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Differences in Megabenthos Communities in the Eastern and Western Parts of the Kara Sea Based on Video Observations

  • MARINE BIOLOGY
  • Published:
Oceanology Aims and scope

Abstract

The first quantitative video survey of the benthic megafauna was carried out on a transect in the eastern part of the Kara Sea from the slope of the Voronin Trough to the upper shelf in the depth range from 1680 to 70 metres. The data were obtained using the TUV “Videomodule” during the 89th cruise of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in autumn 2022. It was shown that the megabenthos in this area differs significantly from that of the western part of the sea and Blagopoluchiya Bay (Novaya Zemlya). In the eastern part of the Kara Sea, echinoderms dominated, among which ophiuroids were in the first place, whereas in the western part of the sea and the Blagopoluchiya Bay, the key component of the megafauna was the snow crab Chionoecetes opilio. Single adults of Ch. opilio were recorded for the first time at almost all stations in the eastern part of the sea, but, in contrast to the western area, the snow crab has not yet become dominant here and has not influenced the benthic communities.

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Funding

Expeditionary work, video surveillance and collection of the benthic data were carried out within the framework of the state assignment of the IO RAS (topic no. FMWE-2024-0021). Analysis of the videodata was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 23-17-00156).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    A. A. Udalov, I. M. Anisimov, V. O. Muravya, A. V. Lesin, V. Yu. Kuzmin, A. K. Zalota & M. V. Chikina

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  1. A. A. Udalov
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  2. I. M. Anisimov
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Correspondence to A. A. Udalov.

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Udalov, A.A., Anisimov, I.M., Muravya, V.O. et al. Differences in Megabenthos Communities in the Eastern and Western Parts of the Kara Sea Based on Video Observations. Oceanology 64, 288–299 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0001437024020139

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