High Antarctic macrobenthic community production

Production and productivity (P/B ratio) of the high Antarctic Weddell Sea and Lazarev Sea macrozoobenthos are estimated by an empirical multiple non-linear model (artificial neural network) based on biomass data and other biotic and abiotic parameters. Average community production decreases with depth from 4.8 g C m(-2) year(-1) (100-300 m) to 0.1 g C m(-2) year(-1) (1500-4300 m). Community PIE ratio increases with depth from 0.18 year(-1) to 0.55 year(-1). Taking into account the effects of water depth on production and of temperature on P/E ratio, Antarctic communities show no evidence of unique characteristics with respect to overall energy flow. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.