Spearman rank correlation coefficients for relationships between benthic univariate community characteristics and environmental variables. Significant correlations (p<0.01) are indicated in bold.

Benthic community characteristics: biomass (g m−2); density (ind. m−2; without colonial organisms); Sdensity: taxon richness density (number of taxa m−2); H′: Shannon–Wiener's diversity index; J′: Pielou's evenness index; Δ*: average taxonomic distinctness. Indirect/spatial gradients: latitude and longitude (km; starting at the most southwestern station); depth (m). Direct gradients: Bottom oceanographic variables: temperature (°C); salinity; oxygen (ml l−1); Terrestrial influence: sediment δ13C (‰). Resource gradients/food supply proxies: sed. OC: sediment organic carbon (%); PP: sum of monthly satellite-derived primary production estimates over one (PP 1Y) or five years (PP 5Y) before sampling (mg C m−2 y−1; model results of Bélanger et al. [35]); sed. phaeo: sediment phaeopigments (µg g−1); sediment Chl a (µg g−1); euphotic BT: total phytoplankton biomass (cells ≥ 0.7 µm; mg Chl a m−2); euphotic BS: biomass of small phytoplankton cells (0.7−5 µm; mg Chl a m−2); euphotic BL: biomass of large phytoplankton cells (≥ 5 µm; mg Chl a m−2); euphotic BL:BT: relative contribution of large cells to total biomass. nr: biologically not relevant.