Christiansen, H.

Griffiths, H.J.

Heindler, F.M.

Van de Putte, A.P.

Volckaert, F.A.M.

Open Marine Archive

43 
 
S01: Taxonomy Systematics, Biogeography of Antarctica Biota  
DNA Barcoding of fishes collected off the South Orkney Islands 
Christiansen Henrik1, Franz M. Heindler1, Huw J. Griffiths2, Anton P. Van de Putte1,3 and Filip A.M. 
Volckaert1 
1 KU Leuven, Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 
Leuven, Belgium 
E-mail: henrik.christiansen@kuleuven.be  
2 British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, 
Cambridge CB3 OET, UK 
3 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Nature, Vautiersstraat 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium 
 
A comprehensive description of benthic fauna is key for sound conservation and management 
plans. Biodiversity descriptions rely on species identification, which can be challenging when 
taxonomically relevant morphological characters are fragile, obscure or largely absent. Molecular 
methods such as DNA barcoding can complement specimen identification and furthermore hint at 
cryptic speciation, synonymies, or intraspecific phylogeographic patterns. The South Orkney Islands 
(SO) archipelago is located in the Scotia Sea, some 600km north-east of the tip of the Antarctic 
Peninsula. The waters around the SO feature exceptionally high marine Antarctic biodiversity and 
the first High Seas marine protected area worldwide.  
 
Recently, a research expedition to the South Orkneys has been conducted in the framework of the 
SCAR program “State of the Antarctic Ecosystem” (AntEco). We here present the fish fauna collected 
during the SO-AntEco expedition. Morphological identifications of preserved specimens are 
compared to molecular identification obtained via DNA barcoding. Additionally, we examine 
distribution patterns of the fish fauna to compare different seafloor habitats across the SO 
archipelago and identify potential, important drivers of community composition. The fish fauna in 
turn may influence benthic invertebrate communities via top-down control as opposed to 
structuring processes directly driven by environmental conditions. 
 
Our results advance the Antarctic DNA barcoding database and our understanding of benthic 
communities and its drivers in a biodiverse, marine Antarctic region. Thereby we contribute to the 
South Orkney Islands marine fauna management and preservation in the future. 
  


DNA Barcoding of fishes collected off the South Orkney Islands

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