Abstract
Living specimens of the macroalga Palmaria decipiens were collected from 100 m depth, representing a new confirmed depth record, considerably exceeding the previous record of 42 m depth. Previous deeper collections (below conventional SCUBA depths) have relied on dredge/grab samples or drop camera surveys. Remote techniques cannot conclusively prove that macroalgae are living at these depths, as algae detach from shallower substrata, e.g., through ice scouring, and drift to depths below their growth limit. This, combined with a low rate of decay of macroalgae around Antarctica, requires validation that algal samples from depth have grown in situ. Estimates of macroalgal biomass, energy fluxes, and the potential energy fixation may need adjusting to consider the deeper growing depths particularly with glacial retreat along the Antarctic Peninsula revealing areas of rocky substrata for macroalgal colonisation. The confirmed extension of depth where macroalgae can grow will have implications for assessments of benthic productivity and food webs in Antarctica.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1459-1463 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Polar Biology |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | 12 |
Early online date | 3 Aug 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Aug 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Acknowledgements:We would like to acknowledge the summer and winter teams at Rothera Research Station (2016-2018) for their 169 support. We would also like to thank the two reviewers including Sandra Lindstrom, who helped improve this
manuscript.
Funding Information:
This study was funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) core funding to the funding to the Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptations Team of the British Antarctic Survey. FCK was also supported by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland pooling initiative (MASTS), the latter funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions. We are also grateful to the UK NERC for funding FCK through the Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (Grant CASS-134, 2017)
Data Availability Statement
All data can be made available upon request to BJOR (benson@bas.ac.uk).Keywords
- Macrophytobenthos
- molecular phylogeny
- Rhodophyta
- ROV
- Depth limit
- Algae
- Benthos