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Spatial patterns and bryozoan biodiversity

from subantarctic Falkland and South Georgia Islands

2014

Shackleton Scholarship Fund Report- Preliminary Results

Dr Blanca Figuerola http://bfiguerola.weebly.com/

Pictures: B. Figuerola

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Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................3

Methods.............................................................................................................................4

Preliminary results and future outcomes expected.......................................................5

Dissemination of the project............................................................................................7

Acknowledgements...........................................................................................................7

References..........................................................................................................................7

Annex................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction

Essential baseline data on marine biodiversity and biogeography are still lacking for most of

parts of the southwestern Atlantic, including the surrounding SO. These data are urgently

required in order to monitor future changes in species composition in the context of climate

change, the overexploitation of living resources and the establishment of invasive marine

species (Orensanz et al., 2002; Kaiser et al., 2013). Among taxa of the southwestern Atlantic,

the best-known benthic invertebrates are molluscs, echinoderms and cnidarians (Miloslavich et

al., 2011). In contrast, bryozoan diversity is still scarcely studied up to now (Figuerola et al.,

2014; Moyano, 1982, 1999; López Gappa, 2000). Surprisingly, bryozoans, colonial

invertebrates, are abundant and important members of the benthic community, inhabiting from

the shallow to the abyssal plains. Moreover, these are commonly effective colonizers of

surfaces, thus representing a part of the epifauna on most rocky shores and blades of kelps and

algae in shallow areas (Hayward, 1995). In particular, bryozoans of sub-Antarctic shelf habitats

of Falkland and South Georgia Islands remain understudied (Hastings, 1943; Hayward, 1980;

Bastida et al., 1992; Barnes, 2000; Barnes and De Grave, 2001) and new species continue to

appear (e.g. Wright et al. 2007; Kuklinski and Barnes, 2009; Hayward and Winston, 2011). On

the one hand, Falkland Islands is located on the Patagonian shelf and thus, outside the Polar

Front. Interestingly, their southeastern coasts are influenced by cold nutrient-rich waters from

Falkland Current (branch of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current) and the northwestern coasts by

temperate waters from the Argentine Drift, leading to differences on biodiversity between both

regions. On the other hand, the South Georgia Island, being part of the Scotia Arc archipelagos

(tips of a subsurface mountain chain linking the Andes and the Antarctic Peninsula), is

suggested by diverse authors as a transitional region between South America and Antarctica

(e.g. Arntz et al., 2005; Barnes, 2005).

One of the main goals of this project is to improve knowledge of bryozoan species from these

poorly known regions, providing new data on sub-Antarctic bryozoan biodiversity, their spatial

patterns and their biogeographic links with neighbouring regions.

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Methods

The large marine collections from Falkland and South Georgia Islands of the local institutions

(Shallow Marine Surveys Group, South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute and Falkland

Islands Government fisheries department) were examined. Additionally, new data were

obtained from samples collected through 6 diving surveys carried out in the Falkland Is

(November- December 2014; Fig. 1-3). Sampling sites were georeferenced by GPS and depth

was registered at each station.

Fig 1. Map of the Falkland and South Georgia Islands showing location of sampling sites.

Fig. 2. The SMSG Dive team at Falkland Islands.

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Fig. 3. A- C. The author collecting bryozoan samples and taking underwater photos. D. The

common bryozoan species Cellaria malvinensis. Pictures: SMSG and B. Figuerola.

Samples collected were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible using binocular

microscopy. Taxonomic identifications were made using existing literature: d’Orbigny (1842),

Busk (1884), Waters (1904), Hastings (1943), López Gappa (1982), López Gappa and

Lichtschein (1990), Hayward (1995), López de la Cuadra and García-Gómez (2000), Branch

and Hayward (2005) and Hayward and Winston (2011).

Preliminary results and future outcomes expected

The main output from my visit was to produce of a bryozoan list for the Falkland Islands and

South Georgia Islands. A total of 85 species of cheilostome bryozoans (351 samples), belonging

to 31 families and 33 genera, were found within an area of the southwestern Atlantic between

49º and 54º S, and between 35º and 63º W (Fig. 4-5).

A B

C D

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Fig. 4. Bryozoan colonies. A. Reteporella magallensis. B: Carbasea ovoidea.

Pictures: B. Figuerola.

Fig. 5. Detail of different bryozoan colonies. Pictures: B. Figuerola.

With this proposed visit, I expect to publish a paper in peer-reviewed journal, describing

bryozoan diversity and biogeography of these regions, which will be vital for contributing to the

local knowledge of this phylum. Some literature data regarding bathymetric ranges and

biogeographic distribution of the studied species will be obtained from the existing literature

and as well as from the Antarctic Biodiversity Information Facility (ANTABIF;

Arachnopusia monoceros

Reteporella magallensis Menipea patagonica

Carbasea ovoidea Fenestrulina crystallina Membranipora cf membranacea

Beania magellanica Microporella hyadesi Cellaria malvinensis

Reteporella magellensis Carbasea ovoidea

A B

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www.biodiversity.aq) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility databases (GBIF;

www.gbif.org).

In the future, we will explore the possibilities of continuing collaborative research with these

institutions.

Dissemination of the project

Several press releases were issued and the project also made use of webs pages to promote the

news of the research stay (see Annex). The results will be also disseminated via media:

journals/popular science magazines (e.g. Penguin News), web pages (e.g. ub.edu/irbio) and social

networks (e.g. Twitter).

Acknowledgements

I am most grateful to the Shackleton Scholarship Fund, the Falkland Island Government

Fisheries Department, the Shallow Marine Surveys Group, and the South Atlantic

Environmental Research Institute for their financial support. I would like to thank Dr Paul

Brewin for providing me with accommodation, office and lab space and internet at the Fisheries

Department, Dr Paul Brickle for helping with the logistics during dives and Dr David Barnes for

his valuable advice before and during my research stay. I am also grateful to the members of the

SMSG, especially Steve Cartwright, for ship time and invaluable technical support during the

dives cruises. The intertidal sampling was made possible with the assistance of Eva Visauta and

Marine Quintin. Finally, I would like to thank the nice people of the Falkland Islands for their

hospitality during my month here.

References

-Arntz, W.E., Thatje, S., Gerdes, D., Gili, J.M., Gutt, J., Jacob, U., Montiel, A., Orejas, C.,

Teixido, N. 2005. The Antarctic-Magellan connection: macrobenthos ecology on the shelf and

upper slope, a progress report. Sci. Mar. 69, 237-269.

-Barnes, D.K.A. 2000. Diversity, recruitment and competition on island shores at south-polar

localities compared with lower latitudes: encrusting community examples. Hydrobiologia 440,

37-44.

-Barnes, D.K.A. 2005. Changing chain: past, present and future of the Scotia Arc’s shallow

benthic communities. In: W.E. Arntz, G.A. Lovrich and S. Thatje (eds.) The Magellan-Antarctic

connection: links and frontiers at high southern latitudes. Sci. Mar. 69, 65-89.

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-Barnes, D.K.A. De Grave, S., 2001. Ecological biogeography of southern polar encrusting

faunas. J. Biogeogr. 28, 359-365.

-Bastida, R., Roux, A. Martinez, D. 1992. Benthic communities of the Argentine continental

shelf. Oceanol. Acta, 15(6), 687-698.

-Branch, M.L., Hayward, P.J. 2005. New species of cheilostomatous Bryozoa from subantarctic

Marion and Prince Edward Islands. J. Nat. Hist. 39 (29), 2671-2704.

-Busk, G. 1884. Report on the Polyzoa collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873–

1876. Part 1. The Cheilostomata. Report on the scientific results of the voyage of HMS

Challenger. Zoology 10 (30), 1-216.

-d'Orbigny, A.D. 1841–1847. Voyage dans l'Amérique méridinale, 5, pt.4: Zoophytes, 7–28

(1847), Pl. 1,3,5 (1841), 2, 4, 6-3 (1842). Paris and Strasbourg.

-Figuerola, B., Gordon, D.P., Polonio, V., Cristobo, J., Avila, C. 2014. Cheilostome bryozoan

diversity from the southwest Atlantic region: is Antarctica really isolated? J. Sea Res. 85, 1-17.

-Hastings, A.B. 1943. Polyzoa (Bryozoa). I. Scrupocellariidae, Epistomiidae, Farciminariidae,

Bicellariellidae, Aeteidae, Scrupariidae. Discov. Rep. 32, 301-510.

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722.

-Hayward, P.J. 1995. Antarctic Cheilostomatous Bryozoa. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Program: new taxa and new records. J. Nat. Hist. 46 (37-38), 2259-2338.

-Kaiser, S., Brandão, S.N., Brix, S., Barnes, D.K.A., Bowden, D.A., et al. (2013) Patterns,

processes and vulnerability of Southern Ocean benthos: a decadal leap in knowledge and

understanding. Mar. Biol. 160, 2295-2317.

-Kuklinski, P., Barnes, D.K.A. 2009. A new genus and three new species of Antarctic

cheilostome Bryozoa. Polar Biol. 32, 1251-1259.

López Gappa, J.J. 1982. Bryozoa collected by the German Antarctic expedition 1980–81. 1.

Flustridae. Meteor Forschungsergeb. Reihe D 35, 35-41.

-López Gappa, J. J. 2000. Species richness of marine Bryozoa in the continental shelf and slope

off Argentina (South -West Atlantic). Div. Distrib. 6(1), 15-27.

López de la Cuadra, C.M., García Gómez, J.C. 2000. The cheilostomate Bryozoa (Bryozoa:

Cheilostomatida) collected by the Spanish ‘Antártida 8611’ expedition to the Scotia Arc and

South Shetland Islands. J. Nat. Hist. 34, 755-772.

-López Gappa, J., Lichtschein, V. 1990. Los briozoos colectados por el B/I Shinkai Maru en la

plataforma Continental Argentina, 1. Servicio de Hidrografia Naval, República Argentina 32.

-Miloslavich, P., Klein, E., Díaz, J.M., Hernández, C.E., Bigatti, G., et al. 2011. Marine

Biodiversity in the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of South America: Knowledge and Gaps. PLoS

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-Moyano, G. H. I. 1982. Magellanic Bryozoa: some ecological and zoogeographical aspects.

Mar. Biol. 67, 81-96.

-Moyano, G. H. I. 1999. Magellan Bryozoa: a review of the diversity and of the subAntarctic

and Antarctic zoogeographical links. Sci. Mar. 63(1), 219-226.

-Orensanz, J.M., Schwindt, E., Pastorino, G., Bortolus, A., Casas, G., Darrigran, G., Elías, R.,

López -Gappa, J. J., Obenat, S., Pascual, M., Penchaszadeh, P., Piriz, M. L., Scarabino, F.,

Spivak, E.D., Vallarino, E. A. 2002. No longer the pristine confines of the world ocean: a

survey of exotic marine species in the southwestern Atlantic. Biol. Invasions. 4, 115-143.

-Waters, A.W. 1904. Bryozoa. Résultats du Voyage du S.V. ‘Belgica’, Zoologie. Expedition

Antarct. Belge 4, 1-114.

-Wright, P.J., Hayward, P.J., Hughes, R.N. 2007. New species of Antarctothoa (Cheilostomata:

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Biol. Ass. UK 87, 1133-1140.

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Annex

Journals/Bulletins:

-International Bryozoology Association Bulletin

http://bryozoa.net/iba/files/IBA_Bull_10(3).pdf (page 3)

http://bryozoa.net/iba/files/IBA_Bull_11(1).pdf (page 2)

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-Falkland Islands Newsletter (page 11)

http://www.fiassociation.com/shopimages/pdfs/FIA%20NL%20107.pdf

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-Penguin News (page 4)

http://www.penguin-news.com/index.php/the-paper/item/767-penguin-news-vol-26-no-18

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Websites:

-IRBio website

http://www.ub.edu/irbio/ENnoticia.php?id=240

Social networks:

-DISTANTCOM project (facebook page):

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=823470921057915&id=2269421140441

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-Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BlancaFiguerola/status/471658204083290113