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Effects of dropstone-induced habitat heterogeneity on Arctic deep-sea benthos with special reference to nematode communities

Authors :
Corinna Kanzog
Thomas Soltwedel
Ingo Schewe
Normen Lochthofen
Christiane Hasemann
Eberhard Sauter
Melanie Bergmann
Source :
Marine Biology Research. 9:229-245
Publication Year :
2013
Publisher :
Informa UK Limited, 2013.

Abstract

During an expedition to the deep-sea long-term observatory HAUSGARTEN in the eastern Fram Strait in summer 2003, the availability of a Remotely Operated Vehicle allowed a targeted sampling of surface sediments around a relatively large dropstone (0.9 m2) to determine suspected differences in community structure and dynamics of nematode assemblages in relation to the confined flow regime and patchy food availability in the immediate vicinity of the stone. The almost rectangular dropstone was about 150 cm in length, 60 cm in width, and up to 15 cm in height. Small-scale current measurements around the dropstone using a MAVS-3 acoustic current meter exhibited a rather complex pattern. A computational fluid dynamics simulation revealed areas of constantly flowing near-bottom currents as well as the generation of vortices in certain areas around the dropstone. Concentrations of biogenic compounds in the sediments surrounding the dropstone generally followed the complex flow pattern. The differences in...

Details

ISSN :
17451019 and 17451000
Volume :
9
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Marine Biology Research
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........729d212026929d77f5bc16de2d797692
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2012.739694