Die Große Meteorbank (Nordost-Atlantik) - Trittstein oder Abstellgleis? Quantitative Unteruchungen zur Verbreitung, der Diversität und dem Ursprung der benthonischen Kuppenfauna

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Because of their topography, size and location in the oceans, seamounts are considered as harbouring an enhanced biomass and diversity of “natural” and “genetic resources” compared with the surrounding deep sea. Thus, seamounts are of increasing economical interest. Nonetheless, after rather spot-like studies on seamounts in the past decades, recent investigations indicate, that such generalization of seamounts’ roles may not be justified. It remains quite unclear, why some seamounts present increasing species richness, high number of endemic species, and increased biomass production, while others do not. In the past, the Great Meteor Seamount, located in the northeast Atlantic, has several times been the object of mainly qualitative biological research. Although being insufficient for sound statements regarding taxa distribution, biogeography, and origin of the plateau fauna, the obtained datasets provide a basement for ongoing investigation. The proposed cruise aims a corresponding data capture. It is planned to test the following three hypotheses:1. Because of the strong isolation of the seamount it inhabits an autochthonous bottom fauna with a high portion of endemic species;2. Whereas those representatives of macro- and megabenthos that immigrate and live on the plateau may recruit from adjacent geographical regions and rather shallow areas, the meiobenthos of the plateau mainly originates from the surrounding deep sea;3. Due to the relatively high productivity of the Great Meteor Seamount compared with the surrounding deep sea, the seamount’s plateau shows a higher species density than the latter.