A pioneering longterm experiment on mesophotic macrofouling communities in the North Atlantic
- Author(s)
- João Canning-Clode, Francesca Gizzi, Andreia Braga-Henriques, Patrício Ramalhosa, Pedro Abreu, Soledad Álvarez, Manuel Biscoito, Pål Buhl-Mortensen, João Delgado, Diane Esson, Mafalda Freitas, Magno Freitas, Filipe Henriques, Joachim Jakobsen, Kirsten Jakobsen, Francis Kerckhof, Carsten Lüter, Carlos J. Moura, Marko Radeta, Rosana M. Rocha, Romana Santos, Pedro Sepúlveda, Rodrigo Silva, Teresa Silva, Javier Souto, Raül Triay-Portella, Peter Wirtz, Joana R. Xavier, Rolando Bastida-Zavala, Nikoleta Bellou, Sonia K. M. Gueroun, João G. Monteiro
- Abstract
The mesophotic zone represents one of our planet’s largest and least explored biomes. An increasing number of studies evidence the importance of macrofouling species in marine ecosystems, but information on these communities and the factors influencing their structures at mesophotic depths remain poor. This lack of understanding limits our ability to predict anthropogenic impacts or conduct restoration operations in the mesophotic and the lower boundary of the euphotic zones. In this study, we performed a 24-month experiment in a natural environment to investigate three factors influencing the macrobenthic community structure of the mesophotic and the euphotic lower boundary: depth, substrate orientation and substrate material. Using a manned submersible, several recruitment panels of two different materials were deployed at 100, 200 and 400 meters in vertical and horizontal positions. All three factors contributed to structuring the macrofouling communities, but depth and substrate orientation displayed the strongest effects. This study not only advances our understanding of lower boundary euphotic and mesophotic macrofouling communities but also establishes a foundation for future research and restoration efforts of mesophotic environments in the Madeira archipelago, where mesophotic habitats are amongst the least studied marine habitats in the Northeast Atlantic.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- MARE — Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Universidade da Madeira, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Government of the Azores, Museu de História Natural do Funchal, OOM - Oceanic Observatory of Madeira, Institute of Marine Research, Regional Directorate For Fisheries, Independent researcher, Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation, Ghent University , Museum für Naturkunde Berlin - Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, University of the Azores (UAc), University of Belgrade, Federal University of Parana, Regional Directorate for Environment and the Sea, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, University of Algarve, Universidade do Porto, University of Bergen (UiB), Universidad del Mar, Mexiko, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht - Zentrum für Material- und Küstenforschung
- Journal
- Communications Biology
- Volume
- 7
- No. of pages
- 10
- ISSN
- 2399-3642
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07249-4
- Publication date
- 12-2024
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106003 Biodiversity research, 106047 Animal ecology, 106021 Marine biology
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/a765f5e8-2f29-46bf-bb39-ebbbbef7b0fa