Abstract
- Animal migrations are of global ecological significance, providing mechanisms for the transport of nutrients and energy between distant locations. In much of the deep sea (> 200 m water depth) the export of nutrients from the surface ocean provides a crucial but seasonally‐variable energy source to seafloor ecosystems. Seasonal faunal migrations have been hypothesised to occur on the deep seafloor as a result, but have not been documented.
- Here, we analyse a 7.5‐year record of photographic data from the DELOS seafloor observatories to determine whether there was evidence of seasonal (intra‐annual) migratory behaviours in a deep‐sea fish assemblage on the West African margin and, if so, identify potential cues for the behaviour.
- Our findings demonstrate a correlation between intra‐annual changes in demersal fish abundance at 1400 m depth and satellite‐derived estimates of primary production off the coast of Angola. Highest fish abundances were observed in late November with a smaller peak in June, occurring approximately four months after corresponding peaks in primary production.
- Observed changes in fish abundance occurred too rapidly to be explained by recruitment or mortality, and must therefore have a behavioural driver. Given the recurrent patterns observed, and the established importance of bottom‐up trophic structuring in deep‐sea ecosystems, we hypothesize that a large fraction of the fish assemblage may conduct seasonal migrations in this region, and propose seasonal variability in surface ocean primary production as a plausible cause. Such trophic control could lead to changes in the abundance of fishes across the seafloor by affecting secondary production of prey species and/or carrion availability for example.
- In summary, we present the first evidence for seasonally‐recurring patterns in deep‐sea demersal fish abundances over a seven‐year period, and demonstrate a previously unobserved level of dynamism in the deep sea, potentially mirroring the great migrations so well characterized in terrestrial systems.
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