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First quantitative exploration of benthic megafaunal assemblages on the mid-oceanic ridge system of the Carlsberg Ridge, Indian Ocean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2016

Sabyasachi Sautya*
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Mumbai 400053, India
Baban Ingole
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
Daniel O. B. Jones
Affiliation:
National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
Durbar Ray
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
K. A. Kameshraju
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
*
Correspondence should be addressed to:S. Sautya, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Mumbai 400053, India email: sautya@nio.org
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Abstract

There are few quantitative studies on deep-sea biodiversity from the Indian Ocean, particularly on the mid-ocean ridges (MOR). We investigated the benthic megafaunal community structure of the Indian Ocean MOR at the Carlsberg Ridge (CR) using underwater video observation by the Television Gripper (TVG) and Ocean Floor Observation System (OFOS) during a multidisciplinary scientific cruise in 2007. Our aim was to observe megafaunal assemblages and their variation with bottom substrate at different geological settings in the CR region. The fauna was identified at best possible taxonomic resolution from video images and data were quantified by photogrammetry. Variation of substratum type was greatest in the deeper areas of the CR region, with substrata varying from fine sediments to basalts. A total of eight substratum types and 90 megafaunal taxa, representing seven phyla, have been classified throughout the 10 transects. Faunal abundances ranged between 171.3 to 5.7 animals 1000 m−2, with higher abundances at the shallower transects, in off-axial highs, and lower at deeper zones, on the rift valley wall and floor. Cnidarians were dominant at off-axial highs while echinoderms prevailed at rift valley floor transects. Other frequently encountered faunal components were poriferans and chordates, observed at shallower as well as deeper transects. This is the first detailed investigation of megafaunal assemblages from the Indian Ocean MOR.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2016 
Figure 0

Fig. 1. Transect locations of the study area: Shallower transects TVG 2 and 3 and deeper transects TVG 1 and OFOS 1 located in the northern segments; other all deeper transects TVG 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and OFOS 2 and 3 located in the southern segments in the Carlsberg Ridge.

Figure 1

Table 1. Details of underwater video observations and their geographic locations along with total number of fauna observed at each transect in Carlsberg Ridge, Indian Ocean.

Figure 2

Fig. 2. Representative photographs of each substratum type and their distribution pattern along the transects in the study area. Y-axis represents percentage cover.

Figure 3

Table 2. Composition of substratum types viewed from seafloor video images of the Carlsberg Ridge.

Figure 4

Fig. 3. Megafaunal density along the Carlsberg Ridge with different depths and geophysical settings.

Figure 5

Table 3. Abundance range (mean ± SD) of benthic megafaunal groups per 1000 m2 area in the Carlsberg Ridge area.

Figure 6

Fig. 4. Cluster analysis of substratum types at each transect along the CR.

Figure 7

Fig. 5. Cluster analysis of megafaunal assemblages at each transect along the CR.

Figure 8

Fig. 6. Underwater images of benthic megafauna along the Carlsberg Ridge. Shallower: (A) Isididae sp.1; (B) Isididae sp.2; (C) Brisingidae sp.2; (D) Stichopathes sp.; Deeper: (E) Stylasterine sp.; (F) Aulocalycidae glass sponge; (G) Hyalonema sp.; (H) Bolosominae sponge; (I) Crateromorpha sp.; (J) Rossellidae glass sponge; (K) Benthodytes sp.; (L) Peniagone sp.; (M) Asteroid sp.1; (N) Brisingidae sp.1; (O) Anguilliformes sp.2; (P) Cerataspis sp.

Supplementary material: File

Sautya supplementary material

Tables S1-S3

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