Abstract
Depth and depth-related processes appear to exert primary control over the distributional patterns of species of polychaetous annelids in the western Beaufort Sea (Cape Halkett to Barter Island, Alaska). Species richness and total polychaete abundance are maximal along the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope. Stations exhibiting the most similar polychaete assemblages are located at similar depths. However, some species distributions appear to correlate better with sediment type than with depth. Maximum abundance occurs deeper on the continental slope to the west, and station clusters generated by non-hierarchical clustering (using the dominant polychaete species data) are not sorted strictly by depth. In a canonical analysis of discriminance, the station clusters were projected onto a two-dimensional plane in “species space”. The first and second canonical variables of the station clusters correlate with sediment grain-size distributions, suggesting a relationship between polychaete distribution patterns and the sedimentary environment. This relationship is further substantiated when sediment grain-size distributions for each station are plotted on a tertiary diagram: the stations are grouped and ordered in a pattern similar to that generated by the canonical analysis of discriminance.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Aagaard, K. (Ed.): Physical oceanography and meteorology. In: Environmental assessment of the Alaskan continental shelf, interim synthesis report: Beaufort/Chukchi, pp 56–100. Boulder, Colorado: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1978
Barnes, P.W.: Preliminary results of marine geological studies off the northern coast of Alaska. In: WEBSEC 71–72, an ecological survey in the Beaufort Sea, August-September, 1971–1972. Oceanographic Report No. CG 373-64, pp 183–227. Washington, D.C.: United States Coast Guard Oceanographic Unit 1974
— and E. Reimnitz: Sedimentary processes on Arctic shelves off the northern coast of Alaska. In: The coast and shelf of the Beaufort Sea, pp 439–476. Ed. by J.C. Reed and J.E. Sater. Arlington, Virginia: The Arctic Institute of North America 1974
Bernstein, B.B., R.R. Hessler, R. Smith and P.A. Jumars: Spatial dispersion of benthic Foraminifera in the abyssal central North Pacific. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 401–416 (1978)
Carey, A.G., Jr.: The distribution, abundance, diversity, and productivity of the western Beaufort Sea benthos. Annual Report (1 April 1978 to 31 March 1979) of Research Unit 6 to the Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program, pp 1–150. Boulder, Colorado: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1979. (Copies available from: National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia 22151, USA)
— and R.E. Ruff: Ecological studies of the benthos in the western Beaufort Sea with special reference to bivalve molluscs. In: Polar oceans, pp 505–530. Ed. by M.J. Dunbar. Calgary, Alberta: The Arctic Institute of North America 1977
——, J.G. Castillo and J.J. Dickinson: Benthic ecology of the western Beaufort Sea continental margin: preliminary results. In: The coast and shelf of the Beaufort Sea, pp 665–680. Ed. by J.C. Reed and J.E. Sater. Arlington, Virginia: The Arctic Institute of North America 1974
Carsola, A.J.: Recent marine sediments from Alaskan and northwest Canadian arctic. Bull. Am. Ass. Petrol. Geol. 38, 1552–1586 (1954)
—, R.L. Fisher, C.J. Shipekand and G. Shumway: Bathymetry of the Beaufort Sea. In: Geology of the arctic, pp 678–689. Ed. by G.O. Raasch, Toronto: University of Toronto Press 1961
Cassie, R.M. and A.D. Michael: Fauna and sediments of an intertidal mud flat: A multivariate analysis. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 2, 1–23 (1968)
Cooley, W.W. and P.R. Lohnes: Multivariate data analysis, 364 pp. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1971
Curtis, M.A.: Depth distributions of benthic polychaetes in two fiords on Ellesmere Island, N.W.T. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 29, 1319–1327 (1972)
Day, J.H.: A monograph on the Polychaeta of southern Africa, 878 pp. London: Trustees of the British National Museum (Natural History) 1967
Fager, E.W.: Determination and analysis of recurrent groups. Ecology 38, 586–595 (1957)
Fauchald, K.: The polychaete worms, definitions and keys to the orders, families and genera. Sci. Ser. nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles Cty 28, 1–188 (1977)
Hartmann-Schröder, G.: Annelida, Borstenwürmer, Polychaeta. Tierwelt Dtl. 58, 1–594 (1971)
Hufford, G.L.: Warm water advection in the southern Beaufort Sea, August-September, 1971. J. geophys. Res. 78, 2702–2707 (1973)
—, S.H. Fortier, D.E. Wolfe, J.F. Doster and D.L. Nobel: Physical oceanography of the western Beaufort Sea. In: WEBSEC 71–72, an ecological survey in the Beaufort Sea, August–September, 1971–1972, Oceanographic Report No. CG 373-64, pp 1–172. Washington, D.C.: United States Coast Guard Oceanographic Unit 1974
Johnson, M.W.: The plankton of the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea areas of the arctic and its relation to the hydrography, 32 pp. Montreal, Quebec: Arctic Institute of North America 1956. (Tech. Pap. No. 1)
Jumars, P.A. and K. Fauchald: Between community contrasts in successful polychaete feeding strategies. In: Ecology of the marine benthos, pp 1–20. Ed. by B.C. Coull. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press 1977
McGinitie, G.E.: Distribution and ecology of the marine invertebrates of Point Barrow, Alaska. Smithson. misc. Collns 128(9), 1–201 (1955)
McIntire, C.D.: Diatom associations in Yaquina Estuary, Oregon: a multivariate analysis. J. Phycol. 9, 254–259 (1973)
—: The distribution of estuarine diatoms along environmental gradients: a canonical correlation. Estuar. cst1 mar. Sci. 6, 447–457 (1978)
Mills, E.L.: The community concept in marine zoology, with comments on continua and instability in some marine communities: a review. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 26, 1415–1428 (1969)
Montagna, P.A.: Cervinia langi n.sp. and Pseudocervinia magna (Smirnov) (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from the Beaufort Sea (Alaska, USA). Trans. microsc. Soc. 98, 69–80 (1979)
— and A.G. Carey, Jr.: Distributional notes of Harpacticoida (Crustacea: Copepoda) collected from the Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean). Astarte 1978(11), 117–123 (1978)
Pettibone, M.H.: Marine polychaete worms of the New England region 1. Families Aphroditidae through Trochochaetidae. Bull. U.S. natn. Mus. 227, 1–356 (1963)
Reimnitz, E., L. Tomil and P.W. Barnes: Arctic continental shelf morphology related to seaice zonation, Beaufort Sea, Alaska. Mar. Geol. 28, 179–210 (1978)
Renkonnen, C.: Die Carabiden und Staphyliniden-Bestände eines Seeufers in SW-Finnland. Ein Beitrag zur Theorie der statistischem Insektensynokologie. Suom. Hyönt. Aikak. 10, 33–104 (1944)
Sanders, H.L.: Benthic studies in Buzzards Bay III. the structure of the soft-bottom community. Limnol. Oceanogr. 5, 138–153 (1960)
Shannon, C.E. and W. Weaver: The mathematical theory of communication, 125 pp. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press 1963
Shepard, F.P.: Nomenclature based on sand-siltclay ratios. J. sedim. Petrol. 24, 151–158 (1954)
Smith, W. and A.D. McIntyre: A spring-loaded bottom sampler. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 33, 257–264 (1954)
Thorson, G.: Bottom communities (sublittoral or shallow shelf). Mem. geol. Soc. Am. 67, 461–534 (1957)
—: Some factors influencing the recruitment and establishment of marine benthic communities. Neth. J. Sea. Res. 3, 267–293 (1966)
Ushakov, P.V.: Polychaetes of the suborder Phyllodociformia of the polar basin and the northwestern part of the Pacific. Fauna SSSR (New Ser.: Polychaetes) 102, 1–259 (1972). [Translated by Israel Program for Scientific Translations]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by N.D. Holland, La Jolla
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bilyard, G.R., Carey, A.G. Distribution of western beaufort sea polychaetous annelids. Mar. Biol. 54, 329–339 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395439
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395439