HR: 1400h
AN: OS33B-01    [Abstracts]
TI: Epibenthic megacrustaceans from the continental margin and slope of the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico: factors responsible for variability in species composition and diversity
AU: * Gaytan-Caballero, A
EM: adriana.gaytan@gmail.com
AF: Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, UNAM, Circuito exterior, Mexico, DF 04510, Mexico
AU: * Gaytan-Caballero, A
EM: adriana.gaytan@gmail.com
AF: Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Jardín Botánico, Mexico, DF 04510, Mexico
AU: Escobar, E
EM: escobri@mar.icmyl.unam.mx
AF: Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, UNAM, Circuito exterior, Mexico, DF 04510, Mexico
AU: Villalobos-Hiriart, J L
EM: hiriart@servidor.unam.mx
AF: Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Jardín Botánico, Mexico, DF 04510, Mexico
AB: Specimens collected from trawls on board UNAM's R/V Justo Sierra along 4 years has allowed us to describe the community structure of megacrustaceans collected on the continental margin (45 to 156 m) and upper slope (251 to 705m) in the Mexican Ridges and the Campeche Bank of the southern Gulf of Mexico. The species composition, species richness, density and diversity varied among geographic regions and in the depth gradient. A total of 76 species were identified and grouped in 2 orders, 5 infraorders, 37 families and 53 genera. This study extends the known geographic ranges of the species Homolodromia monstrosa and the proposal of Munida constricta and Munidopsis polita. The largest number of species was recorded in the Mexican Ridges (9+3.16) and on the upper continental shelf (10+3.5); lower values were found on the continental margin. The largest densities were recorded on the continental margin in the Mexican Ridges. Megacrustaceans show in general low frequencies and low abundances, characterizing them as rare components of benthic assemblages. In spite of the great similarity among continental shelf and upper continental slope, two subgroups were recognized reflecting specific habitat and time variation
DE: 4800 OCEANOGRAPHY: BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL (0460)
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly