title: Bryozoan diversity around the Falkland and South Georgia Islands: Overcoming Antarctic barriers.
abstract: There are a number of remote archipelagos distributed between 45 and 60 °S. The biota of these islands provide useful information to describe and understand patterns in biodiversity and biogeography as well as potential impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. They are in key locations either side of the Polar Front but also have limited influence from human activities. Here we investigate one taxon, bryozoans, on South Atlantic shelf habitats of the Falkland (FI) and the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia (SG). We present new data on spatial distribution in these islands, as well as an analysis of the bryozoological similarities between these and neighbouring regions. A total of 85 species of cheilostome bryozoans (351 samples) were found, belonging to 33 genera, including 18 potentially new genera and 23 new species. Remarkably 65% and 41% of species were reported for the first time at FI and SG, respectively. The highest and the lowest value of species richness and species/genus ratio were found at East (EFI) and West Falkland (WFI), respectively, likely showing a tendency for stronger intrageneric competition. New data from this study were jointly analysed with data from the literature and existing databases, revealing new bathymetric ranges in 32 species. The biogeographic affinities of the bryozoans found give further evidence of the hypothesis of sequential separation of Gondwana and support the changing concept that although the Polar Front acts as a circumpolar biogeographic barrier it is not as impermeable as originally thought. Potential dispersal mechanisms are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: bfiguerola@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Figuerola
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
authors.forename: David K A
authors.initials: DKA
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI), Box 609, Stanley, FIQQ 1ZZ, South Atlantic, Falkland Islands; Shallow Marine Surveys Group (SMSG), 2 Philomel Pl, Stanley, FIQQ 1ZZ, South Atlantic, Falkland Islands; School of Biological Sciences (Zoology), University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brickle
authors.affiliation: Shallow Marine Surveys Group (SMSG), 2 Philomel Pl, Stanley, FIQQ 1ZZ, South Atlantic, Falkland Islands; Directorate of Natural Resources - Fisheries, Falklands Islands Government, PO Box 598, Stanley, South Atlantic, FIQQ 1ZZ, Falkland Islands; Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, Government House, Stanley, FIQQ 1ZZ, South Atlantic, Falkland Islands.
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Brewin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D044822:Biodiversity; D002013:Bryozoa / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem
keywords: Benthos; Biodiversity; Biogeography; Marine ecology; Southern ocean; Spatial patterns