Summary
Benthic communities at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands were sampled qualitatively with an epi-benthic sled at 57 stations over a five year period. Additional information on these communities was obtained from replicate underwater photographs. In total, 546 macrofaunal species were found. Despite the extreme isolation and geological youth of the islands, there seems to have been a diverse colonisation. A cluster-analysis based on species abundance aggregated most stations into 8 groups. Each of these groups had a unique depth and substratum combination. Thourella variabilis (Octocoralea), and Cabarea darwinii (Bryozoa) characterised deep rocky assemblages and Serpula vermicularis, Lanice conchilega (Polychaeta) and Magellania kerguelenensis (Brachiopoda) characterised soft substrata. Indicator species separating each of the 8 clusters are given. Trends in percentage cover and densities of major taxa with respect to depth and substratum, as shown by photographs, are described. Deep, rocky substrata were dominated by Porifera, Bryozoa and Cnidaria, while soft-substrata were dominated by Polychaeta, Bivalvia and Brachiopoda. Errant forms consisted predominantly of Echinodermata, with Crustacea being important in shallower habitats. Filter-feeders dominated the benthos of the islands in all habitats.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allanson BR, Boden B, Parker L, Duncombe Rae C (1985) A contribution to the oceanology of the Prince Edward Islands. In: Siegfried WR, Condy PR, Laws RM (eds) Antarctic nutrient cycles and food webs. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York pp 38–45
Arnaud F, Branch ML (1992) The Pycnogonida of Subantarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands: illustrated keys to the species. S Afr J Antarct Res 21(1):64–71
Beckley L, Branch GM (1992) A quantitative scuba-diving survey of the sublittoral macrobenthos at subantarctic Marion Island. Polar Biol 11:553–563
Boden BP (1988) Observations of the island mass effect in the Prince Edward Archipelago. Polar Biol 9:61–68
Boden PB, FMH Reid (1989) Marine plankton diatoms between Cape Town and the Prince Edward Islands (SW Indian Ocean). S Afr J Antarct Res 19(2):2–48
Branch ML, Arnaud P, Canterra J, Gianakouras D (1991a) The benthic Mollusca and Brachiopoda of Subantarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands: (1) illustrated keys to the species. (2) records of the 1982–1989 University of Cape Town surveys. S Afr J Antarct Res 21(l):45–64
Branch ML, Griffiths CL, Kensley B, Sieg J (1991b) The benthic Crustacea of Subantarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands: illustrated keys to the species and results of the 1982–1989 University of Cape Town surveys. S Afr J Antarct Res 21(l):3–44
Dayton PK, Oliver JS (1977) Antarctic soft-bottom benthos in oligotrophic and eutrophic environments. Science 197:55–58
De Villiers AF (1976) Littoral ecology of Marion and Prince Edward Islands (Southern Ocean). S Afr J Antarct Res [Suppl] 1:1–39
Duncombe Rae CM (1989) Physical and chemical marine environment of the Prince Edward Islands (southern ocean) during April/May 1987. S Afr J Mar Sci, 8:301–311
Field JG, KR Clarke, RM Warwick (1982) A practical strategy for analysing multispecies distribution patterns. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 8:37–52
Lowry JK (1975) Soft bottom macrobenthic community at Arthur Harbour, Antarctica. Antarct Res Ser 23:1–19
Lutjeharms JRE and HR Valentine (1984) Southern Ocean thermal fronts south of Africa. Deep Sea Res 31(12): 1461–1475
McDougall I (1971) Geochronology. In: Van Zinderen Bakker, EM, Winterbottom JM, Dyer RA (eds) Marion and Prince Edward Islands. Report on the South African Biological and Geological Expedition 1965–1966, AA Balkema, Cape Town, 427 pp
Perissinotto R (1989) The structure and diurnal variations of the Zooplankton of the Prince Edward Islands: implications for the biomass build-up of higher trophic levels. Polar Biol 9:505–510
Perissinotto R, Duncombe Rae CM (1990) Occurrence of anticyclonic eddies on the Prince Edward Plateau (South Ocean): effects on phytoplankton biomass and production. Deep Sea Res 37(5):777–793
Perissinotto R, McQuaid C (1990) Role of the sub-Antarctic shrimp Nauticaris marionis in coupling benthic and pelagic food-webs. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 64:81–87
Picken GB (1985) Benthic research in Antarctica: past, present and future. In: Gray JS, Christiansen ME (eds) Marine Biology of polar regions and effects of stress on marine organisms. John Wiley and Sons Ltd, London
Pitcher GC (1986) Sedimentary flux and the formation of resting spores of selected Chaetoceros species at two sites in the southern Benguela system. S Afr J mar Sci 4:231–244
Richardson MD, Hedgpeth JW (1977) Antarctic soft-bottom, macrobenthic community adaptations to a cold, stable, highly productive, glacially affected environment. In: Llano GA (ed) Adaptations within Antarctic ecosystems. Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, pp 181–196
Thorson G (1950) Reproduction and larval ecology of marine bottom invertebrates. Biol Rev 25:1–45
Van Zinderen Bakker EM, Winterbottom JM, Dyer DA (eds) (1971) Marion and Prince Edward Islands. Report on the South African Biological and Geological Expedition 1965–1966. AA Balkema, Cape Town, 427 pp
Voβ J (1988) Zoogeography and community analysis of macrozoobenthos of the Weddeil Sea (Antarctica). Ber Polarforsch 45
Warwick RM, KR Clarke, O Suharson (1990) A statistical analysis of coral community responses to the 1982–3 El Nino in the Thousand Islands, Indonesia. Coral Reefs 9:232–240
Warwick RM, Clarke KR, JM Gee (1990) The effect of disturbance by soldier crabs Mictyris platycheles H. Milne Edward on meiobenthic community structure. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 135:19–33
White MG (1984) Marine benthos. In: Laws R (ed) Antarctic Ecology vol 2, Academic Press, London, pp 422–461
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Branch, G.M., Attwood, C.G., Gianakouras, D. et al. Patterns in the benthic communities on the shelf of the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. Polar Biol 13, 23–34 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236580
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236580