Macrobenthic Mollusca of the Prince Gustav Channel, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula: An Area Undergoing Colonisation

In 2018 RRS James Clark Ross investigated the marine benthic biodiversity of Prince Gustav Channel area which separates eastern coast Antarctic Peninsula from Island. The southern end this channel had been covered by Ice Shelf until its collapse in 1995. Benthic samples were collected an epibenthic sledge at six stations (200–1,200 m depth) and adjacent Duse Bay. total 20,307 live mollusc specimens belonging to 50 species 4 classes (Solenogastres, Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Scaphopoda) identified. may be characterised it’s low richness (ranging 7 39 per station) but high abundances (specifically Scaphopods with 11,331 specimens). functional traits community dominated motile development mobility type. Assemblage analyses molluscan within sit distinct, no pattern depth or location. However, when bivalve assemblages analysed reference wider Weddell Gyre region (15 300 2,000 depth), sits distinct other a higher dissimilarity between deeper more geographically distant areas. is undergoing colonisation following recent ice shelf collapse. With many shelves threatened under climate warming, area, future monitoring, serve as case study faunal succession.