Document of bibliographic reference 352222

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Book chapters

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AM

Title

Benthic biome of the Southern Ocean

Abstract

The Southern Ocean (SO) benthic biodiversity is a reflection of major geological events and climate change. This remote marine realm, dominated by glacial cycles and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), is home to diverse benthic communities. The peculiar biotic and abiotic conditions prevailing in the SO have steered its benthic components towards key ecological adaptations. The disjunctive pattern witnessed in the distribution of the benthic fauna has resulted from vicariance during the separation of Gondwana. The high endemism found in the SO and Antarctic benthic assemblages have resulted from their evolution in long isolation. Moreover, the thermal gradient in water current acts as a determinant of the dispersal and connectivity of the species lineages. Owing to distinct trait modalities, the responses of SO benthic species to environmental changes differ considerably from those of species living in other ecosystems. The SO biome is prone to habitat alteration mediated by global climate change, which in turn has a cascading effect on the benthic biota, from the level of the genes to that of the community. It is therefore crucial to understand the benthic responses to climate change through the networks of biotic interactions. Our understanding of the benthic biodiversity of the SO and Antarctic region has improved immensely since the advent and application of modern molecular biological techniques. In addition, the Convention for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources has strengthened the conservation policies by designating and prioritizing important ecological zones as Marine Protected Areas and Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. However, more integrated ecosystem studies and networking models are required to fill the knowledge gap and improve our understanding of the benthic biome of the SO and Antarctic regions. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of the benthic biodiversity of the SO, appraises the evolutionary history that shaped the endemism of the SO benthos, and finally points out the potential threats of climate change on the biogeochemistry and ecosystem functioning in the SO.

Bibliographic citation

Bhowmik, M.; Mandal, S.; Tripathy, S.C. (2022). Benthic biome of the Southern Ocean, in: Mazumdar, A. et al. Systems biogeochemistry of major marine biomes. pp. 189-209. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119554356.ch10

Topic

Marine