Preliminary investigation on the structural, taxonomic and functional diversities of benthic communities at different areas in the West Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract

A study was carried out to determine the influence of latitudes on benthic community assemblages at different stations in the West Antarctic Peninsula in January 2016. Three replicate sediment samples were collected using a hand-made dredge from 3 stations with different latitudes. Benthic communities were compared in terms of their structure, taxonomy (i.e. Taxonomic Distinctness index, TD) and function (i.e. Functional Diversity index, FD). Results showed that in terms of abundance, Trinity Island (the lowest latitude station) recorded the highest number of individuals while the lowest abundance was recorded at higher latitude station, Paradise Bay. However, from a general observation, the benthic organisms in Paradise Bay were relatively larger than in the other two stations. The functional aspects of the communities were also different where the higher latitude station encompassed a less functionally diverse benthic community compared to the other two stations. This finding showed that the different latitudes not only affected the community structure, but such effect was also evident for the functional aspect of the Antarctic benthic communities.