Nekton Bermuda data and additional material

Abstract of the project
Fish data
“Shallow coral reef ecosystems worldwide are affected by local and global anthropogenic stressors. Exploring fish assemblages on deeper reefs is therefore important to examine their connectivity, and to help understand the biodiversity, ecology, distinctiveness, evolutionary history and threats in this sparsely studied environment. Conducting visual surveys on the Bermuda slope and a nearby seamount at depths from 15 to 300 m, we document decreasing fish biomass and diversity with increasing depth. Fish assemblages were primarily depth-stratified, with distinct suites of species inhabiting shallow (<30 m depth) and upper (60 m) and lower (90 m) mesophotic coral ecosystems, and confirming the presence of a distinct rariphotic (∼150–300 m) assemblage. We also report evidence of anthropogenic pressures throughout our surveyed depths. Our results highlight the novelty of deeper reef fish faunas, therefore suggesting limited applicability of the deep reef refuge hypothesis, and showcase the vulnerability of deep reefs to targeted fishing pressure and invasive species.”
Stefanoudis, P.V., Gress, E., Pitt, J.M., Smith, S.R., Kincaid, T., Rivers, M., Andradi-Brown, D.A., Rowlands, G., Woodall, L.C. and Rogers, A.D., 2019. Depth-dependent structuring of reef fish assemblages from the shallows to the rariphotic zone. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, p.307, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00307.

Benthic data
“Worldwide coral reefs face catastrophic damage due to a series of anthropogenic stressors. Investigating how coral reefs ecosystems are connected, in particular across depth, will help us understand if deeper reefs harbour distinct communities. Here, we explore changes in benthic community structure across 15–300 m depths using technical divers and submersibles around Bermuda. We report high levels of floral and faunal differentiation across depth, with distinct assemblages occupying each depth surveyed, except 200–300 m, corresponding to the lower rariphotic zone. Community turnover was highest at the boundary depths of mesophotic coral ecosystems (30–150 m) driven largely by taxonomic turnover and to a lesser degree by ordered species loss (nestedness). Our work highlights the biologically unique nature of benthic communities in the mesophotic and rariphotic zones, and their limited connectivity to shallow reefs, thus emphasizing the need to manage and protect deeper reefs as distinct entities.”
Stefanoudis, P.V., Rivers, M., Smith, S.R., Schneider, C.W., Wagner, D., Ford, H., Rogers, A.D. and Woodall, L.C., 2019. Low connectivity between shallow, mesophotic and rariphotic zone benthos. Royal Society open science, 6(9), p.190958, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190958.
Project PI
Lucy Woodall

Geographical coverage
31.9318-32.9395 N, 64.1839-65.9676 W

Data manager
Paris Stefanoudis

项目摘要
鱼类数据集
全球范围内的浅海珊瑚礁生态系统（shallow coral reef ecosystems）均受到局地及全球人为压力源（anthropogenic stressors）的影响。因此，对深水礁体的鱼类群落（fish assemblages）展开研究，对于探究其连通性，以及了解这一研究匮乏环境中的生物多样性、生态学特征、独特性、演化历史与威胁因素均具有重要意义。
我们于百慕大斜坡及附近海山的15至300米水深范围内开展目视调查，结果显示鱼类生物量与多样性随水深增加而逐渐降低。
鱼类群落主要按水深分层，不同物种类群分别栖息于浅水区（水深<30米）、中光层珊瑚生态系统（mesophotic coral ecosystems）的上层（60米）与下层（90米），并证实了独特的稀光层（rariphotic，约150-300米）群落的存在。
我们还在所有调查水深范围内均发现了人为压力的相关证据。本研究结果凸显了深水礁鱼类区系的新颖性，由此表明深水礁庇护假说（deep reef refuge hypothesis）的适用范围较为有限，同时也揭示了深水礁易受到针对性捕捞压力与外来入侵物种的威胁。
Stefanoudis, P.V.、Gress, E.、Pitt, J.M.、Smith, S.R.、Kincaid, T.、Rivers, M.、Andradi-Brown, D.A.、Rowlands, G.、Woodall, L.C. 及 Rogers, A.D., 2019. 《从浅水区至稀光层：礁体鱼类群落的水深依赖型结构》，《海洋科学前沿》（Frontiers in Marine Science），第6卷，第307页，https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00307.

底栖生物数据集
全球珊瑚礁生态系统正面临一系列人为压力源带来的灾难性破坏。探究珊瑚礁生态系统的连通性（尤其是跨水深的连通性），将有助于我们了解深水礁体是否孕育有独特的生物群落。
本研究借助技术潜水员与潜水器，在百慕大周边海域的15至300米水深范围内探究底栖生物群落结构的变化。我们发现不同水深的动植物群落分化程度极高，除对应下层稀光层（rariphotic zone）的200-300米水深外，各调查水深均存在独特的生物群落。
底栖生物群落更替在中光层珊瑚生态系统（mesophotic coral ecosystems，30-150米）的边界水深处最为剧烈，这一现象主要由类群更替驱动，次要原因为有序的物种丢失（嵌套性，nestedness）。
本研究凸显了中光层与稀光层底栖生物群落的生物学独特性，以及它们与浅礁的连通性有限，因此强调了将深水礁作为独立实体进行管理与保护的必要性。
Stefanoudis, P.V.、Rivers, M.、Smith, S.R.、Schneider, C.W.、Wagner, D.、Ford, H.、Rogers, A.D. 及 Woodall, L.C., 2019. 《浅水区、中光层与稀光层底栖生物的连通性低下》，《皇家学会开放科学》（Royal Society open science），第6卷第9期，第190958页，https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.190958.

项目负责人：露西·伍德尔（Lucy Woodall）

地理覆盖范围：北纬31.9318°至32.9395°，西经64.1839°至65.9676°

数据管理员：帕里斯·斯特凡诺迪斯（Paris Stefanoudis）