IMIS - Marine Research Groups | Compendium Coast and Sea

IMIS - Marine Research Groups

[ report an error in this record ]basket (1): add | show Print this page

one publication added to basket [362945]
Broad-scale benthic habitat classification of the South Atlantic
McQuaid, K.A.; Bridges, A.E.H.; Howell, K.L.; Gandra, T.B.R.; de Souza, V.; Currie, J.C.; Hogg, O.T.; Pearman, T.R.R.; Bell, J.B.; Atkinson, L.J.; Baum, D.; Bonetti, J.; Carranza, A.; Defeo, O.; Furey, T.; Gasalla, M.A.; Golding, N.; Hampton, S.L.; Horta, S.; Jones, D.O.B.; Lombard, A.T.; Manca, E.; Marín, Y.; Martin, S.; Mortensen, P.; Passadore, C.; Piechaud, N.; Sink, K.J.; Yool, A. (2023). Broad-scale benthic habitat classification of the South Atlantic. Prog. Oceanogr. 214: 103016. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2023.103016
In: Progress in Oceanography. Pergamon: Oxford,New York,. ISSN 0079-6611; e-ISSN 1873-4472, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors | Datasets 

Keywords
Author keywords
    Habitat mapping Classification systems Bioregionalisation Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean

Project Top | Authors | Datasets 
  • Towards the Sustainable Development of the Atlantic Ocean: Mapping and Assessing the present and future status of Atlantic marine ecosystems under the influence of climate change and exploitation, more

Authors  Top | Datasets 
  • McQuaid, K.A.
  • Bridges, A.E.H.
  • Howell, K.L.
  • Gandra, T.B.R.
  • de Souza, V.
  • Currie, J.C.
  • Hogg, O.T.
  • Pearman, T.R.R.
  • Bell, J.B.
  • Atkinson, L.J.
  • Baum, D.
  • Bonetti, J.
  • Carranza, A.
  • Defeo, O.
  • Furey, T.
  • Gasalla, M.A.
  • Golding, N.
  • Hampton, S.L.
  • Horta, S.
  • Jones, D.O.B.
  • Lombard, A.T.
  • Manca, E.
  • Marín, Y.
  • Martin, S.
  • Mortensen, P.
  • Passadore, C.
  • Piechaud, N.
  • Sink, K.J.
  • Yool, A.

Abstract
    Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) has become a priority for many states wanting to develop national blue economy plans and meet international obligations in response to the increasing cumulative impacts of human activities and climate change. In areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), MSP is proposed as part of a package of solutions for multi-sectoral management at the ocean basin scale. To facilitate planning, maps showing the spatial distribution of marine biological diversity are required. In areas lacking data, like the South Atlantic, environmental proxies can be used to predict these distributions. We undertook broad-scale benthic habitat classification of the South Atlantic, employing two top-down approaches spanning from national waters to ABNJ. The first was non-hierarchical and clustered groups of environmental variables prior to combination; the second was hierarchical and clustered Principal Components of environmental variables. Areas of agreement between the two approaches were identified and results compared with existing national and global classifications and published biodiversity patterns. We highlight several habitat classes we can be cautiously confident represent variation in biological diversity, such as topographic features, frontal systems and some abyssal basins. We also identify critical gaps in our knowledge of regional biogeography and advocate for collaborative effort to compile benthic species records and promote further exploration of the region to address these gaps. These insights into the distribution of habitats have the potential to support sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, enable transboundary and ocean basin scale management, and empower nations to make progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Datasets (2)
  • McQuaid K.; Howell, K.; University of Plymouth (UoP), United Kingdom; (2023): Hierarchical benthic habitat classification in the Atlantic Ocean., more
  • McQuaid K.; Howell, K.; University of Plymouth (UoP), United Kingdom; (2023): Non-Hierarchical benthic habitat classification in the Atlantic Ocean., more

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors | Datasets