Distribution and diet of larval and juvenile Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) in the shallow Canadian Beaufort Sea

The distribution and diet of larval and juvenile Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) were studied during summer 2005 in the coastal Canadian Beaufort Sea. A total of 275 individuals were captured and the highest abundance was observed at station depths of 20–30 m. This corresponds well with the location of the frontal zone where the Mackenzie River plume water and open sea water meet. Diet examinations were performed on 220 Arctic cod, which were found undamaged from sampling. We observed a gradual decrease in prey number per fish and increase in prey size as larvae grew which corresponded to a shift from Rotifera and nauplii towards larger copepodid stages. However, at all sizes, the larvae remain generalists and feed on a broad range of organisms. Environmental changes due to climate warming could have a two-fold impact on fish larvae feeding in the studied region. First, the potential for increased primary production may lead to increased zooplankton production that may impact the feeding and nutrition positively. On the other hand, greater discharge of turbid water from the Mackenzie River may reduce light penetration in the water column that may negatively influence the ability of visual predators to successively forage.     

The role of pelagic fish as forage for the demersal fish community in the southern Bay of Biscay

The small pelagic fish represents the link between nekton and demersal communities, and they are an important food source for some demersal fish species. In the autumns between 1993 and 2002, 74,869 stomach contents of 25 demersal fish species were analysed during the scientific surveys organized by the Instituto Español de Oceanografía. These species represent the demersal fish community of the southern Bay of Biscay. An important part of their diet (39% by volume) was composed of pelagic fish species (e.g. Engraulis encrasicolus, Gadiculus argenteus, Micromesistius poutassou, Trachurus trachurus, Sardina pilchardus, Scomber scombrus). Among all these prey species, the relevance of M. poutassou and G. argenteus stood out because of their high abundance both in the diets and during the scientific surveys. The relevance of pelagic fish as prey increased with predator size, reaching more than 60% of the diet by volume in the length range 25–29 cm. However, fish predators larger than 50 cm depended less on pelagic fish (33%), since they were also able to feed on other sources such as megafaunal invertebrates, mainly cephalopods. The pelagic fish resource was primarily exploited by 12 demersal fish species, with Merluccius merluccius and Zeus faber being the main ones feeding on small pelagics, which was related to the vertical movement of predators and prey through the water column. Survey abundance indices were used as indicators of prey abundance in the ecosystem, both for biomass and number. There was evidence for density-dependant feeding by predators on E. encrasicolus, G. argenteus and T. trachurus, while the main discrepancies between abundance in the stomachs and in the surveys were due to differential availability of prey length classes in the environment. Small prey species and individuals were exploited by most demersal fish while large prey species were less accessible to predators.     

Linking mercury exposure to habitat and feeding behaviour in Beaufort Sea beluga whales

Mercury (Hg) levels in the Beaufort Sea beluga population have been increasing since the 1990's. Ultimately, it is the Hg content of prey that determines beluga Hg levels. However, the Beaufort Sea beluga diet is not understood, and little is known about the diet Hg sources in their summer habitat. During the summer, they segregate into social groups based on habitat use leading to the hypothesis that they may feed in different food webs explaining Hg dietary sources. Methyl mercury (MeHg) and total mercury (THg) levels were measured in the estuarine-shelf, Amundsen Gulf and epibenthic food webs in the western Canadian Arctic collected during the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES) to assess their dietary Hg contribution. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report MeHg levels in estuarine fish and epibenthic invertebrates from the Arctic Ocean. Although the Mackenzie River is a large source of Hg, the estuarine-shelf prey items had the lowest MeHg levels, ranging from 0.1 to 0.27 μg/g dry weight (dw) in arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) and saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis) respectively. Highest MeHg levels occurred in fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) (0.5 μg/g dw) from the epibenthic food web. Beluga hypothesized to feed in the epibenthic and Amundsen Gulf food webs had the highest Hg levels matching with high Hg levels in associated food webs, and estuarine-shelf belugas had the lowest Hg levels (2.6 μg/g dw), corresponding with the low food web Hg levels, supporting the variation in dietary Hg uptake. The trophic level transfer of Hg was similar among the food webs, highlighting the importance of Hg sources at the bottom of the food web as well as food web length. We propose that future biomagnification studies incorporate predator behaviour with food web structure to assist in the evaluation of dietary Hg sources.     

A conceptual model of the trophodynamical response to river discharge in a large marine ecosystem

Year-class strength in North-East Arctic cod (Gadus morhua), which inhabit the Barents Sea, and commercial landings of juveniles from this population, have been positively correlated with Norwegian meltwater discharge one and three years in advance, respectively. A conceptual model is developed, by empirical data used to investigate how the freshwater signal may be transmitted with time and in space through the food-web. It assumes that interannual variation in discharged volume of meltwater during summer forces planktonic primary production in neritic fronts. The strength of this impulse is transmitted from one organismic system to another, along the north Norwegian shelf, being advected by Calanus finmarchicus, a herbivorous copepod. The population system of this copepod interacts with the survival and growth of juvenile NE Arctic cod, and causes the cod stock size to fluctuate with the strength of the signal. By migration and advection within their respective population systems, NE Arctic cod and C. finmarchicus possibly transmit the freshwater signal on extensive time and space scales, from the Norwegian shelf to distant parts of the Arctic Mediterranean Ecocystem that contains both population systems. Continued empirical research and numerical modelling is needed to develop this theory.     

Impact of freshwater on a subarctic coastal ecosystem under seasonal sea ice (southeastern Hudson Bay, Canada). I. Interannual variability and predicted global warming influence on river plume dynamics and sea ice

Analysis of sea ice cover, runoff and air temperature observations in Hudson Bay shows marked interannual variability. This variability is thought to play a major role in determining overall productivity of the coastal ecosystem by changes to river plume extent, under-ice light conditions and nutrient levels during spring. Extensive field work off the Great Whale River in southeastern Hudson Bay has shown the importance of freshwater discharge, sea ice cover and meteorological forcing on the production of under-ice microalgae and the success of first feeding in fish larvae.Recent global climate model (GCM) results for a doubling of present atmospheric carbon dioxide indicate increases of both air temperature and precipitation in the Hudson Bay area. Predictions based on GCM results are used to estimate future changes to the sea ice and runoff regime. Sea ice breakup in the offshore is predicted to occur about one month earlier than presently. Estimates of the spring freshet in the Great Whale River indicate it will also advance by approximately one month. Onset of the spring freshet will occur about one month before Hudson Bay ice breakup, similar to present. A predicted reduction of about 35% in maximum sea ice thickness will lead to an increase in the ice-ocean interface irradiance and a decrease in melt water input to the Hudson Bay surface waters. These results are used in a discussion of potential effects of global climate change on northern coastal marine environments.     

Mesoscale high-frequency variability in the Alboran Sea and its influence on fish larvae distributions

This work analyses a multidisciplinary data set including hydrological and meteorological data, satellite images, and fish larvae abundance from a high-frequency experiment conducted along a north–south transect across the Western Alboran Sea anticyclonic gyre. Four consecutive occupations of the transect, crossing the frontal area, evidenced the high-frequency variability of hydrological structures and its influence on the latitudinal and vertical distribution of fish larvae in a period of a few days. The influence of dynamical processes on fish larvae depends on the location of the spawning as well as on the larval fish position in the water column. Wind induced upwelling and/or the southward drift of the Atlantic current transport larvae of neritic species, such as Sardina pilchardus and Engraulis encrasicolus to open sea areas. At the same time, these events bring about alterations in the latitudinal and vertical distributions of mesopelagic fish larvae. The species with a relatively surface distribution, as Ceratoscopelus maderensis, were transported and accumulated to the south of the Atlantic Jet (AJ), while those with a deeper distribution in the water column, as Maurolicus muelleri or Benthosema glaciale, would be upwelled and concentrated to the north. This study shows that it is difficult to extract conclusions about the mean or preferential distributions of fish larvae when one single/synoptic survey is considered and that time evolution of hydrological structures has to be considered in order to conclude.     

A numerical study of stochastic larval settlement in the California Current system

Key to the predictive understanding of many nearshore marine ecosystems is the transport of larvae by ocean circulation processes. Many species release thousands to billions of larvae to develop in pelagic waters, but only a few lucky ones successfully settle to suitable habitat and recruit to adult life stages. Methodologies for predicting the larval dispersal are still primitive, and simple diffusive analyses are still used for many important applications. In this study, we investigate mechanisms of larval dispersal using idealized simulations of time-evolving coastal circulations in the California Current system with Lagrangian particles as models for planktonic larvae. Connectivity matrices, which describe the source-to-destination relationships for larval dispersal for a given larval development time course, are used to diagnose the time–space dynamics of larval settlement. The resulting connectivity matrices are shown to be a function of several important time scales, such as the planktonic larval duration, the frequency and duration of larval release events and inherent time scales for the coastal circulations. Many important fishery management applications require knowledge of fish stocks on a year-to-year or generation-to-generation basis. For these short time scales (typically less than 1 year), larval dispersal is generally far from a simple diffusive process and the consideration of the stochastic and episodic nature of larval dispersal is required. This work provides new insights into the spatial–temporal dynamics of nearshore fish stocks.     

A model study with light-dependent mortality rates of copepod stages

This paper is based on an advanced ecosystem model of the Baltic Sea (ERGOM [J. Mar. Sys. 25 (3–4) (2005) 405]), but with an increased resolution of the zooplankton stage variable [J. Plankton Res. 23 (2001) 1217; ICES Marine Science 219 (2003) 208]. The model copepods are represented by five stages: eggs, an aggregated variable of nauplii, two aggregated groups of copepodites and adults. The transfer among the stages, i.e., hatching, molting and reproduction, is controlled by food availability and temperature.As usual, the model food web is truncated at the level of zooplankton. The study explores the effects of different parametrization of zooplankton mortality and looks in particular on light-dependent rates. The light climate may serve a proxy for the effects of visual feeding of fish larvae and fish. Different choices of the mortality parameters can result in remarkable differences in abundances and biomass of the model zooplankton and in the timing of its development.It is found that the different choices of mortality affect the development of populations in several ways: Relative small initial differences of abundances at the beginning of the spring bloom are important for the development of the model populations. Higher mortality rates are less important at food rich conditions than at scarce resources. At low phytoplankton levels, the individual development of the copepods through the stages can be faster for elevated mortality rates because then less animals have to share the available food.     

Ecological conversion efficiency and its influencers in twelve species of fish in the Yellow Sea Ecosystem

The ecological conversion efficiencies in twelve species of fish in the Yellow Sea Ecosystem, i.e., anchovy (Engraulis japonicus), rednose anchovy (Thrissa kammalensis), chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus), halfbeak (Hyporhamphus sajori), gizzard shad (Konosirus punctatus), sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), red seabream (Pagrus major), black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegeli), black rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli), finespot goby (Chaeturichthys stigmatias), tiger puffer (Takifugu rubripes), and fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii), were estimated through experiments conducted either in situ or in a laboratory. The ecological conversion efficiencies were significantly different among these species. As indicated, the food conversion efficiencies and the energy conversion efficiencies varied from 12.9% to 42.1% and from 12.7% to 43.0%, respectively. Water temperature and ration level are the main factors influencing the ecological conversion efficiencies of marine fish. The higher conversion efficiency of a given species in a natural ecosystem is acquired only under the moderate environment conditions. A negative relationship between ecological conversion efficiency and trophic level among ten species was observed. Such a relationship indicates that the ecological efficiency in the upper trophic levels would increase after fishing down marine food web in the Yellow Sea ecosystem.     

Ichthyoplankton in the neritic and coastal zone of Antarctica and Subantarctic islands: A review

Since the article published by Loeb et al. [Loeb, V.J., Kellermann, A., Koubbi, P., North, A.W., White, M., 1993. Antarctic larval fish assemblages: a review. Bull. Mar. Sci. 53(2), 416–449.] about Antarctic ichthyoplankton, many surveys were carried out in different sectors of the Southern Ocean focusing on different aspects of the ecology of fish larvae. Some of these researches were conducted in the Subantarctic Kerguelen Islands and others on the continental shelf off Terre Adélie and Georges V land. Oceanographic and geographic features influence fish larvae ecology such as island mass effects, gyres, canyons. Antarctic fishes show also temporal segregation of spawning which induces temporal succession of early stage larvae. This avoids competition and probably the predation on early stages for species having few recruits. In that case, we have to understand how these larvae can deal with the match–mismatch with their preys and how they find sufficient food to survive. But our knowledge on Antarctic fish larvae is still insufficient as we do not know larvae for quite a lot of species and because of the difficulty to sample during winter.     

The association of the population recruitment of gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, with Mississippi River discharge

Gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, which constitutes a major industrial reduction fishery in the USA, spawn across the northern Gulf of Mexico with a focus of spawning about the Mississippi Delta. This species is estuarine dependent; adults spawn over the continental shelf and their larvae are transported, by mechanisms that are presently not well understood, to estuarine nursery areas. Larval gulf menhaden, along with some other surface oriented larval fishes, appear to aggregate along the Mississippi River plume front, while evidence of the ecological consequences of this aggregation in terms of the feeding, growth, and survival of larvae is ambiguous. On an annual scale, Mississippi River discharge is negatively associated with numbers of half year old recruits. Discharge of the Mississippi River and the population recruitment of gulf menhaden may be plausibly linked through the action of the river's plume and its front on the shoreward transport of larvae. Greater river discharge results in an expansive plume that might project larvae farther offshore and prolong the shoreward transport of larvae. An indirect, decadal scale, positive response of recruitment and river discharge is possible, but not certain. Recruitment became elevated after 1975 when river discharge increased and became highly variable. This response might owe to enhanced primary and secondary production driven by nutrient influx from the Mississippi River.     

Summer distribution of seabirds in the North-East Water polynya, Greenland

The distribution at sea of seabirds was studied in the North-East Water (NEW) polynya, Greenland, during transect counts in the summers of 1991, 1992 and 1993 on board the ice-breaking RVs Polarstern and Polar Sea. Data collected within the polynya ‘box’ (78–82°N; 5–18°W) concern observations of 8000 birds counted during 1350 half-hour counts. Distribution is presented as density (N/km²) and calculated daily food intake. Five bird species were selected for discussion, representing more than 95% of the total numbers encountered: Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea), Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) and Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea). For these species, densities are comparable in the NE Greenland polynya and in other European Arctic seas. The main difference is the absence in NEW of the species playing the main role in Arctic seas: Brünnich's Guillemot (Uria lomvia) and Little Auk (Alle alle). In the absence of fish-eating birds and of birds consuming zooplankton in the water column, the NEW polynya ecosystem is thus dominated by surface feeders and, closer to the coast, by benthic feeders like eiders, Somateria mollissima and S. spectabilis, and walrus, Odobenus rosmarus. The density and daily food intake for all seabirds are one order of magnitude lower in the polynya than in the Arctic seas. The distribution and abundance of seabirds in the NEW polynya seems to reflect a very low density of pelagic fish and Zooplankton in the water column, while Zooplankton must be present at ‘normal’ concentrations in the upper layer.     

Diel changes in vertical overlap between Cyclops strenuus (Copepoda; Cyclopoida) and its prey in oligotrophic Lake Toya, Hokkaido, Japan

The vertical distribution of Cyclops strenuus and its prey, and the gut contents of C. strenuus were investigated at 3 h intervals over 24 h periods in the pelagic area of oligotrophic Lake Toya in May, August and October 1992. C. strenuus showed slight diel vertical migration (DVM) in May, but did not migrate and was always distributed below 15 m in August and October, the thermally stratified period. This suggests that the DVM is strongly influenced by the development of the thermocline, which the copepod may not be able to cross. Gut content analyses revealed that in Lake Toya it is omnivorous, and that the dominant prey are cladocerans and Filinia longiseta. The number of prey remains in the gut varied with time, and the diel changes did not follow changes in prey density that take the vertical overlap between predator and prey into account. We argue that very low prey density associated with the oligotrophic nature of the lake would mask the relationship between prey density and the number of prey in the gut of the predator.     

Mortality through ontogeny of soft-bottom marine invertebrates with planktonic larvae

The present survey covers one spawning season of marine benthic invertebrates in a large geographical area, the inner Danish waters, and includes a wide range of habitats with steep salinity and nutrient load gradients. The loss ratios of soft-bottom marine invertebrates from one development stage to the next is calculated based on average abundances of pelagic larvae, benthic post-larvae and adults of Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Polychaeta and Echinodermata, with planktonic development. This gives a rough estimate of the larval and post-larval mortality. Loss ratios between post-larvae stage and adult stage (post-larval mortality) varies from 3:1 to 7:1 (71.2–84.9%) and loss ratios between larvae and post-larvae (larval mortality) and between larvae and adult, ranging from 7:1 to 42:1 (85.2–97.6%) and from 45:1 to 210:1 (97.8–99.5%), respectively. The results show a remarkable unity in loss ratios (mortality) between the mollusc taxa (Bivalvia and Gastropoda) at the phylum/class level. This similarity in loss ratios among the mollusc taxa exhibiting the same developmental pathways suggests that the mortality is governed by the same biotic and abiotic factors. Larval mortality is estimated to range from 0.10 d^− 1 to 0.32 d^− 1 for Bivalvia and ranging from 0.09 d^− 1 to 0.23 d^− 1 for Polychaeta. The species loss ratios combined with specific knowledge of the reproduction cycles give estimated loss ratios (mortality) between the post-larvae and the adult stage of 25:1 and 14:1 for the bivalves Abra spp. and Mysella bidentata. For the polychaete Pygospio elegans the loss ratio (larval mortality) between the larvae and the post-larval stage is 154:1 and between the post-larvae and the adult stage 41:1. For Pholoe inornata the loss ratio between post-larvae and adults is 7:1. The present results confirm that the larval stage, metamorphosis and settlement are the critical phase in terms of mortality in the life cycle for Bivalvia. Assuming steady state based on actual measurements of pelagic larval densities an estimated input to the water column of pelagic bivalve larvae is ranging from 10,930 to 17,157 larvae m^− 2 d^− 1 and for Polychaeta between 2544 and 3994 larvae m^− 2 d^− 1. These estimates seem to correspond to the reproductive capacity of the observed adult densities using life-table values from the literature.The potential settlement of post-larvae is 43 post-larvae m^− 2 d^− 1 for Bivalvia and 56 post-larvae m^− 2 d^− 1 for Polychaeta. The adult turnover time for Bivalvia is estimated to be 1.5 years and 2.1 years for Polychaeta. This exemplifies that species with short generation times may dominate in very dynamic transitional zones with a high frequency of catastrophic events like the frequent incidents of hypoxia in the inner Danish waters.     

Decadal-scale variations of trophic levels at high trophic levels in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea ecosystem

A total of 2759 stomachs collected from a bottom trawl survey carried out by R/V “Bei Dou” in the Yellow Sea between 32°00 and 36°30N in autumn 2000 and spring 2001 were examined. The trophic levels (TL) of eight dominant fish species were calculated based on stomach contents, and trophic levels of 17 dominant species in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea reported in later 1950s and mid-1980s were estimated so as to be comparable. The results indicated that the mean trophic level at high trophic levels declined from 4.06 in 1959–1960 to 3.41 in 1998–1999, or 0.16–0.19·decade^− 1 (mean 0.17·decade^− 1) in the Bohai Sea, and from 3.61 in 1985–1986 to 3.40 in 2000–2001, or 0.14·decade^− 1 in the Yellow Sea; all higher than global trend. The dominant species composition in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea changed, with the percentage of planktivorous species increases and piscivorous or omnivorous species decreases, and this was one of the main reasons for the decline in mean trophic level at high tropic levels. Another main reason was intraspecific changes in TL. Similarly, many factors caused decline of trophic levels in the dominant fish species in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea. Firstly, TL of the same prey got lower, and anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) as prey was most representative. Secondly, TLs of diet composition getting lower resulted in not only decline of trophic levels but also changed feeding habits of some species, such as spotted velvetfish (Erisphex pottii) and Trichiurus muticus in the Yellow Sea. Thirdly, species size getting smaller also resulted in not only decline of trophic levels but also changed feeding habits of some species, such as Bambay duck (Harpodon nehereus) and largehead hairtail (Trichiurus haumela). Furthermore, fishing pressure and climate change may be interfering to cause fishing down the food web in the China coastal ocean.     

On the relation of structure, perception and activity in marine planktonic copepods

The goal of this paper is to illustrate how in juvenile and adult subtropical marine planktonic copepods various structures or morphological features function in concert to detect prey and predators. Without motion by either food (e.g. flagellate, ciliate) or feeder (e.g. feeding current) or both (e.g. Acartia spp. and ciliate) few feeding activities will occur. Through motion a food particle is either perceived mechanically or chemically to be followed by appendage activities. A combination of mechano- and chemosensors on their cephalic appendages (and probably on other extremities) serve juvenile and adult copepods to perceive signals. Perception is followed by alternation of motion and sensing by these appendages, or by no motion at all (e.g. behavior by Eucalanus pileatus when perceiving a weak hydrodynamic signal). Non-moving and extended sensors (setae) are best suited for mechanical/hydrodynamic perceptions in those copepods which lack a feeding current and hardly move. Numerous mechanosensors arranged in three dimensions on the first antennae (A1) are required to perceive the precise location of moving prey at a distance (e.g. Oithona feeding on ciliates but also sinking particles). Those copepods which create a weak or intermittent feeding current can supplement nutrition with carnivory, which requires perception by the A1 (e.g. Centropages velificatus adults). These two groups require, in addition to perception of prey motion/location, rapid motion by their appendages (A1, second maxillae M2, etc.) to capture the prey. Nauplii, which satiate at far lower food levels than adults, have one of several means of food acquisition: encounter through forward motion, perception through feeding current, or perception of a moving food particle. The nearly continuous motion of most calanoid nauplii makes them vulnerable to predation because all three pairs of appendages are usually moving. Opposite are nauplii of cyclopoid and a few calanoid species which move only occasionally. Copepodid stages and adults use non-moving and often extended setae on the tips of their A1 to perceive predators at a distance. This structure and their pronounced escape motion may reduce their vulnerability to predation as compared to nauplii.     

Distribution of dinoflagellate cysts in surface sediments of the Mackenzie Shelf and Amundsen Gulf, Beaufort Sea (Canada)

In order to document long-term climate cycles and predict future climate trends for the Arctic, we need to look at the geological records to establish the link between historical and pre-historical sea-surface parameters. Dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) are used as proxy indicators of sea-surface parameters (temperature, salinity, sea-ice cover, primary productivity) jointly with transfer functions and a modern dinocyst reference database, to reconstruct the evolution of sea-surface conditions at decadal and millennial timescales. Here we present the surface distribution of recent dinocyst assemblages from 34 surface sediment samples collected on the Mackenzie Slope/Amundsen Gulf during the 2004 CASES (Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study) cruise. Dinocyst concentrations in surface sediments are relatively high outside the Mackenzie plume area and increase gradually eastward toward Amundsen Gulf. The cysts of autotrophic dinoflagellates are dominant throughout the study area, while the maximum abundance of heterotrophic taxa is found within the Mackenzie plume. Hierarchical clustering analyses allowed defining two dinocyst assemblages. Assemblage I is located on the Mackenzie Slope and southern Amundsen Gulf, while Assemblage II is located within the Cape Bathurst Polynya area in northern Amundsen Gulf. Both assemblages are dominated by Operculodinium centrocarpum, but are distinguished on the basis of the relative abundance of Islandinium minutum, a taxon generally associated with sea ice. I. minutum is found in lower abundance in the Cape Bathurst Polynya.     

The coastal edge of the Northeast Water polynya in spring 1993

Multidisciplinary, marine ecological observations were conducted at the shallow water edge of the Northeast Water in June, 1993. Although variable in size and shape, a small polynya was constantly present at Eskimonaes, at the fast-ice edge of Ingolfsfjord. A shallow stratified layer developed at the water sufface at negative water and air temperatures—an effect of sea ice melting in cold water early in the season. Nutrients were recorded in considerable quantities, although by mid July NO₃ had become depleted. The chlorophyll and phytoplankton maxima at 8–12 m depth had peak values of 2 mg chl a m⁻³, typical for Arctic algal blooms. The phytoplankton included over 90 species and was dominated by the Fragillariopsis group. Zooplankton was poor in biomass and density, but over 23 taxa were found, with the copepods Oithona similis and Pseudocalanus acuspes being numerically dominant. Sedimentation was approximately 0.2 g dry weight m⁻² d⁻¹ and suspended matter concentrations ranged from 4 to 19 mg l⁻¹. The benthos was represented by hard bottom forms only, with a surprisingly dense cover of macrophytes. Juvenile sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis), brittle stars (Ophiocten sericeum) and amphipods were dominant. Higher trophic levels were represented by benthic feeders, such as eiders and walruses. The area observed was more similar to high Arctic fjord ecosystems than to the offshore central Northeast Water polynya.     

A numerical investigation of the impact of turbulence on the feeding rates of Oithona davisae

Individual based numerical simulations of the copepod, Oithona davisae, feeding on motile prey, Oxyrrhis marina, under variable turbulent conditions are performed. These simulations correspond to laboratory observations conducted by Saiz et al. [Saiz, E., Calbet, A., and Broglio, E., 2003. Effects of small-scale turbulence on copepods: the case of Oithona Davisae. Limnol. Oceanogr., 48:1304–1311.].The flow field in the simulation is reconstructed by a kinematic simulation whose characteristic scales are derived from the grid mesh and the dissipation rates of the laboratory experiments. The kinematic simulation provides a simplified model, which while not fully realistic, captures the basic relevant feature of turbulence. A hop and sink swimming behaviour is prescribed for O. davisae, while O. marina moves along helical paths with random changes of directions.Three possible effects are tested: the existence of a time threshold in the duration of the contacts between predator and prey, a progressive reduction of the perceptive distance with increasing turbulence level and an abrupt reduction in feeding of O. davisae when the flow speed, in relation to the copepod position, is higher than a prescribed threshold. This last approach introduces an intermittency in the feeding which depends on the variations of velocity both in space and time within the numerical box.The introduction of the time threshold causes a dome-shaped relationship between the simulated enhancement factor and the dissipation rate, while with the other two effects, a monotonic decrease in the enhancement factor is observed, with values reasonably close to the ones observed in the laboratory experiment. In all the cases, the use of realistic values of biological parameters (e.g. swimming behaviour) reproduces response curves in the range of the observations.     

Benthic community and food web structure on the continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay (North Eastern Atlantic) revealed by stable isotopes analysis

The North Bay of Biscay continental shelf is a major French demersal fishery, but little was known on the trophic food web of its benthic communities. In order to determine the benthic trophic web, the objectives of this study are to describe the macro- and megafaunal benthic community structure (species richness, abundance and biomass) and to establish the trophic pathways (food sources and trophic levels) by applying carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analysis to the main benthic and demersal species (invertebrates and fish). Two distinct benthic communities have been identified: a muddy sand community within the central part of the bay, and an outer Bay of Biscay Ditrupa sand community of higher species richness, abundance and biomass than the muddy sand community. Deposit-feeders, suspension feeders and predators, distributed in three main trophic levels, dominate both communities. Large differences in stable carbon ratio values within the primary consumers provide evidence of two different food sources: i) a pelagic food source made up of recent sedimenting particulate organic matter on which zooplankton and suprabenthos feed and ii) a benthic detrital food source supplying deposit feeders and partly benthic suspension feeders. Differences in isotopic signatures were also observed within the upper trophic levels that allowed estimation of the contribution of each food source component to the diet of the upper consumers. Finally, the use of stable isotopic composition together with the species' feeding strategy allow identification of the main differences between the trophic functioning of the two benthic communities and highlight the importance of the role of detrital pathways in the carbon cycling within the continental shelf benthic trophic web.