Shallow benthic invertebrate communities in relation to substrate types in coastal environments of the sub-Antarctic Crozet archipelago

Coastal ecosystems of sub-Antarctic islands are threatened by increasing climate-driven changes and direct anthropogenic pressures. Significant effects on marine communities are expected, but benthic ecosystems of these isolated islands remain largely under-explored. Effective preservation of these nearshore environments requires deeper ecological assessments and comprehensive biodiversity knowledge. In this regard, this study reports findings from a survey carried out in 2021 at two sites – Baie du Marin and Crique du Sphinx – located on the eastern coast of Ile de la Possession (sub-Antarctic Crozet archipelago, Southern Ocean). We investigated the composition and structure of nearshore benthic faunal communities using a quantitative fieldwork protocol and an integrative molecular- and morphology-based taxonomic approach. A total of 124 morphotypes were identified, including a high proportion (72%) of rare species. Both sites exhibited similar benthic invertebrate communities. Structurally complex habitats such as hard substrates or areas dominated by macroalgae exhibited higher species richness and diversity. The investigated benthic invertebrate communities are typical of the sub-Antarctic area but featured unique structures, including dense tube-dwelling polychaete colonies. This study will provide a baseline for future monitoring programs and for the preservation of sub-Antarctic coastal benthic ecosystems.

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Publication Details

Journal
Frontiers in Marine Science
Published
2025-11-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1692217
Primary Topic
Marine Biology and Ecology Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Shallow benthic invertebrate communities in relation to substrate types in coastal environments of the sub-Antarctic Crozet archipelago

Guillermo San Martín, Davide Di Franco, Nicolas Lavesque, Sebastián Rosenfeld et al.
Frontiers in Marine Science
Marine Biology and Ecology Research
article

Shallow benthic invertebrate communities in relation to substrate types in coastal environments of the sub-Antarctic Crozet archipelago

Guillermo San Martín, Davide Di Franco, Nicolas Lavesque, Sebastián Rosenfeld, María Capa, Stéphane Hourdez, Yann Lelièvre, Jamie Maxwell, Andreas Kelch, Marie Verheye, Quentin Jossart, Erwann Legrand, Camille Moreau, Melanie Mackenzie, Thomas Saucède
article en

Abstract

Coastal ecosystems of sub-Antarctic islands are threatened by increasing climate-driven changes and direct anthropogenic pressures. Significant effects on marine communities are expected, but benthic ecosystems of these isolated islands remain largely under-explored. Effective preservation of these nearshore environments requires deeper ecological assessments and comprehensive biodiversity knowledge. In this regard, this study reports findings from a survey carried out in 2021 at two sites – Baie du Marin and Crique du Sphinx – located on the eastern coast of Ile de la Possession (sub-Antarctic Crozet archipelago, Southern Ocean). We investigated the composition and structure of nearshore benthic faunal communities using a quantitative fieldwork protocol and an integrative molecular- and morphology-based taxonomic approach. A total of 124 morphotypes were identified, including a high proportion (72%) of rare species. Both sites exhibited similar benthic invertebrate communities. Structurally complex habitats such as hard substrates or areas dominated by macroalgae exhibited higher species richness and diversity. The investigated benthic invertebrate communities are typical of the sub-Antarctic area but featured unique structures, including dense tube-dwelling polychaete colonies. This study will provide a baseline for future monitoring programs and for the preservation of sub-Antarctic coastal benthic ecosystems.

Frontiers in Marine ScienceVol. 12
Goethe University Frankfurt (DE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE), National Museum of Ireland (IE), Université de Bordeaux (FR), University of Liège (BE), Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway (IE), Museums Victoria (AU), Geological Survey of Austria (AT), Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (NO), Millennium Science Initiative (CL), Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt/M (DE), Sorbonne Université (FR), Environnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux (FR), COPE Galway (IE), Biogéosciences (FR), Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques (FR), Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux (FR), Universitat de les Illes Balears (ES), Universidad de Magallanes (CL), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (ES)
Openalex Percentile: Top 66%
Marine Biology and Ecology Research
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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