Patagonian macrobenthos and its dynamics

Our research focuses on the diversity and dynamics of Patagonian macrobenthic communities, particularly on so-called marine animal forests. These habitats created by structure-forming species have a lasting impact on the environment and provide shelter and food for numerous other species. Expeditions with field and laboratory experiments on distribution, resilience to disturbance and dynamics contribute to the understanding of changes in biodiversity, structure and functionality of the Patagonian benthos

Chilean Patagonia with its variety of fjords, channels and islands, is one of the most biologically complex coastal marine ecosystems in the world. The region is characterised by physical and chemical gradients leading to unique sublittoral habitats that are considered ‘hotspots’ of marine biodiversity.

Our team combines manipulative and observational fieldwork, laboratory experiments and modern technologies such as remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and scientific diving to understand patterns of biodiversity, assess resilience of Chilean Patagonian hard and soft bottom communities and reveal ecosystem functioning. We compare current data with historical records from previous expeditions, some of which date back over a quarter of a century, to document long-term changes in communities. In addition, we use innovative approaches such as analysing environmental DNA (eDNA) from sediment (sedDNA) to reconstruct historical species inventories and understand long-term trends in biodiversity and ecosystem function.

Our aim is to analyse current and future changes in the benthic communities of this largely unexplored region to build up crucial knowledge on the mechanisms and processes behind species responses and distributions to ultimately provide valuable insights for the protection and sustainable use of these unique ecosystems.

Our research contributes to POF-IV sub-topic 4.2

Claudio Richter
Jürgen Laudien
Marie Kaufmann
Melina Werner
Vincente Villalobos
Nils Owsianowski