Vertical distribution of megafauna on the Bering Sea slope based on ROV surveyстатья
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Аннотация:Video surveys were carried out during the 75th cruise of the RV Akademik M.A.
Lavrentyev (June 2016) along the northern slope of the Volcanologists Massif, in the
south-western Bering Sea. The seafloor was explored using the ROV Comanche 18.
Seven dives were performed in the depth range from 4,278 m to 349 m. Overall, about
180 species of megafauna were recognised. Fifteen types of megafauna communities
corresponding to certain depth ranges were distinguished based on the most abundant
taxa. Dominance changed with depth in the following order: the holothurian Kolga
kamchatica at the maximum depth (4,277–4,278 m); the holothurian Scotoplanes
kurilensis at 3,610–2,790 m; the ophiuroid Ophiura bathybia at 3,030–2,910 m; benthic
shrimps of the family Crangonidae at 2,910–2,290 m; the holothurian Paelopatides solea
at 2,650–2,290 m; benthic jellyfish from the family Rhopalonematidae at 2,470–2,130 m;
the enteropneust Torquaratoridae at 2,290–1,830 m; the holothurian Synallactes chuni
and the ophiuroid of the genera Ophiura and Ophiocantha at 1,830–1,750 m. At depths
1,750–720 m most of the megafauna was associated with live or dead colonies of the
sponge Farrea spp. Depths 720–390 m were dominated by the coral Heteropolypus
ritteri and/or Corallimorphus pilatus. At 390–350 m depth, the shallowest depth range,
the dominant taxon was the zoantharian Epizoanthus sp. Soft sediment megafauna
communities dominated by torquaratorid enteropneusts to our knowledge have not
been observed before in the deep-sea, the same as communities with a dominance of
benthopelagic rhopalonematid jellyfish. The depths of the largest community changes,
or the largest turnover of dominant species, were revealed at ∼2,790 m between the
bathyal and abyssal zones and ∼1,750 m and ∼720 m within the bathyal zone.