cosystem engineer morphological traits and taxon identity shape biodiversity across the euphotic-mesophotic transitio

Autor(es):Mostrar menos -

Voerman, Sofie E. ^{[1, 2]} ; Marsh, Beauregard C. ^{[1, 2]} ; Bahia, Ricardo G. ^[3] ; Pereira-Filho, Guilherme H. ^[4] ; Yee, Thomas W. ^[5] ; Becker, Ana Clara F. ^[4] ; Amado-Filho, Gilberto M. ^[3] ; Ruseckas, Arvydas ^[6] ; Turnbull, Graham A. ^[6] ; Samuel, Ifor D. W. ^[6] ; Burdett, Heidi L. ^{[1, 2]}

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Lyell Ctr Earth & Marine Sci & Technol, Edinburgh, Midlothian - Scotland

^[2] Heriot Watt Univ, Sch Energy Geosci Infrastruct & Society, Edinburgh, Midlothian - Scotland

^[3] Botan Garden Res Inst Rio Janeiro, Rio De Janeiro - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Mar, Lab Ecol & Conservacao Marinha, Santos, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Auckland, Dept Stat, Auckland - New Zealand

^[6] Univ St Andrews, SUPA, Sch Phys & Astron, Organ Semicond Ctr, St Andrews, Fife - Scotland

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; v. 289, n. 1969 FEB 23 2022.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

The euphotic-mesophotic transition is characterized by dramatic changes in environmental conditions, which can significantly alter the functioning of ecosystem engineers and the structure of their associated communities. However, the drivers of biodiversity change across the euphotic-mesophotic transition remain unclear. Here, we investigated the mechanisms affecting the biodiversity-supporting potential of free-living red coralline algae-globally important habitat creators-towards mesophotic depths. Across a 73 m depth gradient, we observed a general decline in macrofaunal biodiversity (fauna abundance, taxon richness and alpha diversity), but an increase in beta-diversity (i.e. variation between assemblages) at the deepest site (86 m depth, where light levels were less than 1% surface irradiance). We identified a gradient in abundance decline rather than distinct ecological shifts, driven by a complex interaction between declining light availability, declining size of the coralline algal host individuals and a changing host taxonomy. However, despite abundance declines, high between-assemblage variability at deeper depths allowed biodiversity-supporting potential to be maintained, highlighting their importance as coastal refugia. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 16/14017-0 - Avaliação de processos que determinam a formação e a biodiversidade associada a bancos de rodolitos em diferentes escalas espaciais
• Beneficiário: Guilherme Henrique Pereira Filho
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular