Dataset Information

Sponge community of the western Black Sea shallow water caves: diversity and spatial distribution.

ABSTRACT: Marine caves possess unique biocoenotic and ecological characteristics. Sessile benthic species such as sponges associated with cave habitats typically show a marked zonation from the cave entrance towards the end of the cave. We describe three semi-submerged karstic caves of 50 to 83 m length and 936 to 2,291 m3 volume from the poorly explored cavernicolous fauna of North-East Bulgaria. We surveyed sponge diversity and spatial variability. Eight demosponge species were identified based on morphological and molecular data, of which six are known from the adjacent open sea waters of the Black Sea. Two species, Protosuberites denhartogi van Soest & de Kluijver, 2003 and Halichondria bowerbanki Burton, 1930, are reported from the Black Sea for the first time. The spatial sponge distribution inside the caves is in general similar, but shows some differences in species composition and distribution depending on cave relief and hydrodynamics. The species composition of sponges of Bulgarian caves is found to be different from Crimean caves. An updated checklist of the Black Sea sponges is provided.

SUBMITTER: Ereskovsky A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5947102 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sponge community of the western Black Sea shallow water caves: diversity and spatial distribution.

Ereskovsky Alexander A Kovtun Oleg A OA Pronin Konstantin K KK Apostolov Apostol A Erpenbeck Dirk D Ivanenko Viatcheslav V

PeerJ 20180508

Marine caves possess unique biocoenotic and ecological characteristics. Sessile benthic species such as sponges associated with cave habitats typically show a marked zonation from the cave entrance towards the end of the cave. We describe three semi-submerged karstic caves of 50 to 83 m length and 936 to 2,291 m<sup>3</sup> volume from the poorly explored cavernicolous fauna of North-East Bulgaria. We surveyed sponge diversity and spatial variability. Eight demosponge species were identified bas ...[more]

PMID: 29761036

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Project description:BackgroundMethane seeps support unique benthic ecosystems in the deep sea existing due to chemosynthetic organic matter. In contrast, in shallow waters there is little or no effect of methane seeps on macrofauna. In the present study we focused on the recently described methane discharge area at the northern Laptev Sea shelf. The aim of this work was to describe the shallow-water methane seep macrofauna and to understand whether there are differences in macrobenthic community structure between the methane seep and background areas.MethodsSamples of macrofauna were taken during three expeditions of RV Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in 2015, 2017 and 2018 using 0.1 m2 grabs and the Sigsbee trawl. 21 grabs and two trawls in total were taken at two methane seep sites named Oden and C15, located at depths of 60-70 m. For control, three 0.1 m2 grabs were taken in area without methane seepage.ResultsThe abundance of macrofauna was higher at methane seep stations compared to non-seep sites. Cluster analysis revealed five station groups corresponding to control area, Oden site and C15 site (the latter represented by three groups). Taxa responsible for differences among the station groups were mostly widespread Arctic species that were more abundant in samples from methane seep sites. However, high densities of symbiotrophic siboglinids Oligobrachia sp. were found exclusively at methane seep stations. In addition, several species possibly new to science were found at several methane seep stations, including the gastropod Frigidalvania sp. and the polychaete Ophryotrocha sp. The fauna at control stations was represented only by well-known and widespread Arctic taxa. Higher habitat heterogeneity of the C15 site compared to Oden was indicated by the higher number of station groups revealed by cluster analysis and higher species richness in C15 trawl sample. The development of the described communities at the shallow-water methane seeps can be related to pronounced oligotrophic environment on the northern Siberian shelf.

Dataset Information

Sponge community of the western Black Sea shallow water caves: diversity and spatial distribution.

Publications

Sponge community of the western Black Sea shallow water caves: diversity and spatial distribution.

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