Abstract
A community analysis of the mega-zooepibenthos at water depths between 99 and 1243 m was carried out for the Weddell and Lazarev Seas (47°W 77°S–12°E 70°S). A total of 144,531 specimens were counted and 313 taxa were identified from 3,768 photographs at 55 stations, which represented approximately 3,304 m2 of seafloor. The stations were classified into six groups according to their inventory of taxa although they represented rather a gradient from a rich and diverse suspension feeder assemblage to a poorer assemblage. In the latter, the proportion of deposit feeders was higher than in the former. A statistical comparison between biological and physical data showed that the faunistic pattern could best be explained by a combination of water depth and a geographical gradient. A positive correlation between the abundance of large sponges and the number of all other taxa was found.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 16 September 1997 / Accepted: 11 April 1998
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gutt, J., Starmans, A. Structure and biodiversity of megabenthos in the Weddell and Lazarev Seas (Antarctica): ecological role of physical parameters and biological interactions. Polar Biol 20, 229–247 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000050300
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000050300