Phenology in the deep sea: seasonal and tidal feeding rhythms in a keystone octocoral.

ABSTRACT: Biological rhythms are widely known in terrestrial and marine systems, where the behaviour or function of organisms may be tuned to environmental variation over periods from minutes to seasons or longer. Although well characterized in coastal environments, phenology remains poorly understood in the deep sea. Here we characterized intra-annual dynamics of feeding activity for the deep-sea octocoral Paragorgia arborea. Hourly changes in polyp activity were quantified using a time-lapse camera deployed for a year on Sur Ridge (1230 m depth; Northeast Pacific). The relationship between feeding and environmental variables, including surface primary production, temperature, acoustic backscatter, current speed and direction, was evaluated. Feeding activity was highly seasonal, with a dorma

SUBMITTER: Girard F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9579760 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature