Functional changes in benthic macrofaunal communities along a natural gradient of hypoxia in an upwelling system

Melanie Bon; Jacques Grall; Joao B. Gusmao; Maritza Fajardo; Chris Harrod; Aldo S. Pacheco

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112056

Functional changes in benthic macrofaunal communities along a natural gradient of hypoxia in an upwelling system

Melanie Bon, Jacques Grall, Joao B. Gusmao, Maritza Fajardo, Chris Harrod, Aldo S. Pacheco

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Increasing global concern has been raised about the expansion of hypoxia in coastal waters and its potential to impact benthic ecosystems. Upwelling areas offer opportunities to study the effects of hypoxia on benthic communities under natural conditions. We used a biological trait-based approach and estimated functional diversity indices to assess macrobenthic community functioning along a depth gradient associated with naturally increasing hypoxia and concentrations of organic matter in the upwelling zone of northern Chile (South-East Pacific) over two years. Our results highlighted the increasing dominance of opportunistic biological traits associated with hypoxia and high organic matter content. Habitat filtering was the main process affecting the studied communities. Functional diversity patterns were persistent overtime despite the occurrence of a pulse of oxygenation. This study contributes to our understanding of how natural hypoxia impacts macrobenthic communities, providing useful information in the context of increasing eutrophication due to human influence on coastal areas.

Original language	English
Article number	112056
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	164
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112056
State	Published - Mar 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico Tecnológico (Chile) through the project 1150042 “Effects of seasonal and monthly hypoxic oscillations on seabed biota: evaluating relationships between taxonomical and functional diversity and changes on trophic structure of macrobenthic assemblages” granted to Aldo S. Pacheco. Melanie Bon PhD studies are funded by CONICYT -PFCHA/Doctorado Nacional/ 2019-21190740 and was partially funded by “Beca Doctorado en Ciencias Aplicadas Mención Sistemas Marinos Costeros”, Universidad de Antofagasta . Chris Harrod is supported by Nucleo Milenio INVASAL funded by Chile's government program, Iniciativa Cientifica Milenio from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología, Conocimiento e Innovación .

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Cient?fico Tecnol?gico (Chile) through the project 1150042 ?Effects of seasonal and monthly hypoxic oscillations on seabed biota: evaluating relationships between taxonomical and functional diversity and changes on trophic structure of macrobenthic assemblages? granted to Aldo S. Pacheco. Melanie Bon PhD studies are funded by CONICYT-PFCHA/Doctorado Nacional/2019-21190740 and was partially funded by ?Beca Doctorado en Ciencias Aplicadas Menci?n Sistemas Marinos Costeros?, Universidad de Antofagasta. Chris Harrod is supported by Nucleo Milenio INVASAL funded by Chile's government program, Iniciativa Cientifica Milenio from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnolog?a, Conocimiento e Innovaci?n.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Biological traits analysis
Environmental threshold
Functional diversity
Humboldt current system
Marine eutrophication
Temporal variation

Access to Document

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112056

Cite this

@article{4b21a0a5bd894d569baa7f7b103df3f7,

title = "Functional changes in benthic macrofaunal communities along a natural gradient of hypoxia in an upwelling system",

abstract = "Increasing global concern has been raised about the expansion of hypoxia in coastal waters and its potential to impact benthic ecosystems. Upwelling areas offer opportunities to study the effects of hypoxia on benthic communities under natural conditions. We used a biological trait-based approach and estimated functional diversity indices to assess macrobenthic community functioning along a depth gradient associated with naturally increasing hypoxia and concentrations of organic matter in the upwelling zone of northern Chile (South-East Pacific) over two years. Our results highlighted the increasing dominance of opportunistic biological traits associated with hypoxia and high organic matter content. Habitat filtering was the main process affecting the studied communities. Functional diversity patterns were persistent overtime despite the occurrence of a pulse of oxygenation. This study contributes to our understanding of how natural hypoxia impacts macrobenthic communities, providing useful information in the context of increasing eutrophication due to human influence on coastal areas.",

keywords = "Biological traits analysis, Environmental threshold, Functional diversity, Humboldt current system, Marine eutrophication, Temporal variation",

author = "Melanie Bon and Jacques Grall and Gusmao, {Joao B.} and Maritza Fajardo and Chris Harrod and Pacheco, {Aldo S.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2021",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112056",

language = "Ingl{\'e}s",

volume = "164",

journal = "Marine Pollution Bulletin",

issn = "0025-326X",

publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Functional changes in benthic macrofaunal communities along a natural gradient of hypoxia in an upwelling system

AU - Bon, Melanie

AU - Grall, Jacques

AU - Gusmao, Joao B.

AU - Fajardo, Maritza

AU - Harrod, Chris

AU - Pacheco, Aldo S.

PY - 2021/3

Y1 - 2021/3

N2 - Increasing global concern has been raised about the expansion of hypoxia in coastal waters and its potential to impact benthic ecosystems. Upwelling areas offer opportunities to study the effects of hypoxia on benthic communities under natural conditions. We used a biological trait-based approach and estimated functional diversity indices to assess macrobenthic community functioning along a depth gradient associated with naturally increasing hypoxia and concentrations of organic matter in the upwelling zone of northern Chile (South-East Pacific) over two years. Our results highlighted the increasing dominance of opportunistic biological traits associated with hypoxia and high organic matter content. Habitat filtering was the main process affecting the studied communities. Functional diversity patterns were persistent overtime despite the occurrence of a pulse of oxygenation. This study contributes to our understanding of how natural hypoxia impacts macrobenthic communities, providing useful information in the context of increasing eutrophication due to human influence on coastal areas.

AB - Increasing global concern has been raised about the expansion of hypoxia in coastal waters and its potential to impact benthic ecosystems. Upwelling areas offer opportunities to study the effects of hypoxia on benthic communities under natural conditions. We used a biological trait-based approach and estimated functional diversity indices to assess macrobenthic community functioning along a depth gradient associated with naturally increasing hypoxia and concentrations of organic matter in the upwelling zone of northern Chile (South-East Pacific) over two years. Our results highlighted the increasing dominance of opportunistic biological traits associated with hypoxia and high organic matter content. Habitat filtering was the main process affecting the studied communities. Functional diversity patterns were persistent overtime despite the occurrence of a pulse of oxygenation. This study contributes to our understanding of how natural hypoxia impacts macrobenthic communities, providing useful information in the context of increasing eutrophication due to human influence on coastal areas.

KW - Biological traits analysis

KW - Environmental threshold

KW - Functional diversity

KW - Humboldt current system

KW - Marine eutrophication

KW - Temporal variation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099828077&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112056

DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112056

M3 - Artículo

AN - SCOPUS:85099828077

SN - 0025-326X

VL - 164

JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin

JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin

M1 - 112056

ER -

Functional changes in benthic macrofaunal communities along a natural gradient of hypoxia in an upwelling system

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this