Distribution and environmental drivers of macrofaunal nematode communities across gradients of methane seepage at cold seeps on Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand) and potential implications of disturbance from gas hydrate extraction
Cold seeps are areas characterised by specialized biological communities that rely on chemosynthesis for their nutrition. To date, research conducted on New Zealand’s Hikurangi Margin seep communities has focused on communities at 650-1200 m water depth. Here, we characterize the macrofaunal nematod...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1486305/full |
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| author | Daniel Leduc Ashley A. Rowden Ashley A. Rowden Sarah Seabrook David A. Bowden Andrew R. Thurber Andrew R. Thurber Jane Halliday Cliff S. Law Cliff S. Law Olivia S. Pereira Bethany G. Whitten Andrew Marriner |
| author_facet | Daniel Leduc Ashley A. Rowden Ashley A. Rowden Sarah Seabrook David A. Bowden Andrew R. Thurber Andrew R. Thurber Jane Halliday Cliff S. Law Cliff S. Law Olivia S. Pereira Bethany G. Whitten Andrew Marriner |
| author_sort | Daniel Leduc |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cold seeps are areas characterised by specialized biological communities that rely on chemosynthesis for their nutrition. To date, research conducted on New Zealand’s Hikurangi Margin seep communities has focused on communities at 650-1200 m water depth. Here, we characterize the macrofaunal nematode communities of New Zealand cold seeps for the first time, and at deeper (> 1200 m) seep locations (Maungaroa, Glendhu and Urutī South). There were no significant difference in nematode abundance, species richness, diversity and evenness among the seep areas, which may reflect the lack of difference in most sediment variables. However, a consistent spatial pattern in nematode abundance was observed within all the seep areas on the Hikurangi Margin: abundance was highest at or near the seep centre, decreased steeply away from the centre and was low in the periphery. These spatially consistent patterns reflect the influence of methane seepage, which appears limited to the inner 150-200 m radius of each area, on nematode abundance via input of chemosynthetic food sources. We found significant differences in nematode community structure among all three areas, with most of the heterogeneity in community structure between the shallow Urutī South area and deeper Maungaroa and Glendhu areas, and differences among nematode communities of high, medium and low abundance associated with site-specific gradients in methane seepage. Within area variability in nematode community structure was mainly correlated with food availability and sediment grain size. Consistent with previous investigations of seep nematodes, we did not find evidence of seep endemics. Although deposit feeders were generally the most abundant feeding group, there were differences in the relative abundances of different feeding groups such as microvores and epigrowth feeders among the seep areas, and as a function of distance from the centre of the seep areas. Impact on seep communities from gas hydrate extraction processes may occur via reduction or potentially cessation of free-gas methane supply to the seafloor, ‘sand’ production at the seafloor due to the physical degradation of the substrate structure, or alteration of the structural integrity of the seafloor substrate. Any spatial management options considered for managing these impacts should reflect the differences in benthic community structure between depths and locations on the Hikurangi Margin. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2b85d98699e24ef29d5be2105ef44a4a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-2b85d98699e24ef29d5be2105ef44a4a2025-01-15T05:11:10ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452025-01-011110.3389/fmars.2024.14863051486305Distribution and environmental drivers of macrofaunal nematode communities across gradients of methane seepage at cold seeps on Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand) and potential implications of disturbance from gas hydrate extractionDaniel Leduc0Ashley A. Rowden1Ashley A. Rowden2Sarah Seabrook3David A. Bowden4Andrew R. Thurber5Andrew R. Thurber6Jane Halliday7Cliff S. Law8Cliff S. Law9Olivia S. Pereira10Bethany G. Whitten11Andrew Marriner12Oceans Centre, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New ZealandOceans Centre, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandOceans Centre, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New ZealandOceans Centre, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New ZealandCollege of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesDepartment of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and the Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United StatesOceans Centre, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New ZealandOceans Centre, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New ZealandDepartment of Marine Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New ZealandScripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, United StatesCollege of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesOceans Centre, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New ZealandCold seeps are areas characterised by specialized biological communities that rely on chemosynthesis for their nutrition. To date, research conducted on New Zealand’s Hikurangi Margin seep communities has focused on communities at 650-1200 m water depth. Here, we characterize the macrofaunal nematode communities of New Zealand cold seeps for the first time, and at deeper (> 1200 m) seep locations (Maungaroa, Glendhu and Urutī South). There were no significant difference in nematode abundance, species richness, diversity and evenness among the seep areas, which may reflect the lack of difference in most sediment variables. However, a consistent spatial pattern in nematode abundance was observed within all the seep areas on the Hikurangi Margin: abundance was highest at or near the seep centre, decreased steeply away from the centre and was low in the periphery. These spatially consistent patterns reflect the influence of methane seepage, which appears limited to the inner 150-200 m radius of each area, on nematode abundance via input of chemosynthetic food sources. We found significant differences in nematode community structure among all three areas, with most of the heterogeneity in community structure between the shallow Urutī South area and deeper Maungaroa and Glendhu areas, and differences among nematode communities of high, medium and low abundance associated with site-specific gradients in methane seepage. Within area variability in nematode community structure was mainly correlated with food availability and sediment grain size. Consistent with previous investigations of seep nematodes, we did not find evidence of seep endemics. Although deposit feeders were generally the most abundant feeding group, there were differences in the relative abundances of different feeding groups such as microvores and epigrowth feeders among the seep areas, and as a function of distance from the centre of the seep areas. Impact on seep communities from gas hydrate extraction processes may occur via reduction or potentially cessation of free-gas methane supply to the seafloor, ‘sand’ production at the seafloor due to the physical degradation of the substrate structure, or alteration of the structural integrity of the seafloor substrate. Any spatial management options considered for managing these impacts should reflect the differences in benthic community structure between depths and locations on the Hikurangi Margin.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1486305/fullmacrofaunainfaunacommunity ecologycontinental slopenematode species |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Leduc Ashley A. Rowden Ashley A. Rowden Sarah Seabrook David A. Bowden Andrew R. Thurber Andrew R. Thurber Jane Halliday Cliff S. Law Cliff S. Law Olivia S. Pereira Bethany G. Whitten Andrew Marriner Distribution and environmental drivers of macrofaunal nematode communities across gradients of methane seepage at cold seeps on Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand) and potential implications of disturbance from gas hydrate extraction Frontiers in Marine Science macrofauna infauna community ecology continental slope nematode species |
| title | Distribution and environmental drivers of macrofaunal nematode communities across gradients of methane seepage at cold seeps on Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand) and potential implications of disturbance from gas hydrate extraction |
| title_full | Distribution and environmental drivers of macrofaunal nematode communities across gradients of methane seepage at cold seeps on Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand) and potential implications of disturbance from gas hydrate extraction |
| title_fullStr | Distribution and environmental drivers of macrofaunal nematode communities across gradients of methane seepage at cold seeps on Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand) and potential implications of disturbance from gas hydrate extraction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Distribution and environmental drivers of macrofaunal nematode communities across gradients of methane seepage at cold seeps on Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand) and potential implications of disturbance from gas hydrate extraction |
| title_short | Distribution and environmental drivers of macrofaunal nematode communities across gradients of methane seepage at cold seeps on Hikurangi Margin (New Zealand) and potential implications of disturbance from gas hydrate extraction |
| title_sort | distribution and environmental drivers of macrofaunal nematode communities across gradients of methane seepage at cold seeps on hikurangi margin new zealand and potential implications of disturbance from gas hydrate extraction |
| topic | macrofauna infauna community ecology continental slope nematode species |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1486305/full |
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