TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecosystem engineer morphological traits and taxon identity shape biodiversity across the euphotic-mesophotic transition
AU - Voerman, Sofie E.
AU - Marsh, Beauregard C.
AU - Bahia, Ricardo G.
AU - Pereira-Filho, Guilherme H.
AU - Yee, Thomas W.
AU - Becker, Ana Clara F.
AU - Amado-Filho, Gilberto M.
AU - Ruseckas, Arvydas
AU - Turnbull, Graham A.
AU - Samuel, Ifor D. W.
AU - Burdett, Heidi L.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding was provided by a Leverhulme Trust Research Project grant (no. RPG-2018-113) to H.L.B., G.A.T. and I.D.W.S., an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council grant (no. EP/L017008/1) to G.A.T. and I.D.W.S., and a São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) individual grant (no. 2016/14017-0) to G.H.P.F. Acknowledgements
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Royal Society Publishing. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/2/23
Y1 - 2022/2/23
N2 - The euphotic-mesophotic transition is characterized by dramatic changes in environmental conditions, which can significantly alter the functioning of ecosystem engineers and the structure of their associated communities. However, the drivers of biodiversity change across the euphotic-mesophotic transition remain unclear. Here, we investigated the mechanisms affecting the biodiversity-supporting potential of free-living red coralline algae-globally important habitat creators-towards mesophotic depths. Across a 73 m depth gradient, we observed a general decline in macrofaunal biodiversity (fauna abundance, taxon richness and alpha diversity), but an increase in beta-diversity (i.e. variation between assemblages) at the deepest site (86 m depth, where light levels were less than 1% surface irradiance). We identified a gradient in abundance decline rather than distinct ecological shifts, driven by a complex interaction between declining light availability, declining size of the coralline algal host individuals and a changing host taxonomy. However, despite abundance declines, high between-assemblage variability at deeper depths allowed biodiversity-supporting potential to be maintained, highlighting their importance as coastal refugia.
AB - The euphotic-mesophotic transition is characterized by dramatic changes in environmental conditions, which can significantly alter the functioning of ecosystem engineers and the structure of their associated communities. However, the drivers of biodiversity change across the euphotic-mesophotic transition remain unclear. Here, we investigated the mechanisms affecting the biodiversity-supporting potential of free-living red coralline algae-globally important habitat creators-towards mesophotic depths. Across a 73 m depth gradient, we observed a general decline in macrofaunal biodiversity (fauna abundance, taxon richness and alpha diversity), but an increase in beta-diversity (i.e. variation between assemblages) at the deepest site (86 m depth, where light levels were less than 1% surface irradiance). We identified a gradient in abundance decline rather than distinct ecological shifts, driven by a complex interaction between declining light availability, declining size of the coralline algal host individuals and a changing host taxonomy. However, despite abundance declines, high between-assemblage variability at deeper depths allowed biodiversity-supporting potential to be maintained, highlighting their importance as coastal refugia.
KW - biogenic habitat
KW - ecosystem shift
KW - maerl
KW - mesophotic reef
KW - rhodolith
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125156238&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2021.1834
DO - 10.1098/rspb.2021.1834
M3 - Article
C2 - 35193402
SN - 0962-8452
VL - 289
JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
IS - 1969
M1 - 20211834
ER -