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Mollusc species richness and abundance from shelf to abyssal depths in the Ross Sea (Antarctica): the importance of fine-mesh-towed gears and implications for future sampling

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Abstract

In polar areas, where benthic sampling is constrained by a series of limitations imposed by climate and logistic challenges, knowledge about the key elements required to plan a successful survey is fundamental. During the International Polar Year (IPY, 2007/2008), under the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML), new sampling campaigns were undertaken in several Antarctic areas comprising the Ross Sea. In this region, the 2008 NIWA IPY-CAML voyage obtained benthos samples from shelf to abyssal depths. In the present study, we focus on the Mollusca from this expedition and on the possible variations in their richness and composition with latitude and depth. Given the use of sampling gears selective for different size fractions of the macrofauna, we also assess which size fraction contained the highest biodiversity. Differences were detected in species composition with latitude (averaged across depth groups) but not for depth (averaged across latitudinal groups). Richness varied locally and showed a variety of patterns depending on the areas and depths considered. The greatest diversity of molluscs was found in the fine fraction (i.e., <4.1 mm) where a considerable number of species corresponded to new species or new regional records. Rarity was high with up to ~41% of species represented by single individuals and ~63% occurring at one station only. Fine-mesh trawling appears to be of fundamental importance in accelerating the census of the fine fraction, which is the one containing the highest diversity, and is recommended for future sampling in Antarctica and in polar areas in general.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the crew of the Tangaroa ‘IPY-CAML TAN0802’ for logistic support. We are indebted to the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) and NIWA (Wellington) for the financial support of the cruise and related study activities. We are indebted to Laura D’Annibale for sorting operations at the Italian National Antarctic Museum (Section of Genoa). We thank the Italian PNRA for the financial support to the research program BAMBi (Barcoding of Antarctic Marine Biodiversity, PNRA 2010/A1.10).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Claudio Ghiglione & Paola Piazza

  2. Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

    Claudio Ghiglione, Maria Chiara Alvaro, Paola Piazza & Stefano Schiaparelli

  3. Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

    Maria Chiara Alvaro & Stefano Schiaparelli

  4. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand

    David Bowden

  5. British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Cambridge, UK

    Huw J. Griffiths

  6. Department of Economics and Statistics “Cognetti de Martiis”, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Cinzia Carota & Consuelo R. Nava

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  1. Claudio Ghiglione
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  2. Maria Chiara Alvaro
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  3. Paola Piazza
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  4. David Bowden
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  7. Consuelo R. Nava
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  8. Stefano Schiaparelli
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Correspondence to Stefano Schiaparelli.

Electronic supplementary material

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Supplementary material 1 (PDF 64 KB)

Maps of gear deployments during the TAN0802 voyage. (TIF 42177 KB)

300_2017_2117_MOESM3_ESM.tif

Numbers of species and specimens collected by each gear divided per mollusc class. Abbreviations: BIV = Bivalvia; GAS = Gastropoda; MON = Monoplacophora; POL = Polyplacophora; SCA = Scaphopoda; SOL = Solenogastres (TIF 32543 KB)

Supplementary material 4 (PDF 118 KB)

300_2017_2117_MOESM5_ESM.jpg

Richness rarefaction and extrapolation analyses performed with iNEXT on incidence data (Brenke sled data only) for the bathymetric classes considered (JPG 1102 KB)

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Ghiglione, C., Alvaro, M.C., Piazza, P. et al. Mollusc species richness and abundance from shelf to abyssal depths in the Ross Sea (Antarctica): the importance of fine-mesh-towed gears and implications for future sampling. Polar Biol 40, 1989–2000 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2117-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2117-0

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