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A Southern Hemisphere bathyal fauna is distributed in latitudinal bands
Citation
O'Hara, TD and Rowden, AA and Bax, NJ, A Southern Hemisphere bathyal fauna is distributed in latitudinal bands, Current Biology, 21, (3) pp. 226-230. ISSN 0960-9822 (2011) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2011 Elsevier Ltd
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.cub.2011.01.002
Abstract
The 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].
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | animal, biodiversity, cluster analysis, geography, multivariate analysis, population density, sea |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Marine systems and management |
Objective Field: | Marine biodiversity |
UTAS Author: | Bax, NJ (Professor Nicholas Bax) |
ID Code: | 119020 |
Year Published: | 2011 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 64 |
Deposited By: | Ecology and Biodiversity |
Deposited On: | 2017-07-25 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-06 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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