Ll. Jorgensen et B. Gulliksen, Rocky bottom fauna in arctic Kongsfjord (Svalbard) studied by means of suction sampling and photography, POLAR BIOL, 24(2), 2001, pp. 113-121
The bottom fauna (16-30 m depth) of Kongsfjord (Svalbard) was investigated
by direct observation, a SCUBA-diver operated suction sampler (quantitative
) and underwater photography (semi-quantitative). The fauna on horizontal s
urfaces showed low similarity to that on vertical faces and overhangs, and
had larger species heterogeneity between sampling sites. This was due to se
dimentation and ice-rafted pebbles and stones creating "soft-bottom habitat
s" on the rocky bottom. Suction sampling resulted in collection of 73 taxa,
including some species usually regarded as "soft-bottom' inhabitants. Fewe
r species were observed on the photographs, demonstrating the selectivity o
f this technique, but underwater photography may be a useful "nondestructiv
e" method for obtaining information about conspicuous epifaunal taxa.