Influence of benthic currents on cold-water coral habitats: a combined benthic monitoring and 3D photogrammetric investigation

Strong currents are a key component of benthic habitats by supplying food and nutrients to filter-feeding organisms such as cold-water corals. Although field measurements show that cold-water coral habitats exist in areas of elevated bottom currents, flume studies show that cold-water corals feed mo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2020-11, Vol.10 (1), p.19433, Article 19433
Main Authors: Lim, Aaron, Wheeler, Andrew J., Price, David M., O’Reilly, Luke, Harris, Kimberley, Conti, Luis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
704/2151/215
704/2151/3930
704/829/2737
Animals
Anthozoa
Bottom currents
Canyons
Cold
Coral Reefs
Corals
Deep water habitats
Ecosystem
Environmental changes
Environmental conditions
Food supply
Geography
Habitats
High flow
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hydrodynamics
Image processing
multidisciplinary
Nutrients
Photogrammetry
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Seawater
Spatial discrimination
Water currents
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Strong currents are a key component of benthic habitats by supplying food and nutrients to filter-feeding organisms such as cold-water corals. Although field measurements show that cold-water coral habitats exist in areas of elevated bottom currents, flume studies show that cold-water corals feed more effectively at lower flow speeds. This research aims to explore this disconnect in situ by utilising high spatial resolution ROV photogrammetric data coupled with high temporal resolution in situ acoustic doppler current profile measurements at seven study sites within the upper Porcupine Bank Canyon (uPBC), NE Atlantic. Object-based image analysis of photogrammetric data show that coral habitats vary considerably within the upper canyon. Although there is a regional hydrodynamic trend across the uPBC, this variation is likely driven locally by topographic steering. Although live coral tends not to face directly into the prevailing current direction, preferring lower local flows speeds, they can tolerate exposure to high-flow speeds of up to 114 cm s −1 , the highest recorded in a Desmophyllum pertusum habitat. Not only do these high flow speeds supply food and nutrients, they may also help contribute to coral rubble production through physical erosion. These results can be incorporated into simulations of future deep-water habitat response to changing environmental conditions while extending the upper current speed threshold for cold-water corals.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-76446-y