Gradual changes of benthic biodiversity in Comau fjord, Chilean Patagonia - Lateral observations over a decade of taxonomic research

Due to its huge extension and inaccessibility Chilean Patagonia for the longest time has been seen as a pristine region with never ending marine resources. But as a byproduct of the inaccessibility its ecosystems are still poorly known. During the last two decades, the aquaculture industry brought an unparalleled economic development to the area and the number of small-scale fishermen who go for pelagic and demersal fish and shellfish multiplied. Since 2003, we have been studying the benthic biodiversity of the Comau Fjord, Northern Patagonia. We have compared benthic photos that show large, long-living species down to 40 m depth on a key study site, which were taken in 2003 and again in 2013. Additionally we compared the decapod fauna which was inventoried in 2005/2006 and again in 2011. The analysis of photographs taken during the last ten years of taxonomic studies demonstrated an important decline in abundance in megabenthic species, throughout several taxa.