Fine-Scale Heterogeneity of a Cold-Water Coral Reef and Its Influence on the Distribution of Associated Taxa

Benthic fauna form spatial patterns which are the result of both biotic and abiotic processes. Within landscape ecology a range of descriptors have been used to infer the processes underlying spatial patterning, but only more recently have these been applied to marine habitats through the use of photomosaics, notably in shallow-water coral reef research. Fine- to medium-scale spatial patterns (200 m2 were created and all organisms were geotagged in order to illustrate their point pattern. The Pair Correlation function was used to establish whether organisms were distributed with complete spatial randomness (CSR) or demonstrated a clustered pattern. We further applied a point pattern modelling approach to identify four potential point patterns: CSR, an inhomogeneous pattern influenced by environmental drivers, random clustered point pattern indicating biological clustering and an inhomogeneous clustered point pattern driven by a combination of environmental drivers and biological effects. Reef framework presence and structural complexity determined inhabitant distribution with most organisms showing a departure from CSR. This indicates affinity to local environmental drivers and/or restricted dispersion reproductive strategies within the habitat across a range of fine to medium scales. These data provide novel and detailed insights into fine-scale habitat heterogeneity and microhabitats showing that non-random distributions are apparent at these fine scales in deep-sea habitats.