Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High Seas
Characterization and Mapping of a Deep-Sea Sponge Ground on the Tropic Seamount (Northeast Tropical Atlantic): Implications for Spatial Management in the High Seas
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DOI：
10.3389/fmars.2019.00278
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发表时间：
2019-05
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
B. Ramiro-Sánchez;J. González‐Irusta;L. Henry;J. Cleland;I. Yeo;Joana R. Xavier;Joana R. Xavier;M. Carreiro-Silva;I. Sampaio;J. Spearman;L. Victorero;C. Messing;G. Kazanidis;J. Roberts;B. Murton
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作者：
B. Ramiro-Sánchez;J. González‐Irusta;L. Henry;J. Cleland;I. Yeo;Joana R. Xavier;Joana R. Xavier;M. Carreiro-Silva;I. Sampaio;J. Spearman;L. Victorero;C. Messing;G. Kazanidis;J. Roberts;B. Murton
海山上的铁锰结壳是对低碳技术至关重要的稀土元素的潜在资源。然而，海山蕴藏着脆弱的海洋生态系统（VME），这意味着需要进行空间管理来解决矿物开采和深海生物多样性保护之间的潜在冲突。对位于亚热带北大西洋国家管辖范围以外区域的热带海山进行的勘探发现了大量的稀土元素以及众多的脆弱海洋生态系统，包括高密度的珊瑚园、Solenosmilia variabilis斑礁、异藻、海百合田和深海海绵地。这项研究的重点是广泛的单种理由hexactinellid海绵Poliopogon amadou（汤姆森，1878年）。深海海绵地提供了结构复杂的生境，增加了当地的生物多样性。为了了解这些海绵地的潜在范围并为空间管理提供信息，我们采用最大熵（Maxent），通用加法模型（GAM）和随机森林（RF）制作了大西洋P. amadou的第一个集合物种分布模型和当地栖息地适宜性地图。影响海绵分布的主要因素是水深和最大流速。海绵地面出现在北大西洋上层深层水团（2.5 ° C，34.7 psu，O2 6.7-7 mg ml-1）内的一个明显的水深带（2，500 - 3，000 m）中，并倾向于沐浴在中等强水流（0.2 - 0.4 ms-1）中的地区。GAM、Maxent和RF在评估统计方面表现出相似的性能，但预测结果不同，RF差异最大。该算法只保留深度和最大海流，而GAM和Maxent则包括测深位置指数、坡度、方位角和反向散射。在后两个模型中，P. amadou表现出对高后向散射值和略微升高、平坦或坡度平缓且具有NE方向的区域的偏好。由于模型性能没有显著差异，因此可以使用集合模型方法合并所有预测。我们的研究结果有助于了解大西洋物种的环境驱动因素和物种地理学。此外，我们提出了一个案例，指定热带海山作为一个生态或生物重要的海洋区域（EBSA），以解决ABNJ生物多样性保护的贡献。
Ferromanganese crusts occurring on seamounts are a potential resource for rare earth elements that are critical for low-carbon technologies. Seamounts, however, host vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), which means that spatial management is needed to address potential conflicts between mineral extraction and the conservation of deep-sea biodiversity. Exploration of the Tropic Seamount, located in an Area Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) in the subtropical North Atlantic, revealed large amounts of rare earth elements, as well as numerous VMEs, including high-density octocoral gardens, Solenosmilia variabilis patch reefs, xenophyophores, crinoid fields and deep-sea sponge grounds. This study focuses on the extensive monospecific grounds of the hexactinellid sponge Poliopogon amadou (Thomson, 1878). Deep-sea sponge grounds provide structurally complex habitat, augmenting local biodiversity. To understand the potential extent of these sponge grounds and inform spatial management, we produced the first ensemble species distribution model and local habitat suitability maps for P. amadou in the Atlantic employing Maximum Entropy (Maxent), General Additive Models (GAMs), and Random Forest (RF). The main factors driving the distribution of the sponge were depth and maximum current speed. The sponge grounds occurred in a marked bathymetric belt (2,500 – 3,000 m) within the upper North Atlantic Deep Water mass (2.5∘C, 34.7 psu, O2 6.7–7 mg ml-1), with a preference for areas bathed by moderately strong currents (0.2 – 0.4 ms-1). GAMs, Maxent and RF showed similar performance in terms of evaluation statistics but a different prediction, with RF showing the highest differences. This algorithm only retained depth and maximum currents whereas GAM and Maxent included bathymetric position index, slope, aspect and backscatter. In these latter two models, P. amadou showed a preference for high backscatter values and areas slightly elevated, flat or with gentle slopes and with a NE orientation. The lack of significant differences in model performance permitted to merge all predictions using an ensemble model approach. Our results contribute toward understanding the environmental drivers and biogeography of the species in the Atlantic. Furthermore, we present a case toward designating the Tropic Seamount as an Ecologically or Biologically Significant marine Area (EBSA) as a contribution to address biodiversity conservation in ABNJs.