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A Southern Hemisphere bathyal fauna is distributed in latitudinal bands
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 08:15 authored by O'Hara, TD, Rowden, AA, Bax, NJThe large-scale spatial distribution of seafloor fauna is still poorly understood. In particular, the bathyal zone has been identified as the key depth stratum requiring further macroecological research [1], particularly in the Southern Hemisphere [2]. Here we analyze a large biological data set derived from 295 research expeditions, across an equator-to-pole sector of the Indian, Pacific, and Southern oceans, to show that the bathyal ophiuroid fauna is distributed in three broad latitudinal bands and not primarily differentiated by oceanic basins as previously assumed. Adjacent faunas form transitional ecoclines rather than biogeographical breaks. This pattern is similar to that in shallow water despite the order-of-magnitude reduction in the variability of environmental parameters at bathyal depths. A reliable biogeography is fundamental to establishing a representative network of marine reserves across the world's oceans [1, 3].
History
Publication title
Current BiologyVolume
21Pagination
226-230ISSN
0960-9822Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Cell PressPlace of publication
1100 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, USA, Ma, 02138Rights statement
Copyright 2011 Elsevier LtdRepository Status
- Restricted