M1.5 Photo-limited marine animal forests

M1. Marine shelf biome

M1

Profile summary

Full profile at https://global-ecosystems.org/explore/groups/M1.5

Brief description

These subtidal biogenic ecosystems, formed by either a single species or a community of sessile filter feeders such as sponges, ascidians or aphotic corals, are found mostly on hard substrates. Low light due to depth, turbidity, ice cover or tannins from terrestrial runoff means that photosynthesis is limited to microphytobenthos (like microalgae and bacteria) or coralline algae. As a result, nutrient flux from surface waters is important. A high diversity of invertebrates and fish are also associated with these complex, three-dimensional forest-like habitats.

Key features

Largely heterotrophic systems dominated by megabenthic suspension feeders and associated diverse epifauna, microphytobenthos and fish.

Overview of distribution

Low light tropical to polar coastal waters.

Map description

These are ecosystem functional groups that are widespread through the global extent of the marine shelf biome. Reliable data on their precise distribution are limited. To represent regional uncertainty, their indicative distributions were mapped in as minor occurrences through the full extent of the marine ‘shelf’ base layer as mapped by Harris et al. (2014b). Occurrences were converted to 30 arc second spatial resolution..

Map code and version: M1.5.web.orig v1.0. DOI

Version history

Profile versions

  • v2.1 (2022-04-06): JS Stark; EJ Gregr; S Rossi; SN Porter; AH Altieri; DA Keith.1
  • v2.01 (NA): NA.
  • v2.0 (2020-05-27): JS Stark; EJ Gregr; S Rossi; SN Porter; AH Altieri; DA Keith.
  • v1.0 (2020-01-20): JS Stark; EJ Gregr; DA Keith.

Available maps

Read more details about the current map versions here.

  • Indicative Map (code: M1.5.IM.orig, version v1.0)
  • Web navigation (code: M1.5.web.orig, version v1.0)

Read more details about older or alternative versions of maps for this functional group.

  • Web navigation: in preparation (code: M1.5.WM.nwx, version v1.0)

References

Main references

References used in the different versions of the profiles.

  • Baldwin C, Tornabene L, Robertson D (2018) Below the mesophotic Scientific Reports 8: 4920
  • Rossi S. (2013) The destruction of the ‘animal forests’ in the oceans: towards an over-simplification of the benthic ecosystems Ocean & coastal management 84: 77-85
  • Rossi S, Bramanti L, Gori, A, Orejas C (2017) Marine Animal Forests: The ecology of benthic biodiversity Hotspots Springer, Berlin

Map references

References used in the different versions of the maps (current and discarded).

  • Harris PT, Macmillan-Lawler M, Rupp J, Baker EK (2014) Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology 352: 4-24. 10.1016/j.margeo.2014.01.011
  • Yesson C, Taylor ML, Tittensor DP, Davies AJ, Guinotte J, Baco A, Black J, Hall-Spencer JM, Rogers AD (2012) Global habitat suitability of cold-water Octocorals Journal of Biogeography 39: 1278-1292 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02681.x

Footnotes

  1. This is the current version available at official site.↩︎