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Results

       Most of the results obtained in the project are about to be published. Among them there are new species of annelids, bivalves and gastropods. Many species had their distributions expanded, such as shrimp Alvinocaris muricola that had never been found in whale bones. 

 

Alvinocaris muricola

 

       Other results found so far:

  • Depth was the most important factor in determining the composition of the fauna, rather than the geography and latitude of the landers
  • Larger amount of organisms on the shallower substrates
  • The wood plots were more degraded at higher depths
  • Some species found in different landers are genetically similar, despite the great geographic distance

 

Madeira_1500.png       Madeira3300.png

State of degradation of the wood plots after 22 months on the ocean floor. On the left, the wood plot deployed 1500 m deep, and on the right the one deployed 3300 m deep.

 

Published articles:

Barroso, R., Kudenov, J. D., Halanych, K. M., Saeedi, H., Sumida, P. Y., & Bernardino, A. F. A new species of xylophylic fireworm (Annelida: Amphinomidae: Cryptonome) from deep-sea wood falls in the SW Atlantic. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 137, 66-75. DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr.2018.05.005 (PDF)