S.Georgia : Inshore South Georgia What's Down There?
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 10.12.2011 (Article Archived on 24.12.2011)
The Shallow Marine Survey Group (SMSG) has published the most comprehensive record of species richness from the shallow sublittoral zone of the north coast of South Georgia.
What's Down There?
© South Georgia Website
The Shallow Marine Survey Group (SMSG) has published the most comprehensive record of species richness from the shallow sublittoral zone of the north coast of South Georgia.
Despite the harsh conditions of the shallow marine environment of South Georgia, a unique and diverse array of algal flora has become well established resulting in a high level of endemism. There are now known to be at least 127 seaweed species in the area.
Seaweeds were surveyed by the SMSG in 19 locations and 72 species were recorded, including 24 recorded for the first time in South Georgia waters. One of these may even be a new record for the Antarctic/sub-Antarctic. It is not known if the newly found species have been present for a long time, but not recorded, or have been introduced more recently. There are still a number of seaweed species yet to be identified, but for now the newly recorded species added to the previously known species, brings the total known seaweed species for the Island to 127. Many more are likely to be found in the future, especially if sampling is done around the south coast of the Island.
The 1MB 18-page report 'Intertidal and Subtidal Benthic Seaweed Diversity of South Georgia', authored by E Wells, P Brewin and P Brickle, can be downloaded from this website here [pdf, 1MB].
Another report, 'Intertidal Assemblages of South Georgia”, records a three fold increase in the number of species recorded in the intertidal zone around South Georgia. The intertidal habitats of South Georgia have previously been poorly studied and there remains a need for more sampling in future. The study found 34 macrofaunal species (or putative species) including two new-to-science species of flatworms.
More sampling will be needed for a complete species inventory.
The report 'Intertidal Assemblages of South Georgia” can be downloaded here [pdf, 3.5MB].
The results of these studies, along with results from future studies, will be important for monitoring change, for instance of any environmental transformations as a result of climate change.
Fieldwork for the two papers above was conducted in 2010 and was primarily funded by the Darwin Initiative, with additional support from GSGSSI and the SGHT.
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