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Benthic community descriptions at underwater peaks in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2022

Stacy Kim Open the ORCID record for Stacy Kim [Opens in a new window]  and
François Cazenave Open the ORCID record for François Cazenave [Opens in a new window]
Stacy Kim*
Affiliation:
Moss Landing Marine Labs, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA95062, USA
François Cazenave
Affiliation:
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, CA95039, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Stacy Kim, Email: slkim@alum.mit.edu
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Abstract

In McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, fine-scale bathymetry is poorly defined, and benthic communities at water depths over 30 m have not been well described. We describe the benthic communities on two previously unknown bathymetric highs, sampled in 2012 and 2014, using scuba divers, a remotely operated vehicle, and a specially designed time-lapse camera system (SeeStar). One site (Mystery Peak) was capped by a dense thicket of the sponge Homaxinella balfourensis, a temporally variable community that likely formed in response to iceberg disturbance. Below the H. balfourensis cap (at 40 m) and at the second site (Tongue Peak, 70 m), the communities conformed to a known ecological pattern driven by food availability from benthic diatoms. Overall, mixed hydroids and bryozoans were the dominant organisms, and at greater depths the sponge Rosella podagrosa also became abundant. Over time, there were only minor changes in these communities on isolated bathymetric highs. Ice is a physical factor that interacts with depth and influences benthic communities through disturbance by icebergs and anchor ice, and through food supply by sea ice coverage. The SeeStar time-lapse camera system performed exceptionally and opens up opportunities for new winter observations in the Antarctic.

Keywords

EcologyIceBathymetry
Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 58 , 2022 , e5
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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