Environmental Variability and Biodiversity of Megabenthos on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic)

Lea-Anne Henry; Johanne Vad; Helen S. Findlay; Javier Murillo; Rosanna Milligan; J. Murray Roberts

doi:10.1038/srep05589

Environmental Variability and Biodiversity of Megabenthos on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic)

Lea-Anne Henry
, Johanne Vad
, Helen S. Findlay
, Javier Murillo
, Rosanna Milligan
, J. Murray Roberts

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

<p> We present the first remotely operated vehicle investigation of megabenthic communities (1004–1695&emsp14;m water depth) on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic). Conductivity-temperature-depth casts showed rapid light attenuation below the summit and an oceanographic regime on the flanks consistent with an internal tide, and high short-term variability in water temperature, salinity, light attenuation, aragonite and oxygen down to 1500&emsp14;m deep. Minor changes in species composition (3–14%) were explained by changes in depth, substratum and oceanographic stability, whereas environmental variability explained substantially more variation in species richness (40–56%). Two peaks in species richness occurred, the first at 1300–1400&emsp14;m where cooler Wyville Thomson Overflow Water (WTOW) mixes with subtropical gyre waters and the second at 1500–1600&emsp14;m where WTOW mixes with subpolar mode waters. Our results suggest that internal tides, substrate heterogeneity and oceanographic interfaces may enhance biological diversity on this and adjacent seamounts in the Rockall Trough.</p>

Original language	American English
Article number	5589
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep05589
State	Published - Jul 7 2014
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Biodiversity
Community ecology
Coral reefs
Ocean sciences

Disciplines

Marine Biology
Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

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10.1038/srep05589

Environmental Variability and Biodiversity of Megabenthos on theFinal published version, 1.8 MBLicense: Unspecified

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title = "Environmental Variability and Biodiversity of Megabenthos on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic)",

abstract = " We present the first remotely operated vehicle investigation of megabenthic communities (1004\–1695\&emsp14;m water depth) on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic). Conductivity-temperature-depth casts showed rapid light attenuation below the summit and an oceanographic regime on the flanks consistent with an internal tide, and high short-term variability in water temperature, salinity, light attenuation, aragonite and oxygen down to 1500\&emsp14;m deep. Minor changes in species composition (3\–14\%) were explained by changes in depth, substratum and oceanographic stability, whereas environmental variability explained substantially more variation in species richness (40\–56\%). Two peaks in species richness occurred, the first at 1300\–1400\&emsp14;m where cooler Wyville Thomson Overflow Water (WTOW) mixes with subtropical gyre waters and the second at 1500\–1600\&emsp14;m where WTOW mixes with subpolar mode waters. Our results suggest that internal tides, substrate heterogeneity and oceanographic interfaces may enhance biological diversity on this and adjacent seamounts in the Rockall Trough.",

keywords = "Biodiversity, Community ecology, Coral reefs, Ocean sciences",

author = "Lea-Anne Henry and Johanne Vad and Findlay, \{Helen S.\} and Javier Murillo and Rosanna Milligan and Roberts, \{J. Murray\}",

year = "2014",

month = jul,

day = "7",

doi = "10.1038/srep05589",

language = "American English",

volume = "4",

journal = "Scientific Reports",

issn = "2045-2322",

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T1 - Environmental Variability and Biodiversity of Megabenthos on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic)

AU - Henry, Lea-Anne

AU - Vad, Johanne

AU - Findlay, Helen S.

AU - Murillo, Javier

AU - Milligan, Rosanna

AU - Roberts, J. Murray

PY - 2014/7/7

Y1 - 2014/7/7

N2 - We present the first remotely operated vehicle investigation of megabenthic communities (1004–1695&emsp14;m water depth) on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic). Conductivity-temperature-depth casts showed rapid light attenuation below the summit and an oceanographic regime on the flanks consistent with an internal tide, and high short-term variability in water temperature, salinity, light attenuation, aragonite and oxygen down to 1500&emsp14;m deep. Minor changes in species composition (3–14%) were explained by changes in depth, substratum and oceanographic stability, whereas environmental variability explained substantially more variation in species richness (40–56%). Two peaks in species richness occurred, the first at 1300–1400&emsp14;m where cooler Wyville Thomson Overflow Water (WTOW) mixes with subtropical gyre waters and the second at 1500–1600&emsp14;m where WTOW mixes with subpolar mode waters. Our results suggest that internal tides, substrate heterogeneity and oceanographic interfaces may enhance biological diversity on this and adjacent seamounts in the Rockall Trough.

AB - We present the first remotely operated vehicle investigation of megabenthic communities (1004–1695&emsp14;m water depth) on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic). Conductivity-temperature-depth casts showed rapid light attenuation below the summit and an oceanographic regime on the flanks consistent with an internal tide, and high short-term variability in water temperature, salinity, light attenuation, aragonite and oxygen down to 1500&emsp14;m deep. Minor changes in species composition (3–14%) were explained by changes in depth, substratum and oceanographic stability, whereas environmental variability explained substantially more variation in species richness (40–56%). Two peaks in species richness occurred, the first at 1300–1400&emsp14;m where cooler Wyville Thomson Overflow Water (WTOW) mixes with subtropical gyre waters and the second at 1500–1600&emsp14;m where WTOW mixes with subpolar mode waters. Our results suggest that internal tides, substrate heterogeneity and oceanographic interfaces may enhance biological diversity on this and adjacent seamounts in the Rockall Trough.

KW - Biodiversity

KW - Community ecology

KW - Coral reefs

KW - Ocean sciences

UR - https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/867

U2 - 10.1038/srep05589

DO - 10.1038/srep05589

M3 - Article

C2 - 24998523

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 4

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

M1 - 5589

ER -

Environmental Variability and Biodiversity of Megabenthos on the Hebrides Terrace Seamount (Northeast Atlantic)

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