Quantitative Composition and Distribution of the Macrobenthic Invertebrate Fauna211 of the Continental Shelf Ecocsystems of the Northeastern United States

摘要

From the mid-1950's to the mid-1960's a series of quantitative surveys of the211u001emacrobenthic invertebrate fauna were conducted in the offshore New England region 211u001e(Maine to Long Island, New York). The surveys were designed to (1) obtain 211u001emeasures of macrobenthic standing crop expressed in terms of density and biomass; 211u001e(2) determine the taxonomic composition of the fauna (ca. 567 species); (3) map 211u001ethe general features of macrobenthic distribution; and (4) evaluate the fauna's 211u001erelationships to water depth, bottom type, temperature range, and sediment 211u001eorganic carbon content. A total of 1,076 samples, ranging from 3 to 3,974 m in 211u001edepth, were obtained and analyzed. The aggregate macrobenthic fauna consists of 211u001e44 major taxonomic groups (phyla, classes, orders). A striking fact is that only 211u001efive of those groups (belonging to four phyla) account for over 80% of both total 211u001ebiomass and number of individuals of the macrobenthos. The five dominant groups 211u001eare Bivalvia, Annelida, Amphipoda, Echninoidea, and Holothuroidea.