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Unexpected biotic resilience on the Japanese seafloor caused by the 2011 Tohoku-Oki tsunami
Toyofuku, T.; Duros, P.; Fontanier, C.; Mamo, B.; Bichon, S.; Buscail, R.; Chabaud, R.; Deflandre, B.; Gaubet, S.; Grémare, A.; Menniti, C.; Fujii, M.; Kawamura, K.; Koho, K.A.; Noda, A.; Namegaya, Y.; Oguri, K.; Radakovitch, O.; Murayama, M.; de Nooijer, L.J.; Kurasawa, A.; Ohkawara, N.; Okutani, T.; Sakaguchi, A.; Jorissen, F.J.; Reichart, G.J.; Kitazato, H. (2014). Unexpected biotic resilience on the Japanese seafloor caused by the 2011 Tohoku-Oki tsunami. NPG Scientific Reports 4(7517): 8 pp. dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep07517
In: Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group). Nature Publishing Group: London. ISSN 2045-2322; e-ISSN 2045-2322, more
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
Keywords
    Biodiversity
    Palaeo studies > Oceanography > Palaeoceanography
Authors  Top 
  • Toyofuku, T.
  • Duros, P.
  • Fontanier, C.
  • Mamo, B.
  • Bichon, S.
  • Buscail, R.
  • Chabaud, R.
  • Deflandre, B.
  • Gaubet, S.
  • Grémare, A., more
  • Menniti, C.
  • Fujii, M.
  • Kawamura, K.
  • Koho, K.A., more
  • Noda, A.
  • Namegaya, Y.
  • Oguri, K.
  • Radakovitch, O.
  • Murayama, M.
  • de Nooijer, L.J., more
  • Kurasawa, A.
  • Ohkawara, N.
  • Okutani, T.
  • Sakaguchi, A.
  • Jorissen, F.J.
  • Reichart, G.J., more
  • Kitazato, H.
Abstract
    On March 11th, 2011 the Mw 9.0 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake resulted in a tsunami which caused major devastation in coastal areas. Along the Japanese NE coast, tsunami waves reached maximum run-ups of 40 m, and travelled kilometers inland. Whereas devastation was clearly visible on land, underwater impact is much more difficult to assess. Here, we report unexpected results obtained during a research cruise targeting the seafloor off Shimokita (NE Japan), shortly (five months) after the disaster. The geography of the studied area is characterized by smooth coastline and a gradually descending shelf slope. Although high-energy tsunami waves caused major sediment reworking in shallow-water environments, investigated shelf ecosystems were characterized by surprisingly high benthic diversity and showed no evidence of mass mortality. Conversely, just beyond the shelf break, the benthic ecosystem was dominated by a low-diversity, opportunistic fauna indicating ongoing colonization of massive sand-bed deposits.
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