European North-East Atlantic Seamount Studies

Bernd Christiansen, Universität Hamburg, Germany

Contents

Seamounts in the NE AtlanticFeatures >1000 m15°N - 90°N and 42°W - 50°E

History of European seamount research

Sources of Information

Spatial distribution of European seamount research

Species diversity, distribution and biogeography

Mediterranean Seamounts

Concl sions

15° 15°

30° 30°

45° 45°

60° 60°

75° 75°

-45° -30° -15° 0° 15° 30° 45°

Seamounts in the NE Atlantic

rding to GEBCO

seamountsutside 200 nmdeeper 1000 m

mounts in the NE Atlantic

ording to satellite ravimetry data hingman and Lai

2004)

0 seamountsdeeper 1000 m

mounts in the NE Atlantic

of Monacorondelle880ies

allenger ep-sea pedition 870ies

History of European smt research

Nordatlantische enfahrten 1967, 1970 +

1998R.V. Meteor

JosephineGreat Meteor

History of European smt research

Seamount 1 1987R.V. Le Noroit

sitanian seamounts

Seamount 2 1993R.V. Suroit

ntis - Great Meteor

History of European smt research

3-OASIS

OceAnic Seamounts: an Integrated Study

History of European smt research

The OASIS projectroject OASIS aims at describing the functioning cteristics of seamount ecosystems.

bjective 1: Physical oceanographyentify and describe the physical forcing mechanisms effecting seamount

ems

bjective 2: Biogeochemistryssess the origin, quality and dynamics of particulate organic material within r column and surface sediment at seamounts.

bjective 3: Biologyescribe aspects of the biodiversity and the ecology of seamount biota, to asdynamics and the maintenance of their production.

bjective 4: Modellingelling the trophic ecology of seamount ecosystems.

2003-2005V. Poseidon (3)V. Meteor (1)V. Arquipelago (3)R.S. Discovery (1)

Seine

Sedlo

Ampère

History of European smt research

Sedlo SmtSedlo Smt

Seine SmtSeine Smt

The OASIS project: research sites

MAR-ECO 2004R.V. G.O Sars

Midatlantic Ridge

t cruises 2005, 2006R.V. Poseidon

proposal for 2008R.V. Meteor

e Verde seamounts: SenghorNoroeste

History of European smt research

Sources of information

•Kaufmann and Wilson (1991)•WWF/Rogers (2001)•Fock and von Westernhagen (2004)•Gubbay/OASIS 2003•Beck et al./OASIS (2005)•Seamounts Online

ounts which been ed ically: (out of more

600)

European smt research

y only it and upper regions

Taxonomic groups

•Fish: several seamounts

•Molluscs: Lusitanian seamounts, Azores

•Cnidarians and other macrobenthos: several seamounts in the region

•Meiofauna groups (nematodes, harpacticoids): Gt. Meteor, Seine, Sedlo

•Zooplankton, incl. ichtyoplankton: several seamounts

p ybiogeography

Fish

24 15 42

Number of familiespercentage of endemisms9 (?) 0 0

dlo: NE- Atlantic, MAR

phine, Seine, Great eor: SE-European Mediterranean, W-African shelf

p yibution, biogeography

Fish

Macrofauna: Molluscapercentage of endemisms

5 (?) 5 ?

p ydistribution, biogeography

Macrofauna: Mollusca

p ydistribution, biogeography

Great Meteor: invertebratespercentage of endemisms

6 6 ?

p y,distribution, biogeography

dlo: NE- Atlantic, MAR

phine, Seine, Great eor: SE-European Mediterranean, W-African shelf

p y,ribution, biogeography

Meteor: invertebrates

antic gyre

p y,ribution, biogeography

water masses

erranean outflow

frican upwelling filaments

metric distribution of ochemical sediment eters - benthic

?

p ydistribution, biogeography

ence of small scale ulation, e.g. Taylor

columnsMohn & Beckmann

ankton distribution

Mediterranean seamounts

36 seamounts

ogical seamounts research in the NE Atlantic has ncentrated on only a few sites

h a few exceptions, only the shallower parts (<1000have been considered

deep seamounts have been sampled biologically

diversity at seamounts is probably enhanced, tainly different, but only basic approaches to analyinteractions between fauna and habitat have beende

nal connections to the European and African elves and to the Mediterranean have been

knowledge

tematic inventory (and analysis!) of seamount ecies, and a biogeographic assessment, based on sting information and probably supplemented by netic studies

mple more seamounts, including comprehensive mpling of hardsubstrate faunaeep seamountseeper regions of shallow seamountseamounts from undersampled areas.

ude oceanographic and biogeochemical informatio

recommendations for further research

OSPAR, EU and NEAFC

onvention: 40 national

n

OSPAR, EU and NEAFC

• OSPAR adopted binding criteria for the selection of species and habitats and the initial list of threatened and/or declining species and habitats (2003)

• The list includes a number of commercial fish species, e.g. Orange Roughy, and many offshore features such ascoral reefs, hydrothermal vents and seamounts.

• Features on this list are of priority concern for the implementation of management measures, including the designation of marine protected areas (MPA) in the future.

PAR list of threatened and declining species and h

OSPAR, EU and NEAFC

• OSPAR adopted the goal to implement an "ecologically coherent network of well-managed MPAs (2003)

• This will include a representative selection of seamounts inside and outside national jurisdiction.

PAR network of Marine Protected Areas (MPA)

OSPAR, EU and NEAFC

• All European Member States have to implement the EU Habitats Directive up to the outer boundary of their 200 nm zone

• The hard substrate habitats of seamounts (“reefs”) are then subject to conservation measures such as protectedareas – 30 to 60 % of the total habitat will have to figure in an EU-wide so-called Natura 2000 network of protectedsites..

• Currently, only 2 NEA seamounts are protected as MPAsboth in the Azores where another seamount will be designated as a nature reserve soon

Habitats Directive

OSPAR, EU and NEAFC

•European Council (EC) Regulation No 1568/2005 In implementing the objective of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, in September 2005 aregulation was adopted for the protection of deep-water coral reefs from the effects of fishing in large sea areas including all seamounts around the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands

• NEAFC decided to close 5 seamounts and a section of the Rejkjanes Ridge to bottom touching gear for 3 years, when a revision would take place