Distribution of Polychaete Communities along the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago

Abstract

The species composition and quantitative characteristics of polychaete communities have been analyzed along the western coast of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago based on the materials collected in the expeditions of Murmansk Marine Biological Institute (MMBI) in 2006, 2007, and 2019. Three faunistic complexes have been identified in the study area in accordance to the changing environmental conditions northwards along the western coast of the Novaya Zemlya. The species composition and structure of polychaete communities depended on the structure of bottom sediments, depth, and the hydrodynamics of the near-bottom water layer. The polychaete fauna of the studied area has been compared with the literature data; particularly, we have observed as well the dominance of the detritus feeder Spiochaetopterus typicus, which role increased in the deep water areas on silty sands and silty clays rich in detritus. In the area of the Novaya Zemlya shallow waters, unfavorable habitat conditions for the detritus-feeders existed on rough sands with active hydrodynamics, which led to a decrease in the biomass of polychaetes and to a change in the dominant species