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Benthic Invertebrate Communities in the Continental Margin Sediments of the Monterey Bay Area

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Deep-Sea Pycnogonids and Crustaceans of the Americas

Abstract

We observed high diversity (species density) of infaunal invertebrates from the mid-shelf (50 m) to the upper slope (325 m) with high abundance and low dominance along 4 depth transects ranging from 10 to 2000 m. The highest shallow water diversity recorded worldwide was at the shelf-slope break (109–150 m) with a peak of 185 species 0.1 m-2 (449 m-2, this work and Oliver JS, Hammerstrom K, McPhee-Shaw E, Slattery P, Oakden J, Kim S, Hartwell SI, Mar Ecol 32:278–288, 2011). The peak included a large number of species and individuals of small nestling amphipods. The most abundant genera were Photis, Aoroides, and Gammaropsis. The percentages of crustacean species (40%) and individuals (60%) were extremely high as well. A large caprellid amphipod, Tritella tenuissima, was the most abundant animal found in our survey (387 individuals 0.1 m-2), and characterized the mixed gravel bottoms on the upper slope. We discovered a dense tube mat of relatively large ampeliscid amphipods at the upper margin of the oxygen minimum zone (700 m). This was the most distinct community cluster and was dominated by Ampelisca unsocalae and Byblis barbarensis. The percentage of crustacean species (40%) and individuals (67%) were also highest here. This is the only ampeliscid tube mat known from deep water and is ecologically similar to extensive shallow-water ampeliscid mats in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, the primary feeding grounds of gray whales. The diverse and abundant continental margin communities occurred in a dynamic, current-swept upwelling center with complex topography. Diversity decreased below the upper slope and on the wave-swept inner shelf, where there was another dramatic crustacean pattern. These shifting sands were dominated by burrowing amphipods (phoxocephalids and haustoriids) and small ostracods in the 1970s that were rare in the present survey. In total, we collected 938 invertebrate species, including 431 polychaetes, 270 crustaceans, 171 mollusks, and 38 echinoderms in 123 samples. More than any other taxa, the crustaceans characterized the most unique and interesting community patterns along the continental margin of the Monterey Bay area.

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Acknowledgments

This work is impossible without good taxonomy. The late Jim Nybakken was instrumental in fostering taxonomic expertise in many students. We depended especially on Paul Valentich-Scott (bivalves), Hank Chaney (gastropods), Megan Lily (ophiuroids), Gene Ruff (polychaetes), and Peter Slattery (crustaceans). We dedicate this effort to the late Gene Ruff, who, like Olga Hartman, loved polychaete worms. We are always indebted for the support from the staff, faculty, and students at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, in particular Gary Greene. Jessica Soriano created the schematic of the California coast used in Fig. 8.2. This project was funded by a contract from MCI Inc. (via Dallas Meggitt) to ABA Consultants, allowing us to establish a unique baseline for the Monterey Bay benthos.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA, USA

    J. S. Oliver, K. K. Hammerstrom, L. A. Kuhnz, P. N. Slattery, J. M. Oakden & S. L. Kim

Authors
  1. J. S. Oliver
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  2. K. K. Hammerstrom
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  3. L. A. Kuhnz
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  4. P. N. Slattery
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. K. Hammerstrom .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mazatlán, Mexico

    Michel E. Hendrickx

Appendices

Appendices

8.1.1 Appendix 8.5.1: Station locations and the number (N) of replicate grab samples (0.1 m2) taken and processed at each station for community analyses along the four depth transects in the Monterey Bay area

Depth (m)

Transect 1

N

Transect 2

N

Transect 3

N

Transect 4

N

Lat

Long

Lat

Long

Lat

Long

Lat

Long

10

36.9076

121.8573

5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

20

36.9050

121.8854

5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

30

36.8996

121.9465

5

–

–

–

37.0166

122.2298

2

37.0243

122.2398

2

50

36.8938

122.0295

2

–

–

–

36.9992

122.2364

2

37.0275

122.2675

2

60

36.8867

122.0447

2

36.8749

121.9603

2

36.9980

122.2508

2

37.0260

122.2830

2

90

36.8580

122.0932

5

36.8648

121.9679

2

36.9727

122.2783

2

37.0366

122.3662

2

109

36.8386

122.1342

5

36.8034

122.0634

2

36.9523

122.2980

2

37.0393

122.3997

2

150

36.8275

122.1493

4

36.8524

122.1651

2

36.9362

122.3176

2

36.9950

122.5061

2

325

36.8249

122.1680

2

36.8245

122.1703

1

36.9191

122.3250

2

37.0015

122.5918

2

450

36.7963

122.1938

2

36.8038

122.1836

5

36.9078

122.3287

2

37.0077

122.6516

2

700

36.7717

122.2410

5

36.8042

122.2433

5

36.8642

122.3410

2

37.0115

122.7389

2

1000

36.7520

122.2830

5

36.7830

122.2850

2

36.8405

122.3618

2

37.0089

122.7739

2

1200

36.7481

122.3077

2

36.7566

122.3094

3

36.8256

122.3649

2

–

–

–

1500

36.7280

122.3548

2

–

–

–

36.8133

122.4002

2

–

–

–

2000

36.7180

122.3895

2

–

–

–

36.7708

122.4554

2

–

–

–

8.1.2 Appendix 8.5.2: Images of the seafloor and seafloor elements in Monterey Bay

8.1.2.1 Appendix 8.5.2.1: Glauconite from a sediment sample from 877 m depth off Monterey, California. © Linda Kuhnz, 2006. Scale bar = 0.25 mm

figure a

8.1.2.2 Appendix 8.5.2.2: Sand ripple bottom at 45 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure b

8.1.2.3 Appendix 8.5.2.3: Mud bottom at 90 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure c

8.1.2.4 Appendix 8.5.2.4: Large group of sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus fragilis, at 91 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure d

8.1.2.5 Appendix 8.5.2.5 Live and dead brachiopods, Laqueus californianus, at 150 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure e

8.1.2.6 Appendix 8.5.2.6: High density of brachiopods, Laqueus californianus, at 112 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure f

8.1.2.7 Appendix 8.5.2.7: Mud bottom at 112 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure g

8.1.2.8 Appendix 8.5.2.8 Mixed bottom at 122 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure h

8.1.2.9 Appendix 8.5.2.9: Ophiuroids and a sea star, Rathbunaster californicus, at 191 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure i

8.1.2.10 Appendix 8.5.2.10: Ophiuroids at 193 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure j

8.1.2.11 Appendix 8.5.2.11: Mixed bottom at 324 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure k

8.1.2.12 Appendix 8.5.2.12: Mixed bottom at 434 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure l

8.1.2.13 Appendix 8.5.2.13: Ampeliscid tube mat found at 700 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure m

8.1.2.14 Appendix 8.5.2.14: Mud bottom at 1000 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure n

8.1.2.15 Appendix 8.5.2.15: Mud bottom at 1200 m. ABA © 1999 (ROV Phantom/Remora)

figure o

8.1.3 Appendix 8.5.3: Dendrogram displaying the results of a cluster analysis on samples from all four transects combined. Clusters of water depths connected by dashed orange lines are not significantly different from each other, but are significantly different from other clusters of connected orange lines

figure p

8.1.4 Appendix 8.5.4: Top ten species at each depth and transect (means and standard deviations for N grab samples shown in Tables 4-5 and Appendix 8.5.1). Blank sections have no data to report for that depth and transect combination

figure q
figure r
figure s
figure t
figure u
figure v
figure w
figure x

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Oliver, J.S., Hammerstrom, K.K., Kuhnz, L.A., Slattery, P.N., Oakden, J.M., Kim, S.L. (2020). Benthic Invertebrate Communities in the Continental Margin Sediments of the Monterey Bay Area. In: Hendrickx, M.E. (eds) Deep-Sea Pycnogonids and Crustaceans of the Americas. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58410-8_8

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