Recently, there has been a resurgent interest in the exploration of deep-sea mineral deposits, particularly polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), central Pacific. Accurate environmental impact assessment is critical to the effective management of a new industry and depends on a sound understanding of species taxonomy, biogeography, and connectivity across a range of scales. Connectivity is a most important parameter in determining ecosystem resilience, as it helps to define the ability of a system to recover post-impact. Scavenging amphipods in the superfamilies Alicelloidea and Lysianassoidea contribute to a unique and abundant scavenging community in abyssal ecosystems. They are relatively easy to sample and in recent years have become the target of several molecular and taxonomic studies, but are poorly studied in the CCZ. Here, a molecular approach is used to identify and delimit species, and to investigate evolutionary relationships of scavenging amphipods from both abyssal plain and deep (>3000 m) seamount habitats in three APEIs (Areas of Particular Environmental Interest, i.e., designated conservation areas) in the western CCZ. A total of 17 different morphospecies of scavenging amphipods were identified, which include at least 30 genetic species delimited by a fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode gene. The scavenging communities sampled in the western CCZ included the most common species (Abyssorchomene gerulicorbis, A. chevreuxi, Paralicella caperesca, and P. tenuipes) reported for other ocean basins. Only four morphospecies, representing five genetic species, were shared between APEIs 1, 4 and 7. The two abyssal plain sites at APEIs 4 and 7 were dominated by two and three, respectively, of the most common scavenging species, while the APEI 1 seamount site was dominated by two species potentially new to science that appeared to be endemic to the site. The presence of common species in all sites and high genetic diversity, yet little geographic structuring, indicate connectivity over evolutionary time scales between the areas, which span about 1500 km. Similar to recent studies, the differences in amphipod assemblages found between the seamount and abyssal sites suggest that ecological conditions on seamounts generate distinct community compositions.

中文翻译：

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太平洋深海清除片脚类动物栖息地类型和地理尺度的生物地理学和连通性

最近，人们对深海矿床的勘探兴趣重新燃起，特别是太平洋中部克拉里昂-克利珀顿区 (CCZ) 的多金属结核。准确的环境影响评估对于新产业的有效管理至关重要，并且取决于对物种分类学、生物地理学和一系列范围内的连通性的充分理解。连通性是确定生态系统恢复力的最重要参数，因为它有助于定义系统在影响后恢复的能力。超科 Alicelloidea 和 Lysianassoidea 中的清除片脚类动物有助于深海生态系统中独特而丰富的清除群落。它们相对容易取样，近年来已成为多项分子和分类学研究的目标，但在 CCZ 中的研究很少。在这里，使用分子方法来识别和划定物种，并研究从深海平原和深海（> 3000 m）海山栖息地三个 APEI（特殊环境利益区，即指定保护区）中清除片脚类动物的进化关系。在 CCZ 西部。总共鉴定了 17 种不同形态的清除片脚类动物，其中包括至少 30 种由细胞色素 c 氧化酶亚基 I (COI) 条形码基因片段界定的遗传物种。在 CCZ 西部采样的清除群落包括其他海洋盆地报告的最常见物种（Abyssorchomene gerulicorbis、A. chevreuxi、Paralicella caperesca 和 P. tenuipes）。APEI 1、4 和 7 之间只有四种形态种，代表五种遗传物种。APEI 4 和 7 的两个深海平原站点分别以两种和三种最常见的清除物种为主，而 APEI 1 海山站点由两种可能对科学来说是新物种的物种占主导地位，这些物种似乎是该地点的特有物种。所有地点都存在常见物种，遗传多样性高，但地理结构很少，表明这些地区之间在进化时间尺度上存在连通性，跨越约 1500 公里。与最近的研究类似，海山和深海遗址之间发现的片脚类动物组合的差异表明，海山的生态条件产生了不同的群落组成。而 APEI 1 海山遗址主要由两种可能对科学来说是新物种的物种占主导地位，这些物种似乎是该遗址的特有物种。所有地点都存在常见物种，遗传多样性高，但地理结构很少，表明这些地区之间在进化时间尺度上存在连通性，跨越约 1500 公里。与最近的研究类似，海山和深海遗址之间发现的片脚类动物组合的差异表明，海山的生态条件产生了不同的群落组成。而 APEI 1 海山遗址主要由两种可能对科学来说是新物种的物种占主导地位，这些物种似乎是该遗址的特有物种。所有地点都存在常见物种，遗传多样性高，但地理结构很少，表明这些地区之间在进化时间尺度上存在连通性，跨越约 1500 公里。与最近的研究类似，海山和深海遗址之间发现的片脚类动物组合的差异表明海山的生态条件产生了不同的群落组成。