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Physical controls on deep water coral communities on the George V Land slope, East Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2010

Alexandra L. Post ,
Philip E. O’Brien ,
Robin J. Beaman ,
Martin J. Riddle  and
Laura De Santis
Alexandra L. Post*
Affiliation:
Marine and Coastal Environment Group, Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Philip E. O’Brien
Affiliation:
Marine and Coastal Environment Group, Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Robin J. Beaman
Affiliation:
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
Martin J. Riddle
Affiliation:
Environmental Protection and Change, Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS 7050, Australia
Laura De Santis
Affiliation:
Instituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/c, Sgonico, Trieste 34010, Italy
*
Alix.Post@ga.gov.au
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Abstract

Dense coral-sponge communities on the upper continental slope at 570–950 m off George V Land, East Antarctica have been identified as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. The challenge is now to understand their probable distribution on other parts of the Antarctic margin. We propose three main factors governing their distribution on the George V margin: 1) their depth in relation to iceberg scouring, 2) the flow of organic-rich bottom waters, and 3) their location at the head of shelf cutting canyons. Icebergs scour to 500 m in this region and the lack of such disturbance is a probable factor allowing the growth of rich benthic ecosystems. In addition, the richest communities are found in the heads of canyons which receive descending plumes of Antarctic Bottom Water formed on the George V shelf, which could entrain abundant food for the benthos. The canyons harbouring rich benthos are also those that cut the shelf break. Such canyons are known sites of high productivity in other areas due to strong current flow and increased mixing with shelf waters, and the abrupt, complex topography. These proposed mechanisms provide a framework for the identification of areas where there is a higher likelihood of encountering these Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems.

Keywords

continental slopehydrocoralsoceanographic processessubmarine canyonsvulnerable marine ecosystem
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , August 2010 , pp. 371 - 378
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2010

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