Hyperuniformity in 2D disordered lattices of adult Arctic Ophiuroids

The Arctic benthic environment is one of the least explored of the Earth's ecologically significant regions, characterized by extreme conditions such as prolonged darkness, low temperatures, and extensive ice cover. These harsh conditions have driven the evolution of unique survival strategies among marine life including benthic organisms. During an expedition to the Chukchi Sea in June–July 2023, we conducted high-resolution seabed imaging using a small remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and observed extensive assemblages of the brittle star Ophiura sarsii forming contiguous, long-range, disordered networks characterized by arm-to-arm contact. Through quantitative analysis of benthic imagery and application of statistical physics approaches, we demonstrate that these assemblages exhibit suppressed density fluctuations at large length scales, indicative of hyperuniformity in their spatial distribution. This hyperuniform pattern suggests an optimized spatial organization, which we hypothesize enhances resource acquisition and reduces intraspecific competition in an extremely resource-limited Arctic environment. Our findings provide the first evidence of hyperuniformity in a marine benthic community and highlight the adaptive significance of such spatial patterns in extreme environments. The study also advances our understanding of large-scale pattern formation in marine invertebrates and underscores the Arctic seabed's potential sensitivity to human deep-sea activities.