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      Spatial distribution patterns of ascidians (Ascidiacea: Tunicata) on the continental shelves off the northern Antarctic Peninsula.

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      General Information:

      Citation:
      Segelken-Voigt, A. , Bracher, A. , Dorschel, B. , Gutt, J. , Huneke , W. , Link, H. and Piepenburg, D. (2016): Spatial distribution patterns of ascidians (Ascidiacea: Tunicata) on the continental shelves off the northern Antarctic Peninsula. , Polar Biology, 39 (5), pp. 863-879 . doi: 10.1007/s00300-016-1909-y
      Cite this page as:
      hdl:10013/epic.47970
      DOI:
      https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-016-1909-y
      Contact Email:
      Astrid.Bracher@awi.de
      Related Data:

      Platform/Expeditions:
      • ANT-XXIX/3
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      Segelken_etalPoBi2016.pdf

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      Cite this document as:
      hdl:10013/epic.47970.d002
      Abstract:

      Ascidians (Ascidiacea: Tunicata) are sessile suspension feeders that represent dominant epifaunal components of the Southern Ocean shelf benthos and play a significant role in the pelagic–benthic coupling. Here, we report the results of a first study on the relationship between the distribution patterns of eight common and/or abundant (putative) ascidian species, and environmental drivers in the waters off the northern Antarctic Peninsula. During RV Polarstern cruise XXIX/3 (PS81) in January–March 2013, we used seabed imaging surveys along 28 photographic transects of 2 km length each at water depths from 70 to 770 m in three regions (northwestern Weddell Sea, southern Bransfield Strait and southern Drake Passage), differing in their general environmental setting, primarily oceanographic characteristics and sea-ice dynamics, to comparatively analyze the spatial patterns in the abundance of the selected ascidians, reliably to be identified in the photographs, at three nested spatial scales. At a regional (100-km) scale, the ascidian assemblages of the Weddell Sea differed significantly from those of the other two regions, whereas at an intermediate 10-km scale no such differences were detected among habitat types (bank, upper slope, slope, deep/canyon) on the shelf and at the shelf break within each region. These spatial patterns were superimposed by a marked small-scale (10-m) patchiness of ascidian distribution within the 2-km-long transects. Among the environmental variables considered in our study, a combination of water-mass characteristics, sea-ice dynamics (approximated by 5-year averages in sea-ice cover in the region of or surrounding the photographic stations), as well as the seabed ruggedness, was identified as explaining best the distribution patterns of the ascidians.

      Further Details:

      Item Type:
      Article
      Authors:
      Segelken-Voigt, Alexandra ; Bracher, Astrid ; Dorschel, Boris ; Gutt, Julian ; Huneke , Wilma ; Link, Heike ; Piepenburg, Dieter
      Divisions:
      AWI Organizations > Geosciences > Geophysics
      AWI Organizations > Biosciences > Functional Ecology
      AWI Organizations > Biosciences > Bentho-Pelagic Processes
      AWI Organizations > Climate Sciences > Physical Oceanography of the Polar Seas
      AWI Organizations > Climate Sciences > Junior Research Group: Phytooptics
      Primary Division:
      Organizations > AWI Organizations > Biosciences
      Programs:
      Helmholtz Research Programs > PACES II (2014-2018) > TOPIC 1: Changes and regional feedbacks in Arctic and Antarctic > WP 1.5: Southern Ocean physics, biodiversity, and biogeochemical fluxes in a changing climate
      Helmholtz Research Programs > PACES II (2014-2018) > TOPIC 1: Changes and regional feedbacks in Arctic and Antarctic > WP 1.6: Large scale variability and change in polar benthic biota and ecosystem functions
      Primary Topic:
      Helmholtz Programs > Helmholtz Research Programs > PACES II (2014-2018) > TOPIC 1: Changes and regional feedbacks in Arctic and Antarctic > WP 1.5: Southern Ocean physics, biodiversity, and biogeochemical fluxes in a changing climate
      Eprint ID:
      41004
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