Drivers of Biomass and Biodiversity of Non-Chemosynthetic Benthic Fauna of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic

Priede, Imants G.; Muller-Karger, Frank E.; Niedzielski, Tomasz; Gebruk, Andrey V.; Jones, Daniel O. B.; Colaço, Ana

Publication

Drivers of Biomass and Biodiversity of Non-Chemosynthetic Benthic Fauna of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic

2022-04-05Journal article

dc.contributor.author	Priede, Imants G.
dc.contributor.author	Muller-Karger, Frank E.
dc.contributor.author	Niedzielski, Tomasz
dc.contributor.author	Gebruk, Andrey V.
dc.contributor.author	Jones, Daniel O. B.
dc.contributor.author	Colaço, Ana
dc.date.accessioned	2022-10-27T09:17:48Z
dc.date.available	2022-10-27T09:17:48Z
dc.date.issued	2022-04-05
dc.description.abstract	We examine the main drivers that may elevate biomass and biodiversity of nonchemosynthetic benthic megafauna of the lower bathyal (800-3500m depth) of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean (MAR). Specifically: 1. Primary production in surface waters (10°-48°N) from remote sensing data 2002-2020 over the MAR was not significantly different from abyssal regions to the east and west. We reject the hypothesis that presence of a mid ocean ridge may enhance surface primary production. 2. The quantity of particulate organic matter reaching the sea floor was estimated as a proportion of surface export production scaled by bathymetry. Flux was 1.3 to 3.0 times greater on the MAR as a function of shorter vertical transport distance from the surface than on adjacent abyssal regions. 3. Depth variation effect on species richness. Demersal fishes living between 41° and 60°N showed a maximum of species richness at 2000 m depth and linear increase in regional (Gamma) diversity of 32 species per 1,000 m elevation of the MAR above the abyss. Elevated topography provides niches for species that cannot otherwise survive. 4. Substrate heterogeneity. The MAR >95% covered with soft sediment with frequent hard rocky patches spaced at a mean nearest neighbour distance of <500 m. Over 90% were <1 km apart. Animals are readily able to disperse between such patches increasing biodiversity through the additive effect of soft and hard substrate fauna on the MAR. 5. Presence of a biogeographic overlap zone. The MAR harbours bathyal species known from Western Atlantic and Eastern Atlantic continental slopes with meridional asymmetry resulting in bias toward predominance of Eastern species. The mix of species contributes to increased diversity to the east of the MAR. Multiple factors support increase in biomass and biodiversity on the MAR. Biological data are almost entirely absent from 12° to 33°N, the part of the MAR which may be mined for polymetallic sulphide ore deposits. This study enables some predictions of biomass and biodiversity but there is urgent need for intensive biological sampling across the MAR throughout the proposed mining areas south of the Azores.	en
dc.description.sponsorship	IGP was financially supported by the Atlantic REMP project, funded by the European Union through service contract no.EASME/EMFF/2017/1.3.1.1 - SI2.775068. FMK was supported by NASA, United States (grant numbers NNX14AP62A and 80NSSC20K0017); NSF, United States (grant numbers 1762493 and 1728913); NOAA, United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (grant numbers NA19NOS0120199 and NA16NOS0120018), DJ received support from NERC through National Capability funding to NOC as part of the Climate Linked Atlantic Section Science (CLASS) programme, grant number NE/R015953/1. DJ received funding from UK Natural Environment Research Council through the Seabed Mining And Resilience To EXperimental impact (SMARTEX) project (Grant Reference NE/T003537/1). AC received support from the Operational Program AZORES 2020, through the Fund 01-0145-FEDER-000140 “MarAZ. Researchers: Consolidate a body of researchers in Marine Sciences in the Azores” of the European Union. AC also acknowledges funds through the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under the project OKEANOS UIDB/ 05634/2020 and UIDP/05634/2020.	en
dc.description.version	info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion	pt_PT
dc.identifier.citation	Priede IG, Muller-Karger FE, Niedzielski T, Gebruk AV, Jones DOB and Colaço A (2022). Drivers of Biomass and Biodiversity of Non-Chemosynthetic Benthic Fauna of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic. “Frontiers in Marine Science”, 9:866654. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.866654	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.3389/fmars.2022.866654	pt_PT
dc.identifier.eissn	2296-7745
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/6416
dc.identifier.wos	000790330400001
dc.language.iso	eng	pt_PT
dc.peerreviewed	yes	pt_PT
dc.publisher	Frontiers Media	en
dc.relation	UAc - Okeanos R&D Centre - University of the Azores
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/	pt_PT
dc.subject	Mid-ocean Ridge	en
dc.subject	Deep-sea	en
dc.subject	Biodiversity	en
dc.subject	Organic Carbon Flux	en
dc.subject	Sediment Fauna	en
dc.subject	Biogeography	en
dc.subject	Primary Production	en
dc.title	Drivers of Biomass and Biodiversity of Non-Chemosynthetic Benthic Fauna of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic	en
dc.type	journal article
dspace.entity.type	Publication
oaire.awardTitle	UAc - Okeanos R&D Centre - University of the Azores
oaire.awardURI	info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDP%2F05634%2F2020/PT
oaire.citation.conferencePlace	Switzerland	en
oaire.citation.endPage	23	pt_PT
oaire.citation.startPage	1	pt_PT
oaire.citation.title	Frontiers in Marine Science	en
oaire.citation.volume	9	pt_PT
oaire.fundingStream	6817 - DCRRNI ID
person.familyName	Colaco
person.givenName	Ana
person.identifier	156224
person.identifier.ciencia-id	FC1B-88F8-9708
person.identifier.orcid	0000-0002-6462-5670
person.identifier.rid	A-3862-2009
person.identifier.scopus-author-id	10440227900
project.funder.identifier	http://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871
project.funder.name	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
rcaap.rights	openAccess	pt_PT
rcaap.type	article	pt_PT
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