GENERAL DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF MACROBENTHIC 

 ASSEMBLAGES IN THE GULF OF MAINE 



Les Watling 



Darling Marine Center 



University of Maine 



Walpole, Maine 04573 



John Dearborn 



Department of Zoology 



University of Maine 



Orono, Maine 04469 



Linda McCann 



Darling Marine Center 



University of Maine 



Walpole, Maine 04573 



ABSTRACT 



Even though the Gulf of Maine has been investigated 

 since the mid 1800 's, there has been published only a single 

 quantitative study of its benthos, and that from a single deep 

 basin. During the years 1982 - 87, a series of quantitative box 

 core samples and qualitative submersible suction samples have 

 been taken from a wide variety of bottom locations throughout the 

 Gulf of Maine. While objective classif icatory methods have not 

 yet been used, the faunal distributions observed have been 

 preliminarily subdivided into 7 major assemblages. These 

 assemblages can also be characterized by their sediment and 

 overlying bottom water features. 



INTRODUCTION 



Investigations of the Gulf of Maine benthos began over 100 

 years ago with the earliest dredgings of the U.S. Steamers Blake , 

 Albatross , and Fish Hawk . Even so, there still does not exist a 

 comprehensive overview of the benthic assemblages and their dist- 

 ribution patterns. This is due in part to the fact that the 

 bottom of the Gulf of Maine is very heterogeneous, and some areas 

 are not easily sampled. Another factor has been the nature of 

 the sampling. Most often the benthos has been sampled in an 

 opportunistic fashion, taking advantage of cruises planned for 

 other purposes. The study of Rowe et al. (1975) in Wilkinson 

 Basin remains the only published study resulting from a quantita- 

 tive survey of the benthos in the Gulf of Maine. 



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