@article{fdi:010091875,
  title = {{G}elatinous carbon impacts benthic megafaunal communities in a continental margin},
  author = {{L}ebrato, {M}. and {M}olinero, {J}uan-{C}arlos and {M}ychek-{L}onder, {J}.{G}. and {G}onzalez, {E}.{M}. and {J}ones, {D}. {O}. {B}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{P}ost-collapse of seasonal blooms of gelatinous zooplankton ({C}nidaria, {C}tenophora, and {T}haliacea) sinking carcasses transports labile carbon (jelly-{C}) to benthic continental margins and the deep sea. {I}n recent decades, bloom frequency and intensity have increased globally; however, how sinking jelly-{C} affects benthic communities is poorly known. {F}urther, as climate change and other anthropogenic impacts may increase gelatinous blooms in the future, understanding the contributions and impacts of jelly-{C} upon benthic communities is of pivotal importance. {T}hus, in this study, we assessed jelly-{C} deposits post-intense blooming of a pelagic species of marine colonial gelatinous tunicate in the {T}haliacean class, {P}yrosoma atlanticum. {W}e studied the seabed using a remotely operated vehicle ({ROV}) from 26 to 1,276 m, documenting jelly-{C} deposits and species of the megafaunal benthic community. {E}nvironmental variables from water column profiles at transects near our own off the {I}vory {C}oast of {W}est {A}frica were used in assessments. {J}elly-{C} biomass peaked at 400 m (1,500 gr{C} 100 m(-2)) and remained at the average



(300 gr{C} 100 m(-2)) through 1,276 m. {T}ypically, in depth strata between 300 and 800 m, peaks in jelly-{C} biomass (500 to 1,500 gr{C} 100 m(-2)) corresponded to areas with significantly reduced benthic megafaunal species abundances as well as diversity. {F}rom 800 to 1,276 m, we noted patchier jelly-{C} biomass deposits where individual megafauna species abundances and diversity correspondingly increased, yet total organism counts remained low. {W}e observed 11 species from 5 phyla directly feeding on jelly-{C} and 10 single-species aggregations triggering megafaunal dominance events at various localized depth strata. {A}lthough such dynamics have been hypothesized and examined for some time with respect to phytodetritus biomass, they have been rarely described for jelly-{C}. {T}hus, our novel findings for jelly-{C} dynamics in the offshore regions can help to provide a better understanding of the ecological role that this component plays in marine benthic ecosystems and continental margins.},
  keywords = {{COTE} {D}'{IVOIRE} ; {ATLANTIQUE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{F}rontiers in {M}arine {S}cience},
  volume = {9},
  numero = {},
  pages = {902674 [9 ]},
  ISSN = {2296-7745},
  year = {2022},
  DOI = {10.3389/fmars.2022.902674},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010091875},
}