Benthic primary production and respiration of shallow rocky habitats: a case study from South Bay (Doumer Island, Western Antarctic Peninsula).

ABSTRACT: Rocky benthic communities are common in Antarctic coastal habitats; yet little is known about their carbon turnover rates. Here, we performed a broad survey of shallow ( < 65 m depth) rocky ice-scoured habitats of South Bay (Doumer Island, Western Antarctic Peninsula), combining (i) biodiversity assessments from benthic imaging, and (ii) in situ benthic dissolved oxygen (O₂) exchange rates quantified by the aquatic eddy covariance technique. The 18 study sites revealed a gradual transition from macroalgae and coralline-dominated communities at ice-impacted depths (15-25 m; zone I) to large suspension feeders (e.g., sponges, bivalves) at depth zone II (25-40 m) and extensive suspension feeders at the deepest study location (zone III; 40-65 m). Gross primary production (GPP) in zo

SUBMITTER: Rovelli L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6690856 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature