Seafloor sediment microtopography as a surrogate for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

ABSTRACT: Marine soft sediments play crucial roles in global biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity. Yet, with organisms often hidden in the sediment, they pose challenges for effective monitoring and management. This study introduces a novel approach utilizing sediment microtopography as a proxy for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Combining field sampling, benthic chamber incubations, and advanced Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry techniques, we investigated the relationships between microtopographic features and various ecological parameters across diverse subtidal habitats. Our findings reveal strong associations between sediment microtopography and environmental variables, benthic fluxes, biodiversity metrics, and community functional traits, with microtopography consistently explaini

SUBMITTER: Schenone S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11735455 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature