Biogeography and community structure of abyssal scavenging Amphipoda (Crustacea) in the Pacific Ocean

Abstract. In 2015, we have collected more than 60,000 scavenging amphipod specimens during two expeditions to the Clarion-Clipperton fracture Zone (CCZ), in the Northeast (NE) Pacific and to the DISturbance and re-COLonisation (DisCOL) Experimental Area (DEA), a simulated mining impact disturbance proxy in the Peru basin, Southeast (SE) Pacific. Here, we compare biodiversity patterns of the larger specimens (u003e 15 mm) within and between these two oceanic basins. Nine scavenging amphipod species are shared between these two areas, thus indicating connectivity. We further provide evidence that disturbance proxies seem to negatively affect scavenging amphipod biodiversity, as illustrated by a reduced alpha biodiversity in the DEA (Simpson Index ( D ) = 0.62), when compared to the CCZ ( D  = 0.73) and particularly of the disturbance site in the DEA and the site geographically closest to it. Community compositions of the two basins differs, as evidenced by a Non-Metric Dimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis of beta biodiversity. The NMDS also shows a further separation of the disturbance site (D1) from its neighbouring, undisturbed reference areas (D2, D3, D4 and D5) in the DEA. A single species, Abyssorchomene gerulicorbis , dominates the DEA with 60 % of all individuals.