2.1.1. Marian Cove—High Activity of Glacier Meltwater and Ice Disturbance

Marian Cove is a rapidly warming and deglaciating small fjord mall (4.5 km in length, 1.5 km in width, and up to 120 m deep) where tidewater glaciers have retreated approximately 1.9 km over the last six decades [35]. Two zones can be distinguished in there including an inner cove, where maximal depths can reach 50 m (average = 30 m), and an outer deeper cove (>100 m) [35,40]. The present study focused on inner cove (0.2 km to glacier), where glacier break-up occurs throughout the summer months, introducing large volumes of turbid meltwater and icebergs into the cove [35,41,42,43]. Previous studies on the benthic faunal assemblages revealed a variety of filter feeders, including ascidians, sponges, and polychaetes associated to benthic diatom blooms [44,45].