Bathymetric patterns of polychaete diversity in the Rockall Trough, northeast Atlantic

Polychaete diversity patterns were analyzed in spade box core samples down a transect from the Hebridean Slope to the floor of the Rockall Trough. Three sets of samples were analyzed: upper slope (400–1062 m), mid to lower slope (1000–1800 m) and the floor of the Trough (2900 m). Polychaete speciesʹ richness showed a parabolic distribution, peaking at about 1800 m. Investigation of potential structuring processes indicated that disturbance, in the form of the frequency of high energy currents and intrataxocene predation, was important on the Hebridean Slope. On the floor of the Trough the high variation of neutral model results among samples suggested that localized, patch dynamics were more important.