Deep-Sea Echinoid Trails and Seafloor Nutrient Distribution: Present and Past Implications
Metadatos
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Frontiers
Materia
Deep-sea Bioturbation Echinoid movement Nutrient distribution Pacific Ocean Station M
Date
2022-05-23Referencia bibliográfica
Miguez-Salas O... [et al.] (2022) Deep-Sea Echinoid Trails and Seafloor Nutrient Distribution: Present and Past Implications. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:903864. doi: [10.3389/fmars.2022.903864]
Patrocinador
Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation; Alexander von Humboldt Foundation PID2019-104625RB-100 MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033Résumé
The movement patterns of deep-sea bioturbational fauna are believed to be the result of
the organism’s interactive response to the perceived spatial distribution of nutritional
resources on the seafloor. To address this hypothesis, we examined the movement paths
of Echinocrepis rostrata -a common epibenthic bioturbator echinoid in the northeast
Pacific Ocean- through fractal analysis in order to characterize how they cover the seafloor
during foraging. We used an 18-yr time series photographic record from 4100-m depth at
an abyssal site in the eastern North Pacific (Sta. M; 34°50′N, 123°00′W; 4100 m depth).
Echinocrepis rostrata paths showed low fractal values (1.09 to 1.39). No positive
correlation between particulate organic carbon (POC) flux measured from sediment
traps at 600 m and 50 m above bottom and fractal dimension (FD) values was
observed. The movement of echinoids was characterized by high-speed periods,
followed by slower speed periods and higher turning rates. These slow-speed periods
were correlated with higher sinuosity values, slightly wider turning angles, and numerous
cross-cuts. Based on visual estimation of seafloor phytodetritus coverage, we
hypothesize that its small-scale distribution may be the primary determinant of echinoid
feeding movement patterns rather than the bulk amount of nutrients. Finally, this finding
reveals new insights into the morphological studies of trace fossils, indicating that trails of
past echinoid trace makers could help to evaluate nutrient availability/distribution in the
ancient deep-sea and help to decipher past climate-induced changes.