The emerging picture of a diverse deep Arctic Ocean seafloor: From habitats to ecosystems

Author(s): Eva Ramirez-Llodra, Heidi K. Meyer, Bodil A. Bluhm, Saskia Brix, Angelika Brandt, Jennifer Dannheim, Rachel V. Downey, Hrönn Egilsdóttir, Mari Heggernes Eilertsen, Sylvie M. Gaudron, Anna Gebruk, Alexey Golikov, Christiane Hasemann, Ana Hilario, Lis Lindal Jørgensen, Stefanie Kaiser, Severin A. Korfhage, Karlotta Kürzel, Anne Nina Lörz, Pål Buhl-Mortensen, Steinunn H. Olafsdóttir, Dieter Piepenburg, Autun Purser, Pedro A. Ribeiro, Arunima Sen, Thomas Soltwedel, Tanja Stratmann, Jan Steger, Jörundur Svavarsson, Anne Helene S. Tandberg, James Taylor, Franziska I. Theising, Carolin Uhlir, Rhian G. Waller, Joana R. Xavier, Irina Zhulay, Hanieh Saaedi
Abstract: Interest in the deep Arctic Ocean is rapidly increasing from governments, policy makers, industry, researchers, and conservation groups, accentuated by the growing accessibility of this remote region by surface vessel traffic. In this review, our goal is to provide an updated taxonomic inventory of benthic taxa known to occur in the deep Arctic Ocean and relate this inventory to habitat diversity. To achieve this goal, we collected data for Arctic metazoan deep-sea taxa from open-access databases, information facilities, and non-digitised scientific literature, limiting the collection to the area north of 66^◦N and below 500 m depth (excluding all shelf seas). Although notable progress has been made in understanding the deep Arctic using novel technologies and infrastructure, this data gathering shows that knowledge of deep-sea benthic Arctic communities remains very limited. Yet, through our compilation of habitat maps, we show that the Arctic contains a high diversity of geomorphological features, including slopes, deep basins, submarine canyons, ridges, and seamounts, as well as chemosynthesis-based and biogenic (biologically engineered) ecosystems. To analyse taxon richness and density, using both morphological and molecular data, we compiled 75,404 faunal records with 2,637 taxa. Phyla with the most records were the Arthropoda (21,405), Annelida (13,763) and Porifera (12,591); phyla with the most documented taxa were the Arthropoda (956), Annelida (566) and Mollusca (351). An overview of the dominant groups inhabiting the different geomorphological features highlights regions in the deep Arctic where data are particularly scarce and increased research efforts are needed, particularly the deep basins of the central Arctic Ocean. This scarcity of deep benthic Arctic biodiversity data creates a bottleneck for developing robust management and conservation measures in a rapidly changing region, leading to a call for international collaboration and shared data to ensure understanding and preservation of these fragile Arctic ecosystems.
Organisation(s): University Sport Institute, Department of Palaeontology
External organisation(s): REV Ocean, Institute of Marine Research, University of Tromsø - The Arctic University of Norway, Universität Hamburg, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Australian National University, Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, University of Bergen (UiB), Université Lille I - Sciences et Technologies, Université Paris VI - Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, University of Edinburgh, GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung, University of Aveiro, University Centre in Svalbard, Nord University, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, University of Iceland, University of Gothenburg, Universidade do Porto
Journal: Elementa
Volume: 12
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2023.00140
Publication date: 10-2024
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 106003 Biodiversity research, 106026 Ecosystem research, 106021 Marine biology, 106001 General biology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Oceanography, Environmental Engineering, Ecology, Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology, Geology, Atmospheric Science
Portal url: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/96f3d69f-0ab9-45c0-baa6-2ddb547bceb5

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