Introduction. The Southern Ocean has unique environmental conditions compared to other areas of the world, making it a key area for the analysis of future biodiversity changes. The peculiarities of this polar ecosystem have played an important role in structuring marine biodiversity, being characterized by high levels of endemism and ecological and cryptic diversity. The data on benthic communities show their marked sensitivity to anthropogenic and climatic changes, impacting both community and species levels. However, these studies have rarely been conducted with reproducible and standardised techniques, limiting our understanding of these changes in both space and time. Here, we present the application of Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMSs) to study pioneer benthic communities' development located near the Italian research station Mario Zucchelli in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea).
Methods. Each ARMS consists of 10 stacked PVC plates with a 1 cm space to allow for colonization on both surfaces. These structures are characterized by a simplified design, allowing researchers to use more advanced technologies, such as High Throughput Sequencing and photo-analysis to study colonising organisms. The ARMSs were deployed at 25 metres of depth and recovered after 1, 2, 3 and 5 years, respectively. The panels were disassembled, photographed, and the species were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Each photograph was analysed using photo analysis software, highlighting differences in community composition and structure between increasing years of deployment.
Results. The analysis of the data, from one to five years, showed a difference from the point of view of the composition and structure of the communities. They differed particularly according to growth orientation, creating a well-defined structuring depending on the year.
Conclusion. These structures represent the first of their kind to be deployed in Antarctica, providing a fundamental tool for the study of benthic communities, and establishing a baseline against which future population dynamics can be compared.