Checklist of pioneer benthic taxa found on Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica)

Study Extent

This dataset provides the first temporal information on pioneer benthic communities using standardized structures such as Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS), never used in this area. It represents the organism sub-sampled from the structures’ plates, after immersion periods of 1, 2, 3 and 5 years, in a single location, Tethys bay (Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea).

Sampling

Samples were collected using ARMS located at 25 metres of depth and 500 metres to “Mario Zucchelli” Research Station. Each ARMS consists of 10 PVC plates (22.5 x 22.5 x 0.5 cm) stacked one top of each other by a space of 1 cm nylon spacers at the corners of each plate, where four stainless steel bolts are threaded into, holding the entire structure together. This is then fixed on top of a large 45x35 cm PVC base plate, which allows the whole structure to be anchored to the seafloor by four stainless steel rods passing through large holes in the corners of the base plate. ARMS were deployed at sea for a different period, namely 1, 2, 3 and 5 years. These 6 structures were located in 2015 and were recovered in different years: 2 in 2016 (1 year later), 2 in 2017 (2 years later), 2 in 2018 (3 years later). In addition, one pair of ARMSs was installed in 2016 and recovered in 2021 (5 years later) and another additional pair of ARMSs was installed in 2017 and recovered in 2022 (5 years later).

Quality Control

All records were validated. Coordinates were plotted on map to verify the actual geographical location. All scientific names were checked for typo and matched to the species information backbone of Worlds Register of Marine Species (http://marinespecies.org/) and LSID were assigned to each taxa as scientificNameID. Event dates are compliant to ISO 8601 standard.

Method steps

1. ARMS have been recovered thanks to the help of PNRA SCUBA divers, which covered each retrieved structure with a rigid plastic crate perforated on each side and internally lined with a 100 μm nylon net, in order to avoid the escape of vagile benthic organisms.
2. The structures located in 2015 and recovered in 2016 (1 year), 2017 (2 years) and 2018 (3 years) were recovered and stored at a temperature of -20°C to be transported to Italy, where they were disassembled and processed. Each individual plate was appropriately photographed, from both sides, scraped and homogenized to form sub-samples that were subsequently stored in ethanol at -20°C. However, during the recovery of the first pair of structures (2016) and one of the second (2017), these crates malfunctioned and thus no analyses on the vagile component of the community inhabiting the ARMS could be performed. For the fifth-year structures, one pair located in 2016 and recovered in 2021 and the other pair located in 2017 and recovered in 2022, processing took place directly in Antarctica. The entire recovered structures were then covered in sterile plastic bags and preserved at -20°C until processing.
3. The samples were sorted, acquired by the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA, section Genoa) and directly stored in ethanol (96%) or at -20°C. to be identified later.
4. Most of the records were identified by one researcher, using original descriptions and taxonomic keys and online portal World Registry of Marine Species (WoRMS) to confirm acceptance of species names. The identification was often supported by taking pictures at the SEM photos and combining stack images of the analyzed specimens, particularly with the bryozoa phylum. For this taxon, a small portion of the colony of less than 1 cm was taken and treated with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) for 10 minutes and washed with ethanol (EtOH) at different concentrations 70%, 90% and 100%. When identification was inconclusive, only genus or family names were assigned. The samples were deposited in the biological collection of the MNA. All data were uploaded to the GBIF portal.

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1. Arthropoda
   rank: phylum
2. Hydrozoa
   rank: class
3. Myxillidae
   rank: family
4. Celleporidae
   rank: family
5. Pectinida
   rank: order
6. Amphipoda
   rank: order
7. Ophiurida
   rank: order
8. Stenolaemata
   rank: class
9. Lichenoporidae
   rank: family
10. Ostracoda
    rank: class
11. Serpulidae
    rank: family
12. Chromista
    rank: kingdom
13. Janiridae
    rank: family
14. Gromiida
    rank: order
15. Microporidae
    rank: family
16. Nemertea
    rank: phylum
17. Xestoleberididae
    rank: family
18. Philoporidae
    rank: family
19. Phlebobranchia
    rank: order
20. Annelida
    rank: phylum
21. Polychaeta
    rank: class
22. Hexacorallia
    rank: class
23. Ascidiidae
    rank: family
24. Valvatida
    rank: order
25. Prosiphonidae
    rank: family
26. Cheilostomatida
    rank: order
27. Podocopida
    rank: order
28. Chordata
    rank: phylum
29. Rhodophyta
    rank: phylum
30. Bivalvia
    rank: class
31. Ascidiacea
    rank: class
32. Odontasteridae
    rank: family
33. Beaniidae
    rank: family
34. Asteriidae
    rank: family
35. Crisiidae
    rank: family
36. Octocorallia
    rank: class
37. Stolidobranchia
    rank: order
38. Suberitidae
    rank: family
39. Pectinidae
    rank: family
40. Haplosclerida
    rank: order
41. Pycnogonida
    rank: class
42. Anthoathecata
    rank: order
43. Sabellida
    rank: order
44. Clavulariidae
    rank: family
45. Romancheinidae
    rank: family
46. Cercozoa
    rank: phylum
47. Orbiniidae
    rank: family
48. Chromista
    rank: kingdom
49. Eudendriidae
    rank: family
50. Heterokontophyta
    rank: phylum
51. Gromiidea
    rank: class
52. Forcipulatida
    rank: order
53. Echinidae
    rank: family
54. Gastropoda
    rank: class
55. Cyclostomatida
    rank: order
56. Arcida
    rank: order
57. Echinodermata
    rank: phylum
58. Amphilochoidae
    rank: family
59. Mollusca
    rank: phylum
60. Demospongiae
    rank: class
61. Tubuliporidae
    rank: family
62. Suberitida
    rank: order
63. Bugulidae
    rank: family
64. Trochida
    rank: order
65. Mysida
    rank: order
66. Neogastropoda
    rank: order
67. Porifera
    rank: phylum
68. Munnidae
    rank: family
69. Calliostomatidae
    rank: family
70. Plantae
    rank: kingdom
71. Pantopoda
    rank: order
72. Animalia
    rank: kingdom
73. Phyllodocida
    rank: order
74. Mysidae
    rank: family
75. Tanaidacea
    rank: order
76. Malacalcyonacea
    rank: order
77. Alcyonidiidae
    rank: family
78. Arachnopusiidae
    rank: family
79. Littorinimorpha
    rank: order
80. Styelidae
    rank: family
81. Poecilosclerida
    rank: order
82. Nototanaidae
    rank: family
83. Capulidae
    rank: family
84. Calliopiidae
    rank: family
85. Actiniaria
    rank: order
86. Chalinidae
    rank: family
87. Laternulidae
    rank: family
88. Polynoidae
    rank: family
89. Gymnolaemata
    rank: class
90. Ophiopyrgidae
    rank: family
91. Alcyoniidae
    rank: family
92. Terebellidae
    rank: family
93. Philobryidae
    rank: family
94. Terebellida
    rank: order
95. Echinoidea
    rank: class
96. Bacillariophyceae
    rank: class
97. Gromiidae
    rank: family
98. Ctenostomatida
    rank: order
99. Ophiuroidea
    rank: class
100. Camarodonta
     rank: order
101. Malacostraca
     rank: class
102. Isopoda
     rank: order
103. Rissoidae
     rank: family
104. Asteroidea
     rank: class
105. Bryozoa
     rank: phylum
106. Cnidaria
     rank: phylum

Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures are located at 500 m to the Italian research base "Mario Zucchelli" (Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea), in Tethys Bay, at a 25 m of depth.