Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Deep-Sea Environments and Ecology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1393385
This article is part of the Research Topic Managing Deep-sea and Open Ocean Ecosystems at Ocean Basin Scale - Volume 2 View all 8 articles

Larval dispersal and physical connectivity of Pheronema carpenteri populations in the Azores

Provisionally accepted
Cláudia N. Viegas Cláudia N. Viegas 1,2*Manuela F. Juliano Manuela F. Juliano 1,2Ana Colaço Ana Colaço 2,3
  • 1 University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
  • 2 OKEANOS Center, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
  • 3 Marine Research Institute (IMAR), Horta, Portugal

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The study of larval dispersal and connectivity between deep-sea populations is essential for the effective conservation and management of deep-sea environments and the design and implementation of Marine Protected Areas. Dense sponge aggregations, known as "sponge grounds", are a key component of marine benthic ecosystems, by increasing the structural complexity of the sea floor and providing structure and habitat for many other species. These aggregations are characteristic of the Azores deep-sea environment. These sessile organisms rely primarily on larval dispersal for their reproduction. Connectivity between specific Pheronema carpenteri sponge aggregations in the Azores was studied using a 3-D biophysical dispersal model. Different biological trait scenarios were analyzed, considering spawning seasonality and pelagic larval duration. Model results indicate that regional circulation patterns drive larval dispersion, shaping population connectivity of P. carpenteri sponge aggregations in the Azores, particularly among aggregations in the Central Group of Azorean islands. Some areas present high retention rates, receiving larvae from several sponge aggregations while also being important larval source aggregations. In contrast, aggregations from the Eastern Group may be isolated from the others. Larval dispersal and connectivity patterns were analyzed concerning the current configuration of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Azores. The results underscored the importance of maintaining protection efforts in existing MPAs and identified stepping-stone locations and specific sites where additional measures could enhance species connectivity in the Azores.

    Keywords: Deep-sea sponge, connectivity, larval dispersal, modelling, Hydrodynamics, Pheronema carpenteri

    Received: 29 Feb 2024; Accepted: 16 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Viegas, Juliano and Colaço. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Cláudia N. Viegas, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.