Abstract
AbstractAimTo describe the distribution of biodiversity and biogeographical patterns of intertidal organisms in southern temperate and polar waters. We hypothesized that there would be differences in community structure between the Antarctic, which is most affected by ice, and the sub‐Antarctic and other neighbouring regions. We also hypothesized that rafting and West Wind Drift will be the significant drivers of biogeographical patterns. Additionally, the size, age, isolation, volcanic or glacial history of a region and the presence of large, beach dwelling, mammals and birds would all play a role in determining the level of biodiversity observed.LocationSouth Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Southern Ocean.MethodsWe examined all available intertidal records from the Antarctic and sub‐Antarctic with additional data from neighbouring regions for comparison and context. We compiled 3902 occurrences of 1416 species of high southern latitude intertidal organisms from 229 locations and used PRIMER 6 to perform multivariate statistical analyses.ResultsThe Antarctic and sub‐Antarctic are shown to be distinct biogeographical regions, with patterns driven by a small number of widely distributed species. These wide‐ranging molluscs and macroalgae dominate the biogeographical structure of the Southern Ocean intertidal, most likely as a result of rafting in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. East Antarctic intertidal habitats are potentially isolated by the Ross and Weddell Sea ice shelves but represent a great unknown in this biogeographical scheme.Main ConclusionsThe view that the Antarctic intertidal is a lifeless desert does not hold true, with Antarctic Peninsula intertidal communities being richer and more diverse than those in southern South America and the sub‐Antarctic islands. Changing conditions in the Antarctic and sub‐Antarctic intertidal mean that a representative baseline is needed (acquired through standardized and quantitative sampling) to assess future changes and to detect any invasive species.
Highlights
With 87% of marine glacier fronts currently in retreat on the Antarctic Peninsula (Cook et al, 2005; Scambos et al, 2014; Wouters et al, 2015) the Antarctic intertidal a 2016 The Authors
The Antarctic and sub-Antarctic are shown to be distinct biogeographical regions, with patterns driven by a small number of widely distributed species. These wide-ranging molluscs and macroalgae dominate the biogeographical structure of the Southern Ocean intertidal, most likely as a result of rafting in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
It comes as little surprise that one of the 80 key questions raised by the first Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Antarctic and Southern Ocean Science Horizon Scan was: ‘How will increases in the ice-free Antarctic intertidal zone impact biodiversity and the likelihood of biological invasions?’ (Kennicutt et al, 2014)
Summary
With 87% of marine glacier fronts currently in retreat on the Antarctic Peninsula (Cook et al, 2005; Scambos et al, 2014; Wouters et al, 2015) the Antarctic intertidal a 2016 The Authors. Glacial retreat has the potential to expose ever-increasing areas of rocky or sedimentary intertidal habitat (Clark et al, 2015). In cool temperate regions the intertidal zone is often seen as the marine ‘canary in the coal mine’ with changes in http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jbi doi:10.1111/jbi.12708. Helmuth et al, 2006; Hawkins et al, 2008) and establishment of invasive species being observed first Griffiths et al, 1992; Robinson et al, 2005). It comes as little surprise that one of the 80 key questions raised by the first Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Antarctic and Southern Ocean Science Horizon Scan was: ‘How will increases in the ice-free Antarctic intertidal zone impact biodiversity and the likelihood of biological invasions?’ (Kennicutt et al, 2014)
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