European Ocean Biodiversity Information System

Indeed the work presented in this dataset is based on the first benthic samples collected with an EBS in the Amundsen Sea. However we assume that the data represented are an underestimation of the real fauna present in the Amundsen Sea. In total 9261 specimens belonging to 6 classes 55 families and 97 morphospecies were collected. The species richness per station varied between 6 and 43. Gastropoda were most species rich (50 species) followed by Bivalvia (37), Aplacophora (5), Scaphopoda (3) and one from each of Polyplacophora and Monoplacophora.
This dataset presents 34 EBS deployments: 21 of which were performed at a depth of 500m at four different sites (BIO3-1, BIO4-3, BIO5-3 and BIO 6-3) , six at a 1000m depth in three areas (BIO4-2, BIO5-2 and BIO6-2), five at a depth of 1500m at three different sites (BIO4-1, BIO5-1 and BIO6-1), and two replicates at site BIO8- 3500 in 3500m depth. For three of the five locations, sites were positioned along vertical transects sampling at 500m, 1000m and 1500m with repeat deployments of the EBS. The sites BIO4-1, BIO4-2 and BIO4-3 and BIO6-1, BIO6-2 and BIO6-3 were situated in the same local area; while the sites BIO5-1, BIO5-2 and BIO5-3 were dispersed over a wider area because of ice cover. The EBS consist of on an epi-(below) and a supra-(above) net. Each of these nets has a mesh size of 500μm and an opening of 100x33cm. The cod end of both nets is equipped with net-buckets containing a 300μm mesh window (Brenke, 2005). The EBS was trawled for 10 minutes on the sea bed at a 1 knot speed for deployments in 500m to 1500m and for 20 min in 3500m. Following Brenke (2005) that epi-and supra-nets are collecting the same fauna, these were pooled and treated as a single sample.Following Brenke ( 2005) that epi-and supra-nets are collecting the same fauna, these were pooled and treated as a single sample.
Five locations in the Pine Island Bay (PIB) and Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) at different depths ranging from 476 to 3501m have been sampled using an epibenthic sledge (EBS). Most deployments were made along depth transects from shallow to overdeepened continental shelf and to deeper slope (Figure 1 and 2). At three of the five locations samples were taken at ~500m, ~1000m and ~ 1500m depths, due to the particular geomorphology (presence of deep troughs close to the continent) of the ASE continental plateau. At each site, replicates (individual stations) were taken to assess habitat homogeneity and their number depended on water depth; three to six replicates were taken at 500m and two at 1000m, 1500m and 3500m depth. The BIOPEARL II cruise report is available from the British Oceanographic Data Centre (www.bodc.ac.uk/data/information_and_inventories/cruise_inventory/report/8277).
A species name was given to each specimen when it was possible. Individuals not corresponding to described species have been included in the analyses with the family or genus name and a letter or numerical code (e.g. Turbinidae sp.), however they represent a single morphospecies. For these specimens, further morphological and genetic analyses are necessary to give them a species name but they can be included in this dataset as different species. Finally, specimens too badly damaged for species identification have not been taken in account here. This dataset presents species occurrences and species richness of the individual EBS deployments.