Global ecosystem typology

Alternative site for the Global ecosystem typology with additional information for ecosystem profiles and indicative maps.

This site is maintained by jrfep

M3.1 Continental and island slopes

Biome: M3. Deep sea floors biome

Contributors:
(texts)

These lightless slopes of sand, mud and rocky outrops run down from the shallower shelf break to the very deep abyssal basins. Nutrients falling from upper ocean layers and delivered by currents from the shelf support diverse communities of microbial decomposers, detritivores like crabs and demersal fish, and their predators, but sessile animals are rare and algae are absent. Biomass is relatively low and peaks at mid-slope, diminishing with depth as food and temperature decrease and bathymetric pressure increases.

Key Features

Large sedimentary, aphotic,  and heterotrophic slopes where depth gradients result in a bathymetric faunal zonation of high taxonomic diverstiy..

Overview of distribution

Continental slopes from shelf break (~250 m) to abyssal basins (4000 m).

Profile versions

  • v1.0 (2020-01-20): E Ramirez-Llodra; UC Fernandez-Arcaya; DA Keith
  • v2.0 (2020-05-28): E Ramirez-Llodra; UC Fernandez-Arcaya; IG Priede; DA Keith
  • v2.01 ():
  • v2.1 (2022-04-06): E Ramirez-Llodra; UC Fernandez-Arcaya; IG Priede; DA Keith Full profile available at official site

Main references

Selected references for this functional group:

  • Menot L, Sibuet M, Carney RS, Levin LA, Rowe GT, Billett DSM et al. (2010) New perceptions of continental margin biodiversity Life in the world’s oceans: diversity, distribution and abundance Chapter 5, pp 79-101. Blackwell, Chichester. DOI:10.1002/9781444325508.ch5

Diagrammatic assembly model

Diagrammatic assembly model of M3.1 Continental and island slopes. See general notes on diagrams. Open image full size.

Maps

Maps are indicative of global distribution patterns are not intended to represent fine-scale patterns. The maps show areas of the world containing major (coloured red) or minor occurrences (coloured yellow) of each ecosystem functional group. See general notes on maps.

There are 2 alternative versions of the indicative map for this functional group, please compare description and sources below.

M3.1.IM.orig_v1.0

Datasets

  • GSFM-2014

Map references

  • Harris PT, Macmillan-Lawler M, Rupp J, Baker EK (2014) Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology 352: 4-24. 10.1016/j.margeo.2014.01.011

M3.1.web.orig_v1.0

Major occurrences of continental and island slopes was based on the ‘slope’ geomorphic unit of Harris et al. (2014b). Occurrences were converted to 30 arc second spatial resolution. Open image full size.

Datasets

  • GSFM-2014

Map references

  • Harris PT, Macmillan-Lawler M, Rupp J, Baker EK (2014) Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology 352: 4-24. 10.1016/j.margeo.2014.01.011

Back to: Realm overview / Marine Realm / Biome overview / M3. Deep sea floors biome
Check: the Glossary / Profile structure / the public document