The Environmental Drivers of Benthic Fauna Diversity and Community Composition

Establishing management programs to preserve the benthic communities along NW Pacific and Arctic Ocean (AO) requires a deep understanding of composition their responses environmental stressors. In this study, we thus examine patterns community species richness Seas investigate most important drivers those patterns. Overall found trend decreasing toward higher latitudes deeper waters, peaking in coastal waters eastern Philippines. The dominant taxa entire study area were Arthropoda, Mollusca, Cnidaria, Echinodermata, Annelida. We that depth, not temperature, was main driver neighboring Seas. Depth has been previously suggested as factor driving distribution fauna. Following influential silicate, light, currents. For example, silicate Hexactinellida, Holothuroidea, Ophiuroidea; light Cephalopoda Gymnolaemata had highest correlations with composition. based on combination new samples open-access data, show different might respond differently future climatic changes taxon-specific biological, physiological, ecological characteristics. International conservation efforts habitat preservation should take an adaptive approach apply measures differences among responding climate change into account. This facilitates implementing appropriate strategies sustainable utilization marine ecosystems.