J. Gili, B. Vendrell-Simón, W. Arntz, F. Sabater, J. Ros
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引用次数: 1
Abstract
Benthic communities depend on receiving much of their food from the water column. While sinking, particles are transformed in a discontinuous process and are temporally retained in transitional physical structures, which act as boundaries and contribute to their further transformation. Motile organisms are well-acquainted with boundaries. The number, width and placement of boundaries are related to the degree of particle degradation or transformation. Progressively deepening within each boundary, particles are degraded according to their residence time in the discontinuity and the activity of the organisms temporarily inhabiting that boundary. Finally, particles reach the seafloor and represent the main food source for benthic organisms; the quality and quantity of this food have a strong impact on the development of benthic communities. However, benthic communities not only play the role of a sink of matter: they act as an active boundary comparable to other oceanic boundaries, in accordance with the boundary concept proposed by the ecologist Ramon Margalef.
期刊介绍:
Scientia Marina is the successor to Investigación Pesquera, a journal of marine sciences published since 1955 by the Institut de Ciències del Mar de Barcelona (CSIC). Scientia Marina is included in the Science Citation Index since 1998 and publishes original papers, reviews and comments concerning research in the following fields: Marine Biology and Ecology, Fisheries and Fisheries Ecology, Systematics, Faunistics and Marine Biogeography, Physical Oceanography, Chemical Oceanography, and Marine Geology. Emphasis is placed on articles of an interdisciplinary nature and of general interest.