Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean)

Fanelli, Emanuela; Cartes, Joan Enric; Papiol, Vanesa; López-Pérez, C.

Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean)

16 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, 1 appendix

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Fanelli, Emanuela, Cartes, Joan Enric, Papiol, Vanesa, López-Pérez, C.
Format:	artículo biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	Pergamon Press 2013-08
Subjects:	Environmental variables, Food supply, Meso-scale variations, Bathyal communities, Benthic megafauna, Assemblage structure,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/10261/89082
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id	dig-icm-es-10261-89082
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spelling	dig-icm-es-10261-890822020-12-09T16:53:55Z Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean) Fanelli, Emanuela Cartes, Joan Enric Papiol, Vanesa López-Pérez, C. Environmental variables Food supply Meso-scale variations Bathyal communities Benthic megafauna Assemblage structure 16 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, 1 appendix The influence of mesoscale physical and trophic variables on deep-sea megafauna, a scale of variation often neglected in deep-sea studies, is crucial for understanding their role in the ecosystem. Drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution have been investigated in two contrasting areas of the Balearic basin in the NW Mediterranean: on the mainland slope (Catalonian coasts) and on the insular slope (North of Mallorca, Balearic Islands). An experimental bottom trawl survey was carried out during summer 2010, at stations in both sub-areas located between 450 and 2200m water depth. Environmental data were collected simultaneously: near-bottom physical parameters, and the elemental and isotopic composition of sediments. Initially, data were analysed along the whole depth gradient, and then assemblages from the two areas were compared. Analysis of the trawls showed the existence of one group associated with the upper slope (US=450-690m), another with the middle slope (MS=1000-1300m) and a third with the lower slope (LS=1400-2200m). Also, significant differences in the assemblage composition were found between mainland and insular slopes at MS. Dominance by different species was evident when the two areas were compared by SIMPER analysis. The greatest fish biomass was recorded in both areas at 1000-1300m, a zone linked to minimum temperature and maximum O2 concentration on the bottom. Near the mainland, fish assemblages were best explained (43% of total variance, DISTLM analysis) by prey availability (gelatinous zooplankton biomass). On the insular slope, trophic webs seemed less complex and were based on vertical input of surface primary production. Decapods, which reached their highest biomass values on the upper slope, were correlated with salinity and temperature in both the areas. However, while hydrographic conditions (temperature and salinity) seemed to be the most important variables over the insular slope, resource availability (gelatinous zooplankton and Calocaris macandreae) predominated and explained 59% of decapod assemblage variation over the mainland slope. Both fish and decapods were linked to net primary production recorded over the mainland 3 months before sampling, while the delay between the input of food from the surface and fish abundance was only 1 month on the insular slope. Our results suggest that trophic relationships over insular slopes probably involve a shorter food chain than over mainland slopes and one that is likely more efficient in terms of energy transfer. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. This study was carried out within the framework of the Spanish funded ANTROMARE project (ref. CTM2009-12214-C02-01/MAR) Peer Reviewed 2014-01-03T10:39:49Z 2014-01-03T10:39:49Z 2013-08 2014-01-03T10:39:49Z artículo http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 doi: 10.1016/j.dsr.2013.04.009 issn: 0967-0637 e-issn: 1879-0119 Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 78: 79-94 (2013) http://hdl.handle.net/10261/89082 10.1016/j.dsr.2013.04.009 en https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2013.04.009 none Pergamon Press
institution	ICM ES
collection	DSpace
country	España
countrycode	ES
component	Bibliográfico
access	En linea
databasecode	dig-icm-es
tag	biblioteca
region	Europa del Sur
libraryname	Biblioteca del ICM España
language	English
topic	Environmental variables Food supply Meso-scale variations Bathyal communities Benthic megafauna Assemblage structure Environmental variables Food supply Meso-scale variations Bathyal communities Benthic megafauna Assemblage structure
spellingShingle	Environmental variables Food supply Meso-scale variations Bathyal communities Benthic megafauna Assemblage structure Environmental variables Food supply Meso-scale variations Bathyal communities Benthic megafauna Assemblage structure Fanelli, Emanuela Cartes, Joan Enric Papiol, Vanesa López-Pérez, C. Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean)
description	16 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, 1 appendix
format	artículo
topic_facet	Environmental variables Food supply Meso-scale variations Bathyal communities Benthic megafauna Assemblage structure
author	Fanelli, Emanuela Cartes, Joan Enric Papiol, Vanesa López-Pérez, C.
author_facet	Fanelli, Emanuela Cartes, Joan Enric Papiol, Vanesa López-Pérez, C.
author_sort	Fanelli, Emanuela
title	Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean)
title_short	Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean)
title_full	Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean)
title_fullStr	Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean)
title_full_unstemmed	Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean)
title_sort	environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the balearic basin (western mediterranean)
publisher	Pergamon Press
publishDate	2013-08
url	http://hdl.handle.net/10261/89082
work_keys_str_mv	AT fanelliemanuela environmentaldriversofmegafaunalassemblagecompositionandbiomassdistributionovermainlandandinsularslopesofthebalearicbasinwesternmediterranean AT cartesjoanenric environmentaldriversofmegafaunalassemblagecompositionandbiomassdistributionovermainlandandinsularslopesofthebalearicbasinwesternmediterranean AT papiolvanesa environmentaldriversofmegafaunalassemblagecompositionandbiomassdistributionovermainlandandinsularslopesofthebalearicbasinwesternmediterranean AT lopezperezc environmentaldriversofmegafaunalassemblagecompositionandbiomassdistributionovermainlandandinsularslopesofthebalearicbasinwesternmediterranean
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Environmental drivers of megafaunal assemblage composition and biomass distribution over mainland and insular slopes of the Balearic Basin (Western Mediterranean)

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