Abstract
Mapping the structure of benthic macrofauna communities is essential for assessing and monitoring the state of the seafloor habitats. The presence and dominance of species and functional traits they exhibit alter the biotic and abiotic settings and provide a variety of ecosystem services. Species distribution influence biogeochemical fluxes, transport and food webs. Based on the aggregated data, benthic faunal communities and their traits in the offshore waters are mapped. Key players and hot spots of functional aspects are identified, supporting the projections of marine ecosystem features. We discuss the sources of variability and compare bioturbation values measured directly with those captured by corresponding indices, in an attempt to highlight this functional aspect of benthos.
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Gogina, M., Zettler, M.L. (2023). Ecological Structure in Benthic Habitats of Offshore Waters. In: Schubert, H., Müller, F. (eds) Southern Baltic Coastal Systems Analysis. Ecological Studies, vol 246. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13682-5_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13682-5_14
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