Depth and latitudinal gradients of diversity in seamount benthic communities

Aim
Latitudinal and bathymetric species diversity gradients in the deep sea have been identified, but studies have rarely considered these gradients across hard substratum habitats, such as seamount and oceanic island margins. This study aimed to identify whether the current understanding of latitudinal and bathymetric gradients in α-diversity (species richness) apply to seamount ecosystems, as well as ascertaining whether identifiable trends were present in seamount β-diversity along a bathymetric gradient.
Location
Exclusive Economic Zones of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, spanning 8°S to 40°S in the South Atlantic.
Taxon
Seamount megabenthic communities.
Methods
Images from 39 transects, collected between 250 m and 950 m, were used to characterise species richness. We subsequently applied general linear models to test possible environmental drivers across latitudinal and bathymetric ranges. Regression models were employed to investigate the β-diversity gradient ..., Drop camera images from 39 transects, collected between 250 m and 950 m, were used to characterise species richness from within the Exclusive Economic Zones of Ascension Island, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha, spanning 8°S to 40°S. Environmnetal data derived from high-resolution multibeam bathyemtry were used to identify possible environmental drivers across latitudinal and bathymetric ranges (see transect metadata for variables)., , , # Depth and latitudinal gradients of diversity in seamount benthic communities

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.b5mkkwhbw](10.5061/dryad.b5mkkwhbw)

## Description of the data and file structure

This dataset consists of a Bridges_etal_diversity_gradients.csv data file. Drop-camera images collected from 39 transects, located between depths of 250 m and 950 m, were used to characterise species richness within the Exclusive Economic Zones of Ascension Island, Saint Helena, and Tristan da Cunha, spanning latitudes from 8° S to 40° S. Environmental data derived from high-resolution multibeam bathymetry were used to identify potential environmental drivers across both latitudinal and bathymetric gradients.

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