Namuncura´ Marine Protected Area: an oceanic hot spot of benthic biodiversity at Burdwood Bank, Argentina

SCHEJTER, L.; RIMONDINO, C.; CHIESA, I.; DÍAZ DE ASTARLOA, J.M.; DOTI, B.; ELÍAS, R.; ESCOLAR, M.; GENZANO, G.; LÓPEZ-GAPPA, J.J.; TATIAN, M.; ZELAYA, D.; CRISTOBO, J.; PÉREZ, C.D.; CORDEIRO, R. T.; BREMEC, C.

POLAR BIOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2016 vol. 39 p. 2373 - 2386

0722-4060

The first open-sea (non-coastal) Marine ProtectedArea (MPA) in Argentina was created in 2013 (andnamed ??Namuncura´??), at Burdwood Bank, an underseaplateau located about 200 km south from Malvinas/FalklandIslands, SW Atlantic Ocean. This contribution representsthe most recent and complete checklist of benthicorganisms (mainly mega and macrofauna) that summarized240 taxa collected at three sites in the mentioned area. Thebenthic richness here documented largely exceeds thevalues coming from other productive areas in Argentineanwaters. Faunistic composition was different among thesites, although several species were shared. Bryozoanspresented the highest richness compared to the othergroups, followed by mollusks and sponges. These datarepresent valuable information and a very helpful startingpoint for incoming research, conservation efforts andmanagement. It is essential to establish the spatial distributionof indicator taxa, like corals, sponges and bryozoans,to better attempt at the protection of benthicbiodiversity in this rich Argentinean marine system. This isa key issue considering the notable extension of the MPAcompared to other areas in Argentina, the bathymetricvariations, particular oceanographic conditions and differentfishing circumstances within the area