Deep connections: How do changes in deep sea faunal communities relate to surface physics and biology?

Predicting the impact and effects of changes on life in the oceans is of growing concern to marine scientists.

Warming of the oceans and associated changes in the chemistry of sea water are expected to cause major shifts in abundance, diversity, and distribution of marine organisms, with possible consequences for natural capital and the capacity of the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide and other waste materials produced by humans.

Presently it is unclear how future changes in PP may affect deep-sea community structure.

Predicting the response of deep-sea communities to climate-driven shifts in PP is imperative given the importance of this environment to global bioabundance, biodiversity and ecosystem function.

This project will use samples collected from the mid-1970s through to 2016 (no samples collected post 2016) to examine what changes have occurred in the benthic faunal community at species and functional diversity levels.

Overarching aim: to quantify the extent of change in a deep-sea benthic community over a period spanning four decades - the longest benthic bathyal time series available globally, and to determine whether observed changes are linked with shifts in biotic (e.g., PP) and abiotic (e.g., temperature) variables.

The work proposed here is the first of its kind at these depths and is important given known changes in productivity and water temperature and the impact these may have on the benthic ecosystem.