OceanObs’09: Community White Paper Proposal
Title: Benthic biology time-series: Indicators of climate change
Lead author: To be decided
Initial contact points:
Kate Larkin (kel1@noc.soton.ac.uk) and Henry Ruhl (hr1s07@noc.soton.ac.uk)
Potential contributing authors
D.S. Billett (dsmb@noc.soton.ac.uk) P.A. Tyler (pat8@noc.soton.ac.uk) ; A.J.
Gooday (ang@noc.soton.ac.uk); J.A. Hughes (jyh@noc.soton.ac.uk); H. Ruhl
(hr1s07@noc.soton.ac.uk); R. Lampitt (rsl@noc.soton.ac.uk); K. Larkin
(kel@noc.soton.ac.uk) (NOCS, UK)
I.G. Priede, i.g.priede@abdn.ac.uk; M. Solan, m.solan@abdn.ac.uk
(UNIABN, OceanLab)
K. Smith (MBARI, U.S.A) ksmith@mbari.org'
H. Kitazato (JAMSTEC, Japan) kitazatoh@jamstec.go.jp
A. Rogers (IOZ, UK) alex.rogers@ioz.ac.uk
C. Smith: Hawaii craigsmi@hawaii.edu
A. Glover: NHM, UK a.glover@nhm.ac.uk
Paper submitted for: Session 2C: ‘Carbon and Ecosystems’
Paper will contribute to plenary Paper: ‘Ecosystems and Biodiversity’
Description: Key objectives
-Current status: Review past 10 years of scientific results of global benthic
biology/ecology times-series (shallow to the abyss; coastal to open ocean)
-Frontier: Identify key climate/ecological questions that benthic time-series can
address (e.g. global carbon cycle, carbon sequestration and the carbon sink, benthic
biogeography, benthic fauna as indicators of climate and upper ocean variability and
long-term change). Identify gaps in the existing observing system and propose a route
map for the future.
Abstract:
This paper will have a global scope and will address the importance and relevance of
benthic biological time-series to understanding the climate and upper ocean. The past
10 years of scientific results from benthic time-series observations will be
summarized in terms of both short (seasonal) and longer term (interannual, decadal)
change from coastal regions to the abyss. The apparent links between climate, the
upper-ocean, and the deep-sea will be discussed in terms of climate-driven variations
in food availability driving biodiversity and carbon cycling. The paper will cover the
ecology and biodiversity of all benthic fauna from bacteria and meiofauna to
macrofauna and megafauna. Possible regional foci will be the NE Pacific and NE
Atlantic time-series sites. A road map for the future of benthic ecological time-series
observations will also be proposed.
NB. There may be further outcomes/integration following the recent meeting on
Biodiversity: http://www.marbef.org/worldconference/
NB. This paper will link with another paper ‘seafloor observatories’ submitted to
Session 4A which will cover Benthic observatory platforms and infrastructure. This
was submitted by the ESONET-EMSO, OOI, NEPTUNE communities.