High Antarctic macrobenthic community production

Abstract

Production and productivity ( P/ B ratio) of the high Antarctic Weddell Sea and Lazarev Sea macrozoobenthos are estimated by an empirical multiple non-linear model (artificial neural network) based on biomass data and other biotic and abiotic parameters. Average community production decreases with depth from 4.8 g C m −2 year −1 (100–300 m) to 0.1 g C m −2 year −1 (1500–4300 m). Community P/ B ratio increases with depth from 0.18 year −1 to 0.55 year −1. Taking into account the effects of water depth on production and of temperature on P/ B ratio, Antarctic communities show no evidence of unique characteristics with respect to overall energy flow.