Cold-water coral (CWC) reefs are recognized as biodiversity hotspots in the deep sea worldwide and may build into coral mounds over geologic time. On CWC mounds, living corals thrive near the tops where there is the most exposure to nutrient-rich currents. Corals outcompete other benthic organisms at the mound tops, resulting in low benthic diversity on top and higher benthic diversity downslope. Periods of coral growth versus organism abundances have been established as inversely correlated. This project investigates the temporal diversity of benthic invertebrates on a CWC mound over the last ~13,000 years using a sediment core (GeoB 13728-2) collected from the mound top. Five primary taxa groups - barnacles, brachiopods, bryozoans, echinoderms, and solitary corals - have been classified and the specimens within these groups have been identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and counted. Barnacles had the highest overall abundance and diversity, totaling 1321 individuals from five species. Solitary corals had the lowest abundance and diversity, totaling eight individuals over five species. Overall, the data show no clear relationship between group abundances and periods of coral growth and non-growth, contrary to previous studies. While identifications of taxa continue in this and two adjacent cores (GeoB 13729-1 and GeoB 13730-1, lower and upper mound flank, respectively), future datasets will allow for habitat-wide comparisons of group diversities and abundances over time. 

For more information: raschwartz@eckerd.edu 

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