Megafauna of the UKSRL exploration contract area and eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean: Echinodermata.
Megafauna of the UKSRL exploration contract area and eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean: Echinodermata.
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DOI：
10.3897/bdj.5.e11794
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发表时间：
2017
影响因子：
1.3
通讯作者：
Smith CR
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Amon DJ;Ziegler AF;Kremenetskaia A;Mah CL;Mooi R;O'Hara T;Pawson DL;Roux M;Smith CR
在热带太平洋的深海克拉里昂-克利珀顿带开采多金属结核的兴趣日益浓厚。尽管几十年来一直是环境研究的焦点，但CCZ的大型底栖动物仍然鲜为人知。为了预测和管理CCZ的采矿对环境的影响，大型动物的基线知识是必不可少的。ABYSSLINE项目在英国海底资源有限公司多金属结核勘探合同区(UK-1)进行了海底生物基线调查。在2013年和2015年进行这些考察之前，没有人在CCZ东部的这一区域进行过生物学研究。使用遥控潜水器和自主水下潜航器，对英国皇家陆战队勘探合同区(UK-1)内和UK-1以东约250公里处的大型动物进行了调查，使我们能够根据收集的图像对大型动物的形态物种丰富度做出初步估计。在这里，我们提供了在ABYSSLINE巡航到CCZ的UK-1多金属结核勘探合同区期间观察和收集的深海棘皮巨型动物的地图集。似乎至少有62个不同的形态种(13个星形总科，5个海鞘总科，9个棘鸟总科，29个海参总科和6个眼镜蛇总科)，主要通过图像识别，但也使用分子条形码对收集到的有限数量的动物进行识别。这份地图集将有助于综合承包商、科学家和在CCZ开展工作的其他利益攸关方收集的大型动物存在/缺失数据，最终帮助破译这一受威胁栖息地中大型动物的生物地理。
There is growing interest in mining polymetallic nodules from the abyssal Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Despite being the focus of environmental studies for decades, the benthic megafauna of the CCZ remain poorly known. In order to predict and manage the environmental impacts of mining in the CCZ, baseline knowledge of the megafauna is essential. The ABYSSLINE Project has conducted benthic biological baseline surveys in the UK Seabed Resources Ltd polymetallic-nodule exploration contract area (UK-1). Prior to these research cruises in 2013 and 2015, no biological studies had been done in this area of the eastern CCZ. Using a Remotely Operated Vehicle and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, the megafauna within the UKSRL exploration contract area (UK-1) and at a site ~250 km east of the UK-1 area were surveyed, allowing us to make the first estimates of megafaunal morphospecies richness from the imagery collected. Here, we present an atlas of the abyssal echinoderm megafauna observed and collected during the ABYSSLINE cruises to the UK-1 polymetallic-nodule exploration contract area in the CCZ. There appear to be at least 62 distinct morphospecies (13 Asteroidea, 5 Crinoidea, 9 Echinoidea, 29 Holothuroidea and 6 Ophiuroidea) identified mostly by imagery but also using molecular barcoding for a limited number of animals that were collected. This atlas will aid the synthesis of megafaunal presence/absence data collected by contractors, scientists and other stakeholders undertaking work in the CCZ, ultimately helping to decipher the biogeography of the megafauna in this threatened habitat.