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Infauna, epifauna and demersal fish communities in the North Sea: community patterns and underlying processes
Reiss, H.; Rees, H.L.; Kröncke, I.; Aldridge, J.N.; Bergman, M.J.N.; Bolam, T.; Cochrane, S.J.; Craeymeersch, J.A.; Degraer, S.; Desroy, N.; Dewarumez, J.-M.; Duineveld, G.C.A.; Eggleton, J.D.; Hillewaert, H.; Kershaw, P.J.; Lavaleye, M.S.S.; Mason, C.; Moll, A.; Nehring, S.; Newell, R.; Oug, E.; Pohlmann, T.; Rachor, E.; Robertson, M.; Rumohr, H.; Schratzberger, M.; Smith, R.; Vanden Berghe, E.; van Dalfsen, J.; Van Hoey, G.; Willems, W. (2007). Infauna, epifauna and demersal fish communities in the North Sea: community patterns and underlying processes. CM Documents - ICES, CM 2007(A:10). ICES: Copenhagen. 21 pp.
Part of: ICES CM Documents - ICES. ICES: Copenhagen. ISSN 1015-4744
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Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open Marine Archive 135132 [ download pdf ]
Keywords
    Benthic infauna
    Epibenthos
    ANE, North Sea [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal
Authors  Top 
  • Reiss, H.
  • Rees, H.L.
  • Kröncke, I.
  • Aldridge, J.N.
  • Bergman, M.J.N.
  • Bolam, T.
  • Cochrane, S.J.
  • Craeymeersch, J.A.
  • Degraer, S.
  • Desroy, N.
  • Dewarumez, J.-M.
  • Duineveld, G.C.A.
  • Eggleton, J.D.
  • Hillewaert, H.
  • Kershaw, P.J.
  • Lavaleye, M.S.S.
  • Mason, C.
  • Moll, A.
  • Nehring, S.
  • Newell, R.
  • Oug, E.
  • Pohlmann, T.
  • Rachor, E.
  • Robertson, M.
  • Rumohr, H.
  • Schratzberger, M.
  • Smith, R.
  • Vanden Berghe, E.
  • van Dalfsen, J.
  • Van Hoey, G.
  • Willems, W.
Abstract
    In order to provide a broad ecosystem context for the interpretation of the infauna community data revealed during the ‘North Sea Benthos Project 2000’, the data were analysed in conjunction with epifaunal and demersal fish assemblage data collected under other (EU and ICES) auspices. The objectives were to compare the spatial community patterns of all three faunal components and to relate the spatial patterns in the different faunal components to environmental parameters to get insights into their functional similarities and differences. Patterns in the distribution of infaunal, epifaunal and fish assemblage types determined from cluster analyses were very similar, with major distinctions between the southern (<50 m), central (50-100 m) and northern (100-200 m) North Sea. The degree of similarity was quantitatively assessed for a subset of matching stations. The (multivariate) similarity matrices of all three components were significantly correlated. This supports visual assessments of the disposition of assemblage types across the North Sea, and leads to the conclusion that there appears to be a broad level of consistency in the responses of the infauna, epifauna and demersal fish to widely-operating environmental forces. This was further re-inforced by the outcome of an analysis of inter-relationships with a range of environmental variables, with hydrographic influences being especially important for the community structure. However, their influence on smaller spatial scales appeared to be more variable across the faunal components.
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