CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 913Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchMicrobial Community Ecology and PhysiologyGeochemistry and Elemental Analysis

Deep, diverse and definitely different: Unique attributes of the world’s largest ecosystem

Open access
Ramirez-Llodra, E., Brandt, A., Danovaro, R., De Mol, B., Escobar, E., German, C. R., Levin, L. A., Martinez Arbizu, P. +8 more·2010·Biogeosciences
DOI 10.5194/bg-7-2851-2010

Published version of a preprint

Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Abstract. The deep sea, the largest biome on Earth, has a series of characteristics that make this environment both distinct from other marine and land ecosystems and unique for the entire planet. This review describes these patterns and processes, from geological settings to biological processes, biodiversity and biogeographical patterns. It concludes with a brief discussion of current threats from anthropogenic activities to deep-sea habitats and their fauna. Investigations of deep-sea habitats and their fauna began in the late 19th century. In the intervening years, technological developments and stimulating discoveries have promoted deep-sea research and changed our way of understanding life on the planet. Nevertheless, the deep sea is still mostly unknown and current discovery rates of both habitats and species remain high. The geological, physical and geochemical settings of the deep-sea floor and the water column form a series of different habitats with unique characteristics that support specific faunal communities. Since 1840, 28 new habitats/ecosystems have been discovered from the shelf break to the deep trenches and discoveries of new habitats are still happening in the early 21st century. However, for most of these habitats the global area covered is unknown or has been only very roughly estimated; an even smaller – indeed, minimal – proportion has actually been sampled and investigated. We currently perceive most of the deep-sea ecosystems as heterotrophic, depending ultimately on the flux on organic matter produced in the overlying surface ocean through photosynthesis. The resulting strong food limitation thus shapes deep-sea biota and communities, with exceptions only in reducing ecosystems such as inter alia hydrothermal vents or cold seeps. Here, chemoautolithotrophic bacteria play the role of primary producers fuelled by chemical energy sources rather than sunlight. Other ecosystems, such as seamounts, canyons or cold-water corals have an increased productivity through specific physical processes, such as topographic modification of currents and enhanced transport of particles and detrital matter. Because of its unique abiotic attributes, the deep sea hosts a specialized fauna. Although there are no phyla unique to deep waters, at lower taxonomic levels the composition of the fauna is distinct from that found in the upper ocean. Amongst other characteristic patterns, deep-sea species may exhibit either gigantism or dwarfism, related to the decrease in food availability with depth. Food limitation on the seafloor and water column is also reflected in the trophic structure of heterotrophic deep-sea communities, which are adapted to low energy availability. In most of these heterotrophic habitats, the dominant megafauna is composed of detritivores, while filter feeders are abundant in habitats with hard substrata (e.g. mid-ocean ridges, seamounts, canyon walls and coral reefs). Chemoautotrophy through symbiotic relationships is dominant in reducing habitats. Deep-sea biodiversity is among of the highest on the planet, mainly composed of macro and meiofauna, with high evenness. This is true for most of the continental margins and abyssal plains with hot spots of diversity such as seamounts or cold-water corals. However, in some ecosystems with particularly "extreme" physicochemical processes (e.g. hydrothermal vents), biodiversity is low but abundance and biomass are high and the communities are dominated by a few species. Two large-scale diversity patterns have been discussed for deep-sea benthic communities. First, a unimodal relationship between diversity and depth is observed, with a peak at intermediate depths (2000–3000 m), although this is not universal and particular abiotic processes can modify the trend. Secondly, a poleward trend of decreasing diversity has been discussed, but this remains controversial and studies with larger and more robust data sets are needed. Because of the paucity in our knowledge of habitat coverage and species composition, biogeographic studies are mostly based on regional data or on specific taxonomic groups. Recently, global biogeographic provinces for the pelagic and benthic deep ocean have been described, using environmental and, where data were available, taxonomic information. This classification described 30 pelagic provinces and 38 benthic provinces divided into 4 depth ranges, as well as 10 hydrothermal vent provinces. One of the major issues faced by deep-sea biodiversity and biogeographical studies is related to the high number of species new to science that are collected regularly, together with the slow description rates for these new species. Taxonomic coordination at the global scale is particularly difficult, but is essential if we are to analyse large diversity and biogeographic trends.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.5194/bg-7-2851-2010

Cites

409 of 409 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Less than 5% of the deep sea has been explored, and less than 0.01% of the deep-sea floor has been sampled in detail.

    “From then till now, less than 5% of the deep sea has been explored, and less than 0.01% of the deep-sea floor has been sampled in detail [32].”

    From Marine Natural Products: A Source of Novel Anticancer Drugs (2019) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Introduction states that less than 0.01% of the deep-sea floor has been sampled and studied in detail. It says “Only 5%” of the deep sea has been explored with remote instruments, rather than “less than 5%,” so the first numerical claim is not supported as stated. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

13 of the 422 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 17

  1. Angel, M. V.: The pelagic environment of the open ocean, in: Ecosystems of the World, Vol. 28 Ecosystems of the Deep Ocean, edited by: Tyler, P. A., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 39-80, 2003.
  2. Freiwald, A. and Roberts, J. M., Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidel- berg, 849-879, 2005.
  3. Clarke, A.: The polar deep seas, in: Ecosystems of the World (Vol. 28) -Ecosystems of the Deep Ocean, edited by: Tyler, P. A., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 239-260, 2003.
  4. Desbruyerès, D., Segonzac, M., and Bright, M.: Handbook of deep- sea hydrothermal vent fauna, Second completely revised edition, Linz, Denisia, 18, 544 pp., 2006.
  5. Gage, J.: Food inputs, utilisation, carbon flow and energetics, in: Ecosystems of the World. Ecosystems of the Deep Ocean, edited by: Tyler, P. A., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 313-426, 2003.
  6. ISA (International Seabed Authority): Polymetallic sulphides and cobalt rich ferromanganese crust deposits: establishment of en- vironmental baselines and an associated monitoring programme during exploration, Proceedings of the International Seabed Au- thority's workshop, Kingston, Jamaica, 6-10 September, 2004.
  7. Levin, L. A., Plaia, G. R., and Huggett, C. L.: The influence of natural organic enchancement on life histories and community structure of bathyal polychaetes, in: Reproduction, larval biol- ogy, and recruitment of the deep-sea benthos, edited by: Young, C. M. and Eckelbarger, K. J., Columbia Universtity Press, New York, 336 pp., 1994.
  8. Marshall, N. B.: DeepSea Biology: Developments and Perspec- tives, Garland, STMP Press, 566 pp., 1979.
  9. Mortensen, P. B. and Fosså, J. H.: Species diversity and spatial dis- tribution of invertebrates on Lophelia reefs in Norway, Proceed- ings of the 10th International Coral Reef Symposium, Okinawa, Japan, 1849-1868, 2006.
  10. Mortensen, P. B., Buhl-Mortensen, L., and Gordon Jr., D. C.: Dis- tribution of deep-water corals in Atlantic Canada, Proceedings of the 10th International Coral Reef Symposium, Okinawa, Japan, 1832-1848, 2006.
  11. OU (Open University): The Ocean basins: their structure and evolution, The Open University Oceanography, Butterworth- Heinemann, Oxford, 192 pp., 1998.
  12. Rex, M. A.: Geographic patterns of species diversity in the deep- dea benthos, in: The Sea, edited by: Rowe, G. T., J. Wiley & sons, New York, 453-472, 1983.
  13. Roberts, J. M., Wheeler, A. J., Freiwald, A., and Cairns, A. F.: The biology and geology of deep-sea coral habitats, Cambridge Uni- versity Press, Camridge, UK, 334 pp., 2009.
  14. Stuart, C. T., Rex, M. A., and Etter, R. J.: Large-scale spatial and temporal patterns of deep-sea benthic species diversity, in: Ecosystems of the Deep Oceans, edited by: Tyler, P. A., Ecosys- tems of the World, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 295-313 pp., 2003.
  15. Thiel, H.: Meiobenthos and nanobenthos of the deep-sea, in: Deep- sea Biology, editec by: Rowe, G., Wiley, New York, 167-230, 1983.
  16. Van Dover, C. L.: The biological environment of polymetallic sul- phides deposits, the potential impact of exploration and mining on this environment, and data required to establish environmen- tal baselines in exploration areas, in: Polymetallic Sulphides and Cobalt-Rich Ferromanganese Crusts Deposits: Establish- ment of Environmental Baselines and an Associated Monitor- ing Programme During Exploration, Proceedings of the Interna- tional Seabed Authority's Workshop held in Kingston, Jamaica, 6-10 September 2004; International Seabed Authority, Kingston, Jamaica, 2007.
  17. Young, C. M.: Reproduction, Development and Life History Traits, in: Ecosystems of the World, Vol. 28, Ecosystems of the Deep Oceans, edited by: Tyler, P. A., Elsevier, London, 381-426, 2003.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Ramirez-Llodra, E., Brandt, A., Danovaro, R., De Mol, B., Escobar, E., German, C. R., Levin, L. A., Martinez Arbizu, P., Menot, L., Buhl-Mortensen, P., Narayanaswamy, B. E., Smith, C. R., Tittensor, D. P., Tyler, P. A., Vanreusel, A., & Vecchione, M.
Affiliations
  • Marche Polytechnic University (IT)
  • Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US)
  • Scripps Institution of Oceanography (US)
  • Ifremer (FR)
  • Scottish Association For Marine Science (GB)
  • University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
  • Dalhousie University (CA)
  • National Oceanography Centre (GB)
  • Ghent University (BE)
  • National Museum of Natural History (US)
ORCID
Venue
Biogeosciences
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
Published
2010-09-22
Volume
7
Issue
9
Pages
2851-2899
ISSN
  • 1726-4170 (ISSN-L)
  • 1726-4189
DOI
10.5194/bg-7-2851-2010
OpenAlex
W2167045801
Cited by
913
References
422
Citations by year
2026: 66 · 2025: 90 · 2024: 69 · 2023: 74 · 2022: 82 · 2021: 67 · 2020: 80 · 2019: 77 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 56 · 2016: 59 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 42 · 2012: 12
FWCI
16.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Biogeosciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Flanders Marine Institute (Flanders Marine Institute) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • Institutional Archive of Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) (submittedVersion)
  • Open Access Server of the Woods Hole Scientific Community (Woods Hole Scientific Community) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
  • Università Politecnica delle Marche (Università Politecnica delle Marche) (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Natural Environment Research Council (dml010007)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine Biology and Ecology Research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
Keywords
deep ocean, deep-sea ecosystems, deep-sea biodiversity, biogeography, deep-sea habitats, food limitation, organic matter flux, hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, chemoautotrophy, deep-sea fauna, trophic structure, megafauna, deep-sea mining, deep-sea mining impacts, deep-sea research

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review