BIOLOGIYA MORYA, 2016, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 231-240

Distribution of macrobenthic epifauna in the Far Eastern Marine Reserve based on remote underwater video data

© 2016 V. V. Zharikov¹, V. N. Lysenko²

¹Pacific Geography Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690041;
²Far Eastern Marine Reserve, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690041

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The spatial distribution of epifauna in the Far Eastern Marine Reserve was examined using a remotely operated vehicle. In the south sector of the reserve, we determined the abundance and distribution patterns of the sea stars Patiria pectinifera, Distolasterias nipon and Asterias amurensis, brittle stars, the black sea cucumber Cucumaria japonica, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, the ascidian Halocynthia aurantium, hermit crabs and the Japanese scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis. The average biomass of five dominant epifaunal species ranged from 51.0 to 87.4% of the average biomass of soft bottom communities.

Key words: distribution, biotopes, habitat, macrofauna, epibenthos, mapping, Far Eastern Marine Reserve.