Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

Biogeographic boundaries and high diversity in abyssal seafloor communities

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 7, pages 1358–1359 (2023)Cite this article

Subjects

Analysis of an ocean basin-scale dataset revealed the existence of clear biogeographic provinces (deep and shallow abyssal zones) delimited by the carbonate compensation depth in Pacific Ocean seabed communities. Species diversity is maintained or increases with depth owing to phylum-level taxonomic replacements.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Phylum-level species replacements delimit abyssal biogeographic provinces across the northeast Pacific Ocean seafloor.

References

  1. Harris, P. T., Macmillan-Lawler, M., Rupp, J. & Baker, E. K. Geomorphology of the oceans. Mar. Geol. 352, 4–24 (2014). A global seafloor geomorphology analysis that presents the size and proportion of abyssal ecosystems.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Smith, C. R., De Leo, F. C., Bernardino, A. F., Sweetman, A. K. & Arbizu, P. M. Abyssal food limitation, ecosystem structure and climate change. Trends Ecol. Evol. 23, 518–528 (2008). An article that describes the fundamental patterns and processes that underpin abyssal ecology.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Sweetman, A. K. et al. Major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems. Elem. Sci. Anth. 5, 4 (2017). A review that presents the main effects of climate change on abyssal ecosystems.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Jones, D. O. et al. Biological responses to disturbance from simulated deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining. PloS ONE 12, e0171750 (2017). A review that presents the main effects of deep-sea mining on abyssal ecosystems.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. McClain, C. R., Allen, A. P., Tittensor, D. P. & Rex, M. A. Energetics of life on the deep seafloor. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 109, 15366–15371 (2012). This paper predicts that energy limitations, which increase with depth, constrain biodiversity rates in deep-sea environments.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Simon-Lledó, E. et al. Carbonate compensation depth drives abyssal biogeography in the northeast Pacific. Nat. Ecol. Evol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02122-9 (2023).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Biogeographic boundaries and high diversity in abyssal seafloor communities. Nat Ecol Evol 7, 1358–1359 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02139-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02139-0

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing