Abstract. Submarine canyons have often been identified as hotspots of secondary production with the potential to house distinct faunal assemblages and idiosyncratic ecosystems. Within these deep-sea habitats, assemblages of scavenging fauna play a vital role in reintroducing organic matter from large food falls into the wider deep-sea food chain. Free-fall baited traps were set at different depths within three submarine canyons on the Iberian Margin. Amphipods from the traps were identified to species level and counted. Scavenging amphipod assemblages were compared at different depths within each canyon, between individual canyon systems, and between the abyssal plain and submarine canyon sites. Samples from canyons were found to contain common abyssal plain species but in greater than expected abundances. Community composition differed significantly between the submarine canyons and abyssal plains. It is proposed that this is a result of the high organic carbon input into canyon systems owing to their interception of sediment from the continental shelf and input from associated estuarine systems.
A resource saving technology for industrial processing of deep-sea and demersal fishes