Distribution of infaunal assemblages across Lord Howe Island shelf: the geomorphic importance of a relict coral reef  


Authors / CoAuthors

Anderson, T.J. | McArthur, M. | Nichol, S. | Syms, C. | Brooke, B.

Abstract

Understanding and predicting the bio-physical relationships between seabed habitats, biological assemblages, and marine biodiversity is critical to managing marine systems. Species distributions and assemblage structure of infauna were examined on the oceanic shelf surrounding Lord Howe Island (LHI) relative to seabed complexity within and adjacent to a newly discovered relict coral reef. High resolution multibeam sonar was used to map the shelf, and identified an extensive relict reef in the middle of the shelf, which separated an inner drowned lagoon from the outer shelf. Shelf sediments and infauna were sampled using a Smith McIntyre grab. The three geomorphic zones (drowned lagoon, relict reef and outer shelf) were strong predictors or surrogates of the physical structure and sediment composition of the LHI shelf and its infaunal assemblage. Infaunal assemblages were highly diverse with many new and endemic species recorded. Each zone supported characteristic assemblages and feeding guilds, with higher abundance and diversity offshore.

Product Type

nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

73135

Contact for the resource

  Custodian

EGD  

  Point of contact

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)  
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia

Keywords

  • External PublicationScientific Journal Paper
( Theme )
  • abiotic surrogates
( Theme )
  • habitat
( Theme )
  • marine biodiversity
( Theme )
  • seabed
( Theme )
  • CERF
( Theme )
  • marine
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
  • Earth Sciences
  • Published_Internal

Publication Date

2012-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

Access - restricted

Use - license

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Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Lineage

Unknown

Parent Information

Extents

[-31.7, -31.5, 159.0, 159.2]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

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