
Frontiers in Marine Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 11
Published: June 25, 2024
Seamounts within deep-sea ecosystems are recognized as biodiversity hotspots, yet they increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities such overfishing, resource exploitation, and climate change. To establish environmental baseline data assess the impacts of current or future activities, we conducted DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding analyses to comprehensively characterize prokaryotic eukaryotic diversity across various water depths Magellan seamounts adjacent abyssal plains. Metabarcoding analysis revealed higher richness in both communities compared Overall, identified 9,068 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), representing 39 phyla 47 classes. Similarly, 4,569 ASVs were identified, spanning 34 93 Furthermore, our results distinct community structures between plains, with turnover different depths. These findings crucial indicate unique ecological roles potential vulnerability seamount communities, emphasizing need for targeted conservation strategies. Our study underscores importance conducting comprehensive long-term assessments on highlights eDNA a powerful tool guiding management efforts remote challenging marine environments.
Language: Английский