Summary
Quantitative benthic samples were collected along three transects in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, South Shetlands. At each of a total of 18 stations, between 15 and 250 m depth, we took 3 replicate samples with a van Veen grab. Animals collected were classed into major groups. Abundance and biomass per m2 was calculated for each sampling site. Considerable population densities and high biomass values were found. Most abundant groups were Bivalvia, Polychaeta and Amphipoda, whereas the largest part of the biomass was due to Ascidiacea, Ophiuroidea, Echinoidea, Polychaeta and Bivalvia. The maximum abundance recorded was 36,000 ind m-2 while the average was approximately 6500 ind m-2. Maximum biomass was over 2400 g m-2 with an average of ca. 700 g m-2. The contribution to the total biomass by groups such as the Oligochaeta, Cumacea and Tanaidacea was higher in the inner shallow part of Admiralty Bay (Ezcurra Inlet) than in the deeper areas of the bay. Our results confirm the reports on an unusually high density and biomass of the Antarctic sublittoral benthic fauna. Sessile suspension feeders belonging to the Bivalvia, Ascidiacea, sedentary Polychaeta, and vagile scavengers of the Ophiuroidea, Amphipoda and errant Polychaeta are the most significant groups in the Antarctic Ecosystem. The total benthic biomass in Admiralty Bay, based on the present preliminary quantitative data, was estimated to be over 600,000 t. This value is probably still an underestimate.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andriašev AP, Gruzov EI (1974) Biologičeskie soobščestva u beregov Antarktidy. Nauka i čelovečestvo Jzd “Znanie”, pp 101–120
Arnaud PM (1974) Contribution à la bionomie marine benthique des regions antarctiques et subantarctiques. Tethys 6:465–656
Arnaud PM, Jażdżewski K, Presler P, Siciński J (1986) Preliminary survey of benthic invertebrates collected by Polish Antarctic Expeditions in the Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands Antarctica). Pol Polar Res 7
Barnard KH (1932) Amphipoda. Discovery Rep 5:1–326
Belyaev GM, Ušakov PV (1957) Nekotorye zakonomernosti količestvennogo raspredelenija donnoj fauny v vodach Antarktiki. Dokl Akad Nauk SSSR 112:137–140
Bellisio NB, Lopez RB, Tomo AP (1972) Distribucion vertical de la fauna bentonica en tres localidades antarticas: Bahia Esperanza, isla Petermann y archipelago Melchior. Inst Ant Argent, Contrib 142:1–87
Chevreux E (1913) Amphipodes. In: Deux Exp Antarct Franç (1908–1910), Sci Nat, Docum Sci, Paris, pp 76–186
Dayton PK, Oliver JS (1977) Antarctic soft-bottom benthos in oligotrophic and eutrophic environments. Science 197:55–58
Dell RK (1964) Antarctic and subantarctic Mollusca: Amphineura, Scaphopoda and Bivalvia. Discovery Rep 33:93–250
Dell RK (1972) Antarctic benthos. In: Russel FS, Yonge M (eds) Advances in Marine Biology, vol. 10. Academic Press, London-New York, pp 1–216
Desbruyères D, Guille A (1973) La faune benthique de l'Archipel de Kerguelen. Premières données quantitatives. CR Acad Sci Paris 276:633–636
Everson I, White MG (1969) Antarctic marine biological research methods involving diving. Rep Underwat Ass 4:91–95
Furmańczyk K, Zieliński K (1982) Distribution of macroalgae groupings in shallow waters of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica). Pol Polar Res 3:41–47
Gallardo VA, Castillo JG (1969) Quantitative benthic survey of the infauna of Chile Bay (Greenwich I, South Shetland Is.). Gayana Zool 16:1–13
Gallardo VA, Castillo JG (1970) Quantitative observations on the benthic macrofauna of Port Foster (Deception Island) and Chile Bay (Greenwich Island). In: Holdgate M (ed) Antarctic ecology, vol 1. Academic Press, London, pp 242–243
Gallardo VA, Castillo JG, Retamal MA, Yanez A, Moyano HJ, Hermosilla JG (1977) Quantitative studies on the soft-bottom macrobenthic animal communities of shallow antarctic bays. In: Llano GA (ed) Adaptations within Antarctic ecosystems. Proc 3rd SCAR Symp Antarct Biol. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, pp 361–387
Gravier C (1911) Annélides polychètes recuejllies par la seconde expédition antarctique française (1908–1910), Deux Exp Antarct Franç, Paris, pp 1–165
Grieg JA (1929) Some echinoderms from the South Shetlands. Bergens Mus Arbok, Naturvitensk Rekke 3:1–10
Gruzov EN, Propp MV, Puškin AE (1967) Biologičeskie soobščestva pribere znych raionov morja Dejvisa (po rezultatam vodolaznych nabljudenij) Bjul Sov Ant Eksp 65:124–141
Guille A (1977) Benthic bionomy of the continental shelf of the Kerguelen Islands: quantitative data on the echinoderms of the Morbihan Gulf. In: Llano GA (ed) Adaptations within Antarctic ecosystems. Proc 3rd SCAR Symp Antarct Biol. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, pp 253–262
Gusev AV, Pasternak FA (1958) Nekotorye zamečanija o donnoj faune antarktičeskich vod. Dokl Akad Nauk SSSR 123:841–844
Hardy P (1972) Biomass estimates for some shallow-water infaunal communities at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Br Antarct Surv Bull 30:93–106
Hedgpeth JW (1969a) Introduction to Antarctic zoogeography. In: Bushnell VC, Hedgpeth JW (eds) Antarctic map folio series. Distribution of selected groups of marine invertebrates in waters south of 35°S latitude. Amer Geogr Soc. New York, pp 1–9
Hedgpeth JW (1969b) Marine biogeography of the Antarctic regions. In: Holdgate M (ed) Antarctic ecology, vol. 1. Academic Press, London, pp 97–104
Hedgpeth JW (1971) Perspectives in benthic ecology in Antarctica. In: Quam LO (ed) Research in the Antarctic, vol. 93. Am Ass Adv Sci, Washington, pp 93–136
Jażdżewski K (1981) Amphipod crustaceans in the diet of pygoscelid penguins of the King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Pol Polar Res 2:133–144
Knox GA (1970) Antarctic marine ecosystems. In: Holdgate MW (ed) Antarctic ecology, vol 1. Academic Press, London, pp 69–96
Knox GA, Lowry JK (1977) A comparison between the benthos of the Southern Ocean and the North Polar Ocean with special reference to the Amphipoda and the Polychaeta. In: Dunbar MJ (ed) Polar oceans. Proc Polar Oceans Conf, McGill Univ Montreal, Arctic Inst North America, Calgary, pp 423–462
Koltun VM (1969) Donnye bespozvonočnye. In: Tolstikov EI (ed) Atlas Antarktiki. Gidrometerol Izd. Leningrad, 2:509–515
Lipiński M, Woyciechowski M (1981) Cephalopods in the food of Weddell seals from the Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands). Pol Polar Res 2:163–167
Lowry JK (1975) Soft bottom macrobenthic community of Arthur Harbor, Antarctica. Antarct Res Ser 23:1–19
Mills EL, Hessler RR (1974) Antarctic benthic communities: Hudson '70 expedition. Antarct J US 9:312–316
Moyano HJ (1978) Bryozoa de Bahias Antarticas: algunos aspectos ecologicos. Ser Cient Inst Antart Chileno 24:35–60
Nakajima Y, Watanabe K, Naito Y (1982) Diving observations of the marine benthos at Syowa Station, Antarctica. Mem Nat Inst Polar Res 23:44–54
Presler P (1980) Phenological and physiographical observations carried out during the first wintering at the Arctowski Station in 1977. Pol Arch Hydrobiol 27:245–252
Propp MV (1970) The study of bottom fauna at Haswell Island by SCUBA diving. In: Holdgate MW (ed) Antarctic ecology, vol 1. Academic Press, London-New York, pp 239–241
Pruszak Z (1980) Currents circulation in the waters of Admiralty Bay (region of Arctowski Station on King George Island). Pol Polar Res 1:55–74
Rakusa-Suszczewski S (1980a) The role of near-shore research in gaining an understanding of the functioning of Antarctic ecosystem. Pol Arch Hydrobiol 27:229–233
Rakusa-Suszczewski S (1980b) Environmental conditions and the functioning of Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands) as a part of the near shore Antarctic ecosystem. Pol Polar Res 1:11–27
Richardson MD (1972) Benthic studies in the Antarctic. Antarct J US 7:185–186
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. Proc 3rd SCAR Symp Antarct Biol. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, pp 181–196
Samp R (1980) Selected environmental factors in the waters of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands) December 1978–February 1979. Pol Polar Res 1:53–66
Siciński J (1983) Wstepne informacje o rozmieszczeniu wieloszczetów (Polychaeta) w Zatoce Admiralicji (Wyspa Króla Jerzego, Szetlandy Południowe). Pol Bad Polar 1970–1982, 10. Symp Polar, Toruń, pp 249–256
Szafrański Z, Lipski M (1982) Characteristics of water temperature and salinity of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic) during the austral summer 1978/79. Pol Polar Res 3:7–24
Urbanek A, Zieliński K (1982) Preliminary report on Cephalodiscus (Pterobranchia) from Admiralty Bay, King George Island, South Shetland islands (West Antarctica). Bull Acad Pol Sci 29:257–262
Vinogradova NG, Kudinova-Pasternak RK, Moskalev LJ, Muromceva TL, Fedikov NF (1974) Nekotorye zakonomernosti količestvennogo raspredelenija i trofičeskoj struktury donnoj fauny morja Skotija i glubokovodnych zelobov Atlantičeskogo sektora Antarktiki. Tr Inst Okeanol 98:157–182
White MG, Robins MW (1972) Biomass estimates from Borge Bay, Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Br Antarct Surv Bull 31:45–50
Zieliński K (1981) Benthic macroalgae of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, South Shetland Islands) and circulation of algal matter between the water and the shore. Pol Polar Res 2:71–94
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jażdżeski, K., Jurasz, W., Kittel, W. et al. Abundance and biomass estimates of the benthic fauna in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, South Shetland Islands. Polar Biol 6, 5–16 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00446235
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00446235