MEPS

Marine Ecology Progress Series

MEPS is a leading hybrid research journal on all aspects of marine, coastal and estuarine ecology. Priority is given to outstanding research that advances our ecological understanding.

Online: ISSN 1616-1599

Print: ISSN 0171-8630

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps

Impact Factor2.1 (JCR 2025 release)

Article Acceptance Rate52.2% (2024)

Average Time in Review216 days (2024)

Total Annual Downloads2.974.655 (2025)

Volume contents
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 374:23-32 (2009)

Benthic invertebrate communities on three seamounts off southern and central California, USA

ABSTRACT: Seamounts are unique and biologically productive deep-sea habitats that have often been described as having high levels of endemism, highly productive fisheries, and benthic communities vulnerable to trawl fishing. We describe the abundance and distribution of benthic megafaunal invertebrates found on 3 seamounts off central and southern California. Video observations were taken during 27 dives of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and were annotated in detail using the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s (MBARI) video annotation reference system (VARS, vars.sourceforge.net/). Video analysis yielded 134477 observations of 202 identified invertebrate taxa. Video transects were analyzed to quantify organism density. Thirteen new species were observed and collected. Invertebrate communities at Davidson and Pioneer Seamounts were dominated by passive suspension-feeding cnidarians (mostly corals), but at Rodriguez Seamount, a guyot, the invertebrate community was dominated by holothurian echinoderms. We found no evidence of endemism among the megafauna at these 3 seamounts, which are all in close proximity to each other and the continental margin.

KEYWORDS

Lonny Lundsten (Co-author)

  • Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, California 95039-9644, USA

James P. Barry (Co-author)

  • Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, California 95039-9644, USA

Gregor M. Cailliet (Co-author)

  • Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, California 95039, USA

David A. Clague (Co-author)

  • Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, California 95039-9644, USA

Andrew P. DeVogelaere (Co-author)

  • Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 299 Foam Street, Monterey, California 93940, USA

Jonathan B. Geller (Co-author)

  • Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, California 95039, USA