Document of bibliographic reference 359328

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Benthic megafaunal biodiversity of the Charlie-Gibbs fracture zone: Spatial variation, potential drivers, and conservation status

Abstract

The Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone (CGFZ) is a prominent geological feature offsetting the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), consisting of two parallel fractures, creating a highly variable seafloor bathymetry. It has been defined as the most important latitudinal biodiversity transitional zone on the MAR. Despite this recognition, the faunal communities living on the fracture zone have not been extensively described. A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was utilised during the TOSCA (Tectonic Ocean Spreading at the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone) survey. The survey included five ROV video transects at depths between 560 and 2900 m. The objectives of the study were to use this video footage to quantify benthic megafaunal density and biodiversity patterns on the CGFZ and their environmental drivers. Species accumulation curves and generalised additive modelling show that depth and the presence of hard substrates play an important role in explaining species richness and abundance at the CGFZ. Coral taxa showed highest abundance between depths of 1500 and 2000 m, while sponge taxa were more abundant between 1750 and 2250 m. A dense sponge aggregation was identified on a ridge feature at 2250 m depth. The high biodiversity and presence of dense sponge aggregations and coral gardens found in this study highlight the need for detailed surveys to help support decisions made by governing bodies on the protection status of the CGFZ.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000859907200001

Bibliographic citation

Keogh, P.; Command, R.J.; Edinger, E.; Georgiopoulou, A.; Robert, K. (2022). Benthic megafaunal biodiversity of the Charlie-Gibbs fracture zone: Spatial variation, potential drivers, and conservation status. Mar. Biodiv. 52. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12526-022-01285-1

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true