Abundance and biomass of macrobenthos in the Black Sea during Mare Nigrum cruise S-RO1

Dataset containing macrobenthos data for samples collected during April 2008 in the North-West Black Sea (between 44°46' - 43°45' N latitude and 30° 11' - 29°35' E longitude). Macrobenthos sampling was done in 4 stations using a 0.14 m**2 Van Veen grab. Washing of the sample through two sieves - 1 mm and 0.25 mm mesh size; the material retained by the two sieves was examined at the binocular microscope; all animals were extracted, using fine tweezers and the species or group of species were identified and counted (in order to determine the density of populations); the larger organisms were measured and weighed (structure and biomass); for smaller organisms, the average wet weights inscribed in standard tables were used to calculate the biomass. Taxonomic identification was done at the GeoEcoMar by A. Teaca and T. Begun using the relevant taxonomic literature (Key-book for the identification of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov Fauna, 1968 -1972, Kiev - in Russian, V 1-4; BACESCU, M.C., MÜLLER, G. I., GOMOIU, M.-T., 1971 and BACESCU, M.C., MÜLLER, G. I., GOMOIU, M.-T., 1971-Benthic ecological research to Black Sea. Comparative quantitative and qualitative analyse of pontic benthic fauna. Marine Ecology, 4, 1-357 (in Romanian).

(Table 6) Number of specimens of Polymastiidae and Suberitidae spp. found in ANDEEP I and II stations, POLARSTERN cruises ANT-XIX/4 and ANT-XXII/3

The Antarctic deep-water fauna of Polymastiidae and Suberitidae is revised using recently collected material from the Weddell Sea. The former family appeared to be more abundant and diverse than the latter family in the studied area. Seven species within five polymastiid genera and three species within three suberitid genera are described. Relatively high sponge abundance at two stations deeper than 4700 m was mainly constituted by a polymastiid species Radiella ant- arctica sp. nov. Previously, representatives of Radiella have never been found in the Antarctic. An eurybathic species, Polymastia invaginata , well known from the Antarctic and subantarctic, appeared to be especially abundant at less than 1000 m depth. Another eurybathic polymastiid species, Tentorium cf. semisuberites , known for its bipolar distribution, was the third abundant species at the depths between 1000-2600 m, with the highest density found at the deeper stations. Tentorium papillatum , endemic of the Southern Hemisphere, was registered only at a depth of about 1000 m. Other spe- cies studied were less abundant. Astrotylus astrotylus , the representative of the endemic Antarctic genus, was found exclusively deeper than 4500 m, often together with R. antarctica . Acanthopolymastia acanthoxa , the endemic deep- water Antarctic species, was registered at 3000 m. The discovery of suberitid Aaptos robustus sp. nov. at about 2300 m is the first signalization of Aaptos in the Antarctic and at such a considerable depth. The finding of Suberites topsenti deeper than 4700 m is also remarkable. In general the results achieved confirm the high degree of geographical ende- mism of the Antarctic deep-water sponge fauna and the eurybathic distribution of many Antarctic sponge species.