Data from: Microhabitat patchiness structures benthic biodiversity in the Western Antarctic Peninsula

In the accelerating global biodiversity crisis, it is imperative to
document biodiversity patterns along with their underlying drivers and the
processes driving species distributions. Our objective was to study how
benthic community composition varies across spatial scales and how
fine-scale patchiness contributes to larger-scale biodiversity in the
Western Antarctic Peninsula. Using underwater imagery, we quantified
benthic community composition at three different scales using a nested
sampling design across. We used multivariate analyses (CLUSTER, NMDS,
ANOSIM, SIMPROF, and SIMPER analysis) to detect patterns in benthic
community variability. NMDS showed that images were clustered according to
their community composition into 31 significant groupings, or microhabitat
types, revealing high variability. These microhabitats were not restricted
by geographic location, substrate type, or macroalgal cover, as initially
presumed. Instead, the differences in faunal assemblage seem to be
influenced by the dominant macroalgae species and biogenic habitat
complexity. We found that these microhabitats emerge as ecologically
meaningful units that offer a practical scale at which to detect patterns
and early ecological shifts. Changes in the distribution or frequency of
these microhabitats may occur before shifts in species composition become
detectable at site or station level, which is crucial for ecosystem
monitoring.