Benthic functionality under climate-induced environment changes offshore on the Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf

In 2017 deep-water benthic assemblages across a continental shelf trough in outer Marguerite Bay, West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) were sampled by mean of seabed video recording. Video and images of the seabed were captured at 5 stations, each with 20 replicates. The images were analysed and epifauna were identified and classified into 13 functional groups based on mobility and feeding mechanisms of organisms. Study also collected coincident environmental information on depth, temperature, salinity, oxygen and chlorophyll-a (using a CTD). Climax sessile suspension feeders were the most spatially dominant group. ST5, the shallowest station was functionally contrasting with other stations. This functional difference was also influenced by hard substrata of ST5, which is typically preferred by climax sessile suspension feeders.