriental y occidental, durante la campaña transmediterránea DESEAS (junio-julio, 2001). La biomasa permanente del meiobentos total difiere considerablemente entre las muestras de las distintas estaciones y profundidades. A 600 m de profundidad las abundancias de meiobentos fueron un poco más altas en la plataforma de Baleares, mientras que en las estaciones más profundas (800 y 1500-1700 m), las abundancias fueron significativamente más altas en el Iónico occidental. Se encontraron relaciones significativas entre las abundancias de los grupos mayoritarios y los pigmentos cloroplásticos, indicando que la disponibilidad de alimento es el principal factor que controla la distribución del meiobentos. Aparte de las diferencias globales entre la productividad del Mediterráneo oriental y occidental, son las características hidrográficas y las diferencias topográficas quienes influencian fuertemente en la variabilidad espacial de los parámetros ambientales en cada sub-cubeta, y por tanto, en la distribución del meibentos en la zona batial.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Distribution of meiobenthos at bathyal depths in the Mediterranean Sea. A comparison between sites of contrasting productivity

Τσελεπίδης¹,

Lampadariou²,

Hatziyanni³

2004

Sci. Mar.

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“…Usually this restriction in size arises from low amounts of food (Wei et al 2010). In the present study, the significant increase in prokaryote biomass of the total biomass suggests two things: (i) a greater ability of prokaryotes to exploit the organic carbon in the sediments, as compared to the other two benthic classes; and consequently, (ii) a partial channelling of the carbon to the higher trophic levels through the prokaryote component (Danovaro et al 2000). As deposit feeding is one of the most widely adopted feeding strategies with both meiobenthic and macrobenthic organisms along the investigated area, this suggests grazing on microbes by organisms belonging to the higher trophic levels and could be indicative of a direct food chain, as already described for benthic communities inhabiting food-limited areas (Boetius et al 1996, Kröncke et al 2000, Kröncke and Turkey 2003.…”

Section: Contributions Of Different Benthic Size Classes To Total Biomentioning

confidence: 45%

From microbes to macrofauna: an integrated study of deep benthic communities and their response to environmental variables along the Malta Escarpment (Ionian Sea)

Baldrighi¹,

Aliani²,

Conversi³

et al. 2013

Sci. Mar.

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SUMMARY: A comparative study for abundance, biomass and diversity was carried out for the prokaryote, meiofauna and macrofauna communities at three depth stations (1200, 1800 and 2100 m) along the Malta Escarpment (Mediterranean Sea). Our investigation showed a two-fold increase with depth in prokaryote abundance; the contribution of prokaryote biomass to the total benthic biomass was predominant at all depths. Bacteria were the dominant prokaryote component and Archaea formed a considerable fraction (20%-30%) of the prokaryote assemblages. The meio-and macrofauna abundances and meiofauna biomass did not decrease significantly with depth but macrofauna biomass did. The α diversity did not follow a clear bathymetric trend for both nematode and macrofauna species. Probably because of the large number of eurybathic nematode genera, nor did the turnover diversity in nematode composition change down the depth gradient. Conversely, for the macrofauna there was a perceptible change in community composition between the shallowest station and the two deeper stations. Food availability affected only the macrobenthic component. The increase in the prokaryote organisms with depth and the dominance of nematodes and macrofauna deposit feeders suggest active grazing by the two benthic components on microbes. This would transfer energy to the higher trophic levels through the microbial compartment.Keywords: prokaryote, meiofauna, macrofauna, abundance, biomass, diversity, Malta Escarpment, Mediterranean Sea.RESUMEN: Desde microorganismos a la macrofauna: un estudio comparativo de las comunidades bentónicas profundas y su respuesta a las variables ambientales a lo largo del talud de Malta (mar Jónico). -Se llevó a cabo un estudio comparativo de las comunidades de procariotas, meiofauna y macrofauna sobre la abundancia, biomasa y diversidad. Fue realizado en tres estaciones en varias profundidades (1200, 1800 y 2100 m) a lo largo del talud de Malta (mar Mediterráneo). Nuestra investigación muestra que, aumentando la profundidad, la abundancia de procariotas se duplica. La contribución de la biomasa procariota al total de la biomasa bentónica predominó en todas las profundidades. Las bacterias eran la fracción procariota dominante y junto con los Archaea representaban al 20-30% del total de procariotas. Por otra parte la abundancia de la meiofauna y macrofauna y la biomasa de la meiofauna no disminuían significativamente con la profundidad, mientras que la biomasa de la macrofauna sí lo hacía. La diversidad α no siguió una tendencia batimétrica muy clara para las especies de los nematodos y macrofauna. Probablemente debido a la gran abundancia de géneros de nematodos eurybatiales, la tasa derenovación de la diversidad en la composición de nematodos tampoco cambió por el gradiente de profundidad. En cambio, para la macrofauna hubo un cambio apreciable en la composición de la comunidad entre la estación más superficial y las dos estaciones más profundas. La disponibilidad de alimentos afectó sólo al componente macrobentónico. El aum...

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“…), mixtures of fluids, and gas [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. The response of these constituents to temperature, pressure, and concentration gradients lead to a variety of correlated, local and global phenomena involving flow, extrusion, evolution, and settling of constituents with a range of relaxation time and length scales [4,[8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eruptive flow response in a multi-component driven system by an interacting lattice gas simulation

Pandey¹,

Gettrust²

2006

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications

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Dynamics of meiofaunal assemblages on the continental shelf and deep-sea sediments of the Cretan Sea (NE Mediterranean): relationships with seasonal changes in food supply

Cited by 127 publications

References 32 publications

Distribution of meiobenthos at bathyal depths in the Mediterranean Sea. A comparison between sites of contrasting productivity

Distribution of meiobenthos at bathyal depths in the Mediterranean Sea. A comparison between sites of contrasting productivity

From microbes to macrofauna: an integrated study of deep benthic communities and their response to environmental variables along the Malta Escarpment (Ionian Sea)

Eruptive flow response in a multi-component driven system by an interacting lattice gas simulation

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