Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-x24gv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T04:07:16.132Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Physical controls on deep water coral communities on the George V Land slope, East Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2010

Alexandra L. Post ,
Philip E. O’Brien ,
Robin J. Beaman ,
Martin J. Riddle  and
Laura De Santis
Alexandra L. Post*
Affiliation:
Marine and Coastal Environment Group, Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Philip E. O’Brien
Affiliation:
Marine and Coastal Environment Group, Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Robin J. Beaman
Affiliation:
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
Martin J. Riddle
Affiliation:
Environmental Protection and Change, Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS 7050, Australia
Laura De Santis
Affiliation:
Instituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/c, Sgonico, Trieste 34010, Italy
*
Alix.Post@ga.gov.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Dense coral-sponge communities on the upper continental slope at 570–950 m off George V Land, East Antarctica have been identified as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. The challenge is now to understand their probable distribution on other parts of the Antarctic margin. We propose three main factors governing their distribution on the George V margin: 1) their depth in relation to iceberg scouring, 2) the flow of organic-rich bottom waters, and 3) their location at the head of shelf cutting canyons. Icebergs scour to 500 m in this region and the lack of such disturbance is a probable factor allowing the growth of rich benthic ecosystems. In addition, the richest communities are found in the heads of canyons which receive descending plumes of Antarctic Bottom Water formed on the George V shelf, which could entrain abundant food for the benthos. The canyons harbouring rich benthos are also those that cut the shelf break. Such canyons are known sites of high productivity in other areas due to strong current flow and increased mixing with shelf waters, and the abrupt, complex topography. These proposed mechanisms provide a framework for the identification of areas where there is a higher likelihood of encountering these Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems.

Keywords

continental slopehydrocoralsoceanographic processessubmarine canyonsvulnerable marine ecosystem
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , August 2010 , pp. 371 - 378
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barnes, P.W.Lien, R. 1988. Icebergs rework shelf sediments to 500 m off Antarctica. Geology, 16, 1130–1133.Google Scholar
Barry, J.P., Grebmeier, J.M., Smith, J.Dunbar, R.B. 2003. Oceanographic versus seafloor-habitat control of benthic megafaunal communities in the S.W. Ross Sea, Antarctica. Antarctic Research Series, 78, 327–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beaman, R.J. 2008 . A bathymetric Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the George V and Terre Adelie continental shelf and margin. Available at http://gcmd.nasa.gov/KeywordSearch/Home.do?Portal=amd_au&MetadataType=0. [Data Set Text Search=GVdem_2008].Google Scholar
Beaman, R.J.Harris, P.T. 2005. Bioregionalization of the George V Shelf, East Antarctica. Continental Shelf Research, 25, 1657–1691.Google Scholar
Beans, C., Hecq, J.H., Koubbi, P., Vallet, C., Wright, S.Goffart, A. 2008. A study of the diatom-dominated microplankton summer assemblages in coastal waters from Terre Adélie to the Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica (139°E–145°E). Polar Biology, 31, 1101–1117.Google Scholar
Bindoff, N.L., Rintoul, S.R.Massom, R. 2000a. Bottom water formation and polynyas in Adélie Land, Antarctica. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 133, 51–56.Google Scholar
Bindoff, N.L., Rosenberg, M.A.Warner, M.J. 2000b. On the circulation of water masses over the Antarctic continental slope and rise between 80 and 150°E. Deep Sea Research II, 47, 2299–2326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bindoff, N.L., Williams, G.D.Allison, I. 2001. Sea-ice growth and water-mass modification in the Mertz Glacier polynya, East Antarctica, during winter. Annals of Glaciology, 33, 399–406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bosley, K.L., Lavelle, J.W., Brodeur, R.D., Wakefield, W.W., Emmett, R.L., Baker, E.T.Rehmke, K.M. 2004. Biological and physical processes in and around Astoria submarine canyon, Oregon, USA. Journal of Marine Systems, 50, 21–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caburlotto, A., De Santis, L., Zanolla, C., Cemerlenghi, A.Dix, J.K. 2006. New insights into Quaternary glacial dynamic changes on the George V Land continental margin (East Antarctica). Quaternary Science Reviews, 25, 3029–3049.Google Scholar
CCAMLR. 2009a. Conservation Measure 22-06. Bottom fishing in the Convention Area. http://www.ccamlr.org/pu/e/e_pubs/cm/09-10/22-06.pdf.Google Scholar
CCAMLR. 2009b. Conservation Measure 22-07. Interim measure for bottom fishing activities subject to Conservation Measure 22-06 encountering potential vulnerable marine ecosystems in the Convention Area. http://www.ccamlr.org/pu/e/e_pubs/cm/09-10/22-07.pdf.Google Scholar
De Santis, L., Brancolini, G., Accettella, A., Cova, A., Caburlotto, A., Donda, F., Pelos, C., Zgur, F.Presti, M. 2007. New insights into submarine geomorphology and depositional processes along the George V Land continental slope and Upper Rise (East Antarctica). In Cooper, A.K. & Raymond, C.R., eds. Keystone in a Changing World - Online Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences. USGS Open-File Report 2007-1047, Extended Abstract 061, 5 pp. Available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1047/ea/of2007-1047ea061.pdf.Google Scholar
Dowdeswell, J.A.Bamber, J.L. 2007. Keel depths of modern Antarctic icebergs and implications for sea-floor scouring in the geological record. Marine Geology, 243, 120–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greene, H.G., Yoklavich, M.M., Sullivan, D.Cailliet, G.M. 1995. A geophysical approach to classifying marine benthic habitats: Monterey Bay as a model. In O’connell, V.M. & Wakefield, W.W., eds. Applications of side-scan sonar and laser-line systems in fisheries research. Alaska Fish and Game Special Publication, No. 9, 15–30.Google Scholar
Harris, P.T., Brancolini, G., Armand, L., Busetti, M., Beaman, R.J., Giorgetti, G., Presti, M.Trincardi, F. 2001. Continental shelf drift deposit indicates non-steady state Antarctic bottom water production in the Holocene. Marine Geology, 179, 1–8.Google Scholar
Harris, P.T., Heap, A., Post, A., Whiteway, T., Potter, A.Bradshaw, M. 2007. Marine zone management and the EPBC Act: how environmental marine geological information provides certainty for petroleum exploration. APPEA Journal, 47, 327–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hecker, B., Logan, D.T., Gandarillas, F.E.Gibson, P.R. 1983. Megafaunal assemblages in canyon and slope habitats. In Canyon and slope processes study, Vol. III. Biological processes. Washington, DC: US Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, 140 pp.Google Scholar
Hockey, P.A.R.Branch, G.M. 1997. Criteria, objectives and methodology for evaluating marine protected areas in South Africa. South African Journal of Marine Science, 18, 369–383.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Massom, R.A. 2003. Recent iceberg calving events in the Ninnis Glacier region, East Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 15, 303–313.Google Scholar
Massom, R.A., Hill, K.L., Lytle, V.I., Worby, A.P., Paget, M.J.Allison, I. 2001. Effects of regional fast-ice and iceberg distributions on the behaviour of the Mertz Glacier polynya, East Antarctica. Annals of Glaciology, 33, 391–398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, S.J.Bowden, D.A. 2009. Identifying taxonomic groups as vulnerable to bottom longline fishing gear in the Ross Sea region. SC-CCAMLR Paper WS-VME-09/8. Hobart: CCAMLR, 24 pp.Google Scholar
Pickrill, R.A.Todd, B.J. 2003. The multiple roles of acoustic mapping in integrated ocean management, Canadian Atlantic continental margin. Ocean and Coastal Management, 46, 601–614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Post, A.L., Beaman, R.J., O’Brien, P.E., Eléaume, M.Riddle, M.J. In press. Community structure and benthic habitats across the George V Shelf, East Antarctica: trends through space and time. Deep-Sea Research.Google Scholar
Rintoul, S.R. 1998. On the origin and influence of Adélie Land Bottom Water. Antarctic Research Series, 75, 151–171.Google Scholar
Sambrotto, R.N., Matsuda, A., Vaillancourt, R., Brown, M., Langdon, C., Jacobs, S.S.Measures, C. 2003. Summer plankton production and nutrient consumption patterns in the Mertz Glacier Region of East Antarctica. Deep Sea Research II, 50, 1393–1414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teixidó, N., Garrabou, J.Arntz, W.E. 2002. Spatial pattern quantification of Antarctic benthic communities using landscape indices. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 242, 1–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thrush, S., Dayton, P., Cattaneo-Vietti, R., Chiantore, M., Cummings, V., Andrew, N., Hawes, I., Kim, S., Kvitek, R.Schwarz, A.M. 2006. Broad-scale factors influencing the biodiversity of coastal benthic communities of the Ross Sea. Deep-Sea Research II, 53, 959–971.Google Scholar
Vaillancourt, R.D., Sambrotto, R.N., Green, S.Matsuda, A. 2003. Phytoplankton biomass and photosynthetic competency in the summertime Mertz Glacier Region of East Antarctica. Deep Sea Research II, 50, 1415–1440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vetter, E.W.Dayton, P.K. 1999. Organic enrichment by macrophyte detritus, and abundance patterns of megafaunal populations in submarine canyons. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 186, 137–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, G.D., Bindoff, N.L., Marsland, S.J.Rintoul, S.R. 2008. Formation and export of dense shelf water from the Adélie Depression, East Antarctica. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113, 4010.1029/2007JC004346.CrossRefGoogle Scholar