Background: The characteristics of the Strait of Magellan promote the formation of unique environments, with diverse habitats and marine organisms. This fragmentation of the landscape generates diverse little-explored ecological associations, especially in the zone of sub-Antarctic islands of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. One way to address this lack of knowledge is through the biotope characterization methodology, with ecological units composed of the habitat and the communities associated with these environments, obtaining data and information on the dominant and incidental taxonomic groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe CIMAR program (Marine Research Cruises to Remote Areas) run by the Chilean Navy through the National Oceanographic Committee has been developed since 1995, focused on Chilean fjord and channel zones (~41-56°S; "CIMAR-Fjords") and Chilean remote islands ("CIMAR-Islands"). Samples and data was collected on biotic and abiotic variables on all these cruises, both from the water column and benthos. Our work standardizes, compiles, and summarizes the published information on benthic organisms for twenty-one CIMAR-Fjords cruises developed in the first 25 years of the program, plus the Southern Ice Fields Cruise 1995 (precursor of the CIMAR program), which includes the distribution, abundance and geographic location of cruises sampling stations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn increase in richness of benthic marine mollusks towards high latitudes has been described on the Pacific coast of Chile in recent decades. This considerable increase in diversity occurs specifically at the beginning of the Magellanic Biogeographic Province. Within this province lies the Strait of Magellan, considered the most important channel because it connects the South Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
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