Summary
Variation in the structure of Antarctic marine benthic macrofaunal communities is being investigated using an artificial substrate which mimics a kelp holdfast environment. The artificial substrate consists of a bundle of 3 nylon mesh pot scourers which are anchored to the benthos using weighted trays. The community attracted to the substrates is dominated by peracaridean crustaceans (isopods, amphipods, and tanaids), polychaetes and gastropods. This is the first time this technique has been used to sample benthic macrofaunal communities in Antarctic continental marine waters. The use of artificial substrates in experimental ecology allow the investigator great control over the sampling procedure. The duration, timing and position of the substrate in the environment are chosen by the investigator, permitting the study of specific aspects of the ecology of the recruited community. The use of a standard, easily replicated unit, also lends power to statistical analysis of samples. The purpose of the study is to determine whether artificial substrates can be used to monitor impacts to benthic communities caused by human activity in Antarctica. Multivariate analysis of the community abundance and biomass data and univariate analysis of abundance data for selected taxa will be used to investigate faunal distribution patterns and their relation to physico-chemical environmental parameters including sediment chemistry and water quality data. These environmental parameters show distinct responses in proximity to sites used in the past for waste disposal from research stations in the vicinity of Casey Station. These sampling units have been deployed in a nested hierarchical design to examine differences in recruitment between adjacent bays, sampling potentially impacted and non-impacted sites and also investigating differences in recruitment between units deployed on soft sediments and those deployed on rocky reef.