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Geographic patterns of biodiversity in European coastal marine benthos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2016

Herman Hummel ,
Pim Van Avesaath ,
Sander Wijnhoven ,
Loran Kleine-Schaars ,
Steven Degraer ,
Francis Kerckhof ,
Natalia Bojanic ,
Sanda Skejic ,
Olja Vidjak  and
Maria Rousou
...Show all authors
Herman Hummel*
Affiliation:
Monitor Taskforce, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, the Netherlands
Pim Van Avesaath
Affiliation:
Monitor Taskforce, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, the Netherlands
Sander Wijnhoven
Affiliation:
Monitor Taskforce, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, the Netherlands Ecoauthor, Heinkenszand, the Netherlands
Loran Kleine-Schaars
Affiliation:
Monitor Taskforce, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, the Netherlands
Steven Degraer
Affiliation:
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Nature, Marine Ecology and Management, Brussels and Oostende, Belgium
Francis Kerckhof
Affiliation:
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Nature, Marine Ecology and Management, Brussels and Oostende, Belgium
Natalia Bojanic
Affiliation:
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia
Sanda Skejic
Affiliation:
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia
Olja Vidjak
Affiliation:
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia
Maria Rousou
Affiliation:
Marine & Environmental Research Lab Ltd, Limassol, Cyprus
Helen Orav-Kotta
Affiliation:
Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
Jonne Kotta
Affiliation:
Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
Jérôme Jourde
Affiliation:
Observatoire de la biodiversité (OBIONE), LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés, CNRS/University of La Rochelle, France
Maria Luiza Pedrotti
Affiliation:
Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University, Paris 6 and UMR 7093, LOV, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
Jean-Charles Leclerc
Affiliation:
Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University, Paris 6, and CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique, Place Georges Teissier, 29680 Roscoff, France
Nathalie Simon
Affiliation:
Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University, Paris 6, and CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique, Place Georges Teissier, 29680 Roscoff, France
Fabienne Rigaut-Jalabert
Affiliation:
Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University, Paris 6, and CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique, Place Georges Teissier, 29680 Roscoff, France
Guy Bachelet
Affiliation:
Arcachon Marine Station, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, EPOC, Arcachon, France
Nicolas Lavesque
Affiliation:
Arcachon Marine Station, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, EPOC, Arcachon, France
Christos Arvanitidis
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Christina Pavloudi
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Sarah Faulwetter
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Tasman Crowe
Affiliation:
School of Biology and Environmental Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Jennifer Coughlan
Affiliation:
School of Biology and Environmental Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Martina Dal Bello
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Paolo Magni
Affiliation:
CNR, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
Serena Como
Affiliation:
CNR, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
Stefania Coppa
Affiliation:
CNR, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
Anda Ikauniece
Affiliation:
Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Riga, Latvia
Tomas Ruginis
Affiliation:
Marine Science and Technology Centre, Klaipeda University, Lithuania, Klaipeda, Lithuania
Emilia Jankowska
Affiliation:
Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
Jan Marcin Weslawski
Affiliation:
Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
Jan Warzocha
Affiliation:
National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Gdynia, Poland
Sławomira Gromisz
Affiliation:
National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Gdynia, Poland
Bartosz Witalis
Affiliation:
National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Gdynia, Poland
Teresa Silva
Affiliation:
Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Laboratório de Ciências do Mar, Universidade de Évora, Sines, Portugal
Pedro Ribeiro
Affiliation:
Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) and Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
Valentina Kirienko Fernandes De Matos
Affiliation:
Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) and Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
Isabel Sousa-Pinto
Affiliation:
Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, CIIMAR, and Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
Puri Veiga
Affiliation:
Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, CIIMAR, and Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
Jesús Troncoso
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, ECIMAT, Station of Marine Sciences of Toralla, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
Xabier Guinda
Affiliation:
Environmental Hydraulics Institute, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
Jose Antonio Juanes De La Pena
Affiliation:
Environmental Hydraulics Institute, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
Araceli Puente
Affiliation:
Environmental Hydraulics Institute, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
Free Espinosa
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
Angel Pérez-Ruzafa
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Hydrology, Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
Matt Frost
Affiliation:
Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, UK
Caroline Louise Mcneill
Affiliation:
Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, UK
Ohad Peleg
Affiliation:
National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Haifa, Israel
Gil Rilov
Affiliation:
National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Haifa, Israel
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: H. Hummel, Monitor Taskforce, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Yerseke, the Netherlands email: herman.hummel@nioz.nl
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Abstract

Within the COST action EMBOS (European Marine Biodiversity Observatory System) the degree and variation of the diversity and densities of soft-bottom communities from the lower intertidal or the shallow subtidal was measured at 28 marine sites along the European coastline (Baltic, Atlantic, Mediterranean) using jointly agreed and harmonized protocols, tools and indicators. The hypothesis tested was that the diversity for all taxonomic groups would decrease with increasing latitude. The EMBOS system delivered accurate and comparable data on the diversity and densities of the soft sediment macrozoobenthic community over a large-scale gradient along the European coastline. In contrast to general biogeographic theory, species diversity showed no linear relationship with latitude, yet a bell-shaped relation was found. The diversity and densities of benthos were mostly positively correlated with environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, mud and organic matter content in sediment, or wave height, and related with location characteristics such as system type (lagoons, estuaries, open coast) or stratum (intertidal, subtidal). For some relationships, a maximum (e.g. temperature from 15–20°C; mud content of sediment around 40%) or bimodal curve (e.g. salinity) was found. In lagoons the densities were twice higher than in other locations, and at open coasts the diversity was much lower than in other locations. We conclude that latitudinal trends and regional differences in diversity and densities are strongly influenced by, i.e. merely the result of, particular sets and ranges of environmental factors and location characteristics specific to certain areas, such as the Baltic, with typical salinity clines (favouring insects) and the Mediterranean, with higher temperatures (favouring crustaceans). Therefore, eventual trends with latitude are primarily indirect and so can be overcome by local variation of environmental factors.

Keywords

soft sedimentbenthosspecies diversitydensitiesharmonization of methodsEuropean clinebiogeographylatitudinal diversity gradient (LDG)
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 97 , Special Issue 3: European Marine Biology Symposium , May 2017 , pp. 507 - 523
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2016 

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