Goose-mediated nutrient enrichment and planktonic grazer control in arctic freshwater ponds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Geest, G. J.; Hessen, D. O.; Spierenburg, P.; Dahl-Hansen, G. A. P.; Christensen, G.; Faerovig, P. J.; Brehm, M.; Loonen, M. J. J. E.; Van Donk, E.

A dramatic increase in the breeding population of geese has occurred over the past few decades at Svalbard. This may strongly impact the fragile ecosystems of the Arctic tundra because many of the ultra-oligotrophic freshwater systems experience enrichment from goose feces. We surveyed 21 shallow

Impacts of zooplankton composition and algal enrichment on the accumulation of mercury in an experimental freshwater food web

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pickhardt, Paul C. [Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States)]. E-mail: paul.pickhardt@stonybrook.edu; Folt, Carol L. [Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Chen, Celia Y. [Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Klaue, Bjoern [Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Blum, Joel D. [Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

2005-03-01

There is a well documented accumulation of mercury in fish to concentrations of concern for human consumption. Variation in fish Hg burden between lakes is often high and may result from differences in Hg transfer through lower levels of the food web where mercury is bioconcentrated to phytoplankton and transferred to herbivorous zooplankton. Prior research derived patterns of mercury accumulation in freshwater invertebrates from field collected animals. This study provides results from controlled mesocosm experiments comparing the effects of zooplankton composition, algal abundance, and the chemical speciation of mercury on the ability of zooplankton to accumulate mercury from phytoplankton and transfer that mercury to planktivores. Experiments were conducted in 550-L mesocosms across a gradient of algal densities manipulated by inorganic nutrient additions. Enriched, stable isotopes of organic (CH{sub 3} {sup 200}HgCl) and inorganic ({sup 201}HgCl{sub 2}) mercury were added to mesocosms and their concentrations measured in water, seston, and three common zooplankton species. After 2 weeks, monomethylmercury (MMHg) concentrations were two to three times lower in the two copepod species, Leptodiaptomus minutus and Mesocyclops edax than in the cladoceran, Daphnia mendotae. All three zooplankton species had higher MMHg concentrations in mesocosms with low versus high initial algal abundance. However, despite higher concentrations of inorganic mercury (Hg{sub I}) in seston from low nutrient mesocosms, there were no significant differences in the Hg{sub I} accumulated by zooplankton across nutrient treatments. Bioaccumulation factors for MMHg in the plankton were similar to those calculated for plankton in natural lakes and a four-compartment (aqueous, seston, macrozooplankton, and periphyton/sediments) mass balance model after 21 days accounted for {approx}18% of the CH{sub 3} {sup 200}Hg and {approx}33% of the {sup 201}Hg added. Results from our experiments

Impacts of zooplankton composition and algal enrichment on the accumulation of mercury in an experimental freshwater food web

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickhardt, Paul C.; Folt, Carol L.; Chen, Celia Y.; Klaue, Bjoern; Blum, Joel D.

2005-01-01

There is a well documented accumulation of mercury in fish to concentrations of concern for human consumption. Variation in fish Hg burden between lakes is often high and may result from differences in Hg transfer through lower levels of the food web where mercury is bioconcentrated to phytoplankton and transferred to herbivorous zooplankton. Prior research derived patterns of mercury accumulation in freshwater invertebrates from field collected animals. This study provides results from controlled mesocosm experiments comparing the effects of zooplankton composition, algal abundance, and the chemical speciation of mercury on the ability of zooplankton to accumulate mercury from phytoplankton and transfer that mercury to planktivores. Experiments were conducted in 550-L mesocosms across a gradient of algal densities manipulated by inorganic nutrient additions. Enriched, stable isotopes of organic (CH 3 200 HgCl) and inorganic ( 201 HgCl 2 ) mercury were added to mesocosms and their concentrations measured in water, seston, and three common zooplankton species. After 2 weeks, monomethylmercury (MMHg) concentrations were two to three times lower in the two copepod species, Leptodiaptomus minutus and Mesocyclops edax than in the cladoceran, Daphnia mendotae. All three zooplankton species had higher MMHg concentrations in mesocosms with low versus high initial algal abundance. However, despite higher concentrations of inorganic mercury (Hg I ) in seston from low nutrient mesocosms, there were no significant differences in the Hg I accumulated by zooplankton across nutrient treatments. Bioaccumulation factors for MMHg in the plankton were similar to those calculated for plankton in natural lakes and a four-compartment (aqueous, seston, macrozooplankton, and periphyton/sediments) mass balance model after 21 days accounted for ∼18% of the CH 3 200 Hg and ∼33% of the 201 Hg added. Results from our experiments corroborate results from field studies and suggest the

Simulating the natural variability of the freshwater budget of the Arctic ocean from the mid to late Holocene using LOVECLIM

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, F. J.; Goosse, H.; Renssen, H.

2012-04-01

The influence of freshwater on the long term climatic variability of the Arctic region is currently of significant interest. Alterations to the natural variability of the oceanic, terrestrial and atmospheric sources of freshwater to the Arctic ocean, caused by anthropogenic induced warming, are likely to have far reaching effects on oceanic processes and climate. A number of these changes are already observable, such as an intensification of the hydrological cycle, a 7% increase in Eurasian river runoff (1936-1999), a 9% reduction of sea-ice extent per decade (1979-2006), a 120km northward migration of permafrost in Northern Canada (1968-1994), and air temperatures 6°C warmer, in parts, from 2007 to 2010, when compared to the 1958-1996 average. All of these changes add another layer of complexity to understanding the role of the freshwater budget, and this makes it difficult to say with any certainty how these future changes will impact freshwater fluxes of the Arctic gateways, such as the Bering Strait, Fram Strait, Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the Barents Sea inflow. Despite these difficulties, there have been studies that have integrated the available data, from both in situ measurements and modelling studies, and used this as a basis to form a picture of the current freshwater budget, and then project upon these hypotheses for the future (Holland et al., 2007). However, one particular aspect of these future projections that is lacking is the accountability of how much future variance is attributable to both natural variability and anthropogenic influences. Here we present results of a mid to late (6-0ka) Holocene transient simulation, using the earth model of intermediate complexity, LOVECLIM (Goosse et al., 2010). The model is forced with orbital and greenhouse gas forcings appropriate for the time period. The results will highlight the natural variability of the oceanic, terrestrial and atmospheric components of the freshwater budget, over decadal and

Bioavailability and uptake of smelter emissions in freshwater zooplankton in northeastern Washington, USA lakes using Pb isotope analysis and trace metal concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Child, A W; Moore, B C; Vervoort, J D; Beutel, M W

2018-07-01

The upper Columbia River and associated valley systems are highly contaminated with metal wastes from nearby smelting operations in Trail, British Columbia, Canada (Teck smelter), and to a lesser extent, Northport, Washington, USA (Le Roi smelter). Previous studies have investigated depositional patterns of airborne emissions from these smelters, and documented the Teck smelter as the primary metal contamination source. However, there is limited research directed at whether these contaminants are bioavailable to aquatic organisms. This study investigates whether smelter derived contaminants are bioavailable to freshwater zooplankton. Trace metal (Zn, Cd, As, Sb, Pb and Hg) concentrations and Pb isotope compositions of zooplankton and sediment were measured in lakes ranging from 17 to 144 km downwind of the Teck smelter. Pb isotopic compositions of historic ores used by both smelters are uniquely less radiogenic than local geologic formations, so when zooplankton assimilate substantial amounts of smelter derived metals their compositions deviate from local baseline compositions toward ore compositions. Sediment metal concentrations and Pb isotope compositions in sediment follow significant (p < 0.001) negative exponential and sigmoidal patterns, respectively, as distance from the Teck smelting operation increases. Zooplankton As, Cd, and Sb contents were related to distance from the Teck smelter (p < 0.05), and zooplankton Pb isotope compositions suggest As, Cd, Sb and Pb from historic and current smelter emissions are biologically available to zooplankton. Zooplankton from lakes within 86 km of the Teck facility display isotopic evidence that legacy ore pollution is biologically available for assimilation. However, without water column data our study is unable to determine if legacy contaminants are remobilized from lake sediments, or erosional pathways from the watershed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A coupled oscillator model describes normal and strange zooplankton swimming behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ringelberg, J.; Lingeman, R.

2003-01-01

"Normal" swimming in marine and freshwater zooplankton is often intermittent with active upward and more passive downward displacements. In the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia, the pattern is sometimes regular enough to demonstrate the presence of a rhythm. Abnormal swimming patterns were also

The zooplankton biodiversity of some freshwater environments in Parnaíba basin (Piauí, Northeastern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JDN. Paranhos

Full Text Available The plankton fauna of the state of Piauí, Northeastern Brazil, especially in the Parnaíba basin, is still poorly known; the results of most studies of the subject have not been published and can only be found in grey literature (unpublished scientific works, such as course completion work and consulting reports. Thus, this paper presents data from samples taken recently from different water bodies in Piauí and represents the second study to be published on the region's zooplankton since the pioneering work of Spandl (1926. A total of 38 species were recorded, including 23 new occurrences of rotifers, 10 of cladocerans and 2 of copepods for the state of Piauí. The greatest richness was observed for the rotifers, of which the genus Brachionus must be highlighted, especially at the Joana reservoir. Among the crustaceans, the greatest richness was observed at the Bezerra reservoir, where cladocerans of the genus Bosmina were prominent. The rotifers Brachionus havanaensis Rousselet, 1911 and Filinia longiseta (Ehrenberg, 1834; the cladocerans Diaphanosoma spinulosum Herbst, 1967 and Moina micrura Kurz, 1874; and the copepods Notodiaptomus cearensis Wright, 1936 and Thermocyclops decipiens Kiefer, 1927 occurred in all or in most environments in which the respective groups were studied. The results presented here expand the taxonomic list of zooplankton for the state of Piauí, including a total fauna of 30 species of rotifers, 15 of cladocerans and 3 of copepods. The zooplankton richness was considered low in the studied reservoirs compared to other freshwater ecosystems from Northeastern Brazil; however, the few studies developed in the Parnaíba basin suggest that the diversity for these organisms should be higher.

Coeval Eocene blooms of the freshwater fern Azolla in and around Arctic and Nordic seas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barke, J.; Burgh, A.H.P. van der; Konijnenburg-van Cittert, J.H.A. van; Collinson, M.E.; Pearce, M.A.; Bujak, J.; Heilman-Clausen, C.; Lotter, A.F.; Speelman, E.N.; Kempen, M.M.L. van; Reichart, G.-J.; Brinkhuis, H.

2012-01-01

For a short time interval (c. 1.2 Myr) during the early middle Eocene (~ 49 Myr), the central Arctic Ocean was episodically densely covered by the freshwater fern Azolla, implying sustained freshening of surface waters. Coeval Azolla fossils in neighboring Nordic seas were thought to have been

Arctic circulation regimes.

Science.gov (United States)

Proshutinsky, Andrey; Dukhovskoy, Dmitry; Timmermans, Mary-Louise; Krishfield, Richard; Bamber, Jonathan L

2015-10-13

Between 1948 and 1996, mean annual environmental parameters in the Arctic experienced a well-pronounced decadal variability with two basic circulation patterns: cyclonic and anticyclonic alternating at 5 to 7 year intervals. During cyclonic regimes, low sea-level atmospheric pressure (SLP) dominated over the Arctic Ocean driving sea ice and the upper ocean counterclockwise; the Arctic atmosphere was relatively warm and humid, and freshwater flux from the Arctic Ocean towards the subarctic seas was intensified. By contrast, during anticylonic circulation regimes, high SLP dominated driving sea ice and the upper ocean clockwise. Meanwhile, the atmosphere was cold and dry and the freshwater flux from the Arctic to the subarctic seas was reduced. Since 1997, however, the Arctic system has been under the influence of an anticyclonic circulation regime (17 years) with a set of environmental parameters that are atypical for this regime. We discuss a hypothesis explaining the causes and mechanisms regulating the intensity and duration of Arctic circulation regimes, and speculate how changes in freshwater fluxes from the Arctic Ocean and Greenland impact environmental conditions and interrupt their decadal variability. © 2015 The Authors.

Perennial water stratification and the role of freshwater in the mass balance of Arctic ice shelves and multiyear landfast sea ice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffries, M.O.

1991-01-01

A number of the ice shelves of northern Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic owe their origin to multiyear landfast sea ice (MLSI) growth during the post-Hypsithermal cooling ca. 3,000-4,000 BP. Since they grew in response to an arctic-wide climatic deterioration and contain evidence of occasional post-4,000 BP climatic ameliorations, they may be expected to be sensitive to future global climate changes manifested in the High Arctic. The purpose of this paper is to examine ice-ocean interactions and feedbacks, and the response of the ice shelves and the MLSI to the improved summer climate of the last ca. 100 years, and implications for the future. There is good evidence that there has been a negative surface mass balance since the turn of the century. Mass balance measurements on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf between 1966 and 1985 indicate a total ice loss of 1.371 m at a mean annual rate of 68.5 mm. The interannual pattern of accumulation and ablation and the long-term losses on the ice shelf are similar to other Canadian High Arctic glacier mass balance records. It is evident from water and ice core records of salinity, δ 18 0 and tritium, that perennial water stratification is common below and behind the ice shelves and MLSI. The coastal waters are highly stratified, with anything from 0.5 m to 41.0 m of freshwater interposed between the overlying ice and underlying seawater. The primary source of the freshwater is summer run-off of snow-meltwater from the adjacent land and from the ice itself. There is minimal mixing between the influent freshwater and seawater, and the freshwater is either dammed behind the ice shelves and the MLSI, with subsequent under-ice freshwater outflows, or pooled in under-ice depressions

Diversity and characterization of mercury-resistant bacteria in snow, freshwater and sea-ice brine from the High Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Møller, Annette K; Barkay, Tamar; Abu Al-Soud, Waleed; Sørensen, Søren J; Skov, Henrik; Kroer, Niels

2011-03-01

It is well-established that atmospheric deposition transports mercury from lower latitudes to the Arctic. The role of bacteria in the dynamics of the deposited mercury, however, is unknown. We characterized mercury-resistant bacteria from High Arctic snow, freshwater and sea-ice brine. Bacterial densities were 9.4 × 10(5), 5 × 10(5) and 0.9-3.1 × 10(3) cells mL(-1) in freshwater, brine and snow, respectively. Highest cultivability was observed in snow (11.9%), followed by freshwater (0.3%) and brine (0.03%). In snow, the mercury-resistant bacteria accounted for up to 31% of the culturable bacteria, but levels of most isolates were not temperature dependent. Of the resistant isolates, 25% reduced Hg(II) to Hg(0). No relation between resistance level, ability to reduce Hg(II) and phylogenetic group was observed. An estimation of the potential bacterial reduction of Hg(II) in snow suggested that it was important in the deeper snow layers where light attenuation inhibited photoreduction. Thus, by reducing Hg(II) to Hg(0), mercury-resistant bacteria may limit the supply of substrate for methylation processes and, hence, contribute to lowering the risk that methylmercury is being incorporated into the Arctic food chains. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Considerations on the biochemical composition of some freshwater zooplankton species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicoletta RICCARDI

1999-02-01

Full Text Available The mean elemental (C, H, N and biochemical composition (lipids, carbohydrates and proteins of some abundant crustacean zooplankton species of Italian insubric lakes has been estimated by the analysis of samples collected at different seasons from various environments (Lake Maggiore, Lake Varese, Lake Comabbio, Lake Monate. From each sample an adequate number of specimens of each abundant species was sorted and analyzed by a CHN elemental analyzer. The percentage of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins and the calorific content were calculated from the elemental composition according to Gnaiger & Bitterlich (1984. Inter- and intraspecific variability of biochemical composition was quite high, while elemental composition and calorific content were less variable. An estimate of the mean elemental and biochemical composition of each species was obtained by pooling the data. These mean values have been used to estimate the pools of elements and compounds in the crustacean zooplankton of Lake Comabbio to provide an example of the importance of a multiple approach in zooplankton studies.

The Influence of Volcanic and Solar forcings on the Freshwater Budget of the Arctic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, F. J.; Goosse, H.; Renssen, H.

2012-04-01

In recent decades the quantity and spatial extent of measurements for the atmospheric, terrestrial and oceanic sources and sinks, that comprise the freshwater budget of the Arctic Ocean has increased. This has been driven by a need to understand the variability of the freshwater budget, as a response to anthropogenically induced climate change, and the effects upon climate. However, the natural variability of the system due to specific forcings over a number of temporal scales, is yet to be clearly defined. This is due to several factors. A lack of a reliable freshwater proxy, coupled with a truncated instrumental record, make it difficult to elicit meaningful trends from the data that is currently available. In addition, modelling studies have not taken up the opportunity to evaluate the historical freshwater budget, instead focusing all their efforts in ascertaining the future response of the system. Therefore, when it comes to understanding the role individual forcings, such as volcanic and solar, have upon the natural variability of the freshwater budget, a noticeable void is evident. In order to understand the natural variations over the recent past one has to first consider the effects that natural forcings have upon the system, both independently and simultaneously. Therefore, in this study we seek to understand the effects solar and volcanic forcings have upon the freshwater budget of the Arctic, and by association, the climate. Here we present results of a series of transient simulations spanning the last 2000 years, performed with the earth model of intermediate complexity, LOVECLIM (Goosse et al., 2010). These series of simulations use a combination of orbital parameters, greenhouse gas concentrations, total solar irradiance and volcanic forcings. By comparing the simulation with only long-term forcings (orbital and greenhouse gas), to experiments in which the impacts of short-term forcings (solar and volcanic) are added incrementally to the effect of

Hydrographic changes in the Lincoln Sea in the Arctic Ocean with focus on an upper ocean freshwater anomaly between 2007 and 2010

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Steur, L.; Steele, M.; Hansen, E.; Morison, J.; Polyakov, I.; Olsen, S.M.; Melling, H.; McLaughlin, F.A.; Kwok, R.; Smethie Jr., W.M.; Schlosser, P.

2013-01-01

Hydrographic data from the Arctic Ocean show that freshwater content in the Lincoln Sea, north of Greenland, increased significantly from 2007 to 2010, slightly lagging changes in the eastern and central Arctic. The anomaly was primarily caused by a decrease in the upper ocean salinity. In 2011

Mercury and other trace elements in a pelagic Arctic marine food web (Northwater Polynya, Baffin Bay)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, Linda M.; Norstrom, Ross J.; Hobson, Keith A.; Muir, Derek C.G.; Backus, Sean; Fisk, Aaron T.

2005-01-01

Total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg) and 22 other trace elements were measured in ice algae, three species of zooplankton, mixed zooplankton samples, Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), ringed seals (Phoca hispida) and eight species of seabirds to examine the trophodynamics of these metals in an Arctic marine food web. All samples were collected in 1998 in the Northwater Polynya (NOW) located between Ellesmere Island and Greenland in Baffin Bay. THg and MeHg were found to biomagnify through the NOW food web, based on significant positive relationships between log THg and log MeHg concentrations vs. δ 15 N muscle and liver . The slope of these relationships for muscle THg and MeHg concentrations (slope = 0.197 and 0.223, respectively) were similar to those reported for other aquatic food webs. The food web behavior of THg and δ 15 N appears constant, regardless of trophic state (eutrophic vs. oligotrophic), latitude (Arctic vs. tropical) or salinity (marine vs. freshwater) of the ecosystem. Rb in both liver and muscle tissue and Zn in muscle tissue were also found to biomagnify through this food web, although at a rate that is approximately 25% of that of THg. A number of elements (Cd, Pb and Ni in muscle tissue and Cd and Li in seabird liver tissue) were found to decrease trophically through the food web, as indicated by significantly negative relationships with tissue-specific δ 15 N. A diverse group of metals (Ag, Ba, La, Li, Sb, Sr, U and V) were found to have higher concentrations in zooplankton than seabirds or marine mammals due to bioconcentration from seawater. The remaining metals (As, Co, Cu, Ga, Mn, Mo and Se in muscle tissue) showed no relationship with trophic position, as indicated by δ 15 N values, although As in liver tissue showed significant biomagnification in the seabird portion of the food web

Freshwater fluxes into the subpolar North Atlantic from secular trends in Arctic land ice mass balance

Science.gov (United States)

Bamber, J. L.; Enderlin, E. M.; Howat, I. M.; Wouters, B.; van den Broeke, M.

2015-12-01

Freshwater fluxes (FWF) from river runoff and precipitation minus evaporation for the pan Arctic seas are relatively well documented and prescribed in ocean GCMs. Fluxes from Greenland and Arctic glaciers and ice caps on the other hand are generally ignored, despite their potential impacts on ocean circulation and marine biology and growing evidence for changes to the hydrography of parts of the subpolar North Atlantic. In a previous study we determined the FWF from Greenland for the period 1958-2010 using a combination of observations and regional climate modeling. Here, we update the analysis with data from new satellite observations to extend the record both in space and time. The new FWF estimates cover the period 1958-2014 and include the Canadian, Russian and Norwegian Arctic (Svalbard) in addition to the contributions from Greenland. We combine satellite altimetry (including CryoSat 2) with grounding line flux data, regional climate modeling of surface mass balance and gravimetry to produce consistent estimates of solid ice and liquid FWF into the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. The total cumulative FWF anomaly from land ice mass loss started to increase significantly in the mid 1990s and now exceeds 5000 km^3, a value that is about half of the Great Salinity Anomaly of the 1970s. The majority of the anomaly is entering two key areas of deep water overturning in the Labrador and Irminger Seas, at a rate that has been increasing steadily over the last ~20 years. Since the mid 2000s, however, the Canadian Arctic archipelago has been making a significant contribution to the FW anomaly entering Baffin Bay. Tracer experiments with eddy-permitting ocean GCMs suggest that the FW input from southern Greenland and the Canadian Arctic should accumulate in Baffin Bay with the potential to affect geostrophic circulation, stratification in the region and possibly the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. We also examine the trajectory of

Consequences of future increased Arctic runoff on Arctic Ocean stratification, circulation, and sea ice cover

OpenAIRE

Nummelin, Aleksi; Ilicak, Mehmet; Li, Camille; Smedsrud, Lars Henrik

2016-01-01

The Arctic Ocean has important freshwater sources including river runoff, low evaporation, and exchange with the Pacific Ocean. In the future, we expect even larger freshwater input as the global hydrological cycle accelerates, increasing high-latitude precipitation, and river runoff. Previous modeling studies show some robust responses to high-latitude freshwater perturbations, including a strengthening of Arctic stratification and a weakening of the large-scale ocean circulation...

The Potential and Challenges of Using Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP Sea Surface Salinity to Monitor Arctic Ocean Freshwater Changes

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Wenqing Tang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Sea surface salinity (SSS links various components of the Arctic freshwater system. SSS responds to freshwater inputs from river discharge, sea ice change, precipitation and evaporation, and oceanic transport through the open straits of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. However, in situ SSS data in the Arctic Ocean are very sparse and insufficient to depict the large-scale variability to address the critical question of how climate variability and change affect the Arctic Ocean freshwater. The L-band microwave radiometer on board the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP mission has been providing SSS measurements since April 2015, at approximately 60 km resolution with Arctic Ocean coverage in 1–2 days. With improved land/ice correction, the SMAP SSS algorithm that was developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL is able to retrieve SSS in ice-free regions 35 km of the coast. SMAP observes a large-scale contrast in salinity between the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the Arctic Ocean, while retrievals within the Arctic Circle vary over time, depending on the sea ice coverage and river runoff. We assess the accuracy of SMAP SSS through comparative analysis with in situ salinity data collected by Argo floats, ships, gliders, and in field campaigns. Results derived from nearly 20,000 pairs of SMAP and in situ data North of 50°N collocated within a 12.5-km radius and daily time window indicate a Root Mean Square Difference (RMSD less than ~1 psu with a correlation coefficient of 0.82 and a near unity regression slope over the entire range of salinity. In contrast, the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM has a smaller RMSD with Argo. However, there are clear systematic biases in the HYCOM for salinity in the range of 25–30 psu, leading to a regression slope of about 0.5. In the region North of 65°N, the number of collocated samples drops more than 70%, resulting in an RMSD of about 1.2 psu. SMAP SSS in the Kara Sea shows a consistent

Trends in Arctic Ocean bottom pressure, sea surface height and freshwater content using GRACE and the ice-ocean model PIOMAS from 2008-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia; Morison, James; Zhang, Jinlun; Bonin, Jennifer

2014-05-01

The variability of ocean bottom pressure (OBP) in the Arctic is dominated by the variations in sea surface height (SSH) from daily to monthly timescales. Conversely, OBP variability is dominated by the changes in the steric pressure (StP) at inter-annual timescales, particularly off the continental shelves. The combination of GRACE-derived ocean bottom pressure and ICESat altimetry-derived sea surface height variations in the Arctic Ocean have provided new means of identifying inter-annual trends in StP (StP = OBP-SSH) and associated freshwater content (FWC) of the Arctic region (Morison et al., 2012). Morison et al. (2012) showed that from 2004 to 2008, the FWC increased in the Beaufort Gyre and decreased in the Siberian and Central Arctic, resulting in a relatively small net basin-averaged FWC change. In this work, we investigate the inter-annual trends from 2008 to 2012 in OBP from GRACE, SSH from the state-of-the-art pan-Arctic ocean model PIOMAS -validated with tide and pressure gauges in the Arctic-, and compute the trends in StP and FWC from 2008-2012. We compare these results with the previous trends from 2005-2008 described in Morison et al. (2012). Our initial findings suggest increased salinity in the entire Arctic basin (relative to the climatological seasonal variation) from 2008-2012, compared to the preceding four years (2005-2008). We also find that the trends in OBP, SSH and StP from 2008-2012 present a different behavior during the spring-summer and fall-winter, unlike 2005-2008, in which the trends were generally consistent through all months of the year. It seems since 2009, when the Beaufort Gyre relaxed and the export of freshwater from the Canada Basin into the Canadian Archipelago and Fram Strait, via the Lincoln Sea, was anomalously large (de Steur et al., 2013), the Arctic Ocean has entered a new circulation regime. The causes of such changes in the inter-annual trends of OBP, SSH and StP -hence FWC-, associated with the changes in the

Transport and degradation of dissolved organic matter and associated freshwater pathways in the Laptev Sea (Siberian Arctic)

Science.gov (United States)

Hoelemann, Jens; Janout, Markus; Koch, Boris; Bauch, Dorothea; Hellmann, Sebastian; Eulenburg, Antje; Heim, Birgit; Kassens, Heidemarie; Timokhov, leonid

2016-04-01

The Siberian shelves are seasonally ice-covered and characterized by large freshwater runoff rates from some of the largest rivers on earth. These rivers also provide a considerable amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to the Arctic Ocean. With an annual load of about 6 Tg DOC a-1 the Lena River contributes nearly 20 percent of the annual DOC discharge to the Arctic Ocean. We present a comprehensive dataset collected during multiple Laptev Sea expeditions carried out in spring, summer and fall (2010-15) in order to explore the processes controlling the dispersal and degradation of DOM during the river water's passage across the shelf. Our investigations are focused on CDOM (Colored Dissolved Organic Matter), which resembles the DOC concentration, interacts with solar radiation and forms a major fraction of the organic matter pool. Our results show an inverse correlation between salinity and CDOM, which emphasizes its terrigenous source. Further, the spectral slope of CDOM absorption indicates that photochemical bleaching is the main process that reduces the CDOM absorption (~ 20%) in freshwater along its transport across the shelf. The distribution of the Lena river water is primarily controlled by winds in summer. During summers with easterly or southerly winds, the plume remains on the central and northern Laptev shelf, and is available for export into the Arctic Basin. The CDOM-rich river water increases the absorption of solar radiation and enhances warming of a shallow surface layer. This emphasizes the importance of CDOM for sea surface temperatures and lateral ice melt on the shelf and adjacent basin. DOC concentrations in freshwater vary seasonally and become larger with increasing discharge. Our data indicate that the CDOM concentrations are highest during the freshet when landfast ice is still present. Subsequent mixing with local sea ice meltwater lowers CDOM to values that are characteristic for the Lena freshwater during the rest of the year.

The freshwater fern Azolla (Azollaceae) from Eocene Arctic and Nordic Sea sediments: New species and their stratigraphic distribution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Burgh, J.; Collinson, M.E.; van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, J.H.A.; Barke, J.; Brinkhuis, H.

2013-01-01

Three new species of the freshwater fern Azolla are described from Eocene marine deposits of the Arctic and Nordic seas, bringing the total number of species now documented from these areas to five. Azolla arctica Collinson et al., Azolla jutlandica Collinson et al., Azolla nova sp. nov. and Azolla

Cost of reproduction in selected species of zooplankton (rotifers and cladocerans)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sarma, S.S.S.; Nandini, S.; Gulati, R.D.

2002-01-01

Reproduction is an energetically costly biological process. Among the freshwater zooplankton, rotifers and cladocerans reproduce parthenogenetically and the cost of reproduction can be estimated using the life table data from demographic studies. Reduced probability of future survival or future

The crustacean zooplankton assemblage of a relatively pristine Utor ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The water quality and crustacean zooplankton of Utor River, a relatively pristine freshwater body in Edo State, Nigeria was investigated at four stations. The Utor River is slightly acidic, well oxygenated, oligotrophic and low in solids, conductivity, cations and heavy metals. A total of 380 individuals comprising eleven taxa ...

Structuring of zooplankton and fish larvae assemblages in a freshwater-influenced Greenlandic fjord- influence from hydrography and prey availability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Swalethorp, Rasmus; Malanski, Evandro; Munk, Peter

2015-01-01

The recent increase in temperature and freshwater runoff in the Arctic will influence the functioning of the plankton ecosystem and hence the life of the fish larvae residing in these areas. Here, we studied the strength of physical– biological linkages and the adaptability of individual larval...... of the individual larval fish species. Larvae were feeding on a variety of prey taxa and sizes; some larval species were generalists, while others were more specialized or fed on alternative prey taxa. Differences in feeding strategies might have the consequence that the species will be differently affected...

Bacterial community structure in High-Arctic snow and freshwater as revealed by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes and cultivation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annette K. Møller

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The bacterial community structures in High-Arctic snow over sea ice and an ice-covered freshwater lake were examined by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of cultivated isolates. Both the pyrosequence and cultivation data indicated that the phylogenetic composition of the microbial assemblages was different within the snow layers and between snow and freshwater. The highest diversity was seen in snow. In the middle and top snow layers, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria dominated, although Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were relatively abundant also. High numbers of chloroplasts were also observed. In the deepest snow layer, large percentages of Firmicutes and Fusobacteria were seen. In freshwater, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia were the most abundant phyla while relatively few Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria were present. Possibly, light intensity controlled the distribution of the Cyanobacteria and algae in the snow while carbon and nitrogen fixed by these autotrophs in turn fed the heterotrophic bacteria. In the lake, a probable lower light input relative to snow resulted in low numbers of Cyanobacteria and chloroplasts and, hence, limited input of organic carbon and nitrogen to the heterotrophic bacteria. Thus, differences in the physicochemical conditions may play an important role in the processes leading to distinctive bacterial community structures in High-Arctic snow and freshwater.

Causes and impacts of changes in the Arctic freshwater budget during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in an AOGCM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arzel, Olivier [University of New South Wales, Climate and Environmental Dynamics Laboratory, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Fichefet, Thierry; Goosse, Hugues [Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institut d' Astronomie et de Geophysique G. Lemaitre, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); Dufresne, Jean-Louis [Institut Pierre Simon Laplace UPMC/CNRS, Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique, Paris (France)

2008-01-15

The fourth version of the atmosphere-ocean general circulation (AOGCM) model developed at the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (IPSL-CM4) is used to investigate the mechanisms influencing the Arctic freshwater balance in response to anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing. The freshwater influence on the interannual variability of deep winter oceanic convection in the Nordic Seas is also studied on the basis of correlation and regression analyses of detrended variables. The model shows that the Fram Strait outflow, which is an important source of freshwater for the northern North Atlantic, experiences a rapid and strong transition from a weak state toward a relatively strong state during 1990-2010. The authors propose that this climate shift is triggered by the retreat of sea ice in the Barents Sea during the late twentieth century. This sea ice reduction initiates a positive feedback in the atmosphere-sea ice-ocean system that alters both the atmospheric and oceanic circulations in the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian (GIN)-Barents Seas sector. Around year 2080, the model predicts a second transition threshold beyond which the Fram Strait outflow is restored toward its original weak value. The long-term freshening of the GIN Seas is invoked to explain this rapid transition. It is further found that the mechanism of interannual changes in deep mixing differ fundamentally between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This difference is caused by the dominant influence of freshwater over the twenty-first century. In the GIN Seas, the interannual changes in the liquid freshwater export out of the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait combined with the interannual changes in the liquid freshwater import from the North Atlantic are shown to have a major influence in driving the interannual variability of the deep convection during the twenty-first century. South of Iceland, the other region of deep water renewal in the model, changes in freshwater import from the North Atlantic

The impact of different hydrographic conditions and zooplankton communities on provisioning Little Auks along the West coast of Spitsbergen

Science.gov (United States)

Kwasniewski, Slawomir; Gluchowska, Marta; Jakubas, Dariusz; Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Katarzyna; Walkusz, Wojciech; Karnovsky, Nina; Blachowiak-Samolyk, Katarzyna; Cisek, Malgorzata; Stempniewicz, Lech

2010-10-01

Composition and abundance of zooplankton were studied simultaneously with feeding ecology of planktivorous Little Auks ( Alle alle) in two different sea shelf areas of West Spitsbergen, Norway, in summer 2007. Zooplankton was collected adjacent to bird colonies in Magdalenefjorden (influenced by Atlantic West Spitsbergen Current) and Hornsund (dominated by the Arctic Sørkapp Current). In spite of different hydrological situations, the abundance of prey preferred by Little Auks, Arctic Calanus glacialis copepodids stage V, among zooplankton was similar in both localities. However, there was much more of Atlantic Calanus finmarchicus on the shelf outside Magdalenefjorden compared to Hornsund, resulting in different abundance ratios of Arctic to Atlantic copepods in the two areas (1:14 and 1:1, respectively). Even greater differences between the two areas occurred in the ratio of C. glacialis CV to other zooplankters, amounting to 1:40 in Magdalenefjorden and 1:6 in Hornsund. In both Little Auk colonies food brought by parents to their chicks contained mainly C. glacialis CV, albeit the proportion of this copepod in meals was significantly higher in Hornsund. Meals delivered to Little Auk chicks in Hornsund had also higher zooplankton numbers, biomass and energy content. In Magdalenefjorden, on the other hand, a higher number of feedings and longer duration of foraging trips were recorded. These differences became more apparent with increasing energy requirements of the fast growing nestlings. This was probably a consequence of lower relative abundance of the Little Auks’ preferred prey in the sea adjacent to Magdalenefjorden colony. It seems that searching for the preferred food items, such as C. glacialis, among abundant but less favored C. finmarchicus, may require more time and energy demanding foraging behavior. As a consequence, foraging effort of the Little Auk parents from Magdalenefjorden was higher, and feeding efficiency lower, than those of birds from

Upstream Freshwater and Terrestrial Sources Are Differentially Reflected in the Bacterial Community Structure along a Small Arctic River and Its Estuary

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauptmann, Aviaja Zenia Edna Lyberth; Markussen, Thor N; Stibal, Marek

2016-01-01

of different water sources on the microbial communities in Arctic rivers and estuaries remains unknown. In this study we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to assess a small river and its estuary on the Disko Island, West Greenland (69°N). Samples were taken in August when there is maximum precipitation......Glacier melting and altered precipitation patterns influence Arctic freshwater and coastal ecosystems. Arctic rivers are central to Arctic water ecosystems by linking glacier meltwaters and precipitation with the ocean through transport of particulate matter and microorganisms. However, the impact...... and temperatures are high in the Disko Bay area. We describe the bacterial community through a river into the estuary, including communities originating in a glacier and a proglacial lake. Our results show that water from the glacier and lake transports distinct communities into the river in terms of diversity...

Does temporal variation of mercury levels in Arctic seabirds reflect changes in global environmental contamination, or a modification of Arctic marine food web functioning?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fort, Jérôme; Grémillet, David; Traisnel, Gwendoline; Amélineau, Françoise; Bustamante, Paco

2016-01-01

Studying long-term trends of contaminants in Arctic biota is essential to better understand impacts of anthropogenic activities and climate change on the exposure of sensitive species and marine ecosystems. We concurrently measured temporal changes (2006–2014) in mercury (Hg) contamination of little auks (Alle alle; the most abundant Arctic seabird) and in their major zooplankton prey species (Calanoid copepods, Themisto libellula, Gammarus spp.). We found an increasing contamination of the food-chain in East Greenland during summer over the last decade. More specifically, bird contamination (determined by body feather analyses) has increased at a rate of 3.4% per year. Conversely, bird exposure to Hg during winter in the northwest Atlantic (determined by head feather analyses) decreased over the study period (at a rate of 1.5% per year), although winter concentrations remained consistently higher than during summer. By combining mercury levels measured in birds and zooplankton to isotopic analyses, our results demonstrate that inter-annual variations of Hg levels in little auks reflect changes in food-chain contamination, rather than a reorganization of the food web and a modification of seabird trophic ecology. They therefore underline the value of little auks, and Arctic seabirds in general, as bio-indicators of long-term changes in environmental contamination. - Highlights: • We examined temporal trends of Hg in Arctic seabirds and major zooplankton species. • We investigated the role of underlying ecological drivers in seabird contamination. • Hg contamination of the East Greenland marine food web increased over the last decade. • Hg levels in Arctic seabirds reflect changes in the food-chain contamination. • Little auks are bio-indicators of long-term changes in environmental contamination. - Temporal increase of seabird exposure to Hg reflects changes in Arctic environmental contamination.

Vertical and horizontal distribution of zooplankton and polar cod in southern Baffin Bay (66-71°N) in September 2009

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjellerup, Sanne; Dünweber, Michael; Møller, Eva Friis

2015-01-01

Zooplankton are the link connecting primary producers to higher trophic levels, and knowing their distribution and community is important for predicting the distribution of predator species, like fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. However, data from open Arctic oceans are still scarce. In autumn...... fishes in the upper 500 m of southern Baffin Bay in September 2009. The zooplankton community was dominated by copepods (55 % of abundance in the upper 500 m), primarily of the genus Calanus. Other important zooplankton taxa included Limacina helicina, Chaetognatha, and Cirripedia nauplii...

The scale of divergence: a phylogenetic appraisal of intercontinental allopatric speciation in a passively dispersed freshwater zooplankton genus.

Science.gov (United States)

Adamowicz, Sarah J; Petrusek, Adam; Colbourne, John K; Hebert, Paul D N; Witt, Jonathan D S

2009-03-01

Molecular studies have enlightened our understanding of freshwater zooplankton biogeography, yet questions remain regarding the scale and commonality of geographic speciation. Here, we present a mtDNA-based phylogenetic hypothesis for 92 Daphnia species from all seven continents, with a focus on North and South America, Europe, and Australia, and use it to explore the frequency, scale, and geographical orientation of allopatric divergence events. Allopatric speciation can conservatively account for at least 42% of cladogenetic events among the species included in our study; most of these involve intercontinental splits. Closely related species pairs are concentrated in the circumarctic region and between northern and southern continents, aligned with bird migration routes, suggesting recent dispersal. By contrast, deeper phylogenetic patterns are consistent with vicariance scenarios linked to continental fragmentation. The possible reasons for the puzzling persistence of these ancient patterns in light of the eroding force of dispersal are considered. Our results demonstrate the high frequency and complex pattern of allopatric speciation in this ancient, passively dispersed genus.

Zooplankton responses to sandbar opening in a tropical eutrophic coastal lagoon

Science.gov (United States)

Santangelo, Jayme M.; de M. Rocha, Adriana; Bozelli, Reinaldo L.; Carneiro, Luciana S.; de A. Esteves, Francisco

2007-02-01

The effects of a disturbance by sandbar opening on the zooplankton community were evaluated through a long-term study in an eutrophic and oligohaline system, Imboassica Lagoon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Zooplankton samples and limnological data were collected monthly from March 2000 to February 2003. Before the sandbar was opened in February 2001, the lagoon showed eutrophic conditions, with high mean nutrient concentrations and low salinity (total nitrogen - TN = 190.28 μM, chlorophyll a content - Chl. a = 104.60 μg/L and salinity = 0.87'). During this period, the zooplankton species present, such as the rotifers Brachionus calyciflorus and Brachionus havanaensis, were typical of freshwater to oligohaline and eutrophic environments. After the sandbar opening, the lagoon changed to a lower trophic status and increased salinity (TN = 55.11 μM, Chl. a = 27.56 μg/L and salinity = 19.64'). As a result, the zooplankton community came to consist largely of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, marine copepods and meroplanktonic larvae, mainly Gastropoda. Salinity was the main force structuring the zooplankton community after the sandbar opening. Two years after this episode, the prior zooplankton community had not reestablished itself, indicating a low resilience to this disturbance. The conditions developed prior to a sandbar opening can be crucial to the community responses in the face of this disturbance and for the capacity of the original zooplankton community to re-establish itself.

The arctic water resource vulnerability index: An integrated assessment tool for community resilience and vulnerability with respect to freshwater

Science.gov (United States)

Alessa, L.; Kliskey, A.; Lammers, R.; Arp, C.; White, D.; Hinzman, L.; Busey, R.

2008-01-01

People in the Arctic face uncertainty in their daily lives as they contend with environmental changes at a range of scales from local to global. Freshwater is a critical resource to people, and although water resource indicators have been developed that operate from regional to global scales and for midlatitude to equatorial environments, no appropriate index exists for assessing the vulnerability of Arctic communities to changing water resources at the local scale. The Arctic Water Resource Vulnerability Index (AWRVI) is proposed as a tool that Arctic communities can use to assess their relative vulnerability-resilience to changes in their water resources from a variety of biophysical and socioeconomic processes. The AWRVI is based on a social-ecological systems perspective that includes physical and social indicators of change and is demonstrated in three case study communities/watersheds in Alaska. These results highlight the value of communities engaging in the process of using the AWRVI and the diagnostic capability of examining the suite of constituent physical and social scores rather than the total AWRVI score alone. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Correspondence of zooplankton assemblage and water quality in wetlands of Cachar, Assam, India: Implications for environmental management

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Kar Sulata

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The zooplankton assemblage of selected wetlands of Assam, India was assessed to deduce the structural variation in the context of water quality parameters. A two year study between 2012 and 2014 comprising of 530 samples from the five wetlands revealed the presence of 46 taxa, 26 Rotifera, 15 Cladocera, 4 Copepoda and 1 Ostracoda, in varying density. The rotifers dominated in terms of abundance (48 ind. cm−3 followed by the cladocerans (28 ind. cm−3 and the copepods (19 ind. cm−3 and showed significant (p <0.05 correlations with turbidity, alkalinity, hardness and phosphate contents of the water samples. The diversity and the richness of the zooplankton showed an increasing trend with the water temperature. Among the different taxa, Brachionus sp. was most abundant followed by Mesocyclops sp. while Beauchampiella sp. was represented in the least numbers. Application of the cluster analysis allowed the segregation of the different zooplankton based on the similarities of abundance in the samples. The water quality parameters like temperature, alkalinity, turbidity, magnesium and calcium were observed to be significant contributors in shaping the zooplankton community composition of the wetlands, revealed through the correlations and canonical correspondence analysis. As an extension, the information can be used in monitoring the quality of the freshwater habitats of the concerned and similar geographical regions, using the zooplankton as the major constituents. The variations in the abundance of cladoceran, copepod and rotifer zooplanktons can be used to understand the mechanisms that sustain the food webs of the aquatic community of the freshwater bodies.

Pan-Arctic distributions of continental runoff in the Arctic Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Fichot, Cédric G; Kaiser, Karl; Hooker, Stanford B; Amon, Rainer M W; Babin, Marcel; Bélanger, Simon; Walker, Sally A; Benner, Ronald

2013-01-01

Continental runoff is a major source of freshwater, nutrients and terrigenous material to the Arctic Ocean. As such, it influences water column stratification, light attenuation, surface heating, gas exchange, biological productivity and carbon sequestration. Increasing river discharge and thawing permafrost suggest that the impacts of continental runoff on these processes are changing. Here, a new optical proxy was developed and implemented with remote sensing to determine the first pan-Arctic distribution of terrigenous dissolved organic matter (tDOM) and continental runoff in the surface Arctic Ocean. Retrospective analyses revealed connections between the routing of North American runoff and the recent freshening of the Canada Basin, and indicated a correspondence between climate-driven changes in river discharge and tDOM inventories in the Kara Sea. By facilitating the real-time, synoptic monitoring of tDOM and freshwater runoff in surface polar waters, this novel approach will help understand the manifestations of climate change in this remote region.

Investigation of road salts and biotic stressors on freshwater wetland communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Devin K; Mattes, Brian M; Hintz, William D; Schuler, Matthew S; Stoler, Aaron B; Lind, Lovisa A; Cooper, Reilly O; Relyea, Rick A

2017-02-01

The application of road deicing salts has led to the salinization of freshwater ecosystems in northern regions worldwide. Increased chloride concentrations in lakes, streams, ponds, and wetlands may negatively affect freshwater biota, potentially threatening ecosystem services. In an effort to reduce the effects of road salt, operators have increased the use of salt alternatives, yet we lack an understanding of how these deicers affect aquatic communities. We examined the direct and indirect effects of the most commonly used road salt (NaCl) and a proprietary salt mixture (NaCl, KCl, MgCl 2 ), at three environmentally relevant concentrations (150, 470, and 780 mg Cl - /L) on freshwater wetland communities in combination with one of three biotic stressors (control, predator cues, and competitors). The communities contained periphyton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and two tadpole species (American toads, Anaxyrus americanus; wood frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus). Overall, we found the two road salts did not interact with the natural stressors. Both salts decreased pH and reduced zooplankton abundance. The strong decrease in zooplankton abundance in the highest NaCl concentration caused a trophic cascade that resulted in increased phytoplankton abundance. The highest NaCl concentration also reduced toad activity. For the biotic stressors, predatory stress decreased whereas competitive stress increased the activity of both tadpole species. Wood frog survival, time to metamorphosis, and mass at metamorphosis all decreased under competitive stress whereas toad time to metamorphosis increased and mass at metamorphosis decreased. Road salts and biotic stressors can both affect freshwater communities, but their effects are not interactive. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring Plan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Tom; Payne, J.; Doyle, M.

The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, established the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) to address the need for coordinated and standardized monitoring of Arctic environments. The CBMP includes an international...... on developing and implementing long-term plans for monitoring the integrity of Arctic biomes: terrestrial, marine, freshwater, and coastal (under development) environments. The CBMP Terrestrial Expert Monitoring Group (CBMP-TEMG) has developed the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring Plan (CBMP......-Terrestrial Plan/the Plan) as the framework for coordinated, long-term Arctic terrestrial biodiversity monitoring. The goal of the CBMP-Terrestrial Plan is to improve the collective ability of Arctic traditional knowledge (TK) holders, northern communities, and scientists to detect, understand and report on long...

Microplastics Reduce Short-Term Effects of Environmental Contaminants. Part I: Effects of Bisphenol A on Freshwater Zooplankton Are Lower in Presence of Polyamide Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Rehse, Saskia; Kloas, Werner; Zarfl, Christiane

2018-01-01

Microplastics can have direct physical effects on organisms in freshwater systems, and are considered as vectors for absorbed environmental pollutants. It is still under discussion if microplastics are relevant pollutant vectors for uptake into aquatic organisms in comparison to further uptake pathways, e.g., via water or sediment particles. We analyzed how the presence of microplastics (polyamide particles, PA) modifies acute effects of the environmental pollutant bisphenol A (BPA) on freshwater zooplankton (Daphnia magna). Daphnids were exposed to PA particles and BPA alone, before combining them in the next step with one concentration of PA and varying concentrations of BPA. The PA particles themselves did not induce negative effects, while the effects of BPA alone followed a typical dose-dependent manner. Sorption of BPA to PA particles prior to exposure led to a reduction of BPA in the aqueous phase. The combination of BPA and PA led to decreased immobilization, although PA particles loaded with BPA were ingested by the daphnids. Calculations based on physiochemistry and equilibrium assumptions indicated lower BPA body burden of daphnids in the presence of PA particles. These results confirm model-based studies, and show that investigated microplastic concentrations are negligible for the overall pollutant uptake of daphnids with water as additional uptake pathway. PMID:29415519

Microplastics Reduce Short-Term Effects of Environmental Contaminants. Part I: Effects of Bisphenol A on Freshwater Zooplankton Are Lower in Presence of Polyamide Particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saskia Rehse

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Microplastics can have direct physical effects on organisms in freshwater systems, and are considered as vectors for absorbed environmental pollutants. It is still under discussion if microplastics are relevant pollutant vectors for uptake into aquatic organisms in comparison to further uptake pathways, e.g., via water or sediment particles. We analyzed how the presence of microplastics (polyamide particles, PA modifies acute effects of the environmental pollutant bisphenol A (BPA on freshwater zooplankton (Daphnia magna. Daphnids were exposed to PA particles and BPA alone, before combining them in the next step with one concentration of PA and varying concentrations of BPA. The PA particles themselves did not induce negative effects, while the effects of BPA alone followed a typical dose-dependent manner. Sorption of BPA to PA particles prior to exposure led to a reduction of BPA in the aqueous phase. The combination of BPA and PA led to decreased immobilization, although PA particles loaded with BPA were ingested by the daphnids. Calculations based on physiochemistry and equilibrium assumptions indicated lower BPA body burden of daphnids in the presence of PA particles. These results confirm model-based studies, and show that investigated microplastic concentrations are negligible for the overall pollutant uptake of daphnids with water as additional uptake pathway.

DNA barcoding of Arctic Ocean holozooplankton for species identification and recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Bucklin, Ann; Hopcroft, Russell R.; Kosobokova, Ksenia N.; Nigro, Lisa M.; Ortman, Brian D.; Jennings, Robert M.; Sweetman, Christopher J.

2010-01-01

Zooplankton species diversity and distribution are important measures of environmental change in the Arctic Ocean, and may serve as 'rapid-responders' of climate-induced changes in this fragile ecosystem. The scarcity of taxonomists hampers detailed and up-to-date monitoring of these patterns for the rarer and more problematic species. DNA barcodes (short DNA sequences for species recognition and discovery) provide an alternative approach to accurate identification of known species, and can speed routine analysis of zooplankton samples. During 2004-2008, zooplankton samples were collected during cruises to the central Arctic Ocean and Chukchi Sea. A ˜700 base-pair region of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene was amplified and sequenced for 82 identified specimens of 41 species, including cnidarians (six hydrozoans, one scyphozoan), arthropod crustaceans (five amphipods, 24 copepods, one decapod, and one euphausiid); two chaetognaths; and one nemertean. Phylogenetic analysis used the Neighbor-Joining algorithm with Kimura-2-Parameter (K-2-P) distances, with 1000-fold bootstrapping. K-2-P genetic distances between individuals of the same species ranged from 0.0 to 0.2; genetic distances between species ranged widely from 0.1 to 0.7. The mtCOI gene tree showed monophyly (at 100% bootstrap value) for each of the 26 species for which more than one individual was analyzed. Of seven genera for which more than one species was analyzed, four were shown to be monophyletic; three genera were not resolved. At higher taxonomic levels, only the crustacean order Copepoda was resolved, with bootstrap value of 83%. The mtCOI barcodes accurately discriminated and identified known species of 10 taxonomic groups of Arctic Ocean holozooplankton. A comprehensive DNA barcode database for the estimated 300 described species of Arctic holozooplankton will allow rapid assessment of species diversity and distribution in this climate-vulnerable ocean ecosystem.

Cyanobacteria dominance influences resource use efficiency and community turnover in phytoplankton and zooplankton communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Filstrup, Christopher T; Hillebrand, Helmut; Heathcote, Adam J; Harpole, W Stanley; Downing, John A

2014-04-01

Freshwater biodiversity loss potentially disrupts ecosystem services related to water quality and may negatively impact ecosystem functioning and temporal community turnover. We analysed a data set containing phytoplankton and zooplankton community data from 131 lakes through 9 years in an agricultural region to test predictions that plankton communities with low biodiversity are less efficient in their use of limiting resources and display greater community turnover (measured as community dissimilarity). Phytoplankton resource use efficiency (RUE = biomass per unit resource) was negatively related to phytoplankton evenness (measured as Pielou's evenness), whereas zooplankton RUE was positively related to phytoplankton evenness. Phytoplankton and zooplankton RUE were high and low, respectively, when Cyanobacteria, especially Microcystis sp., dominated. Phytoplankton communities displayed slower community turnover rates when dominated by few genera. Our findings, which counter findings of many terrestrial studies, suggest that Cyanobacteria dominance may play important roles in ecosystem functioning and community turnover in nutrient-enriched lakes. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Water Browning Influences the Behavioral Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on Zooplankton

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Raoul Wolf

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In the last decades, limnic water bodies in the Northern hemisphere have experienced a noticeable browning, i.e., increasing levels of dissolved organic matter (DOM. While the effects on primary producers is usually considered negative (light attenuation, zooplankton is thought to benefit from increased DOM, which absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR. However, behavioral alterations due to browning in zooplankton have not yet been studied. We investigated the effects of a DOM gradient, alone and in combination with UVR, on the swimming behavior of Daphnia magna. Making use of a computer-controlled imaging system, we repeatedly filmed individuals over 6 h and analyzed the video material to unravel effects on exploration behavior and other motility patterns. The results show that increasing DOM buffers the detrimental effects of UVR on swimming behavior. This is likely due to attenuation of UVR by DOM. Interestingly, DOM also raised the overall swimming activity independent of UVR exposure. Our findings highlight the importance of DOM in freshwater systems, not only because of its physico-chemical properties, but also due to its higher-level effects on zooplankton communities.

The freshwater balance of polar regions in transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD using a comprehensive coupled climate model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehner, Flavio; Raible, Christoph C.; Hofer, Dominik; Stocker, Thomas F. [University of Bern, Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Bern (Switzerland)

2012-07-15

The ocean and sea ice in both polar regions are important reservoirs of freshwater within the climate system. While the response of these reservoirs to future climate change has been studied intensively, the sensitivity of the polar freshwater balance to natural forcing variations during preindustrial times has received less attention. Using an ensemble of transient simulations from 1500 to 2100 AD we put present-day and future states of the polar freshwater balance in the context of low frequency variability of the past five centuries. This is done by focusing on different multi-decadal periods of characteristic external forcing. In the Arctic, freshwater is shifted from the ocean to sea ice during the Maunder Minimum while the total amount of freshwater within the Arctic domain remains unchanged. In contrast, the subsequent Dalton Minimum does not leave an imprint on the slow-reacting reservoirs of the ocean and sea ice, but triggers a drop in the import of freshwater through the atmosphere. During the twentieth and twenty-first century the build-up of freshwater in the Arctic Ocean leads to a strengthening of the liquid export. The Arctic freshwater balance is shifted towards being a large source of freshwater to the North Atlantic ocean. The Antarctic freshwater cycle, on the other hand, appears to be insensitive to preindustrial variations in external forcing. In line with the rising temperature during the industrial era the freshwater budget becomes increasingly unbalanced and strengthens the high latitude's Southern Ocean as a source of liquid freshwater to lower latitude oceans. (orig.)

Radionuclide transfer to freshwater biota species: review of Russian language studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fesenko, S.; Fesenko, J.; Sanzharova, N.; Karpenko, E.; Titov, I.

2011-01-01

Around 130 publications reporting studies on radionuclide transfer to freshwater biota species conducted in the former USSR were reviewed to provide the concentration ratio values. None of these studies were available up to now in the English language reviews or publications. The values derived have been compared with the CR values used for freshwater systems in the International reviews. For some radionuclides reviewed in this paper, the data are in good agreement with the mean CR values presented earlier, however for some of them, in particular, for 241 Am (bivalve molluscs, gastropods and pelagic fish), 60 Co (gastropods, benthic fish and insect larvae), 90 Sr and 137 Cs (benthic fish and zooplankton), the mean values given here are substantially different from those presented earlier. The data reported in this paper for thirty five radionuclides and eleven groups of freshwater species markedly improve the extent of available data for evaluation of radiation impact on freshwater species. - Research highlights: → The paper provides information on concentration ratios to freshwater biota species for 35 radionuclides. Many of the data are for 90 Sr and 137 Cs. → For the majority of radionuclides reviewed in this paper, the CR values are in good agreement with those given in the recent International reviews. → For 241 Am (bivalve molluscs, gastropods and pelagic fish), 60 Co (gastropods, benthic fish and insect larvae), 90 Sr and 137 Cs (benthic fish and zooplankton), the mean values based on review of the Russian language publications are substantially different from those presented in the International reviews. → Information presented in the paper significantly increases the availability of data on radionuclide accumulation in freshwater species.

Modes of Arctic Ocean Change from GRACE, ICESat and the PIOMAS and ECCO2 Models of the Arctic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Peralta Ferriz, C.; Morison, J. H.; Bonin, J. A.; Chambers, D. P.; Kwok, R.; Zhang, J.

2012-12-01

EOF analysis of month-to-month variations in GRACE derived Arctic Ocean bottom pressure (OBP) with trend and seasonal variation removed yield three dominant modes. The first mode is a basin wide variation in mass associated with high atmospheric pressure (SLP) over Scandinavia mainly in winter. The second mode is a shift of mass from the central Arctic Ocean to the Siberian shelves due to low pressure over the basins, associated with the Arctic Oscillation. The third mode is a shift in mass between the Eastern and Western Siberian shelves, related to strength of the Beaufort High mainly in summer, and to eastward alongshore winds on the Barents Sea in winter. The PIOMAS and ECCO2 modeled OBP show fair agreement with the form of these modes and provide context in terms of variations in sea surface height SSH. Comparing GRACE OBP from 2007 to 2011 with GRACE OBP from 2002 to 2006 reveals a rising trend over most of the Arctic Ocean but declines in the Kara Sea region and summer East Siberian Sea. ECCO2 bears a faint resemblance to the observed OBP change but appears to be biased negatively. In contrast, PIOMAS SSH and ECCO2 especially, show changes between the two periods that are muted but similar to ICESat dynamic ocean topography and GRACE-ICESat freshwater trends from 2005 through 2008 [Morison et al., 2012] with a rising DOT and freshening in the Beaufort Sea and a trough with decreased freshwater on the Russian side of the Arctic Ocean. Morison, J., R. Kwok, C. Peralta-Ferriz, M. Alkire, I. Rigor, R. Andersen, and M. Steele (2012), Changing Arctic Ocean freshwater pathways, Nature, 481(7379), 66-70.

The impact of Greenland's deglaciation on the Arctic circulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dethloff, K.; Dorn, W.; Rinke, A.

2004-01-01

connected with shifts in the synoptic storm tracks during winter would have important consequences for the atmospheric freshwater input into the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic sea with the potential to cause variability in the Arctic Ocean dynamics on centennial to millennial time scales. The significant...

Radioactive contamination in the Arctic--sources, dose assessment and potential risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strand, P.; Howard, B.J.; Aarkrog, A.; Balonov, M.; Tsaturov, Y.; Bewers, J.M.; Salo, A.; Sickel, M.; Bergman, R.; Rissanen, K.

2002-01-01

Arctic residents, whose diets comprise a large proportion of traditional terrestrial and freshwater foodstuffs, have received the highest radiation exposures to artificial radionuclides in the Arctic. Doses to members of both the average population and selected indigenous population groups in the Arctic depend on the rates of consumption of locally-derived terrestrial and freshwater foodstuffs, including reindeer/caribou meat, freshwater fish, goat cheese, berries, mushrooms and lamb. The vulnerability of arctic populations, especially indigenous peoples, to radiocaesium deposition is much greater than for temperate populations due to the importance of terrestrial, semi-natural exposure pathways where there is high radiocaesium transfer and a long ecological half-life for this radionuclide. In contrast, arctic residents with diets largely comprising marine foodstuffs have received comparatively low radiation exposures because of the lower levels of contamination of marine organisms. Using arctic-specific information, the predicted collective dose is five times higher than that estimated by UNSCEAR for temperate areas. The greatest threats to human health and the environment posed by human and industrial activities in the Arctic are associated with the potential for accidents in the civilian and military nuclear sectors. Of most concern are the consequences of potential accidents in nuclear power plant reactors, during the handling and storage of nuclear weapons, in the decommissioning of nuclear submarines and in the disposal of spent nuclear fuel from vessels. It is important to foster a close association between risk assessment and practical programmes for the purposes of improving monitoring, formulating response strategies and implementing action plans

Radionuclide transfer to freshwater biota species: review of Russian language studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fesenko, S., E-mail: s.fesenko@iaea.or [International Atomic Energy Agency, NAAL, 1400 Vienna (Austria); Fesenko, J.; Sanzharova, N.; Karpenko, E.; Titov, I. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Radioecology, 249020 Obninsk (Russian Federation)

2011-01-15

Around 130 publications reporting studies on radionuclide transfer to freshwater biota species conducted in the former USSR were reviewed to provide the concentration ratio values. None of these studies were available up to now in the English language reviews or publications. The values derived have been compared with the CR values used for freshwater systems in the International reviews. For some radionuclides reviewed in this paper, the data are in good agreement with the mean CR values presented earlier, however for some of them, in particular, for {sup 241}Am (bivalve molluscs, gastropods and pelagic fish), {sup 60}Co (gastropods, benthic fish and insect larvae), {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs (benthic fish and zooplankton), the mean values given here are substantially different from those presented earlier. The data reported in this paper for thirty five radionuclides and eleven groups of freshwater species markedly improve the extent of available data for evaluation of radiation impact on freshwater species. - Research highlights: {yields} The paper provides information on concentration ratios to freshwater biota species for 35 radionuclides. Many of the data are for {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs. {yields} For the majority of radionuclides reviewed in this paper, the CR values are in good agreement with those given in the recent International reviews. {yields} For {sup 241}Am (bivalve molluscs, gastropods and pelagic fish), {sup 60}Co (gastropods, benthic fish and insect larvae), {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs (benthic fish and zooplankton), the mean values based on review of the Russian language publications are substantially different from those presented in the International reviews. {yields} Information presented in the paper significantly increases the availability of data on radionuclide accumulation in freshwater species.

Does temporal variation of mercury levels in Arctic seabirds reflect changes in global environmental contamination, or a modification of Arctic marine food web functioning?

Science.gov (United States)

Fort, Jérôme; Grémillet, David; Traisnel, Gwendoline; Amélineau, Françoise; Bustamante, Paco

2016-04-01

Studying long-term trends of contaminants in Arctic biota is essential to better understand impacts of anthropogenic activities and climate change on the exposure of sensitive species and marine ecosystems. We concurrently measured temporal changes (2006-2014) in mercury (Hg) contamination of little auks (Alle alle; the most abundant Arctic seabird) and in their major zooplankton prey species (Calanoid copepods, Themisto libellula, Gammarus spp.). We found an increasing contamination of the food-chain in East Greenland during summer over the last decade. More specifically, bird contamination (determined by body feather analyses) has increased at a rate of 3.4% per year. Conversely, bird exposure to Hg during winter in the northwest Atlantic (determined by head feather analyses) decreased over the study period (at a rate of 1.5% per year), although winter concentrations remained consistently higher than during summer. By combining mercury levels measured in birds and zooplankton to isotopic analyses, our results demonstrate that inter-annual variations of Hg levels in little auks reflect changes in food-chain contamination, rather than a reorganization of the food web and a modification of seabird trophic ecology. They therefore underline the value of little auks, and Arctic seabirds in general, as bio-indicators of long-term changes in environmental contamination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Zooplankton species identities, zooplankton species number per sample, and zooplankton abundance collected using zooplankton net as part of the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation (CALCOFI) project, for 1994-03-01 (NODC Accession 9700104)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Zooplankton species identities, zooplankton species number per sample, and zooplankton abundance were collected from March 1, 1994 to March 1, 1994. Data were...

Effects of oil spill responses on key Arctic zooplankton species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toxværd, Kirstine Underbjerg; Hansen, Pil Hagenbøl; Köhler, Eva

and hatching of the Arctic copepod Calanus glacialis. Eight mesocosms with open top and bottom were deployed in the sea ice in Van Mijenfjorden, Svalbard, in February 2015. Two replicates were used for all treatments. After application, surface ice was allowed to re-establish. Water was collected from the top...... 2 cm water column in March and just before sea ice break up in May, and was used in two 14-day incubation experiments with C. glacialis collected in Isfjorden. Copepods were fed during the experiment and eggs and pellets were quantified daily. Egg hatching was determined in the beginning and end....... As a part of a large joint industry initiative (www.arcticresponsetechnology.org) a first of its kind mesocosm experiment was executed in an Arctic fjord of the Island of Svalbard. Effects of natural attenuation of the oil, in-situ burning and chemical dispersion were studied on grazing, egg production...

Reconstruction and prediction of radioactive contamination of the ecosystems of the Arctic Seas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kryshev, I.I.

1995-01-01

An analysis of the radionuclide content in components of the marine ecosystem was performed on the basis of observational data. The site-specific factors of radionuclide accumulation in marine biota and sediments were calculated for 90 Sr and 137 Cs. The following can be concluded from the comparison of site-specific accumulation factors with the world averaged data (IAEA Publication : 247): 1) 90 Sr concentration factors in algae and zooplankton in the Arctic Sea are roughly the same as world-averaged values. However, for fish they are much higher then average values and are mostly as high as the upper estimates of 90 Sr concentration factors presented in the IAEA Publication. 2) 137 Cs concentration factors in algae and zooplankton in the Arctic Sea are practically equal to the generalized world data. However, they are twice as high as world-averaged values for fish, but not going beyond the range of uncertainty for world-averaged data. 8 refs., 2 tabs

Transitions in Arctic ecosystems: Ecological implications of a changing hydrological regime

Science.gov (United States)

Wrona, Frederick J.; Johansson, Margareta; Culp, Joseph M.; Jenkins, Alan; Mârd, Johanna; Myers-Smith, Isla H.; Prowse, Terry D.; Vincent, Warwick F.; Wookey, Philip A.

2016-03-01

Numerous international scientific assessments and related articles have, during the last decade, described the observed and potential impacts of climate change as well as other related environmental stressors on Arctic ecosystems. There is increasing recognition that observed and projected changes in freshwater sources, fluxes, and storage will have profound implications for the physical, biogeochemical, biological, and ecological processes and properties of Arctic terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. However, a significant level of uncertainty remains in relation to forecasting the impacts of an intensified hydrological regime and related cryospheric change on ecosystem structure and function. As the terrestrial and freshwater ecology component of the Arctic Freshwater Synthesis, we review these uncertainties and recommend enhanced coordinated circumpolar research and monitoring efforts to improve quantification and prediction of how an altered hydrological regime influences local, regional, and circumpolar-level responses in terrestrial and freshwater systems. Specifically, we evaluate (i) changes in ecosystem productivity; (ii) alterations in ecosystem-level biogeochemical cycling and chemical transport; (iii) altered landscapes, successional trajectories, and creation of new habitats; (iv) altered seasonality and phenological mismatches; and (v) gains or losses of species and associated trophic interactions. We emphasize the need for developing a process-based understanding of interecosystem interactions, along with improved predictive models. We recommend enhanced use of the catchment scale as an integrated unit of study, thereby more explicitly considering the physical, chemical, and ecological processes and fluxes across a full freshwater continuum in a geographic region and spatial range of hydroecological units (e.g., stream-pond-lake-river-near shore marine environments).

A Principal Component Analysis (PCA Approach to Seasonal and Zooplankton Diversity Relationships in Fishing Grounds of Mannar Gulf, India

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Selvin J. PITCHAIKANI

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Principal component analysis (PCA is a technique used to emphasize variation and bring out strong patterns in a dataset. It is often used to make data easy to explore and visualize. The primary objective of the present study was to record information of zooplankton diversity in a systematic way and to study the variability and relationships among seasons prevailed in Gulf of Mannar. The PCA for the zooplankton seasonal diversity was investigated using the four seasonal datasets to understand the statistical significance among the four seasons. Two different principal components (PC were segregated in all the seasons homogeneously. PCA analyses revealed that Temora turbinata is an opportunistic species and zooplankton diversity was significantly different from season to season and principally, the zooplankton abundance and its dynamics in Gulf of Mannar is structured by seasonal current patterns. The factor loadings of zooplankton for different seasons in Tiruchendur coastal water (GOM is different compared with the Southwest coast of India; particularly, routine and opportunistic species were found within the positive and negative factors. The copepods Acrocalanus gracilis and Acartia erythrea were dominant in summer and Southwest monsoon due to the rainfall and freshwater discharge during the summer season; however, these species were replaced by Temora turbinata during Northeast monsoon season.

Classification of freshwater ice conditions on the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain using ground penetrating radar and TerraSAR-X satellite data

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Benjamin M.; Gusmeroli, Alessio; Arp, Christopher D.; Strozzi, Tazio; Grosse, Guido; Gaglioti, Benjamin V.; Whitman, Matthew S.

2013-01-01

Arctic freshwater ecosystems have responded rapidly to climatic changes over the last half century. Lakes and rivers are experiencing a thinning of the seasonal ice cover, which may increase potential over-wintering freshwater habitat, winter water supply for industrial withdrawal, and permafrost degradation. Here, we combined the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and high-resolution (HR) spotlight TerraSAR-X (TSX) satellite data (1.25 m resolution) to identify and characterize floating ice and grounded ice conditions in lakes, ponds, beaded stream pools, and an alluvial river channel. Classified ice conditions from the GPR and the TSX data showed excellent agreement: 90.6% for a predominantly floating ice lake, 99.7% for a grounded ice lake, 79.0% for a beaded stream course, and 92.1% for the alluvial river channel. A GIS-based analysis of 890 surface water features larger than 0.01 ha showed that 42% of the total surface water area potentially provided over-wintering habitat during the 2012/2013 winter. Lakes accounted for 89% of this area, whereas the alluvial river channel accounted for 10% and ponds and beaded stream pools each accounted for landscape features such as beaded stream pools may be important because of their distribution and role in connecting other water bodies on the landscape. These findings advance techniques for detecting and knowledge associated with potential winter habitat distribution for fish and invertebrates at the local scale in a region of the Arctic with increasing stressors related to climate and land use change.

Biomass estimates of freshwater zooplankton from length-carbon regression equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrizia COMOLI

2000-02-01

Full Text Available We present length/carbon regression equations of zooplankton species collected from Lake Maggiore (N. Italy during 1992. The results are discussed in terms of the environmental factors, e.g. food availability, predation, controlling biomass production of particle- feeders and predators in the pelagic system of lakes. The marked seasonality in the length-standardized carbon content of Daphnia, and its time-specific trend suggest that from spring onward food availability for Daphnia population may be regarded as a simple decay function. Seasonality does not affect the carbon content/unit length of the two predator Cladocera Leptodora kindtii and Bythotrephes longimanus. Predation is probably the most important regulating factor for the seasonal dynamics of their carbon biomass. The existence of a constant factor to convert the diameter of Conochilus colonies into carbon seems reasonable for an organism whose population comes on quickly and just as quickly disappears.

Upstream freshwater and terrestrial sources are differentially reflected in the bacterial community structure along a small Arctic river and its estuary

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Aviaja Lyberth Hauptmann

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Glacier melting and altered precipitation patterns influence Arctic freshwater and coastal ecosystems. Arctic rivers are central to Arctic water ecosystems by linking glacier meltwaters and precipitation with the ocean through transport of particulate matter and microorganisms. However, the impact of different water sources on the microbial communities in Arctic rivers and estuaries remains unknown. In this study we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to assess a small river and its estuary on the Disko Island, West Greenland (69°N. Samples were taken in August when there is maximum precipitation and temperatures are high in the Disko Bay area. We describe the bacterial community through a river into the estuary, including communities originating in a glacier and a proglacial lake. Our results show that water from the glacier and lake transports distinct communities into the river in terms of diversity and community composition. Bacteria of terrestrial origin were among the dominating OTUs in the main river, while the glacier and lake supplied the river with water containing fewer terrestrial organisms. Also, more psychrophilic taxa were found in the community supplied by the lake. At the river mouth, the presence of dominant bacterial taxa from the lake and glacier was unnoticeable, but these taxa increased their abundances again further into the estuary. On average 23% of the estuary community consisted of indicator OTUs from different sites along the river. Environmental variables showed only weak correlations with community composition, suggesting that hydrology largely influences the observed patterns.

Upstream Freshwater and Terrestrial Sources Are Differentially Reflected in the Bacterial Community Structure along a Small Arctic River and Its Estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Hauptmann, Aviaja L.; Markussen, Thor N.; Stibal, Marek; Olsen, Nikoline S.; Elberling, Bo; Bælum, Jacob; Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas; Jacobsen, Carsten S.

2016-01-01

Glacier melting and altered precipitation patterns influence Arctic freshwater and coastal ecosystems. Arctic rivers are central to Arctic water ecosystems by linking glacier meltwaters and precipitation with the ocean through transport of particulate matter and microorganisms. However, the impact of different water sources on the microbial communities in Arctic rivers and estuaries remains unknown. In this study we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to assess a small river and its estuary on the Disko Island, West Greenland (69°N). Samples were taken in August when there is maximum precipitation and temperatures are high in the Disko Bay area. We describe the bacterial community through a river into the estuary, including communities originating in a glacier and a proglacial lake. Our results show that water from the glacier and lake transports distinct communities into the river in terms of diversity and community composition. Bacteria of terrestrial origin were among the dominating OTUs in the main river, while the glacier and lake supplied the river with water containing fewer terrestrial organisms. Also, more psychrophilic taxa were found in the community supplied by the lake. At the river mouth, the presence of dominant bacterial taxa from the lake and glacier was unnoticeable, but these taxa increased their abundances again further into the estuary. On average 23% of the estuary community consisted of indicator OTUs from different sites along the river. Environmental variables showed only weak correlations with community composition, suggesting that hydrology largely influences the observed patterns. PMID:27708629

Reviews and syntheses : Effects of permafrost thaw on Arctic aquatic ecosystems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vonk, J. E.; Tank, S. E.; Bowden, W.B.; Laurion, I.; Vincent, W. F.; Alekseychik, P.; Amyot, M.; Billet, M. F.; Canário, J.; Cory, R. M.; Deshpande, B. N.; Helbig, M.; Jammet, M.; Karlsson, J.; Larouche, J.; Macmillan, G.; Rautio, M.; Walter Anthony, K. M.; Wickland, K.P.

2015-01-01

The Arctic is a water-rich region, with freshwater systems covering about 16 % of the northern permafrost landscape. Permafrost thaw creates new freshwater ecosystems, while at the same time modifying the existing lakes, streams, and rivers that are impacted by thaw. Here, we describe the current

Article Review: Lessepsian migration of zooplankton through Suez Canal and its impact on ecological system

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Howaida Y. Zakaria

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The marine environment of the East Mediterranean has been considerably impacted in modern times by two man-made changes: the creation of a waterway between the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean basins and the control of the Nile fresh-water outflow. The opening of the Suez Canal caused a migration generally from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, and rarely in the opposite direction as the Red Sea is generally saltier and more nutrient-poor than the Atlantic, so the Red Sea species have advantages over Atlantic species in the salty and nutrient-poor eastern Mediterranean. Accordingly Red Sea species invaded the Mediterranean ecosystem and not vice versa; this phenomenon is known as the Lessepsian migration or erythrean invasion. The composition of zooplankton in the eastern Mediterranean has been shown to include a large proportion of Indo-Pacific and other circumtropical species which have successfully settled and proliferated in this environment. During the present study, an overview is provided on zooplankton migration through Suez Canal and its impact on the ecological system based on published literature. It is also meant with the hydrographic and zooplankton characteristics of the adjacent seas. It is clear that, except jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica, the negative impact of zooplankton Lessepsian migratory species in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters is not evident. Finally, it would be concluded that, a continuous monitoring programme will be needed to record the recent erythrean zooplankton species and follow up the distribution and abundance of those previously recorded as aliens to assess their impacts on the native biodiversity of the Mediterranean.

Zooplankton and fisheries

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.

is dominatEd. by herbivores. Zooplankton constitutes the main food item of several economic important animals. The pelagic fishes migrate in shoals to the feeding ground rich in food and hence zooplankton are used as indicators of rich potential fishing...

A comparison of PCB bioaccumulation factors between an arctic and a temperate marine food web.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobek, Anna; McLachlan, Michael S; Borgå, Katrine; Asplund, Lillemor; Lundstedt-Enkel, Katrin; Polder, Anuschka; Gustafsson, Orjan

2010-06-01

To test how environmental conditions in the Arctic and the resulting ecological adaptations affect accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the marine food web, bioaccumulation of four polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in an arctic (Barents Sea 77 degrees N-82 degrees N) and a temperate marine (Baltic Sea 54 degrees N-62 degrees N) food web were compared. Three different trophic levels were studied (zooplankton, fish, and seal), representing the span from first-level consumer to top predator. Previously published high-quality data on PCB water concentrations in the two areas were used for calculation of bioaccumulation factors (BAF). BAF was calculated as the ratio of the PCB concentration in the organism ([PCB](org); pg/kg lipid) to the dissolved water concentration (C(w); pg/L). The BAF(Arctic):BAF(Temperate) ratios were above 1 for all four PCB congeners in zooplankton (6.4-13.8) and planktivorous fish (2.9-5.0)), whereas the ratios were below 1 in seal. The mean ratio between arctic and temperate BAFs for all trophic levels and congeners (BAF(Arcti):BAF(Temperate)) was 4.8. When the data were corrected for the seawater temperature difference between the two ecosystems, the ratio was 2.0. We conclude that bioaccumulation differences caused by ecological or physiological adaptations of organisms between the two ecosystems were well within a water concentration variability of 50%. Further, our data support the hypothesis that lower seawater temperature lead to a thermodynamically favoured passive partitioning to organic matrices and thus elevated ambient BAFs in the Arctic compared to the Baltic Sea. This would imply that bioaccumulation in the Arctic may be described in the same way as bioaccumulation in temperate regions, e.g. by the use of mechanistic models parameterised for the Arctic. Copyright (c) 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A comparison of PCB bioaccumulation factors between an arctic and a temperate marine food web

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sobek, Anna; McLachlan, Michael S.; Borga, Katrine; Asplund, Lillemor; Lundstedt-Enkel, Katrin; Polder, Anuschka; Gustafsson, Orjan

2010-01-01

To test how environmental conditions in the Arctic and the resulting ecological adaptations affect accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the marine food web, bioaccumulation of four polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in an arctic (Barents Sea 77 o N-82 o N) and a temperate marine (Baltic Sea 54 o N-62 o N) food web were compared. Three different trophic levels were studied (zooplankton, fish, and seal), representing the span from first-level consumer to top predator. Previously published high-quality data on PCB water concentrations in the two areas were used for calculation of bioaccumulation factors (BAF). BAF was calculated as the ratio of the PCB concentration in the organism ([PCB] org ; pg/kg lipid) to the dissolved water concentration (C w ; pg/L). The BAF Arctic :BAF Temperate ratios were above 1 for all four PCB congeners in zooplankton (6.4-13.8) and planktivorous fish (2.9-5.0)), whereas the ratios were below 1 in seal. The mean ratio between arctic and temperate BAFs for all trophic levels and congeners (BAF Arcti :BAF Temperate ) was 4.8. When the data were corrected for the seawater temperature difference between the two ecosystems, the ratio was 2.0. We conclude that bioaccumulation differences caused by ecological or physiological adaptations of organisms between the two ecosystems were well within a water concentration variability of 50%. Further, our data support the hypothesis that lower seawater temperature lead to a thermodynamically favoured passive partitioning to organic matrices and thus elevated ambient BAFs in the Arctic compared to the Baltic Sea. This would imply that bioaccumulation in the Arctic may be described in the same way as bioaccumulation in temperate regions, e.g. by the use of mechanistic models parameterised for the Arctic.

The Interactive Effect of Multiple Stressors on Crustacean Zooplankton Communities in Montane Lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Brittain, Jeffrey T.; Strecker, Angela L.

2018-02-01

Nonnative fish introductions have altered thousands of naturally fishless montane lakes, resulting in cascading food web repercussions. Nitrogen deposition has been recognized as an anthropogenic contributor to acidification and eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems, which may affect the abundance and composition of planktonic communities. This study identified responses of zooplankton communities from two lakes (fish present versus absent) in Mount Rainier National Park to manipulations simulating an episodic disturbance of acidification and eutrophication via nitrogen addition in mesocosms. Zooplankton communities from lakes with different food web structure (i.e., fish present or absent) responded differently to the singular effects of acid and nitrogen addition. For instance, zooplankton biomass decreased in the acid treatment of the fishless lake experiment, but increased in response to acid in the fish-present experiment. In contrast, the combination of acid and nitrogen often resulted in weak responses for both lake types, resulting in nonadditive effects, i.e., the net effect of the stressors was in the opposite direction than predicted, which is known as a reversal or "ecological surprise." This experiment demonstrates the difficulty in predicting the interactive effects of multiple stressors on aquatic communities, which may pose significant challenges for habitat restoration through fish removal.

Collaborative Research: Improving Decadal Prediction of Arctic Climate Variability and Change Using a Regional Arctic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutowski, William J. [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2017-12-28

This project developed and applied a regional Arctic System model for enhanced decadal predictions. It built on successful research by four of the current PIs with support from the DOE Climate Change Prediction Program, which has resulted in the development of a fully coupled Regional Arctic Climate Model (RACM) consisting of atmosphere, land-hydrology, ocean and sea ice components. An expanded RACM, a Regional Arctic System Model (RASM), has been set up to include ice sheets, ice caps, mountain glaciers, and dynamic vegetation to allow investigation of coupled physical processes responsible for decadal-scale climate change and variability in the Arctic. RASM can have high spatial resolution (~4-20 times higher than currently practical in global models) to advance modeling of critical processes and determine the need for their explicit representation in Global Earth System Models (GESMs). The pan-Arctic region is a key indicator of the state of global climate through polar amplification. However, a system-level understanding of critical arctic processes and feedbacks needs further development. Rapid climate change has occurred in a number of Arctic System components during the past few decades, including retreat of the perennial sea ice cover, increased surface melting of the Greenland ice sheet, acceleration and thinning of outlet glaciers, reduced snow cover, thawing permafrost, and shifts in vegetation. Such changes could have significant ramifications for global sea level, the ocean thermohaline circulation and heat budget, ecosystems, native communities, natural resource exploration, and commercial transportation. The overarching goal of the RASM project has been to advance understanding of past and present states of arctic climate and to improve seasonal to decadal predictions. To do this the project has focused on variability and long-term change of energy and freshwater flows through the arctic climate system. The three foci of this research are: - Changes

Emergent Macrophytes Support Zooplankton in a Shallow Tropical Lake: A Basis for Wetland Conservation

Science.gov (United States)

Gebrehiwot, Mesfin; Kifle, Demeke; Triest, Ludwig

2017-12-01

Understanding the biodiversity value of littoral zones of lakes is a priority for aquatic biodiversity conservation. However, less emphasis has been given to the littoral part of tropical African lakes, with many of the previous researches focusing only on the open water side. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to investigate the impact of the littoral zone of a shallow freshwater tropical lake (Ziway, Ethiopia), dominated by two emergent macrophytes, on zooplankton community structure. We hypothesized that the wetland vegetation serves as a preferred microhabitat for zooplankton communities. A lake with substantial coverage of emergent macrophytes was monitored monthly from January to August, 2016. The monitoring included the measurements of physical, chemical, and biological parameters. Sampling sites were selected to represent areas of the macrophyte vegetation ( Typha latifolia and Phragmites australis) and the open water part of the lake. Sites with macrophyte vegetation were found to be the home of more dense and diverse zooplankton community. However, during the period of high vegetation loss, the density of crustacean zooplankton showed significant reduction within the patches of macrophytes. From biodiversity conservation perspective, it was concluded that the preservation of such small areas of macrophytes covering the littoral zone of lakes could be as important as protecting the whole lake. However, the rapid degradation of wetland vegetation by human activities is a real threat to the lake ecosystem. In the not-too-far future, it could displace and evict riparian vegetation and the biota it supports.

Zooplankton diversity of a protected and vulnerable wetland system in southern South America (Llancanelo area, Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Sabina D’Ambrosio

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract In arid regions, climatic conditions exert a great control on the aquatic systems present, but recent changes in climate have produced an enhanced salinization of the aquatic environments located there. Consequently, a major reduction in biodiversity would be expected in those wetlands that were originally fresh water. Salinity is a principal cause of reduced biodiversity particularly in zooplankton because few of those species can adapt to the salt pressure of saline environments. Therefore, the aim of this study was to gain essential information on the diversity of aquatic invertebrates in Llancanelo basin by focussing the analysis on the zooplankton community and exploring seasonal and spatial differences in the zooplankton assemblages of this vulnerable wetland system within an arid region of Argentina. Seasonal samples were taken at nine sites in the basin (a shallow lake, 4 springs, streams, and the Malargüe River. A total of 45 species were identified. The zooplankton abundance in the lake displayed a clear seasonal contrast and was higher than that recorded in the springs and lotic environments. Boeckella poopoensis, Fabrea salina, and Brachionus plicatilis predominated in the lake, indicating their halophilia. The presence of the crustaceans Alona sp., Macrocyclops albidus, and Paracyclops fimbriatus was restricted to the springs; whereas Notholca labis and Notholca squamula were found only in running water. The zooplankton species richness in the Llancanelo area is low because of both the salt content in the lake and the irregularity of freshwater entry in all locations during the annual cycle.

Rapid evolution of tolerance to road salt in zooplankton.

Science.gov (United States)

Coldsnow, Kayla D; Mattes, Brian M; Hintz, William D; Relyea, Rick A

2017-03-01

Organisms around the globe are experiencing novel environments created by human activities. One such disturbance of growing concern is the salinization of freshwater habitats from the application of road deicing salts, which creates salinity levels not experienced within the recent evolutionary history of most freshwater organisms. Moreover, salinization can induce trophic cascades and alter the structure of freshwater communities, but knowledge is still scarce about the ability of freshwater organisms to adapt to elevated salinity. We examined if a common zooplankton of freshwater lakes (Daphnia pulex) could evolve a tolerance to the most commonly used road deicing salt (sodium chloride, NaCl). Using a mesocosm experiment, we exposed freshwater communities containing Daphnia to five levels of NaCl (15, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 mg Cl -  L -1 ). After 2.5 months, we collected Daphnia from each mesocosm and raised them in the lab for three generations under low salt conditions (15 mg Cl -  L -1 ). We then conducted a time-to-death experiment with varying concentrations of NaCl (30, 1300, 1500, 1700, 1900 mg Cl -  L -1 ) to test for evolved tolerance. All Daphnia populations exhibited high survival when subsequently exposed to the lowest salt concentration (30 mg Cl -  L -1 ). At the intermediate concentration (1300 mg Cl -  L -1 ), however, populations previously exposed to elevated concentrations (i.e.100-1000 mg Cl -  L -1 ) had higher survival than populations previously exposed to natural background levels (15 mg Cl -  L -1 ). All populations survived poorly when subsequently exposed to the highest concentrations (1500, 1700, and 1900 mg Cl -  L -1 ). Our results show that the evolution of tolerance to moderate levels of salt can occur within 2.5 months, or 5-10 generations, in Daphnia. Given the importance of Daphnia in freshwater food webs, such evolved tolerance might allow Daphnia to buffer food webs from the impacts of freshwater

An approach to estimate the freshwater contribution from glacial melt and precipitation in East Greenland shelf waters using colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stedmon, Colin; Granskog, Mats A.; Dodd, Paul A.

2015-01-01

Changes in the supply and storage of freshwater in the Arctic Ocean and its subsequent export to the North Atlantic can potentially influence ocean circulation and climate. In order to understand how the Arctic freshwater budget is changing and the potential impacts, it is important to develop......, and precipitation) and sea ice melt. We develop this approach further and investigate the use of an additional tracer, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), which is largely specific to freshwater originating from Arctic rivers. A robust relationship between the freshwater contribution from meteoric water...... processes (riverine input and sea ice formation), while previously, these waters where thought to be derived from open sea processes (cooling and sea ice formation) in the northern Barents and Kara Seas. In Greenlandic coastal waters the meteoric water contribution is influenced by Greenland ice sheet...

Spatial variations in zooplankton diversity in waters contaminated with composite effluents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asitava CHATTERJEE

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Zooplankton species are cosmopolitan in their clean freshwater habitat and are also found in industrial and municipal wastewaters. The present study records for the first time the aspects of zooplankton diversity in relation to physico-chemical environment of five selected sites of the East Calcutta wetlands, a Ramsar site of Kolkata city, India, heavily contaminated by industrial and municipal wastewaters. The study revealed the occurrence of 22 species of zooplankton, among these 3 species of Cladocera, 2 species of Copepoda, 15 species of Rotifera, and 2 species of Ostracoda were recorded. The copepod Mesocyclops leuckarti was found in all the five sites, rotifers Asplanchna brightwelli, Brachionus angularis, B. calyciflorus and Cladocera Ceriodaphnia cornuta were found in four sites; Moina micrura and Diaphanosoma sarsi were found at three sites. Site wise variation in dominance, diversity, evenness and richness were calculated. Site 1, a fish-pond that stabilized composite wastewater, showed the maximum species richness having 17 species, while Site 2, SWF wastewater carrying canal, showed only 4 species. The calculated Jack 1 values of Sites 1 to 5 were 21.78, 3.77, 18.63, 12.5 and 16.95 respectively. Shannon-Wiener species diversity index (H/ values were almost similar for all the three relatively less polluted sites viz, Site 1 (1.959, Site 4 (2.010, Site 5 (2.047. However, at highly polluted sites viz., 2 and 3, H/ value of 1.336 and 0.984 respectively, were calculated. Simpson’s Dominance index (Dsimp value was highest at Site 3 (0.618 indicating maximum dominance, whereas at Site 5 dominance was lowest (0.1680 and diversity was highest. We discuss the role of zooplankton in the amelioration of wastewater.

The relation between Arctic Ocean circulation and the Arctic Oscillation as revealed by satellite altimetry and gravimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Morison, J.; Kwok, R.; Peralta Ferriz, C.; Dickinson, S.; Morison, D.; Andersen, R.; Dewey, S.

2017-12-01

Arctic Ocean circulation is commonly characterized by the persistent anticyclonic Beaufort Gyre in the Canada Basin and the Transpolar Drift. While these are clearly important features, their role in changing Arctic Ocean circulation is at times distorted by sampling biases inherent in drifting buoy and standard shipboard measurements of western nations. Hydrographic measurements from SCICEX submarine cruises for science in the early 1990s revealed an increasingly cyclonic circulation along the Russian side of the Arctic Ocean related to the low sea level pressure pattern in the same region associated with a high Arctic Oscillation (AO) index. More recently satellite altimetry (ICESat and CryoSat2) and gravimetry (GRACE) have provided the basin-wide observational coverage needed to see shifts to increased cyclonic circulation in 2004 to 2008 and decreased cyclonic circulation in 2008 to 2015. These shifts are related to changes in the AO and are important for their effect on the trajectories of sea ice and freshwater through the Arctic Ocean.

Exploitation dynamics of small fish stocks like Arctic cisco

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Jennifer L.

2004-01-01

Potential impacts to the Arctic cisco population fall into both demographic and behavioral categories. Possible demographic impacts include stock recruitment effects, limited escapement into marine habitats, and variable age-class reproductive success. Potential behavioral impacts involve migratory patterns, variable life histories, and strategies for seasonal feeding. Arctic cisco stocks are highly susceptible to over-exploitation due to our limited basic knowledge of the highly variable Arctic environment and the role they play in this dynamic ecosystem.Our knowledge of potential demographic changes is very limited, and it is necessary to determine the abundance and recruitment of the hypothesized Mackenzie River source population, the extent of the coastal migratory corridor, growth patterns, and coastal upwelling and mixing effects on population dynamics for this species. Information needed to answer some of the demographic questions includes basic evolutionary history and molecular genetics of Arctic cisco (for instance, are there contributions to the Arctic cisco stock from the Yukon?), what is the effective population size (i.e., breeding population size), and potential links to changes in climate. The basic behavioral questions include migratory and variable life history questions. For instance, the extent of movement back and forth between freshwater and the sea, age-specific differences in food web dynamics, and nearshore brackish and high salinity habitats are topics that should be studied. Life history data should be gathered to understand the variation in age at reproduction, salinity tolerance, scale and duration of the freshwater stage, survival, and adult migration. Both molecular and ecological tools should be integrated to manage the Arctic cisco stock(s), such as understanding global climate changes on patterns of harvest and recruitment, and the genetics of population structure and colonization. Perhaps other populations are contributing to the

Selected physical, biological and biogeochemical implications of a rapidly changing Arctic Marginal Ice Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, David G.; Hop, Haakon; Mundy, Christopher J.; Else, Brent; Dmitrenko, Igor A.; Tremblay, Jean-Eric; Ehn, Jens K.; Assmy, Philipp; Daase, Malin; Candlish, Lauren M.; Rysgaard, Søren

2015-12-01

The Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) of the Arctic Ocean is changing rapidly due to a warming Arctic climate with commensurate reductions in sea ice extent and thickness. This Pan-Arctic review summarizes the main changes in the Arctic ocean-sea ice-atmosphere (OSA) interface, with implications for primary- and secondary producers in the ice and the underlying water column. Changes in the Arctic MIZ were interpreted for the period 1979-2010, based on best-fit regressions for each month. Trends of increasingly open water were statistically significant for each month, with quadratic fit for August-November, illustrating particularly strong seasonal feedbacks in sea-ice formation and decay. Geographic interpretations of physical and biological changes were based on comparison of regions with significant changes in sea ice: (1) The Pacific Sector of the Arctic Ocean including the Canada Basin and the Beaufort, Chukchi and East Siberian seas; (2) The Canadian Arctic Archipelago; (3) Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay; and (4) the Barents and Kara seas. Changes in ice conditions in the Barents sea/Kara sea region appear to be primarily forced by ocean heat fluxes during winter, whereas changes in the other sectors appear to be more summer-autumn related and primarily atmospherically forced. Effects of seasonal and regional changes in OSA-system with regard to increased open water were summarized for photosynthetically available radiation, nutrient delivery to the euphotic zone, primary production of ice algae and phytoplankton, ice-associated fauna and zooplankton, and gas exchange of CO2. Changes in the physical factors varied amongst regions, and showed direct effects on organisms linked to sea ice. Zooplankton species appear to be more flexible and likely able to adapt to variability in the onset of primary production. The major changes identified for the ice-associated ecosystem are with regard to production timing and abundance or biomass of ice flora and fauna, which are related to

Biodiversity of Arctic marine ecosystems and responses to climate change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michel, C.; Bluhm, B.; Gallucci, V.

2012-01-01

The Arctic Ocean is undergoing major changes in many of its fundamental physical constituents, from a shift from multi- to first-year ice, shorter ice-covered periods, increasing freshwater runoff and surface stratification, to warming and alteration in the distribution of water masses....... These changes have important impacts on the chemical and biological processes that are at the root of marine food webs, influencing their structure, function and biodiversity. Here we summarise current knowledge on the biodiversity of Arctic marine ecosystems and provide an overview of fundamental factors...... that structure ecosystem biodiversity in the Arctic Ocean. We also discuss climateassociated effects on the biodiversity of Arctic marine ecosystems and discuss implications for the functioning of Arctic marine food webs. Based on the complexity and regional character of Arctic ecosystem reponses...

Transcriptomic Markers of Lipid Synthesis and Deposition in the Arctic Planktonic Copepod Calanus glacialis

Science.gov (United States)

Bucklin, A. C.; Tarrant, A. M.; DiVito, K. R.; Reese, B.; O'Neill, R. J.; Knutsen, T.; Wiebe, P. H.

2016-02-01

The zooplankton assemblage of the Arctic Ocean is directly impacted by the rapid climate shifts, including warming, loss of ice cover, and changes in the composition of the pelagic assemblage at all trophic levels. Arctic zooplankton species will likely exhibit the full range of responses, including acclimation, adaptation, biogeographical range shifts, and local extinction. The copepod Calanus glacialis has been characterized as an opportunistic species that can switch between active feeding (on either phytoplankton or ice algae) and use of stored energy reserves, including both long-term stores of wax esters in a lipid sac and more dynamic reservoirs of triglycerides throughout the body. This study examined differential expression of selected genes associated with lipid synthesis and deposition pathways in field-caught specimens of C. glacialis. Samples were collected in shelf and offshore regions north and west of Svalbard (Norway) during an August-September, 2015 cruise of the R/V Helmer-Hanssen associated with the SI_Arctic program. Specimens of C. glacialis were photographed to allow analysis of lipid sac volume, and then flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen for analysis of differential gene expression by quantitative PCR (qPCR). The goal of this effort is to use transcriptomic markers to understand how C. glacialis may respond to warming temperatures and changes in time/space patterns of food availability. Our hypothesis is that C. glacialis may exhibit opportunistic life history patterns and physiological responses that pre-adapt the species to acclimation and/or adaptation to environmental variation associated with climate change in Arctic regions.

Responses of trophic structure and zooplankton community to salinity and temperature in Tibetan lakes: Implication for the effect of climate warming.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Qiuqi; Xu, Lei; Hou, Juzhi; Liu, Zhengwen; Jeppesen, Erik; Han, Bo-Ping

2017-11-01

Warming has pronounced effects on lake ecosystems, either directly by increased temperatures or indirectly by a change in salinity. We investigated the current status of zooplankton communities and trophic structure in 45 Tibetan lakes along a 2300 m altitude and a 76 g/l salinity gradient. Freshwater to hyposaline lakes mainly had three trophic levels: phytoplankton, small zooplankton and fish/Gammarus, while mesosaline to hypersaline lakes only had two: phytoplankton and large zooplankton. Zooplankton species richness declined significantly with salinity, but did not relate with temperature. Furthermore, the decline in species richness with salinity in lakes with two trophic levels was much less abrupt than in lakes with three trophic levels. The structural variation of the zooplankton community depended on the length of the food chain, and was significantly explained by salinity as the critical environmental variable. The zooplankton community shifted from dominance of copepods and small cladoceran species in the lakes with low salinity and three trophic levels to large saline filter-feeding phyllopod species in those lakes with high salinity and two trophic levels. The zooplankton to phytoplankton biomass ratio was positively related with temperature in two-trophic-level systems and vice versa in three-trophic-level systems. As the Tibetan Plateau is warming about three times faster than the global average, our results imply that warming could have a considerable impact on the structure and function of Tibetan lake ecosystems, either via indirect effects of salinization/desalinization on species richness, composition and trophic structure or through direct effects of water temperature on trophic interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contaminants in the Greenland terrestrial and freshwater environment. National assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riget, F.; Aastrup, P.; Dietz, R.

1997-01-01

The present report reviews the available information on heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and radioactivity in the Greenland freshwater and terrestrial environments. Levels in lake sediments, soil, humus and organisms are presented, spatial and temporal trends are discussed and where possible also biological effects. Many of the contaminants that occur in the Greenland environment originate from distant sources outside of the region, and are transported to the Arctic via three major pathways - atmospheric, terrestrial/freshwater and marine. The main sources of pollution in Greenland is considered to be the industrialization of Eurasia. Pollutants are mainly. The organochlorine levels in Greenland char are typically in the low range compared to values reported from Canada. The Greenland sediment samples showed all organochlorine values below the detection limits of 0.1 μg/kg dry weight, thus being among the lowest contaminated sediments within the Arctic. The total content of PAH in the Greenland sediment samples ranged between 78-635 μ3 g/kg dry wight, with a geometric mean of 178 μg/kg, comparable to or lower than reported values from other arctic countries. The lowest concentrations of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Greenland terrestrial and freshwater environment are found in the northern parts of Greenland and the highest in the south western parts. The main source of anthropogenic radioactivity is nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere and the fallout from this activity is closely related to the amounts of precipitation. The predominant foodchain in the Arctic with regard to transport of radiocaesium to man is: Lichen-reindeer-man. Although the doses from the terrestrial foodchain are 20 times higher than those received from the marine foodchain, they are not considered to be of any relevance for the human health in Greenland. 4 appendices contain experimental results. (EG)

Abundant Pre-Industrial Carbon Emitted by Arctic Inland Waters

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, J.; Van der Velde, Y.; Billett, M. F.; Dinsmore, K. J.; Garnett, M.; Meisel, O.; Dolman, A. J.

2017-12-01

Mobilization of carbon (C) derived from soil/sediment organic matter into inland freshwaters constitutes a substantial, but poorly-constrained, component of the global C cycle. Radiocarbon (14C) analysis has proven a valuable tool in tracing the sources and fate of mobilized C, but aquatic 14C studies in permafrost regions rarely detect 'old' C (assimilated from the atmosphere into plants and soil prior to AD1950). This is partly due to a focus on dissolved organic C (DOC) in many Arctic inland water 14C studies to date, now known to be an insensitive method for detecting old C. Crucially, the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) derived from old permafrost C by aquatic systems contributes to a positive climate feedback loop: the 'Permafrost Climate Feedback' (PCF). Here, we measure directly the 14C content and quantify fluxes of aquatic CO2 and CH4, alongside DOC and particulate-OC, in freshwater systems of the Canadian and Siberian Arctic tundra - the first such concurrent 14C measurements from freshwater systems. Aquatic C increased in age significantly over the snow-free season as the active layer deepened (Figure 1). However, 'modern' C (assimilated since AD1950) still dominated aquatic CO2 and CH4 emissions, except where deep ancient (6,000 to 50,000 yBP) C was exposed. Age distribution modeling of these bulk 14C samples indicated that 'pre-industrial' C (assimilated prior to AD1750) comprised 15-30% of aquatic GHGs (Figure 1). Further, we estimate that 15-20% of total CO2 and CH4 emissions were derived from old C previously locked up in permafrost soils and thus contributed to the PCF. These results demonstrate the previously unknown presence of aged C within Arctic headwater GHG emissions that could be equivalent to 7.5-28.2 Tg C yr-1 across the pan-Arctic.

State of the Arctic Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The Arctic environment, covering about 21 million km 2 , is in this connection regarded as the area north of the Arctic Circle. General biological and physical features of the terrestrial and freshwater environments of the Arctic are briefly described, but most effort is put into a description of the marine part which constitutes about two-thirds of the total Arctic environment. General oceanography and morphological characteristics are included; e.g. that the continental shelf surrounding the Arctic deep water basins covers approximately 36% of the surface areas of Arctic waters, but contains only 2% of the total water masses. Blowout accident may release thousands of tons of oil per day and last for months. They occur statistically very seldom, but the magnitude underlines the necessity of an efficient oil spill contingency as well as sound safety and quality assurance procedures. Contingency plans should be coordinated and regularly evaluated through simulated and practical tests of performance. Arctic conditions demand alternative measures compared to those otherwise used for oil spill prevention and clean-up. New concepts or optimization of existing mechanical equipment is necessary. Chemical and thermal methods should be evaluated for efficiency and possible environmental effects. Both due to regular discharges of oil contaminated drilled cuttings and the possibility of a blowout or other spills, drilling operations in biological sensitive areas may be regulated to take place only during the less sensitive parts of the year. 122 refs., 8 figs., 8 tabs

Behavior of technetium in freshwater environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blaylock, B.G.; Frank, M.L.; Hoffman, F.O.; DeAngelis, D.L.

1984-01-01

In a previous study, /sup 95m/Tc, as a pertechnetate, was released to a small, experimental, freshwater pond, and the concentrations were determined in biotic and abiotic components of the pond ecosystem. A simple mathematical model was developed to predict the concentration of /sup 95m/Tc in fish and snails. Results from this study indicated that uptake through the food chain was an important source of technetium to the higher trophic levels (i.e., fish). In the current study, an experimental pond was spiked with /sup 95m/Tc in the pertechnetate form, and the concentrations of /sup 95m/Tc were measured in the lower trophic levels. Emphasis was placed on measuring the concentration of /sup 95m/Tc in zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and the aquatic macrophyte Elodea canadensis. Fish were excluded from the pond to allow the development of a large zooplankton population. The concentration of /sup 95m/Tc in water decreased from 0.75 Bq/mL 1 h after the pond was spiked, to 0.21 Bq/mL at 20 d. Throughout the experiment, at least 98% of the /sup 95m/Tc in the water was in the dissolved fraction (0.4 ..mu..m). Zooplankton accumulated /sup 95m/Tc rapidly, having concentration factors (Bq/g sample wet wt. divided by Bq/g water) ranging from 3 at 4 h to 36 at 20 d. Concentration factors ranged from 3 to 8 for benthic insects and from 1 to 62 for the aquatic macrophyte.

Behavior of technetium in freshwater environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blaylock, B.G.; Frank, M.L.; Hoffman, F.O.; DeAngelis, D.L.

1984-01-01

In a previous study, /sup 95m/Tc, as a pertechnetate, was released to a small, experimental, freshwater pond, and the concentrations were determined in biotic and abiotic components of the pond ecosystem. A simple mathematical model was developed to predict the concentration of /sup 95m/Tc in fish and snails. Results from this study indicated that uptake through the food chain was an important source of technetium to the higher trophic levels (i.e., fish). In the current study, an experimental pond was spiked with /sup 95m/Tc in the pertechnetate form, and the concentrations of /sup 95m/Tc were measured in the lower trophic levels. Emphasis was placed on measuring the concentration of /sup 95m/Tc in zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and the aquatic macrophyte Elodea canadensis. Fish were excluded from the pond to allow the development of a large zooplankton population. The concentration of /sup 95m/Tc in water decreased from 0.75 Bq/mL 1 h after the pond was spiked, to 0.21 Bq/mL at 20 d. Throughout the experiment, at least 98% of the /sup 95m/Tc in the water was in the dissolved fraction (0.4 μm). Zooplankton accumulated /sup 95m/Tc rapidly, having concentration factors (Bq/g sample wet wt. divided by Bq/g water) ranging from 3 at 4 h to 36 at 20 d. Concentration factors ranged from 3 to 8 for benthic insects and from 1 to 62 for the aquatic macrophyte

Imazethapyr and imazapic, bispyribac-sodium and penoxsulam: Zooplankton and dissipation in subtropical rice paddy water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reimche, Geovane B., E-mail: geovane_reimche@yahoo.com.br [Department of Plant Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS (Brazil); Machado, Sérgio L.O. [Department of Plant Protection, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS (Brazil); Oliveira, Maria Angélica [Department of Biology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS (Brazil); Zanella, Renato; Dressler, Valderi Luiz; Flores, Erico M.M. [Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS (Brazil); Gonçalves, Fábio F. [School of Chemistry and Food, Federal Foundation University of Rio Grande (FURG), 95500-000 Santo Antônio da Patrulha, RS (Brazil); Donato, Filipe F.; Nunes, Matheus A.G. [Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS (Brazil)

2015-05-01

Herbicides are very effective at eliminating weed and are largely used in rice paddy around the world, playing a fundamental role in maximizing yield. Therefore, considering the flooded environment of rice paddies, it is necessary to understand the side effects on non-target species. Field experiment studies were carried out during two rice growing seasons in order to address how the commonly-used herbicides imazethapyr and imazapic, bispyribac-sodium and penoxsulam, used at recommended dosage, affect water quality and the non-target zooplankton community using outdoor rice field microcosm set-up. The shortest (4.9 days) and longest (12.2 days) herbicide half-life mean, estimated of the dissipation rate (k) is shown for imazethapyr and bispyribac-sodium, respectively. Some water quality parameters (pH, conductivity, hardness, BOD{sub 5}, boron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and chlorides) achieved slightly higher values at the herbicide treatment. Zooplankton community usually quickly recovered from the tested herbicide impact. Generally, herbicides led to an increase of cladocera, copepods and nauplius population, while rotifer population decreased, with recovery at the end of the experiment (88 days after herbicide treatment). - Highlights: • Selective herbicides in paddy rice fields, do not affect water quality. • Zooplankton communities show good response with herbicide dissipation. • The use of commercial herbicide mixture has strong effects on freshwater Rotifers.

Cross-Border Assessment of Environmental Radioactivity in the Euro-Arctic Region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nalbandyan, Anna; Gwynn, Justin P.; Moeller, Bredo [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA), Section High North, 9296 Tromsoe (Norway); Leppaenen, Ari-Pekka; Rasilainen, Tiina [STUK Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Regional Laboratory in Northern Finland, 96400 Rovaniemi (Finland); Kasatkina, Nadezhda; Usiagina, Irina [Murmansk Marine Biological Institute (MMBI), 183010 Murmansk (Russian Federation)

2014-07-01

The Euro-Arctic region is currently experiencing rapid changes in environmental, social and economic conditions. The issue of environmental radioactivity is of special concern to the Arctic region due to numerous existing and potential sources of radioactive pollution in the immediate and adjacent areas. Due to cross-border nature of any potential radioactive contamination and common challenges in border countries, one should consider risks related to radioactivity, monitoring and protection at a regional and international level. This research presents results of cross-border cooperation between Norway, Finland and Russia and joint assessment of the status of terrestrial radioactivity in the Euro-Arctic region and in particular across Troms and Finnmark (Norway), Lapland (Finland) and Murmansk Oblast (Russia). To assess current environmental radioactivity levels in the terrestrial environment, environmental samples were collected in each country in 2010-2012. The main focus was comparison of radioactivity levels in the natural food products such as berries, mushrooms and freshwater fish. The results showed that large variations in activity concentrations exist between species and sampling areas. However, activity concentrations of {sup 137}Cs in all berries and mushrooms in Northern Norway, Finland and Russia were below the national limits set for commercial retail and well below the national limits for freshwater fish from Northern Norway and Finland. The sampled species from three countries were analysed in order to find out reference species available for further monitoring and data comparison. The doses to man arising from consumption of berries, mushrooms and freshwater fish were calculated. To compare overall terrestrial radioactivity levels in the Euro-Arctic region, partners exchanged long-term monitoring data available in the three countries such as data for soil, vegetation, berries, mushrooms, lichens, reindeer meat, freshwater fish, whole body counting

Adaptive strategies and life history characteristics in a warming climate: salmon in the Arctic?

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Jennifer L.; Ruggerone, Gregory T.; Zimmerman, Christian E.

2013-01-01

In the warming Arctic, aquatic habitats are in flux and salmon are exploring their options. Adult Pacific salmon, including sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), coho (O. kisutch), Chinook (O. tshawytscha), pink (O. gorbuscha) and chum (O. keta) have been captured throughout the Arctic. Pink and chum salmon are the most common species found in the Arctic today. These species are less dependent on freshwater habitats as juveniles and grow quickly in marine habitats. Putative spawning populations are rare in the North American Arctic and limited to pink salmon in drainages north of Point Hope, Alaska, chum salmon spawning rivers draining to the northwestern Beaufort Sea, and small populations of chum and pink salmon in Canada’s Mackenzie River. Pacific salmon have colonized several large river basins draining to the Kara, Laptev and East Siberian seas in the Russian Arctic. These populations probably developed from hatchery supplementation efforts in the 1960’s. Hundreds of populations of Arctic Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are found in Russia, Norway and Finland. Atlantic salmon have extended their range eastward as far as the Kara Sea in central Russian. A small native population of Atlantic salmon is found in Canada’s Ungava Bay. The northern tip of Quebec seems to be an Atlantic salmon migration barrier for other North American stocks. Compatibility between life history requirements and ecological conditions are prerequisite for salmon colonizing Arctic habitats. Broad-scale predictive models of climate change in the Arctic give little information about feedback processes contributing to local conditions, especially in freshwater systems. This paper reviews the recent history of salmon in the Arctic and explores various patterns of climate change that may influence range expansions and future sustainability of salmon in Arctic habitats. A summary of the research needs that will allow informed expectation of further Arctic colonization by salmon is given.

NODC Standard Product: International ocean atlas Volume 6 - Zooplankton of the Arctic Seas 2002 (NODC Accession 0098570)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Physical and biological data for the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions extending from the Barents Sea to the Northwest Pacific, sampled during 25 scientific cruises for...

Effects of UV radiation on freshwater metazooplankton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tartarotti, B.

1999-06-01

There is evidence that fluxes of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 290-320 nm) are increasing over wide parts of the earth's surface due to stratospheric ozone depletion. UV radiation (290-400 nm) can have damaging effects on biomolecules and cell components that are common to most living organisms. The aim of this thesis is to gain a more thorough understanding of the potential impacts of solar radiation on freshwater metazooplankton. To detect UV-vulnerability in zooplankton populations dominating the zooplankton community of two clear-water, high mountain lakes located one in the Austrian Alps and another in the Chilean Andes, the survival of two copepod species was studied. The organisms were exposed to a 10- to 100-fold increase in UV-B radiation compared to those levels found at their natural, maximum daytime distribution. Both species vertically migrate and are pigmented. UV-absorbing compounds with a maximum absorption at ∼334 nm were also detected. Cyclops abyssorum tatricus, a common cyclopoid copepod species of Alpine lakes, was highly resistant to UV-B radiation and no significant lethal effect was observed. The calanoid copepod Boeckella gracilipes, frequent in Andean lakes, had a mortality ∼5 times higher in the treatment receiving full sunlight than in the UV-B excluded treatment (3.2 %) only when exposed for 70 h. The resistance of B. gracilipes was higher than that reported in the literature for the same species suggesting the existence of intraspecific differences in UV sensitivity. Survival, fecundity and development of the zooplankton community of a clear-water, high elevation Andean lake (33 o S) were studied with mesocosms experiments after prolonged UV exposure (48 days). When exposed to full sunlight, the population of the cladoceran Chydorus sphaericus and the rotifer Lepadella ovalis were strongly inhibited by UV-B, whereas both species were resistant to UV-A radiation. Conversely, UV-B radiation had no effect on the survival of the

Trait-based approaches to zooplankton communities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lichtman, E.; Ohman, M.D.; Kiørboe, Thomas

2013-01-01

in ecosystem models. Characterizing zooplankton traits and trade-offs will also be helpful in understanding the selection pressures and diversity patterns that emerge in different ecosystems along major environmental gradients. Zooplankton traits can be characterized according to their function and type. Some......; develop novel predictive models that explicitly incorporate traits and associated trade-offs; and utilize these traits to explain and predict zooplankton community structure and dynamics under different environmental conditions, including global change scenarios......Zooplankton are major primary consumers and predators in most aquatic ecosystems. They exhibit tremendous diversity of traits, ecological strategies and, consequently, impacts on other trophic levels and the cycling of materials and energy. An adequate representation of this diversity in community...

Cesium in Arctic char lakes - effects of the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammar, J.; Notter, M.; Neumann, G.

1991-01-01

Fallout radiocesium from the Chernobyl accident caused extensive contamination in a region of previously well studied alpine lake ecosystems in northern Sweden. Levels of Cs-137 in the barren catchment basins reached 20-50 kBq/m 2 during 1986. The distribution, pathways and major transport mechanisms of radiocesium through the lake ecosystems were studied during 1986-1990. Levels of Cs-137, Cs-134 and K-40 in water, surface sediment, detritus (sediment traps) and different trophic levels of the food chains of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) were monitored in a series of lakes forming a matrix of 4 natural lakes and 3 lake reservoirs, with or without the introduced new fish food organism, Mysis relicta. The reservoirs were found to act as sinks for radiocesium with extensive accumulation recorded in water, detritus, sediment, invertebrates and salmonids. Whereas concentrations in water and biota have declined from the extreme peak levels in 1986-1987, the levels in surface sediment increased extensively until fall of 1988. The concentration of Cs-137 in fish populations feeding on benthic invertebrates, i.e. mysids and amphipods, were significantly higher than in planktivorous fish. During the three first winters a significant increase in levels of Cs-137 in winter active Arctic char were recorded, whereas the levels declined during the succeeding summers. The introduced Mysis relicta were found to enhance the transport of Cs-137 from zooplankton and settling particles to Arctic char and brown trout. The results suggest a successive change in transport of radiocesium from water via zooplankton to planktivorous fish during the early summer of 1986 to post-depositional mobilization via benthic organisms to benthic fish in successive years. (213 refs.) (au)

Coordinating for Arctic Conservation: Implementing Integrated Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring, Data Management and Reporting

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, M.; Svoboda, M.

2012-12-01

themes (Marine, Freshwater, and Terrestrial). Each group, representing a diversity of disciplines, is tasked with developing and implementing pan-arctic integrated biodiversity monitoring plans for the Arctic's ecosystems. To facilitate effective reporting and data management, the CBMP is developing a suite of indices and indicators and a web-based data portal that will be used to report on the current state of arctic biodiversity at various scales and levels of detail to suit a wide range of audiences (e.g. local Arctic communities, regional and national governments and the Convention on Biological Diversity). The current and planned CBMP biodiversity monitoring underpins these indicators and indices. The presentation will highlight the CBMP approach and provide some examples of how integrated monitoring, data management and reporting are leading to more informed decision-making.

River discharge as a major driving force on spatial and temporal variations in zooplankton biomass and community structure in the Godavari estuary India.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkataramana, V; Sarma, V V S S; Matta Reddy, Alavala

2017-08-28

Variability in horizontal zooplankton biomass distribution was investigated over 13 months in the Godavari estuary, along with physical (river discharge, temperature, salinity), chemical (nutrients, particulate organic matter), biological (phytoplankton biomass), and geological (suspended matter) properties to examine the influencing factors on their spatial and temporal variabilities. The entire estuary was filled with freshwater during peak discharge period and salinity near zero, increased to ~ 34 psu during dry period with relatively high nutrient levels during former than the latter period. Due to low flushing time ( 500 mg L -1 ) during peak discharge period, picoplankton (cyanophyceae) contributed significantly to the phytoplankton biomass (Chl-a) whereas microplankton and nanoplankton (bacillariophyceae, and chlorophyceae) during moderate and mostly microplankton during dry period. Zooplankton biomass was the lowest during peak discharge period and increased during moderate followed by dry period. The zooplankton abundance was controlled by dead organic matter during peak discharge period, while both phytoplankton biomass and dead organic matter during moderate discharge and mostly phytoplankton biomass during dry period. This study suggests that significant modification of physico-chemical properties by river discharge led to changes in phytoplankton composition and dead organic matter concentrations that alters biomass, abundance, and composition of zooplankton in the Godavari estuary.

A 4.5 km resolution Arctic Ocean simulation with the global multi-resolution model FESOM 1.4

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiang; Wekerle, Claudia; Danilov, Sergey; Wang, Xuezhu; Jung, Thomas

2018-04-01

In the framework of developing a global modeling system which can facilitate modeling studies on Arctic Ocean and high- to midlatitude linkage, we evaluate the Arctic Ocean simulated by the multi-resolution Finite Element Sea ice-Ocean Model (FESOM). To explore the value of using high horizontal resolution for Arctic Ocean modeling, we use two global meshes differing in the horizontal resolution only in the Arctic Ocean (24 km vs. 4.5 km). The high resolution significantly improves the model's representation of the Arctic Ocean. The most pronounced improvement is in the Arctic intermediate layer, in terms of both Atlantic Water (AW) mean state and variability. The deepening and thickening bias of the AW layer, a common issue found in coarse-resolution simulations, is significantly alleviated by using higher resolution. The topographic steering of the AW is stronger and the seasonal and interannual temperature variability along the ocean bottom topography is enhanced in the high-resolution simulation. The high resolution also improves the ocean surface circulation, mainly through a better representation of the narrow straits in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA). The representation of CAA throughflow not only influences the release of water masses through the other gateways but also the circulation pathways inside the Arctic Ocean. However, the mean state and variability of Arctic freshwater content and the variability of freshwater transport through the Arctic gateways appear not to be very sensitive to the increase in resolution employed here. By highlighting the issues that are independent of model resolution, we address that other efforts including the improvement of parameterizations are still required.

Synthesizing International Understanding of Changes in the Arctic Hydrological System

Science.gov (United States)

Pundsack, J. W.; Vorosmarty, C. J.; Hinzman, L. D.

2009-12-01

There are several notable gaps in our current level of understanding of Arctic hydrological systems. At the same time, rapidly emerging data sets, technologies, and modeling resources provide us with an unprecedented opportunity to move substantially forward. The Arctic Community-Wide Hydrological Analysis and Monitoring Program (Arctic-CHAMP), funded by NSF/ARCSS, was established to initiate a major effort to improve our current monitoring of water cycle variables, and to foster collaboration with the many relevant U.S. and international arctic research initiatives. These projects, funded under ARCSS through the ‘Freshwater Integration (FWI) study’, links CHAMP, the Arctic/Subarctic Ocean Fluxes (ASOF) Programme, and SEARCH. As part of the overall synthesis and integration efforts of the NSF-ARCSS Freshwater Integration (FWI) study, the program carried-out a major International Synthesis Capstone Workshop in Fall 2009 as an International Polar Year (IPY) affiliated meeting. The workshop, "Synthesizing International Understanding of Changes in the Arctic Hydrological System,” was held 30 September to 4 October 2009 in Stockholm at the Beijer Auditorium of the Royal Swedish Academy. The workshop was sponsored by the NSF-ARCSS Arctic-CHAMP Science Management Office (City College of New York / Univ. of New Hampshire), the International Study of Arctic Change (ISAC), and the International Arctic Research Center (IARC; Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks). The overarching goals of the meeting were to stage a post-IPY lessons-learned workshop with co-equal numbers of FWI, IPY, and ICARP-II researchers, using insights from recent scientific findings, data, and strategies to afford synthesis. The workshop aimed to: (1) take stock of recent advances in our understanding of changes in the Arctic hydrological system; (2) identify key remaining research gaps / unanswered questions; and (3) gather insight on where to focus future research efforts/initiatives (nationally and

Collaborative Proposal: Improving Decadal Prediction of Arctic Climate Variability and Change Using a Regional Arctic System Model (RASM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maslowski, Wieslaw [Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA (United States)

2016-10-17

This project aims to develop, apply and evaluate a regional Arctic System model (RASM) for enhanced decadal predictions. Its overarching goal is to advance understanding of the past and present states of arctic climate and to facilitate improvements in seasonal to decadal predictions. In particular, it will focus on variability and long-term change of energy and freshwater flows through the arctic climate system. The project will also address modes of natural climate variability as well as extreme and rapid climate change in a region of the Earth that is: (i) a key indicator of the state of global climate through polar amplification and (ii) which is undergoing environmental transitions not seen in instrumental records. RASM will readily allow the addition of other earth system components, such as ecosystem or biochemistry models, thus allowing it to facilitate studies of climate impacts (e.g., droughts and fires) and of ecosystem adaptations to these impacts. As such, RASM is expected to become a foundation for more complete Arctic System models and part of a model hierarchy important for improving climate modeling and predictions.

Zooplankton body composition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas

2013-01-01

groups body composition is size independent. Exceptions are protozoans, chaetognaths, and pteropods, where larger individuals become increasingly watery. I speculate about the dichotomy in body composition and argue that differences in feeding mechanisms and predator avoidance strategies favor either......I compiled literature on zooplankton body composition, from protozoans to gelatinous plankton, and report allometric relations and average body composition. Zooplankton segregate into gelatinous and non-gelatinous forms, with few intermediate taxa (chaetognaths, polychaetes, and pteropods). In most...... a watery or a condensed body form, and that in the intermediate taxa the moderately elevated water content is related to buoyancy control and ambush feeding...

Climate Change, Globalization and Geopolitics in the New Maritime Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Brigham, L. W.

2011-12-01

Early in the 21st century a confluence of climate change, globalization and geopolitics is shaping the future of the maritime Arctic. This nexus is also fostering greater linkage of the Arctic to the rest of the planet. Arctic sea ice is undergoing a historic transformation of thinning, extent reduction in all seasons, and reduction in the area of multiyear ice in the central Arctic Ocean. Global Climate Model simulations of Arctic sea ice indicate multiyear ice could disappear by 2030 for a short period of time each summer. These physical changes invite greater marine access, longer seasons of navigation, and potential, summer trans-Arctic voyages. As a result, enhanced marine safety, environmental protection, and maritime security measures are under development. Coupled with climate change as a key driver of regional change is the current and future integration of the Arctic's natural wealth with global markets (oil, gas and hard minerals). Abundant freshwater in the Arctic could also be a future commodity of value. Recent events such as drilling for hydrocarbons off Greenland's west coast and the summer marine transport of natural resources from the Russian Arctic to China across the top of Eurasia are indicators of greater global economic ties to the Arctic. Plausible Arctic futures indicate continued integration with global issues and increased complexity of a range of regional economic, security and environmental challenges.

Zooplankton assemblage of Oyun Reservoir, Offa, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Mustapha, Moshood K

2009-12-01

The influence of physico-chemical properties of Oyun Reservoir, Offa, Nigeria (a shallow tropical African reservoir) on its zooplankton composition and abundance were investigated at three stations for two years between January 2002 and December 2003. Diversity is not high: only three groups of zooplankton were found: Rotifera with eight genera; and Cladocera and Copepoda with three genera each. Rotifera dominated numerically (71.02%), followed by Cladocera (16.45%) and Copepoda (12.53%). The zooplankton was more prevalent during the rainy season, and there were variations in the composition and abundance along the reservoir continuum. Factors such as temperature, nutrients, food availability, shape and hydrodynamics of the reservoir, as well as reproductive strategies of the organisms, strongly influence the generic composition and population density of zooplankton. Prevention of ecological deterioration of the water body would greatly should result in a more productive water body, rich in zooplankton and with better fisheries.

Mercury biomagnification in food webs of the northeastern Chukchi Sea, Alaskan Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Austin L.; Trefry, John H.; Trocine, Robert P.; Dunton, Kenneth H.; Lasorsa, Brenda K.; Konar, Brenda; Ashjian, Carin J.; Cooper, Lee W.

2017-10-01

Predictive tools and a large new dataset for the northeastern Chukchi Sea (NECS) are used here to help identify regional differences and potential future shifts in the magnitude of Hg biomagnification in the Arctic. At the base of the food web in the NECS, concentrations of total mercury (THg) in phytoplankton (20-μm mesh) ranged from 4-42 ng g-1 dry weight, partly in response to variations in algal biomass and water temperature. A >3-fold increase in monomethylmercury (MMHg) was observed in zooplankton (4.3±0.7 ng g-1) relative to phytoplankton (150-fold and from 85%, respectively, from phytoplankton to muscle in the whelk Plicifusus kroeyeri (279 ng g-1, TL 4.5). For muscle tissue in 10 species plus whole phytoplankton and zooplankton, the trophic magnification slope (TMS) for MMHg (log10[MMHg]=m(δ15N)+b; where m=TMS) was 0.23±0.02 (SE). No significant differences in TMS were found for the NECS plus three other studies from the eastern Canadian Arctic (average TMS=0.24±0.02). Nevertheless, all data for MMHg in biota from the NECS plotted below the combined best fit line for all four studies. Results from an ANCOVA showed that statistically different (p=0.001) intercept values (b), not TMS, best explained the >2-fold lower concentrations of MMHg in biota from the NECS (b=-1.85) relative to the same species from the eastern Canadian Arctic (b=-1.29). Future changes that affect bioaccumulation of MMHg in the Arctic may impact the biomagnification equation by shifting the TMS, intercept or both. The intercept is more likely to respond to changes in productivity and concentrations of dissolved Hg whereas the TMS may respond to changing growth rates due to fluctuations in productivity and food availability. In either case, small changes in the intercept or TMS coincide with predictably large increases or decreases in MMHg concentrations in apex predators.

Operationalising a social-ecological system perspective on the Arctic Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Crépin, Anne-Sophie; Gren, Åsa; Engström, Gustav; Ospina, Daniel

2017-12-01

We propose a framework to support management that builds on a social-ecological system perspective on the Arctic Ocean. We illustrate the framework's application for two policy-relevant scenarios of climate-driven change, picturing a shift in zooplankton composition and alternatively a crab invasion. We analyse archetypical system dynamics between the socio-economic, the natural, and the governance systems in these scenarios. Our holistic approach can help managers identify looming problems arising from complex system interactions and prioritise among problems and solutions, even when available data are limited.

Effects of imidacloprid on the ecology of sub-tropical freshwater microcosms.

Science.gov (United States)

Sumon, Kizar Ahmed; Ritika, Afifat Khanam; Peeters, Edwin T H M; Rashid, Harunur; Bosma, Roel H; Rahman, Md Shahidur; Fatema, Mst Kaniz; Van den Brink, Paul J

2018-05-01

The neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid is used in Bangladesh for a variety of crop protection purposes. Imidacloprid may contaminate aquatic ecosystems via spray drift, surface runoff and ground water leaching. The present study aimed at assessing the fate and effects of imidacloprid on structural (phytoplankton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates and periphyton) and functional (organic matter decomposition) endpoints of freshwater, sub-tropical ecosystems in Bangladesh. Imidacloprid was applied weekly to 16 freshwater microcosms (PVC tanks containing 400 L de-chlorinated tap water) at nominal concentrations of 0, 30, 300, 3000 ng/L over a period of 4 weeks. Results indicated that imidacloprid concentrations from the microcosm water column declined rapidly. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed significant effects of imidacloprid on the zooplankton and macroinvertebrate community, some individual phytoplankton taxa, and water quality variables (i.e. DO, alkalinity, ammonia and nitrate), with Cloeon sp., Diaptomus sp. and Keratella sp. being the most affected species, i.e. showing lower abundance values in all treatments compared to the control. The observed high sensitivity of Cloeon sp. and Diaptomus sp. was confirmed by the results of single species tests. No significant effects were observed on the species composition of the phytoplankton, periphyton biomass and organic matter decomposition for any of the sampling days. Our study indicates that (sub-)tropical aquatic ecosystems can be much more sensitive to imidacloprid compared to temperate ones. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Zooplankton abundance of the Andaman sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Madhupratap, M.; Achuthankutty, C.T.; Nair, S.R.S.; Nair, V.R.

the dominant component followed by Chaetognatha and Tunicata Estimates of zooplankton biomass to dry weight and to organic carbon content are made. The average standing crop of zooplankton is 288.8 mg C m2 for the upper 200 m column...

Organic carbon content of tropical zooplankton

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Nair, V.R.

In the Zuari and Mandovi estuaries variations in organic carbon of zooplankton are 26.4-38.8 and 24-39.9% of dry weight respectively. Maximum carbon content of estuarine zooplankton is observed in November. Organic carbon in nearshore and oceanic...

Integrated regional changes in arctic climate feedbacks: Implications for the global climate system

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, A.D.; Chapin, F. S.; Walsh, J.E.; Wirth, C.; ,

2006-01-01

The Arctic is a key part of the global climate system because the net positive energy input to the tropics must ultimately be resolved through substantial energy losses in high-latitude regions. The Arctic influences the global climate system through both positive and negative feedbacks that involve physical, ecological, and human systems of the Arctic. The balance of evidence suggests that positive feedbacks to global warming will likely dominate in the Arctic during the next 50 to 100 years. However, the negative feedbacks associated with changing the freshwater balance of the Arctic Ocean might abruptly launch the planet into another glacial period on longer timescales. In light of uncertainties and the vulnerabilities of the climate system to responses in the Arctic, it is important that we improve our understanding of how integrated regional changes in the Arctic will likely influence the evolution of the global climate system. Copyright ?? 2006 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved.

Orbitally-forced Azolla blooms and middle Eocene Arctic hydrology; clues from palynology

Science.gov (United States)

Barke, Judith; Abels, Hemmo A.; Sangiorgi, Francesca; Greenwood, David R.; Sweet, Arthur R.; Donders, Timme; Lotter, Andre F.; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Brinkhuis, Henk

2010-05-01

The presence of high abundances of the freshwater fern Azolla in the early Middle Eocene central Arctic Ocean sediments recovered from the Lomonosov Ridge during IODP Expedition 302, have been related to the presence of a substantial freshwater cap. Azolla massulae, belonging to the newly described Eocene species Azolla arctica Collinson et al., have been found over at least a ~4 m-thick interval. There are strong indications that Azolla has bloomed and reproduced in situ in the Arctic Ocean for several hundreds of thousands of years. Possible causes for the sudden demise of Azolla at ~48.1 Ma include salinity changes due to evolving oceanic connections or sea-level change. Distinct cyclic fluctuation in the Azolla massulae abundances have previously been related to orbitally forced climate changes. In this study, we evaluate the possible underlying forcing mechanisms for these freshwater cycles and for the eventual demise of Azolla in an integrated palynological and cyclostratigraphical approach. Our results show two clear periodicities of ~1.3 and ~0.7 m in all major aquatic and terrestrial palynomorph associations, which we can relate to obliquity (41 ka) and precession (~21 ka), respectively. Cycles in the abundances of Azolla, freshwater-tolerant dinoflagellate cysts, and swamp vegetation pollen show co-variability in the obliquity domain. Their strong correlation suggests periods of enhanced rainfall and runoff during Azolla blooms, possibly associated with increased summer season length and insolation during obliquity maxima. Cycles in the angiosperm pollen record are in anti-phase with the Azolla cycles. We interpret this pattern as edaphically drier conditions on land and reduced associated runoff during Azolla lows, possibly corresponding to obliquity minima. The precession signal is distinctly weaker than that for obliquity, and is mainly detectable in the cold-temperate Larix and bisaccate conifer pollen abundances, which is interpreted as a response to

Zooplankton from Lake Magelungen, Central Sweden 1960-1963

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almquist, Elisabeth

1970-11-01

The investigation of the zooplankton of Lake Magelungen, Central Sweden, was carried out over a period of three years. The aim of the investigation was to illustrate the qualitative and quantitative composition of the zooplankton before the release of waste water from the Aagesta Heat and Power Station began. Vertical sampling series were collected once a month at three different stations in the lake. The highest volumes of zooplankton were obtained in the summer. The ciliates predominated when the conditions were unfavourable for other zooplankton, as in winter just below the ice. The rotifers dominated during and immediately after the spring circulation. With one exception the crustaceans reached their peak volume values in August or September. The composition of the zooplankton indicates that Lake Magelungen is highly eutrophic

Zooplankton from Lake Magelungen, Central Sweden 1960-1963

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almquist, Elisabeth

1970-11-15

The investigation of the zooplankton of Lake Magelungen, Central Sweden, was carried out over a period of three years. The aim of the investigation was to illustrate the qualitative and quantitative composition of the zooplankton before the release of waste water from the Aagesta Heat and Power Station began. Vertical sampling series were collected once a month at three different stations in the lake. The highest volumes of zooplankton were obtained in the summer. The ciliates predominated when the conditions were unfavourable for other zooplankton, as in winter just below the ice. The rotifers dominated during and immediately after the spring circulation. With one exception the crustaceans reached their peak volume values in August or September. The composition of the zooplankton indicates that Lake Magelungen is highly eutrophic

Zooplankton of the Zaporiz’ke Reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. V. Mykolaichuk

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The paper is devoted to zooplankton species composition in the Zaporiz’ke Reservoir. The greatest species diversity was found in the macrophyte communities of the upper reservoir’s littoral, but the least zooplankton diversity – in the pelagic zone of the lower reservoir.

Salinization triggers a trophic cascade in experimental freshwater communities with varying food-chain length.

Science.gov (United States)

Hintz, William D; Mattes, Brian M; Schuler, Matthew S; Jones, Devin K; Stoler, Aaron B; Lind, Lovisa; Relyea, Rick A

2017-04-01

The application of road deicing salts in northern regions worldwide is changing the chemical environment of freshwater ecosystems. Chloride levels in many lakes, streams, and wetlands exceed the chronic and acute thresholds established by the United States and Canada for the protection of freshwater biota. Few studies have identified the impacts of deicing salts in stream and wetland communities and none have examined impacts in lake communities. We tested how relevant concentrations of road salt (15, 100, 250, 500, and 1000 mg Cl - /L) interacted with experimental communities containing two or three trophic levels (i.e., no fish vs. predatory fish). We hypothesized that road salt and fish would have a negative synergistic effect on zooplankton, which would then induce a trophic cascade. We tested this hypothesis in outdoor mesocosms containing filamentous algae, periphyton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, several macroinvertebrate species, and fish. We found that the presence of fish and high salt had a negative synergistic effect on the zooplankton community, which in turn caused an increase in phytoplankton. Contributing to the magnitude of this trophic cascade was a direct positive effect of high salinity on phytoplankton abundance. Cascading effects were limited with respect to impacts on the benthic food web. Periphyton and snail grazers were unaffected by the salt-induced trophic cascade, but the biomass of filamentous algae decreased as a result of competition with phytoplankton for light or nutrients. We also found direct negative effects of high salinity on the biomass of filamentous algae and amphipods (Hyalella azteca) and the mortality of banded mystery snails (Viviparus georgianus) and fingernail clams (Sphaerium simile). Clam mortality was dependent on the presence of fish, suggesting a non-consumptive interactive effect with salt. Our results indicate that globally increasing concentrations of road salt can alter community structure via both direct

Deglacial climate modulated by the storage and release of Arctic sea ice

Science.gov (United States)

Condron, A.; Coletti, A. J.; Bradley, R. S.

2017-12-01

Periods of abrupt climate cooling during the last deglaciation (20 - 8 kyr ago) are often attributed to glacial outburst floods slowing the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Here, we present results from a series of climate model simulations showing that the episodic break-up and mobilization of thick, perennial, Arctic sea ice during this time would have released considerable volumes of freshwater directly to the Nordic Seas, where processes regulating large-scale climate occur. Massive sea ice export events to the North Atlantic are generated whenever the transport of sea ice is enhanced, either by changes in atmospheric circulation, rising sea level submerging the Bering land bridge, or glacial outburst floods draining into the Arctic Ocean from the Mackenzie River. We find that the volumes of freshwater released to the Nordic Seas are similar to, or larger than, those estimated to have come from terrestrial outburst floods, including the discharge at the onset of the Younger Dryas. Our results provide the first evidence that the storage and release of Arctic sea ice helped drive deglacial climate change by modulating the strength of the AMOC.

Diel vertical migration of zooplankton in the Tanzanian waters of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The diel vertical migration of zooplankton was studied in the Southern part of Lake Victoria in January and July 2002. A van dorn water sampler was used to collect zooplankton. In January 2002, zooplankton showed a pronounced diel vertical migration whereby zooplankton were moving upward at around sunset and ...

Sensitivity of Coastal Environments and Wildlife to Spilled Oil: Northwest Arctic, Alaska: FISH (Fish Polygons)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains sensitive biological resource data for marine, estuarine, freshwater, and anadromous fish species in Northwest Arctic, Alaska. Vector polygons...

Orbitally forced Azolla blooms and Middle Eocene Arctic hydrology: Clues from palynology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barke, J.; Abels, H.A.; Sangiorgi, F.; Greenwood, D.R.; Sweet, A.R.; Donders, T.; Reichart, G.-J.; Lotter, A.F.; Brinkhuis, H.

2011-01-01

The high abundances and cyclic distribution of remains of the freshwater fern Azolla in early-Middle Eocene sediments from the Arctic Ocean have previously been related to episodic surface-water freshening, which was speculated to be orbitally modulated. Our integrated palynological and

Orbitally forced Azolla blooms And Middle Eocene Arctic hydrology: Clues from palynology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barke, J.; Abels, H.A.; Sangiorgi, F.; Greenwood, D.R.; Sweet, A.R.; Donders, T.; Reichart, G.-J.; Lotter, A.F.; Brinkhuis, H.

2011-01-01

The high abundances and cyclic distribution of remains of the freshwater fern Azolla in early-Middle Eocene sediments from the Arctic Ocean have previously been related to episodic surface-water freshening, which was speculated to be orbitally modulated. Our integrated palynological and

Northern reservoirs as sinks for Chernobyl cesium: sustained accumulation via introduced Mysis relicta in arctic char and brown trout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammar, J.

1991-01-01

Fallout radiocesium from the Chernobyl accident caused extensive contamination in a region of previously well studied alpine lake ecosystems in northern Sweden. Levels of Cs-137 in the barren catchment basins reached 20-50 kBq/m 2 during 1986. The distribution and major transport mechanisms of radiocesium through the lake ecosystems have been studied during 1986-1990. Levels of Cs-137 in water, sediment, and different trophic levels of the food chains of Arctic char (Salvelinus alphinus) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) were monitored in a series of natural lakes and lake reservoirs, with or without the introduced new fish food organisms, Mysis relicta. The reservoirs were found to act as sinks for radiocesium with extensive accumulation recorded in water, sediment, invertebrates and salmonids. The introduced Mysis relicta were enhancing the transport of Cs-137 from zooplankton and settling particles to Arctic char and brown trout. The results suggest a successive change in transport of radiocesium from water via zooplankton to planktivorous fish during the early summer of 1986 to post-depositional mobilization via benthic organisms to benthic fish in successive years. (au) (32 refs.)

Zooplankton variability in the Zuari estuary, Goa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Nair, V.R.; Achuthankutty, C.T.; Nair, S.R.S.

Short term variability in the secondary production and composition of zooplankton were studied during February to March 1979 by collecting zooplankton every alternate day from a station located near the mouth of Zuari. Irregularity in the production...

Top-down control of invertebrates by Ninespine Stickleback in Arctic ponds

Science.gov (United States)

Laske, Sarah M.; Rosenberger, Amanda E.; Kane, William J.; Wipfli, Mark S.; Zimmerman, Christian E.

2017-01-01

Despite their widespread presence in northern-latitude ecosystems, the ecological role of Ninespine Stickleback Pungitius pungitius is not well understood. Ninespine Stickleback can occupy both top and intermediate trophic levels in freshwater ecosystems, so their role in food webs as a predator on invertebrates and as a forage fish for upper level consumers probably is substantial. We introduced Ninespine Sticklebacks to fishless ponds to elucidate their potential effects as a predator on invertebrate communities in Arctic lentic freshwaters. We hypothesized that Ninespine Stickleback would affect freshwater invertebrate communities in a top-down manner. We predicted that the addition of Ninespine Sticklebacks to fishless ponds would: 1) reduce invertebrate taxonomic richness, 2) decrease overall invertebrate abundance, 3) reduce invertebrate biomass, and 4) decrease average invertebrate body size. We tested our hypothesis at 2 locations by adding Ninespine Stickleback to isolated ponds and compared invertebrate communities over time between fish-addition and fishless control ponds. Ninespine Sticklebacks exerted strong top-down pressure on invertebrate communities mainly by changing invertebrate taxonomic richness and biomass and, to a lesser extent, abundance and average invertebrate size. Our results supported the hypothesis that Ninespine Stickleback may help shape lentic food webs in the Arctic.

Composition and abundance of the zooplankton community in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The taxonomic composition of the zooplankton community of the Bitter Lakes, Egypt, was examined in 2003–2004 in relation to the spatial and temporal distribution of environmental factors. Copepoda were dominant, forming 49% of the zooplankton, followed by Protista at 37%. During the autumn, zooplankton in Small ...

Using fluorescent dissolved organic matter to trace and distinguish the origin of Arctic surface waters

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves-Araujo, Rafael; Granskog, Mats A.; Bracher, Astrid; Azetsu-Scott, Kumiko; Dodd, Paul A.; Stedmon, Colin A.

2016-01-01

Climate change affects the Arctic with regards to permafrost thaw, sea-ice melt, alterations to the freshwater budget and increased export of terrestrial material to the Arctic Ocean. The Fram and Davis Straits represent the major gateways connecting the Arctic and Atlantic. Oceanographic surveys were performed in the Fram and Davis Straits, and on the east Greenland Shelf (EGS), in late summer 2012/2013. Meteoric (fmw), sea-ice melt, Atlantic and Pacific water fractions were determined and the fluorescence properties of dissolved organic matter (FDOM) were characterized. In Fram Strait and EGS, a robust correlation between visible wavelength fluorescence and fmw was apparent, suggesting it as a reliable tracer of polar waters. However, a pattern was observed which linked the organic matter characteristics to the origin of polar waters. At depth in Davis Strait, visible wavelength FDOM was correlated to apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) and traced deep-water DOM turnover. In surface waters FDOM characteristics could distinguish between surface waters from eastern (Atlantic + modified polar waters) and western (Canada-basin polar waters) Arctic sectors. The findings highlight the potential of designing in situ multi-channel DOM fluorometers to trace the freshwater origins and decipher water mass mixing dynamics in the region without laborious samples analyses. PMID:27667721

Zooplankton use of chemodetection to find and eat particles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jackson, G.A.; Kiørboe, Thomas

2004-01-01

The ability of raptorial zooplankton to find large particles such as marine aggregates is crucial to their use of the particles as food and to the fate of the particles. Kiorboe & Thygesen (2001) developed a numerical approach to describe particle detection by chemosensory zooplankton. In this pa......The ability of raptorial zooplankton to find large particles such as marine aggregates is crucial to their use of the particles as food and to the fate of the particles. Kiorboe & Thygesen (2001) developed a numerical approach to describe particle detection by chemosensory zooplankton...

Environmental context determines community sensitivity of freshwater zooplankton to a pesticide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stampfli, Nathalie C.; Knillmann, Saskia; Liess, Matthias; Beketov, Mikhail A.

2011-01-01

The environment is currently changing worldwide, and ecosystems are being exposed to multiple anthropogenic pressures. Understanding and consideration of such environmental conditions is required in ecological risk assessment of toxicants, but it remains basically limited. In the present study, we aimed to determine how and to what extent alterations in the abiotic and biotic environmental conditions can alter the sensitivity of a community to an insecticide, as well as its recovery after contamination. We conducted an outdoor microcosm experiment in which zooplankton communities were exposed to the insecticide esfenvalerate (0.03, 0.3, and 3 μg/L) under different regimes of solar radiation and community density, which represented different levels of food availability and competition. We focused on the sensitivity of the entire community and analysed it using multivariate statistical methods, such as principal response curves and redundancy analysis. The results showed that community sensitivity varied markedly between the treatments. In the experimental series with the lowest availability of food and strongest competition significant effects of the insecticide were found at the concentration of 0.03 μg/L. In contrast, in the series with relatively higher food availability and weak competition such effects were detected at 3 μg/L only. However, we did not find significant differences in the community recovery rates between the experimental treatments. These findings indicate that environmental context is more important for ecotoxicological evaluation than assumed previously.

Empirical relationships between phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass in Indian Ocean

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Jayalakshmy, K.V.

and temperature, zooplankton and phytoplankton, zooplankton and PO sub(4)-P and phytoplankton and PO sub(4)-P. Linear regression model is found to be significant at 1% level of significance. Since zooplankton and phytoplankton are significantly positively...

A scramble for data on Arctic radioactive dumping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, E.

1992-01-01

On 15 August, a Russian research vessel, the Viktor Buynitskiy, will leave the Norwegian port of Kirkenes packed with surveying equipment and scientists. Its mission will be to check out one of the more alarming environmental stories that have drifted out of the former Soviet Union since its collapse last fall: a claim that the Arctic is being polluted by tons of radioactive waste spilled or dumped by the Soviet military. Since May, US officials have been searching for information to confirm or disprove the reports about Russian radiation. The basic concern, is as follows: Arctic waters - and, potentially, fisheries near Norway and Alaska - are in danger of being contaminated by radioactive isotopes leaking from two major sources. One is the area around Novaya Zemlya, an archipelago where the Soviets conducted bomb tests, scuttled submarines, and disposed of waste canisters. The other is freshwater runoff into the Arctic Ocean - including the Ob and Yenisey Rivers - carrying isotopes from weapons plants, waste ponds, and accident sites in Siberia

Rare earth elements in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems in the eastern Canadian Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

MacMillan, Gwyneth Anne; Chételat, John; Heath, Joel P; Mickpegak, Raymond; Amyot, Marc

2017-10-18

Few ecotoxicological studies exist for rare earth elements (REEs), particularly field-based studies on their bioaccumulation and food web dynamics. REE mining has led to significant environmental impacts in several countries (China, Brazil, U.S.), yet little is known about the fate and transport of these contaminants of emerging concern. Northern ecosystems are potentially vulnerable to REE enrichment from prospective mining projects at high latitudes. To understand how REEs behave in remote northern food webs, we measured REE concentrations and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (∂ 15 N, ∂ 13 C) in biota from marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern Canadian Arctic (N = 339). Wildlife harvesting and tissue sampling was partly conducted by local hunters through a community-based monitoring project. Results show that REEs generally follow a coherent bioaccumulation pattern for sample tissues, with some anomalies for redox-sensitive elements (Ce, Eu). Highest REE concentrations were found at low trophic levels, especially in vegetation and aquatic invertebrates. Terrestrial herbivores, ringed seal, and fish had low total REE levels in muscle tissue (∑REE for 15 elements <0.1 nmol g -1 ), yet accumulation was an order of magnitude higher in liver tissues. Age- and length-dependent REE accumulation also suggest that REE uptake is faster than elimination for some species. Overall, REE bioaccumulation patterns appear to be species- and tissue-specific, with limited potential for biomagnification. This study provides novel data on the behaviour of REEs in ecosystems and will be useful for environmental impact assessment of REE enrichment in northern regions.

Effects of the fungicide metiram in outdoor freshwater microcosms: responses of invertebrates, primany producers and microbes

OpenAIRE

Ronghua, Lin; Buijse-Bogdan, L.L.; Rocha Dimitrov, M.; Dohmen, P.; Kosol, Sujitra; Maltby, L.; Roessink, I.; Sinkeldam, J.A.; Smidt, H.; Wijngaarden, van, R.P.A.; Brock, T.C.M.

2012-01-01

The ecological impact of the dithiocarbamate fungicide metiram was studied in outdoor freshwater microcosms, consisting of 14 enclosures placed in an experimental ditch. The microcosms were treated three times (interval 7 days) with the formulated product BAS 222 28F (Polyram®). Intended metiram concentrations in the overlying water were 0, 4, 12, 36, 108 and 324 μg a.i./L. Responses of zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, phytoplankton, macrophytes, microbes and community metabolism endpoints we...

Sea surface salinity of the Eocene Arctic Azolla event using innovative isotope modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Speelman, E. N.; Sewall, J. O.; Noone, D.; Huber, M.; Sinninghe Damste, J. S.; Reichart, G. J.

2009-04-01

With the realization that the Eocene Arctic Ocean was covered with enormous quantities of the free floating freshwater fern Azolla, new questions regarding Eocene conditions facilitating these blooms arose. Our present research focuses on constraining the actual salinity of, and water sources for, the Eocene Arctic basin through the application of stable water isotope tracers. Precipitation pathways potentially strongly affect the final isotopic composition of water entering the Arctic Basin. Therefore we use the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM3), developed by NCAR, combined with a recently developed integrated isotope tracer code to reconstruct the isotopic composition of global Eocene precipitation and run-off patterns. We further addressed the sensitivity of the modeled hydrological cycle to changes in boundary conditions, such as pCO2, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and sea ice formation. In this way it is possible to assess the effect of uncertainties in proxy estimates of these parameters. Overall, results of all runs with Eocene boundary conditions, including Eocene topography, bathymetry, vegetation patterns, TEX86 derived SSTs and pCO2 estimates, show the presence of an intensified hydrological cycle with precipitation exceeding evaporation in the Arctic region. Enriched, precipitation weighted, isotopic values of around -120‰ are reported for the Arctic region. Combining new results obtained from compound specific isotope analyses (δD) on terrestrially derived n-alkanes extracted from Eocene sediments, and model outcomes make it possible to verify climate reconstructions for the middle Eocene Arctic. Furthermore, recently, characteristic long-chain mid-chain ω20 hydroxy wax constituents of Azolla were found in ACEX sediments. δD values of these C32 - C36 diols provide insight into the isotopic composition of the Eocene Arctic surface water. As the isotopic signature of the runoff entering the Arctic is modelled, and the final isotopic composition of

Zooplankton excretion metabolites stimulate Southern Ocean phytoplankton growth

KAUST Repository

Coello-Camba, A.; Llabré s, M.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Agusti, Susana

2017-01-01

Warming over Antarctica is leading to changes in the zooplankton communities inhabiting the Southern Ocean. It has been observed that zooplankton not only regulates phytoplankton through grazing, but also through the recycling of nutrients that are essential for phytoplankton growth. In this way, the effects of warming on zooplankton populations will change the amount or proportion at which recycled nutrients are restored. To estimate how the recycled nutrients released by zooplankton populations, dominated by krill (Euphausia superba), amphipods or copepods, affect the phytoplankton uptake and communities, we performed four incubation experiments: two close to the Antarctic Peninsula and two at the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Our results showed a stimulating effect of the addition of metabolites on ammonia removal rates and on the net growth of phytoplankton communities, with different responses amongst the different phytoplankton groups. According to our results, phytoplankton net growth and community composition may be altered if this relevant source of nutrients is lost due to projected changes in the abundance or distribution of these zooplankton populations.

Zooplankton excretion metabolites stimulate Southern Ocean phytoplankton growth

KAUST Repository

Coello-Camba, A.

2017-04-24

Warming over Antarctica is leading to changes in the zooplankton communities inhabiting the Southern Ocean. It has been observed that zooplankton not only regulates phytoplankton through grazing, but also through the recycling of nutrients that are essential for phytoplankton growth. In this way, the effects of warming on zooplankton populations will change the amount or proportion at which recycled nutrients are restored. To estimate how the recycled nutrients released by zooplankton populations, dominated by krill (Euphausia superba), amphipods or copepods, affect the phytoplankton uptake and communities, we performed four incubation experiments: two close to the Antarctic Peninsula and two at the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Our results showed a stimulating effect of the addition of metabolites on ammonia removal rates and on the net growth of phytoplankton communities, with different responses amongst the different phytoplankton groups. According to our results, phytoplankton net growth and community composition may be altered if this relevant source of nutrients is lost due to projected changes in the abundance or distribution of these zooplankton populations.

Species interactions and response time to climate change: ice-cover and terrestrial run-off shaping Arctic char and brown trout competitive asymmetries

Science.gov (United States)

Finstad, A. G.; Palm Helland, I.; Jonsson, B.; Forseth, T.; Foldvik, A.; Hessen, D. O.; Hendrichsen, D. K.; Berg, O. K.; Ulvan, E.; Ugedal, O.

2011-12-01

There has been a growing recognition that single species responses to climate change often mainly are driven by interaction with other organisms and single species studies therefore not are sufficient to recognize and project ecological climate change impacts. Here, we study how performance, relative abundance and the distribution of two common Arctic and sub-Arctic freshwater fishes (brown trout and Arctic char) are driven by competitive interactions. The interactions are modified both by direct climatic effects on temperature and ice-cover, and indirectly through climate forcing of terrestrial vegetation pattern and associated carbon and nutrient run-off. We first use laboratory studies to show that Arctic char, which is the world's most northernmost distributed freshwater fish, outperform trout under low light levels and also have comparable higher growth efficiency. Corresponding to this, a combination of time series and time-for-space analyses show that ice-cover duration and carbon and nutrient load mediated by catchment vegetation properties strongly affected the outcome of the competition and likely drive the species distribution pattern through competitive exclusion. In brief, while shorter ice-cover period and decreased carbon load favored brown trout, increased ice-cover period and increased carbon load favored Arctic char. Length of ice-covered period and export of allochthonous material from catchments are major, but contrasting, climatic drivers of competitive interaction between these two freshwater lake top-predators. While projected climate change lead to decreased ice-cover, corresponding increase in forest and shrub cover amplify carbon and nutrient run-off. Although a likely outcome of future Arctic and sub-arctic climate scenarios are retractions of the Arctic char distribution area caused by competitive exclusion, the main drivers will act on different time scales. While ice-cover will change instantaneously with increasing temperature

Establishing a database of radionuclide transfer parameters for freshwater wildlife

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yankovich, T.; Beresford, N.A.; Fesenko, S.; Fesenko, J.; Phaneuf, M.; Dagher, E.; Outola, I.; Andersson, P.; Thiessen, K.; Ryan, J.; Wood, M.D.; Bollhöfer, A.

2013-01-01

Environmental assessments to evaluate potentials risks to humans and wildlife often involve modelling to predict contaminant exposure through key pathways. Such models require input of parameter values, including concentration ratios, to estimate contaminant concentrations in biota based on measurements or estimates of concentrations in environmental media, such as water. Due to the diversity of species and the range in physicochemical conditions in natural ecosystems, concentration ratios can vary by orders of magnitude, even within similar species. Therefore, to improve model input parameter values for application in aquatic systems, freshwater concentration ratios were collated or calculated from national grey literature, Russian language publications, and refereed papers. Collated data were then input into an international database that is being established by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The freshwater database enables entry of information for all radionuclides listed in ICRP (1983), in addition to the corresponding stable elements, and comprises a total of more than 16,500 concentration ratio (CR wo-water ) values. Although data were available for all broad wildlife groups (with the exception of birds), data were sparse for many organism types. For example, zooplankton, crustaceans, insects and insect larvae, amphibians, and mammals, for which there were CR wo-water values for less than eight elements. Coverage was most comprehensive for fish, vascular plants, and molluscs. To our knowledge, the freshwater database that has now been established represents the most comprehensive set of CR wo-water values for freshwater species currently available for use in radiological environmental assessments

Projected Impact of Climate Change on the Water and Salt Budgets of the Arctic Ocean by a Global Climate Model

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, James R.; Russell, Gary L.

1996-01-01

The annual flux of freshwater into the Arctic Ocean by the atmosphere and rivers is balanced by the export of sea ice and oceanic freshwater. Two 150-year simulations of a global climate model are used to examine how this balance might change if atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) increase. Relative to the control, the last 50-year period of the GHG experiment indicates that the total inflow of water from the atmosphere and rivers increases by 10% primarily due to an increase in river discharge, the annual sea-ice export decreases by about half, the oceanic liquid water export increases, salinity decreases, sea-ice cover decreases, and the total mass and sea-surface height of the Arctic Ocean increase. The closed, compact, and multi-phased nature of the hydrologic cycle in the Arctic Ocean makes it an ideal test of water budgets that could be included in model intercomparisons.

Trajectory of the Arctic as an integrated system.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinzman, Larry D; Deal, Clara J; McGuire, A David; Mernild, Sebastian H; Polyakov, Igor V; Walsh, John E

2013-12-01

Although much remains to be learned about the Arctic and its component processes, many of the most urgent scientific, engineering, and social questions can only be approached through a broader system perspective. Here, we address interactions between components of the Arctic system and assess feedbacks and the extent to which feedbacks (1) are now underway in the Arctic and (2) will shape the future trajectory of the Arctic system. We examine interdependent connections among atmospheric processes, oceanic processes, sea-ice dynamics, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, land surface stocks of carbon and water, glaciers and ice caps, and the Greenland ice sheet. Our emphasis on the interactions between components, both historical and anticipated, is targeted on the feedbacks, pathways, and processes that link these different components of the Arctic system. We present evidence that the physical components of the Arctic climate system are currently in extreme states, and that there is no indication that the system will deviate from this anomalous trajectory in the foreseeable future. The feedback for which the evidence of ongoing changes is most compelling is the surface albedo-temperature feedback, which is amplifying temperature changes over land (primarily in spring) and ocean (primarily in autumn-winter). Other feedbacks likely to emerge are those in which key processes include surface fluxes of trace gases, changes in the distribution of vegetation, changes in surface soil moisture, changes in atmospheric water vapor arising from higher temperatures and greater areas of open ocean, impacts of Arctic freshwater fluxes on the meridional overturning circulation of the ocean, and changes in Arctic clouds resulting from changes in water vapor content.

Distribution of zooplankton populations within and adjacent to a thermal plume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, M.S.

1981-01-01

Zooplankton distributions in the 1-m stratum differed between ambient waters and the thermal plume of the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant. Zooplankton were most abundant in the warmest waters of the plume with the region of high densities extending over an approximate area of 0.2 to 0.3 km 2 . Water temperature was not a reliable indicator of alterations in zooplankton populations. Alterations were primarily due to upward vertical displacment of deep-living zooplankton. Large horizontal variability in zooplankton densities and use of conventional sampling procedures (vertically hauled nets, widely spaced stations) prevent traditionally designed monitoring programs from detecting such alterations. Zooplankton may experience indirect mortality losses in the plume if transfer of deep-living zooplankton to the surface layers makes them more visible to visual-feeding fish predators, and turbulences in the plume reduce zooplankters' ability to detect and avoid such predators. (auth)

Factors Controlling Methane in Arctic Lakes of Southwest Greenland.

Science.gov (United States)

Northington, Robert M; Saros, Jasmine E

2016-01-01

We surveyed 15 lakes during the growing season of 2014 in Arctic lakes of southwest Greenland to determine which factors influence methane concentrations in these systems. Methane averaged 2.5 μmol L-1 in lakes, but varied a great deal across the landscape with lakes on older landscapes farther from the ice sheet margin having some of the highest values of methane reported in lakes in the northern hemisphere (125 μmol L-1). The most important factors influencing methane in Greenland lakes included ionic composition (SO4, Na, Cl) and chlorophyll a in the water column. DOC concentrations were also related to methane, but the short length of the study likely underestimated the influence and timing of DOC on methane concentrations in the region. Atmospheric methane concentrations are increasing globally, with freshwater ecosystems in northern latitudes continuing to serve as potentially large sources in the future. Much less is known about how freshwater lakes in Greenland fit in the global methane budget compared to other, more well-studied areas of the Arctic, hence our work provides essential data for a more complete view of this rapidly changing region.

Discovery and characterization of submarine groundwater discharge in the Siberian Arctic seas: A case study in Buor-Khaya Gulf, Laptev Sea

OpenAIRE

Charkin, Alexander N.; Rutgers van der Loeff, Michiel; Shakhova, Natalia E.; Gustafsson, Örjan; Dudarev, Oleg V.; Cherepnev, Maxim S.; Salyuk, Anatoly N.; Koshurnikov, Andrey V.; Spivak, Eduard A.; Gunar, Alexey Y.; Semiletov, Igor P.

2017-01-01

It has been suggested that increasing freshwater discharge to the Arctic Ocean may also occur as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), yet there are no direct observations of this phenomenon in the Arctic shelf seas. This study tests the hypothesis that SGD does exist in the Siberian-Arctic shelf seas but its dynamics may be largely controlled by complicated geocryological conditions such as permafrost. The field-observational approach in the southeast Laptev Sea used a combination of hydrol...

Marine Mammals and Climate Change in the Pacific Arctic: Impacts & Resilience

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, S. E.

2014-12-01

Extreme reductions in Arctic sea ice extent and thickness have become a hallmark of climate change, but impacts to the marine ecosystem are poorly understood. As top predators, marine mammals must adapt to biological responses to physical forcing and thereby become sentinels to ecosystem variability and reorganization. Recent sea ice retreats have influenced the ecology of marine mammals in the Pacific Arctic sector. Walruses now often haul out by the thousands along the NW Alaska coast in late summer, and reports of harbor porpoise, humpback, fin and minke whales in the Chukchi Sea demonstrate that these temperate species routinely occur there. In 2010, satellite tagged bowhead whales from Atlantic and Pacific populations met in the Northwest Passage, an overlap thought precluded by sea ice since the Holocene. To forage effectively, baleen whales must target dense patches of zooplankton and small fishes. In the Pacific Arctic, bowhead and gray whales appear to be responding to enhanced prey availability delivered both by new production and advection pathways. Two programs, the Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) and the Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR), include tracking of marine mammal and prey species' responses to ecosystem shifts associated with sea ice loss. Both programs provide an integrated-ecosystem baseline in support of the development of a web-based Marine Mammal Health Map, envisioned as a component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). An overarching goal is to identify ecological patterns for marine mammals in the 'new' Arctic, as a foundation for integrative research, local response and adaptive management.

Zooplankton biomass to chlorophyll ratios in relation to trophic status ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Rising eutrophication in South African reservoirs is of major concern, leading to the consideration of top-down biomanipulation as a management option – reducing zooplankton-eating fish to sustain zooplankton grazing pressure and thus restrict autotrophic plankton that proliferate with nutrient increases. The biomass ratio ...

Radiocaesium turnover in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a Norwegian lake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forseth, T.; Ugedal, O.; Jonsson, B.; Langeland, A.; Njaastad, O.

1991-01-01

The radioactivity of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) and Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) was monitored in a Norwegian lake from 1986 to 1989. A distinct difference was observed between brown trout and Arctic charr in the accumulation of radiocaesium ( 134 Cs and 137 Cs) from the Chernobyl fallout, and the study focused on the understanding of this difference. Brown trout had a large food consumption and a corresponding high intake of radiocaesium. Excretion was 20% faster in brown trout than Arctic charr as brown trout lived at high temperatures in epilimnic water. Arctic charr had a lower food consumption (less than one-third of trout) and lived in colder meta-and hypolimnic water. Arctic charr therefore had a lower intake and slower excretion of radiocaesium. Brown trout an Arctic charr had different diets. For brown trout zoobenthos was the dominant food item, whereas Artic charr mainly fed on zooplankton. The radioactivity in the stomach contents of the two species was different in 1986, but similar for the rest of the period. Higher levels of radiocaesium in brown trout than Arctic charr in 1986 were due to a higher food consumption and more radioactive food items in its diet. The parallel development in accumulated radiocaesium through summer 1987 was probably formed by brown trout balancing a higher intake with a faster excretion. The ecological half-lives of radiocaesium in brown trout (357 days) and Arctic charr (550 days) from Lake Hoeysjoeen indicated a slow removal of the isotopes from the food webs. (author)

Pliocene palaeoceanography of the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthiessen, Jens; Knies, Jochen; Vogt, Christoph; Stein, Ruediger

2009-01-13

The Pliocene is important in the geological evolution of the high northern latitudes. It marks the transition from restricted local- to extensive regional-scale glaciations on the circum-Arctic continents between 3.6 and 2.4Ma. Since the Arctic Ocean is an almost land-locked basin, tectonic activity and sea-level fluctuations controlled the geometry of ocean gateways and continental drainage systems, and exerted a major influence on the formation of continental ice sheets, the distribution of river run-off, and the circulation and water mass characteristics in the Arctic Ocean. The effect of a water mass exchange restricted to the Bering and Fram Straits on the oceanography is unknown, but modelling experiments suggest that this must have influenced the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Cold conditions associated with perennial sea-ice cover might have prevailed in the central Arctic Ocean throughout the Pliocene, whereas colder periods alternated with warmer seasonally ice-free periods in the marginal areas. The most pronounced oceanographic change occurred in the Mid-Pliocene when the circulation through the Bering Strait reversed and low-salinity waters increasingly flowed from the North Pacific into the Arctic Ocean. The excess freshwater supply might have facilitated sea-ice formation and contributed to a decrease in the Atlantic overturning circulation.

Arctic Freshwater Switchyard Project: Spring temperature and Salinity data collected by aircraft in the Arctic Ocean, May 2006 - May 2007 (NODC Accession 0057319)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — A program to study freshwater circulation (sea ice + upper ocean) in the "freshwater switchyard" between Alert (Ellesmere Island) and the North Pole. The project...

Diatom, cyanobacterial and microbial mats as indicators of hydrocarbon contaminated Arctic streams and waters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ziervogel, H.; Selann, J.; Adeney, B. [EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd., Edmonton, AB (Canada); Nelson, J.A. [J.B. Services, Sarnia, ON (Canada); Murdock, E. [Nunavut Power, Iqaluit (Canada)

2003-07-01

An environmental assessment conducted at Repulse Bay, Nunavut in the summer of 2001 revealed a recent diesel spill flowing from the groundwater into a creek. The spill had not been reported. When Arctic surface waters mix with hydrocarbon impacted groundwater and sediments, distinctive mats of diatom, cyanobacteria and other bacteria are formed. These mats have the potential for phytoremediation of hydrocarbons. This paper explained the apparent dominance of mats in contaminated Arctic waters and why they promote biodegradation of hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbon-contaminated soils and groundwater are generally anaerobic. The higher dissolved carbon dioxide in polluted soils and groundwater can benefit photosynthetic cyanobacteria and diatom found in oligotrophic, lower alkalinity Arctic waters. The anaerobic and aerobic bacteria can potentially take advantage of the hydrogen substrate and the nitrogen fixing abilities of the cyanobacteria. Zooplankton predators may be killed off by the toxicity of the polluted groundwater. The paper provides examples where a microbial mat reduced the sulfate content of a hydrocarbon-impacted Arctic stream by 100 ppm, and where a pond covered in a benthic microbial mat showed no evidence of hydrocarbons in the water overlying sediments contaminated with hydrocarbons at concentrations measured at 30,000 ppm. 19 refs., 3 tabs., 8 figs.

Large-scale temperature and salinity changes in the upper Canadian Basin of the Arctic Ocean at a time of a drastic Arctic Oscillation inversion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Bourgain

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Between 2008 and 2010, the Arctic Oscillation index over Arctic regions shifted from positive values corresponding to more cyclonic conditions prevailing during the 4th International Polar Year (IPY period (2007–2008 to extremely negative values corresponding to strong anticyclonic conditions in 2010. In this context, we investigated the recent large-scale evolution of the upper western Arctic Ocean, based on temperature and salinity summertime observations collected during icebreaker campaigns and from ice-tethered profilers (ITPs drifting across the region in 2008 and 2010. Particularly, we focused on (1 the freshwater content which was extensively studied during previous years, (2 the near-surface temperature maximum due to incoming solar radiation, and (3 the water masses advected from the Pacific Ocean into the Arctic Ocean. The observations revealed a freshwater content change in the Canadian Basin during this time period. South of 80° N, the freshwater content increased, while north of 80° N, less freshening occurred in 2010 compared to 2008. This was more likely due to the strong anticyclonicity characteristic of a low AO index mode that enhanced both a wind-generated Ekman pumping in the Beaufort Gyre and a possible diversion of the Siberian River runoff toward the Eurasian Basin at the same time. The near-surface temperature maximum due to incoming solar radiation was almost 1 °C colder in the southern Canada Basin (south of 75° N in 2010 compared to 2008, which contrasted with the positive trend observed during previous years. This was more likely due to higher summer sea ice concentration in 2010 compared to 2008 in that region, and surface albedo feedback reflecting more sun radiation back in space. The Pacific water (PaW was also subjected to strong spatial and temporal variability between 2008 and 2010. In the Canada Basin, both summer and winter PaW signatures were stronger between 75° N and 80° N. This was more likely

Struktur Komunitas Zooplankton di Bendungan Telaga Tunjung, Kabupaten Tabanan-Bali

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ni Wayan Desy Wahyudiati

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Zooplankton are the heterotroph aquatic organisms and has a week swimming. Zooplankton acts as the first consumer in the waters, which utilize phytoplankton as their food. This research located in Telaga Tunjung reservoir, Timpag Village, Kerambitan Subdistrict, Tabanan Regency. The reservoir is used for industry, irrigation and tourism development. The aim of the research was to determine the community structure of zooplankton in Telaga Tunjung reservoir. This research was conducted from January to February 2016. Water sampling was conducted twice with a sampling interval of 2 weeks in 4 stations. There was a total of 23 species of zooplankton found, consisting of 6 classes: Eurotatoria (8 genera, Ciliatea (1 genera, Branchiopoda (4 genera, Monogononta (1 genera, Tubulinea (1 genera and Maxillopoda (3 genera. The most common species of zooplankton found in the sampling station were Polyarthra vulgaris (3.04 ind/l, Anuraeopsis coelata (1.28 ind/l, Keratella valga (0.43 ind/l, Vorticella sp. (0.49 ind/l, Diaphanosoma brachyurum (0.28 ind/l, Nauplius sp. (0.16 ind/l and Megacyclops viridis (1.16 ind/l. The average abundance of zooplankton was 9.38 ind/l. Based on the abundance of zooplankton, the trophic status of Telaga Tunjung reservoir is mesotrophic.

TOXIC EFFECT OF PESTICIDES ON THE BIOTA OF FRESHWATER RESERVOIRS OF UKRAINE (A REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Kolesnyk

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To analyze scientific sources on the studies of toxic and lethal concentrations of pesticides on phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos and fish in current conditions of Ukraine. Findings. A review of works of a variety of scientists showed that pesticides with different chemical origins have disastrous effects on everyone without the exception of freshwater biota organisms. The article highlights the peculiarities of the toxic effects of pesticides of major chemical groups, which are used or stored in Ukraine. Their toxic and lethal concentrations for the major species of phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos and ichthyofauna reservoirs are considered. The data on basic features of behavioral reactions of aquatic organisms on poisoning by pesticides are provided. The basic structural and systemic diosrders of homeostasis of the organisms of aquatic biota are described. The effect of pesticides on phytoplankton needs further research, however, is was found that they have common feature as the disturbace of photosynthesis process and accumulation. In turn, this provoques kills in water bodies and poisoning of phytoplanctivorous fish. Zooplanktonic organisms are highly sensitive to pesticides; hence they can be used as an indicator of the state of fresh water. It was found that, pesticides depending on their concentration have different toxic effects on zooplankton organisms. The effect of pesticides on benthic organisms was little investigated. It is known that benthic communities respond to the presence of pesticide by changes in species composition, number of species, abundance and biomass of benthos in general and individual taxonomic groups of benthic invertebrates. The toxicity of pesticides for fish depends on their chemical nature, the form of the preparation, dose, fish species and age, water temperature and the content of oxygen and salts. In particular, juvenile fish are much more sensitive to the chemicals, and an increase in

Links between ocean properties, ice cover, and plankton dynamics on interannual time scales in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, James M.; Collins, Kate; Prinsenberg, Simon J.

2013-10-01

A decade of instrumented mooring data from Barrow Strait in the eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago reveals connections between sea ice, water characteristics, and zooplankton dynamics on interannual time scales. On the North side of the Strait, the timing of breakup is positively related to the timing of freezeup in the previous year and negatively related to spring water temperature. This suggests that an early freezeup insulates the ocean from a cold autumn atmosphere, allowing heat to be retained until spring when it contributes to early sea ice erosion. There is also a very strong negative association between the timing of freezeup and late summer salinity, suggesting that monitoring of salinity in real time could be used to predict freezeup. A zooplankton biomass index derived from acoustic Doppler current profiler echo intensity data is used to demonstrate that on the North side there are also strong connections between early summer water temperature and the start, length, and productivity of the zooplankton growth season. On the South side of the Strait where currents are stronger, the relationships seen on the North side were not observed. But here integrated zooplankton biomass index and measured currents are used to identify interannual variability in the zooplankton biomass being delivered downstream into Lancaster Sound. Also on the South side, two yearlong records of daily fluorescence profiles reveal a large difference in the phytoplankton biomass being delivered downstream between years and demonstrate a strong relationship between the timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom and that of breakup.

Calanoid Copepod Behavior in Thin Layer Shear Flows: Freshwater Versus Marine

Science.gov (United States)

Skipper, A. N.; Webster, D. R.; Yen, J.

2015-11-01

Marine copepods have been shown to behaviorally respond to vertical gradients of horizontal velocity and aggregate around thin layers. The current study addresses whether a freshwater copepod from an alpine lake demonstrates similar behavior response. Hesperodiaptomus shoshone is often the greatest biomass in alpine lakes and is the dominant zooplankton predator within its environment. The hypothesis is that H. shoshone responds to vertical gradients of horizontal velocity, which are associated with river outflows from alpine lakes, with fine-scale changes in swimming kinematics. The two calanoid copepods studied here, H. shoshone (freshwater) and Calanus finmarchicus(marine), are of similar size (2 - 4 mm), have similar morphologies, and utilize cruising as their primary swimming mode. The two animals differ not only in environment, but also in diet; H. shoshone is a carnivore, whereas C. finmarchicusis an herbivore. A laminar, planar jet (Bickley) was used in the laboratory to simulate a free shear flow. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) quantified the flow field. The marine species changed its swimming behavior significantly (increased swimming speed and turning frequency) and spent more time in the layer (40% vs. 70%) from control to treatment. In contrast, the freshwater species exhibited very few changes in either swimming behavior or residence time. Swimming kinematics and residence time results were also similar between males and females. Unlike the marine copepod, the results suggest the environmental flow structure is unimportant to the freshwater species.

Zooplankton species identities collected from zooplankton net casts in Indian Ocean from 17 February 1960 to 23 July 1962 (NODC Accession 9400059)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Zooplankton species identities and other data were collected using zooplankton net casts in the Indian Ocean. Data were collected from 17 February 1960 to 23 July...

Zooplankton data collected by ELTANIN in Southern Oceans from zooplankton net casts; 13 October 1963 to 06 June 1968 (NODC Accession 9500111)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Zooplankton data were collected using zooplankton net casts from ELTANIN in the Southern Oceans. Data were collected from 13 October 1963 to 06 June 1968 by National...

Zooplankton size selection relative to gill raker spacing in rainbow trout

Science.gov (United States)

Budy, P.; Haddix, T.; Schneidervin, R.

2005-01-01

Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss are one of the most widely stocked salmonids worldwide, often based on the assumption that they will effectively utilize abundant invertebrate food resources. We evaluated the potential for feeding morphology to affect prey selection by rainbow trout using a combination of laboratory feeding experiments and field observations in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Utah-Wyoming. For rainbow trout collected from the reservoir, inter-gill raker spacing averaged 1.09 mm and there was low variation among fish overall (SD = 0.28). Ninety-seven percent of all zooplankton observed in the diets of rainbow trout collected in the reservoir were larger than the interraker spacing, while only 29% of the zooplankton found in the environment were larger than the interraker spacing. Over the size range of rainbow trout evaluated here (200-475 mm), interraker spacing increased moderately with increasing fish length; however, the size of zooplankton found in the diet did not increase with increasing fish length. In laboratory experiments, rainbow trout consumed the largest zooplankton available; the mean size of zooplankton observed in the diets was significantly larger than the mean size of zooplankton available. Electivity indices for both laboratory and field observations indicated strong selection for larger-sized zooplankton. The size threshold at which electivity switched from selection against smaller-sized zooplankton to selection for larger-sized zooplankton closely corresponded to the mean interraker spacing for both groups (???1-1.2 mm). The combination of results observed here indicates that rainbow trout morphology limits the retention of different-sized zooplankton prey and reinforces the importance of understanding how effectively rainbow trout can utilize the type and sizes of different prey available in a given system. These considerations may improve our ability to predict the potential for growth and survival of rainbow trout within and

The effect of salinity levels on the structure of zooplankton communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paturej Ewa

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the qualitative and quantitative structure of zooplankton communities in the Vistula Lagoon and to establish whether zooplankton abundance and biodiversity are affected by salinity levels. Samples for biological analyses were collected in the summer (June-September of 2007-2011 at eleven sampling sites. Statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between salinity levels and the number of species (r= -0.2020, abundance (r= 0.1967 and biomass (r= 0.3139 of zooplankton. No significant correlations were found between salinity and the biodiversity of zooplankton. The results of the study suggest that salinity affects the abundance and structure, but not the diversity of zooplankton communities in the Vistula Lagoon.

Effect of Organic Fertilizers on Zooplankton Production | Orji ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of Organic Fertilizers on Zooplankton Production. ... Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences ... The aquaria were thoroughly washed, filled with 20litres of bore-hole water, fertilized with the respective organic manures after 4 days fermentation and inoculated with zooplankton samples collected from an earthen fish ...

Molecular analyses reveal high species diversity of trematodes in a sub-Arctic lake

Science.gov (United States)

Soldánová, Miroslava; Georgieva, Simona; Roháčováa, Jana; Knudsen, Rune; Kuhn, Jesper A.; Henriksen, Eirik H.; Siwertsson, Anna; Shaw, Jenny C.; Kuris, Armand M.; Amundsen, Per-Arne; Scholz, Tomáš; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Kostadinova, Aneta

2017-01-01

To identify trematode diversity and life-cycles in the sub-Arctic Lake Takvatn, Norway, we characterised 120 trematode isolates from mollusc first intermediate hosts, metacercariae from second intermediate host fishes and invertebrates, and adults from fish and invertebrate definitive hosts, using molecular techniques. Phylogenies based on nuclear and/or mtDNA revealed high species richness (24 species or species-level genetic lineages), and uncovered trematode diversity (16 putative new species) from five families typical in lake ecosystems (Allocreadiidae, Diplostomidae, Plagiorchiidae, Schistosomatidae and Strigeidae). Sampling potential invertebrate hosts allowed matching of sequence data for different stages, thus achieving molecular elucidation of trematode life-cycles and exploration of host-parasite interactions. Phylogenetic analyses also helped identify three major mollusc intermediate hosts (Radix balthica, Pisidium casertanum and Sphaerium sp.) in the lake. Our findings increase the known trematode diversity at the sub-Arctic Lake Takvatn, showing that digenean diversity is high in this otherwise depauperate sub-Arctic freshwater ecosystem, and indicating that sub-Arctic and Arctic ecosystems may be characterised by unique trematode assemblages.

Calanus spp.-Vectors for the biotoxin, domoic acid, in the Arctic marine ecosystem?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tammilehto, A.; Nielsen, Torkel Gissel; Krock, B.

2012-01-01

Three Calanus species, Calanus glacialis, Calanus finmarchicus and Calanus hyperboreus, which are the most important zooplankton herbivores in Western Greenland, were fed with unialgal cultures of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia seriata and non-toxic Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima. All three copepod speci...... are potential vectors for domoic acid to higher trophic levels in the Arctic...... cell quota of P. seriata during the experiment on C. glacialis than on the other two copepod species. The depuration experiment on C. glacialis indicated that the copepods still retained domoic acid after 10 h of depuration in filtered sea water. The results show that the three Calanus species...

Biomass relations between phytoplankton and zooplankton in Goa waters

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Pant, A.; Matondkar, S.G.P.; Goswami, S.C.

Biomass of phytoplankton and zooplankton, measured as particulate oxidizable carbon, shows that at shallowest stations (5 m) there is large excess of phytoplankton organic carbon over zooplankton carbon in all the samples There is no significant...

Annual variations in zooplankton from a polluted coastal environment

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Haridas, P.; Menon, P.G.; Madhupratap, M.

Seasonal changes in the composition and distribution of zooplankton from the coastal waters of Trivandrum were studied. The study indicated that the effluent discharged from a nearby titanium dioxide factory did not affect the zooplankton abundance...

Zooplankton composition and community structure in Lake Tiga ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Zooplankton in Lake Tiga was identified and its community structure assessed between March 2009 and March 2011. A total of 54 species of zooplankton was recorded, comprising two species of Protozoa, 26 species of Rotifera, eight species of Copepoda, 11 species of Cladocera, four species of Ostracoda and three ...

Zooplankton variability in polluted and unpolluted waters off Bombay

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gajbhiye, S.N.; Desai, B.N.

Zooplankton abundance in the waters around Bombay was studied at Versova, Bombay Harbour (less polluted), Mahim and Thana (highly polluted) from October 1977 to December 1978. A rich zooplankton population was observed throughout the period of study...

Effects of UV-B irradiated algae on zooplankton grazing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lange, de H.J.; Lürling, M.F.L.L.W.

2003-01-01

We tested the effects of UV-B stressed algae on grazing rates of zooplankton. Four algal species ( Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Cryptomonas sp., Scenedesmus obliquus and Microcystis aeruginosa) were used as food and fed to three zooplankton species ( Daphnia galeata, Bosmina longirostris and

Carbon export by vertically migrating zooplankton

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Agnethe Nøhr; Visser, André W.

2016-01-01

Through diel vertical migration (DVM), zooplankton add an active transport to the otherwise passive sinking of detrital material that constitutes the biological pump. This active transport has proven difficult to quantify. We present a model that estimates both the temporal and depth characterist...... is transported than at either equatorial or boreal latitudes. We estimate that the amount of carbon transported below the mixed layer by migrating zooplankton in the North Atlantic Ocean constitutes 27% (16–30%) of the total export flux associated with the biological pump in that region...

Monsoon regime in the Indian Ocean and zooplankton variability

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Nair, V.R.

and the estuaries in order to show how the monsoon exerts its influence on zooplankton from different types of environment. In the open ocean, the semi-annually reversing system of currents exert profound influence on the shifting of zooplankton populations and its...

Brominated flame retardants in aquatic organisms from the North Sea in comparison with biota from the high Arctic marine environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sørmo, Eugen G; Jenssen, Bjørn M; Lie, Elisabeth; Skaare, Janneche U

2009-10-01

The extent of trophic transfer of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and seven polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), were examined in pelagic and benthic aquatic animals (invertebrates and fish) in a near-shore estuary environment of the southeastern North Sea (Norway; 59 degrees N). Whole-body burdens of HBCD and several of the most abundant PBDEs biomagnified with increasing trophic position in the food web. Biomagnification of HBCD was particularly strong, resulting in whole-body burdens of this compound comparable to those of total PBDEs in the higher-trophic-level species. Body burdens of PBDEs were higher in pelagic than in benthic aquatic organisms. This was particularly evident for the lesser-brominated and volatile PBDE congeners. Atmospheric gas-water-phytoplankton exchange of these volatile compounds over the water surface may account for this observation. The PBDE burdens in pelagic zooplankton from the North Sea were more than 60-fold greater than those in corresponding pelagic zooplankton from the colder high Arctic latitudes (>78 degrees N) of Norway (Svalbard). This great difference may relate to reduced chemical gas-water exchange over open waters at the colder Arctic latitudes. However, previously measured whole-body burdens of BFRs in other aquatic marine organisms from the high Arctic were comparable or even exceeded those in the North Sea samples of the present study. These include sympagic (sea ice-associated) invertebrates and fish accumulating high burdens of particle-associated BFRs. The present study provides new insight regarding the distribution of BFRs in ecologically different compartments of marine ecosystems, essential information for understanding the food-web transfer and geographical dispersal of these compounds.

A Functional Approach to Zooplankton Communities in Mountain Lakes Stocked With Non-Native Sportfish Under a Changing Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Redmond, Laura E.; Loewen, Charlie J. G.; Vinebrooke, Rolf D.

2018-03-01

Cumulative impacts of multiple stressors on freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem function likely increase with elevation, thereby possibly placing alpine communities at greatest risk. Here, consideration of species traits enables stressor effects on taxonomic composition to be translated into potential functional impacts. We analyzed data for 47 taxa across 137 mountain lakes and ponds spanning large latitudinal (491 km) and elevational (1,399 m) gradients in western Canada, to assess regional and local factors of the taxonomic composition and functional structure of zooplankton communities. Multivariate community analyses revealed that small body size, clonal reproduction via parthenogenesis, and lack of pigmentation were species traits associated with both introduced non-native sportfish and also environmental conditions reflecting a warmer and drier climate—namely higher water temperatures, shallower water depths, and more chemically concentrated water. Thus, historical introductions of sportfish appear to have potentially induced greater tolerance in zooplankton communities of future climatic warming, especially in previously fishless alpine lakes. Although alpine lake communities occupied a relatively small functional space (i.e., low functional diversity), they were contained within the broader regional functional structure. Therefore, our findings point to the importance of dispersal by lower montane species to the future functional stability of alpine communities.

Increased zooplankton PAH concentrations across hydrographic fronts in the East China Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Chin-Chang; Ko, Fung-Chi; Gong, Gwo-Ching; Chen, Kuo-Shu; Wu, Jian-Ming; Chiang, Hsin-Lun; Peng, Sen-Chueh; Santschi, Peter H

2014-06-15

The Changjiang has transported large quantities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to the East China Sea (ECS), but information of these pollutants in zooplankton is limited. To understand PAHs pollution in zooplankton in the ECS, total concentrations of PAHs in zooplankton from surface waters were measured. Values of PAHs ranged from 2 to 3500 ng m(-3) in the ECS, with highest PAHs levels located at the salinity front between the Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW) and the mid-shelf waters. In contrast, concentrations of zooplankton PAHs in the mid-shelf and outer-shelf waters were significantly lower (2-23 ng m(-3)) than those in the CDW. These results demonstrate that PAHs are conspicuously accumulated in zooplankton at the salinity front between the CDW and the mid-shelf waters. These higher levels of PAHs in zooplankton at the salinity front may be further biomagnified in marine organisms of higher trophic levels through their feeding activities. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Short commentary on marine productivity at Arctic shelf breaks: upwelling, advection and vertical mixing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Randelhoff

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The future of Arctic marine ecosystems has received increasing attention in recent years as the extent of the sea ice cover is dwindling. Although the Pacific and Atlantic inflows both import huge quantities of nutrients and plankton, they feed into the Arctic Ocean in quite diverse regions. The strongly stratified Pacific sector has a historically heavy ice cover, a shallow shelf and dominant upwelling-favourable winds, while the Atlantic sector is weakly stratified, with a dynamic ice edge and a complex bathymetry. We argue that shelf break upwelling is likely not a universal but rather a regional, albeit recurring, feature of the new Arctic. It is the regional oceanography that decides its importance through a range of diverse factors such as stratification, bathymetry and wind forcing. Teasing apart their individual contributions in different regions can only be achieved by spatially resolved time series and dedicated modelling efforts. The Northern Barents Sea shelf is an example of a region where shelf break upwelling likely does not play a dominant role, in contrast to the shallower shelves north of Alaska where ample evidence for its importance has already accumulated. Still, other factors can contribute to marked future increases in biological productivity along the Arctic shelf break. A warming inflow of nutrient-rich Atlantic Water feeds plankton at the same time as it melts the sea ice, permitting increased photosynthesis. Concurrent changes in sea ice cover and zooplankton communities advected with the boundary currents make for a complex mosaic of regulating factors that do not allow for Arctic-wide generalizations.

Short commentary on marine productivity at Arctic shelf breaks: upwelling, advection and vertical mixing

Science.gov (United States)

Randelhoff, Achim; Sundfjord, Arild

2018-04-01

The future of Arctic marine ecosystems has received increasing attention in recent years as the extent of the sea ice cover is dwindling. Although the Pacific and Atlantic inflows both import huge quantities of nutrients and plankton, they feed into the Arctic Ocean in quite diverse regions. The strongly stratified Pacific sector has a historically heavy ice cover, a shallow shelf and dominant upwelling-favourable winds, while the Atlantic sector is weakly stratified, with a dynamic ice edge and a complex bathymetry. We argue that shelf break upwelling is likely not a universal but rather a regional, albeit recurring, feature of the new Arctic. It is the regional oceanography that decides its importance through a range of diverse factors such as stratification, bathymetry and wind forcing. Teasing apart their individual contributions in different regions can only be achieved by spatially resolved time series and dedicated modelling efforts. The Northern Barents Sea shelf is an example of a region where shelf break upwelling likely does not play a dominant role, in contrast to the shallower shelves north of Alaska where ample evidence for its importance has already accumulated. Still, other factors can contribute to marked future increases in biological productivity along the Arctic shelf break. A warming inflow of nutrient-rich Atlantic Water feeds plankton at the same time as it melts the sea ice, permitting increased photosynthesis. Concurrent changes in sea ice cover and zooplankton communities advected with the boundary currents make for a complex mosaic of regulating factors that do not allow for Arctic-wide generalizations.

Recent increases in Arctic freshwater flux affects Labrador Sea convection and Atlantic overturning circulation

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qian; Dixon, Timothy H.; Myers, Paul G.; Bonin, Jennifer; Chambers, Don; van den Broeke, M. R.

2016-01-01

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an important component of ocean thermohaline circulation. Melting of Greenland's ice sheet is freshening the North Atlantic; however, whether the augmented freshwater flux is disrupting the AMOC is unclear. Dense Labrador Sea Water (LSW), formed by winter cooling of saline North Atlantic water and subsequent convection, is a key component of the deep southward return flow of the AMOC. Although LSW formation recently decreased, it also reached historically high values in the mid-1990s, making the connection to the freshwater flux unclear. Here we derive a new estimate of the recent freshwater flux from Greenland using updated GRACE satellite data, present new flux estimates for heat and salt from the North Atlantic into the Labrador Sea and explain recent variations in LSW formation. We suggest that changes in LSW can be directly linked to recent freshening, and suggest a possible link to AMOC weakening.

77 FR 76706 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Threatened Status for the Arctic, Okhotsk, and Baltic...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-28

... an ice-diminished Arctic. Prey biomass may be reduced as a consequence of increased freshwater input... fields have been developed or brought into production. Shell plans to drill up to three wells during 2012 at several locations in the northeast Chukchi Sea. Shell also plans to drill offshore in the Beaufort...

Some crustacean zooplankton of Wular lake in Kashmir Himalaya ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In a taxonomic survey of crustacean zooplankton collected from Wular lake of Kashmir, a pictorial key was developed. Thirty-six (36) pictures of 25 species of crustacean zooplankton, out of which 21 represented 16 Cladocera taxa belonging to Chydoridae (Alona affinis, A. rectangula and A. monacantha, Chydorus ...

Freshwater Export from the Arctic Ocean and its Downstream Effect on Labrador Sea Deep Convection in a High-Resolution Numerical Model

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-01

Arctic has been observed in the northern Canadian Arctic Archipelago ( Bourke and McLaren 1992). There, thick multiyear ice of Arctic origin encounters...Affairs, 87(2), 63-77. 172 Bourke , R. H., and A. S. McLaren, 1992: Contour mapping of Arctic Basin ice draft and roughness parameters. J. Geophys

Observed increase in freshwater transport in the East Greenland Current north of Denmark Strait

Science.gov (United States)

de Steur, Laura; Pickart, Bob; Macrander, Andreas; Våge, Kjetil; Harden, Ben; Jonsson, Steingrimur; Østerhus, Svein; Valdimarsson, Hedinn

2017-04-01

We present liquid freshwater transports of the shelfbreak East Greenland Current (EGC) and the separated EGC determined from mooring records from the Kögur section north of Denmark Strait between August 2011 and July 2012. The 11-month mean freshwater transport (FWT) of these two branches was 65±11 mSv to the south (relative to a salinity of 34.8). Approximately 70% of this was associated with the shelfbreak EGC and the remaining 30% with the separated EGC. Very large southward FWT ranging from 160 mSv to 120 mSv was observed from September to mid-October 2011 and was foremost due to anomalously low upper-layer salinities. The FWT on the Greenland shelf was also estimated using additional inshore moorings deployed from 2012-2014. While the annual mean ranged from nearly zero during the first year to 18 mSv to the south during the second year, synoptically the FWT on the shelf can be significant. Furthermore, an anomalous event in autumn 2011 caused the shelfbreak EGC to reverse, leading to a large reduction in FWT. This reversed circulation was due to the passage of a large, 100 km wide anticyclone originating upstream from the shelfbreak. The late summer FWT of -131 mSv is two and a half times larger than earlier estimates based on sections in the late-1990s and early-2000s. This increase is likely the result of enhanced freshwater flux from the Arctic Ocean to the Nordic Seas during the early 2010s when also a significant increase of Pacific Water in the EGC was observed. Preliminary results obtained from the long-term ocean observing system in Fram Strait are included to compare the increased FWT seen in 2011-2012 with interannual variations in Arctic freshwater outflow during the last decade.

Can microcystins affect zooplankton structure community in tropical eutrophic reservoirs?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. A. S. V. Paes

Full Text Available Abstract The aim of our study was to assess whether cyanotoxins (microcystins can affect the composition of the zooplankton community, leading to domination of microzooplankton forms (protozoans and rotifers. Temporal variations in concentrations of microcystins and zooplankton biomass were analyzed in three eutrophic reservoirs in the semi-arid northeast region of Brazil. The concentration of microcystins in water proved to be correlated with the cyanobacterial biovolume, indicating the contributions from colonial forms such as Microcystis in the production of cyanotoxins. At the community level, the total biomass of zooplankton was not correlated with the concentration of microcystin (r2 = 0.00; P > 0.001, but in a population-level analysis, the biomass of rotifers and cladocerans showed a weak positive correlation. Cyclopoid copepods, which are considered to be relatively inefficient in ingesting cyanobacteria, were negatively correlated (r2 = – 0.01; P > 0.01 with the concentration of cyanotoxins. Surprisingly, the biomass of calanoid copepods was positively correlated with the microcystin concentration (r2 = 0.44; P > 0.001. The results indicate that allelopathic control mechanisms (negative effects of microcystin on zooplankton biomass do not seem to substantially affect the composition of mesozooplankton, which showed a constant and high biomass compared to the microzooplankton (rotifers. These results may be important to better understand the trophic interactions between zooplankton and cyanobacteria and the potential effects of allelopathic compounds on zooplankton.

Arctic Amplification and the Northward shift of a new Greenland melting record

Science.gov (United States)

Tedesco, Marco; Mote, Thomas; Fettweis, Xavier; Hanna, Edward; Booth, James; Jeyaratnam, Jeyavinoth; Datta, Rajashree; Briggs, Kate

2016-04-01

Large-scale atmospheric circulation controls the mass and energy balance of the Greenland ice sheet through its impact on radiative budget, runoff and accumulation. Using reanalysis data and the outputs of a regional climate model, here we show that the persistence of an exceptional atmospheric ridge, centred over the Arctic Ocean was responsible for a northward shift of surface melting records over Greenland, and for increased accumulation in the south during the summer of 2015. Concurrently, new records of mean monthly zonal winds at 500 hPa and of the maximum latitude of ridge peaks of the 5700±50 m isohypse over the Arctic were also set. An unprecedented (1948 - 2015) and sustained jet stream easterly flow promoted enhanced runoff, increased surface temperatures and decreased albedo in northern Greenland, while inhibiting melting in the south. The exceptional 2015 summer Arctic atmospheric conditions are consistent with the anticipated effects of Arctic Amplification, including slower zonal winds and increased jet stream wave amplitude. Properly addressing the impact of Arctic Amplification on surface runoff of the Greenland ice sheet is crucial for rigorously quantifying its contribution to current and future sea level rise, and the relative impact of freshwater discharge on the surrounding ocean.

Pilot Study on Potential Impacts of Fisheries-Induced Changes in Zooplankton Mortality on Marine Biogeochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Getzlaff, Julia; Oschlies, Andreas

2017-11-01

In this pilot study we link the yield of industrial fisheries to changes in the zooplankton mortality in an idealized way accounting for different target species (planktivorous fish—decreased zooplankton mortality; large predators—increased zooplankton mortality). This indirect approach is used in a global coupled biogeochemistry circulation model to estimate the range of the potential impact of industrial fisheries on marine biogeochemistry. The simulated globally integrated response on phytoplankton and primary production is in line with expectations—a high (low) zooplankton mortality results in a decrease (increase) of zooplankton and an increase (decrease) of phytoplankton. In contrast, the local response of zooplankton and phytoplankton depends on the region under consideration: In nutrient-limited regions, an increase (decrease) in zooplankton mortality leads to a decrease (increase) in both zooplankton and phytoplankton biomass. In contrast, in nutrient-replete regions, such as upwelling regions, we find an opposing response: an increase (decrease) of the zooplankton mortality leads to an increase (decrease) in both zooplankton and phytoplankton biomass. The results are further evaluated by relating the potential fisheries-induced changes in zooplankton mortality to those driven by CO2 emissions in a business-as-usual 21st century emission scenario. In our idealized case, the potential fisheries-induced impact can be of similar size as warming-induced changes in marine biogeochemistry.

US AMLR Program zooplankton dataset

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Zooplankton research in the US AMLR Program focuses on the link between prey production, availability, and climate variability in relation to predator and fishery...

Numerical studies of the influence of food ingestion on phytoplankton and zooplankton biomasses

OpenAIRE

Lidia Dzierzbicka-G³owacka

2002-01-01

This paper presents the numerical simulations of the influence of food ingestion by a herbivorous copepod on phytoplankton and zooplankton biomasses (PZB) in the sea. The numerical studies were carried out using the phytoplankton-zooplankton-nutrient-detritus PhyZooNuDe biological upper layer model. This takes account both of fully developed primary production and regeneration mechanisms and of daily migration of zooplankton. In this model the zooplankton is treated not as a 'biomass' but as ...

Biochemical composition of Antarctic zooplankton from the Indian Ocean sector

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Ingole, B.S.; Parulekar, A.H.

Zooplankton samples were analysed for faunal composition, organic carbon, protein, carbohydrate and lipid content. Total zooplankton biomass (as displacement volume) varied from 0.032 to 0.500 ml.m sup(-3) (x = 0.23 + or - 0.14) in upper 200 m...

The impact of fish predation and cyanobacteria on zooplankton size structure in 96 subtropical lakes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Zhang

Full Text Available Zooplankton are relatively small in size in the subtropical regions. This characteristic has been attributed to intense predation pressure, high nutrient loading and cyanobacterial biomass. To provide further information on the effect of predation and cyanobacteria on zooplankton size structure, we analyzed data from 96 shallow aquaculture lakes along the Yangtze River. Contrary to former studies, both principal components analysis and multiple regression analysis showed that the mean zooplankton size was positively related to fish yield. The studied lakes were grouped into three types, namely, natural fishing lakes with low nutrient loading (Type1, planktivorous fish-dominated lakes (Type 2, and eutrophic lakes with high cyanobacterial biomass (Type 3. A marked difference in zooplankton size structure was found among these groups. The greatest mean zooplankton size was observed in Type 2 lakes, but zooplankton density was the lowest. Zooplankton abundance was highest in Type 3 lakes and increased with increasing cyanobacterial biomass. Zooplankton mean size was negatively correlated with cyanobacterial biomass. No obvious trends were found in Type 1 lakes. These results were reflected by the normalized biomass size spectrum, which showed a unimodal shape with a peak at medium sizes in Type 2 lakes and a peak at small sizes in Type 3 lakes. These results indicated a relative increase in medium-sized and small-sized species in Types 2 and 3 lakes, respectively. Our results suggested that fish predation might have a negative effect on zooplankton abundance but a positive effect on zooplankton size structure. High cyanobacterial biomass most likely caused a decline in the zooplankton size and encouraged the proliferation of small zooplankton. We suggest that both planktivorous fish and cyanobacteria have substantial effects on the shaping of zooplankton community, particularly in the lakes in the eastern plain along the Yangtze River where

A physically based model of global freshwater surface temperature

Science.gov (United States)

van Beek, Ludovicus P. H.; Eikelboom, Tessa; van Vliet, Michelle T. H.; Bierkens, Marc F. P.

2012-09-01

the Arctic rivers because the timing of ice breakup is predicted too late in the year due to the lack of including a mechanical breakup mechanism. Moreover, surface water temperatures for tropical rivers were overestimated, most likely due to an overestimation of rainfall temperature and incoming shortwave radiation. The spatiotemporal variation of water temperature reveals large temperature differences between water and atmosphere for the higher latitudes, while considerable lateral transport of heat can be observed for rivers crossing hydroclimatic zones, such as the Nile, the Mississippi, and the large rivers flowing to the Arctic. Overall, our model results show promise for future projection of global surface freshwater temperature under global change.

Seasonal succession in zooplankton feeding traits reveals trophic trait coupling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kenitz, Kasia; Visser, Andre; Mariani, Patrizio

2017-01-01

non-motile cells flourishing in spring and motile community dominating during summer. The zooplankton community is dominated by active feeding-current feeders with peak biomass in the late spring declining during summer. The model reveals how zooplankton grazing reinforces protist plankton seasonal...

Selective uptake of 55Fe from seawater by zooplankton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jennings, C.D.

1978-01-01

Iron-55 was measured in water and mixed zooplankton collected in the South Pacific Ocean. The ratios of the specific activity of 55 Fe (pCi/g Fe) between plankton and water from the same locations appear to be about 100, which suggests that zooplankton took up 55 Fe in preference to stable iron in the South Pacific Ocean

A new modelling approach for zooplankton behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Keiyu, A. Y.; Yamazaki, H.; Strickler, J. R.

We have developed a new simulation technique to model zooplankton behaviour. The approach utilizes neither the conventional artificial intelligence nor neural network methods. We have designed an adaptive behaviour network, which is similar to BEER [(1990) Intelligence as an adaptive behaviour: an experiment in computational neuroethology, Academic Press], based on observational studies of zooplankton behaviour. The proposed method is compared with non- "intelligent" models—random walk and correlated walk models—as well as observed behaviour in a laboratory tank. Although the network is simple, the model exhibits rich behavioural patterns similar to live copepods.

Procedures Involved in Radioecological Studies with Marine Zooplankton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, S.W.; Small, L.F.

1976-01-01

Various procedures in marine radio ecological experiments with zooplankton are considered in the light of the possibility of establishing reference methods for marine radiobiological studies. Methods for collection, handling and maintenance prior to and during experiments are suggested for various types of zooplankton. The importance of physiological and physicochemical parameters are discussed in the context of the experimental design with the aim of achieving comparable results among workers involved in this field of research. (author)

Methylmercury biomagnification in an Arctic pelagic food web.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruus, Anders; Øverjordet, Ida B; Braaten, Hans Fredrik V; Evenset, Anita; Christensen, Guttorm; Heimstad, Eldbjørg S; Gabrielsen, Geir W; Borgå, Katrine

2015-11-01

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic element that enters the biosphere from natural and anthropogenic sources, and emitted gaseous Hg enters the Arctic from lower latitudes by long-range transport. In aquatic systems, anoxic conditions favor the bacterial transformation of inorganic Hg to methylmercury (MeHg), which has a greater potential for bioaccumulation than inorganic Hg and is the most toxic form of Hg. The main objective of the present study was to quantify the biomagnification of MeHg in a marine pelagic food web, comprising species of zooplankton, fish, and seabirds, from the Kongsfjorden system (Svalbard, Norway), by use of trophic magnification factors. As expected, tissue concentrations of MeHg increased with increasing trophic level in the food web, though at greater rates than observed in several earlier studies, especially at lower latitudes. There was strong correlation between MeHg and total Hg concentrations through the food web as a whole. The concentration of MeHg in kittiwake decreased from May to October, contributing to seasonal differences in trophic magnification factors. The ecology and physiology of the species comprising the food web in question may have a large influence on the magnitude of the biomagnification. A significant linear relationship was also observed between concentrations of selenium and total Hg in birds but not in zooplankton, suggesting the importance of selenium in Hg detoxification for individuals with high Hg concentrations. © 2015 SETAC.

Use of an Autonomous Surface Vehicle reveals small-scale diel vertical migrations of zooplankton and susceptibility to light pollution under low solar irradiance

Science.gov (United States)

Ludvigsen, Martin; Berge, Jørgen; Geoffroy, Maxime; Cohen, Jonathan H.; De La Torre, Pedro R.; Nornes, Stein M.; Singh, Hanumant; Sørensen, Asgeir J.; Daase, Malin; Johnsen, Geir

2018-01-01

Light is a major cue for nearly all life on Earth. However, most of our knowledge concerning the importance of light is based on organisms’ response to light during daytime, including the dusk and dawn phase. When it is dark, light is most often considered as pollution, with increasing appreciation of its negative ecological effects. Using an Autonomous Surface Vehicle fitted with a hyperspectral irradiance sensor and an acoustic profiler, we detected and quantified the behavior of zooplankton in an unpolluted light environment in the high Arctic polar night and compared the results with that from a light-polluted environment close to our research vessels. First, in environments free of light pollution, the zooplankton community is intimately connected to the ambient light regime and performs synchronized diel vertical migrations in the upper 30 m despite the sun never rising above the horizon. Second, the vast majority of the pelagic community exhibits a strong light-escape response in the presence of artificial light, observed down to 100 m. We conclude that artificial light from traditional sampling platforms affects the zooplankton community to a degree where it is impossible to examine its abundance and natural rhythms within the upper 100 m. This study underscores the need to adjust sampling platforms, particularly in dim-light conditions, to capture relevant physical and biological data for ecological studies. It also highlights a previously unchartered susceptibility to light pollution in a region destined to see significant changes in light climate due to a reduced ice cover and an increased anthropogenic activity. PMID:29326985

Use of an Autonomous Surface Vehicle reveals small-scale diel vertical migrations of zooplankton and susceptibility to light pollution under low solar irradiance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludvigsen, Martin; Berge, Jørgen; Geoffroy, Maxime; Cohen, Jonathan H; De La Torre, Pedro R; Nornes, Stein M; Singh, Hanumant; Sørensen, Asgeir J; Daase, Malin; Johnsen, Geir

2018-01-01

Light is a major cue for nearly all life on Earth. However, most of our knowledge concerning the importance of light is based on organisms' response to light during daytime, including the dusk and dawn phase. When it is dark, light is most often considered as pollution, with increasing appreciation of its negative ecological effects. Using an Autonomous Surface Vehicle fitted with a hyperspectral irradiance sensor and an acoustic profiler, we detected and quantified the behavior of zooplankton in an unpolluted light environment in the high Arctic polar night and compared the results with that from a light-polluted environment close to our research vessels. First, in environments free of light pollution, the zooplankton community is intimately connected to the ambient light regime and performs synchronized diel vertical migrations in the upper 30 m despite the sun never rising above the horizon. Second, the vast majority of the pelagic community exhibits a strong light-escape response in the presence of artificial light, observed down to 100 m. We conclude that artificial light from traditional sampling platforms affects the zooplankton community to a degree where it is impossible to examine its abundance and natural rhythms within the upper 100 m. This study underscores the need to adjust sampling platforms, particularly in dim-light conditions, to capture relevant physical and biological data for ecological studies. It also highlights a previously unchartered susceptibility to light pollution in a region destined to see significant changes in light climate due to a reduced ice cover and an increased anthropogenic activity.

Zooplankton community response to experimental acidification in boreal shield lakes with different ecological histories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Derry, A.M.; Arnott, S.E. [Queen' s Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Biology

2007-06-15

This study investigated the adaptive response of crustacean zooplankton to widespread regional acidification at the Killarney Provincial Park in Ontario. Mesocosm experiments were conducted in 2 circumneutral lakes with different acidification histories. A reciprocal transplant field enclosure experiment was conducted to assess whether the zooplankton community within the acid-recovering boreal shield lake showed evidence of increased acid tolerance to historical acidification following a 6 year period in which the lake's pH was 6.0. The enclosures were filled with epilimnetic water from the lake. Zooplankton from other lakes in the area were used. Zooplankton and water samples were collected from the enclosures once a week. Shannon-Wiener indices, species richness, and total abundance of the zooplankton were calculated for each sample day. Repeated measures analyses of variance (RM-ANOVAs) were used to test for the effects of the incubation lake, the zooplankton source, and the pH. Species abundance data were log{sub 10} transformed to improve homogeneity of variances and normality. Principle components analysis was conducted on species abundances to infer the influence of treatments on zooplankton community composition. Zooplankton were also transferred from 1 lake to the other in order to determine if subtle differences in local water chemistry and food conditions were limiting the recovery of species in acid-recovering lakes. The study showed that 2 key species, H. gibberum and L. minutus, contributed to community-level differences to acid tolerance of zooplankton with different acidification histories. It was concluded that zooplankton with adaptable acid tolerances may monopolize resources in acidified and acid-recovering lakes, and may contribute to the delayed recolonization of other taxa. 62 refs., 3 tabs., 6 figs.

Zooplankton Hydrodynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wadhwa, Navish

flow disturbances that may attract predators. The first part of this thesis attempts to quantify the trade-offs associated with the swimming behaviour of diverse zooplankton. We measured the swimming kinematics and flow fields around the 'jumping' copepod Acartia tonsa at various stages of its life....... We studied how sensing modes and their respective ranges depend on body size. We investigated the physiological constraints on sense organs, together with the physics of signal generation, transmission, and reception. Our analysis revealed a hierarchy of sensing modes - with increasing size, a larger...

A study on the zooplankton of the Burhabalanga Estuary, Orissa Coast

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Ramaiah, Neelam; Chatterji, A.; Madhupratap, M.

Annual variations in the zooplankton biomass and composition during 1991-92 were studied from the inshore, mouth and upstream regions of the Burhabalanga Estuary located in the Orissa Coast (India). Zooplankton biomass was maximum at all...

Zooplankton as a compound mineralising and synthesizing system: Phosphorus excretion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gulati, R.D.; Martinez, C.P.; Siewertsen, K.

1995-01-01

Data on phosphate excretion rates of zooplankton are based on measurements using the pelagic crustacean zoo-plankton of Lake Vechten and laboratory-cultured Daphnia galeata. In case of Daphnia sp we measured the effects of feeding on P-rich algae and P-poor algae (Scenedesmus) as food on the

Using occupancy modeling to compare traditional versus DNA metabarcoding methods for characterizing zooplankton biodiversity

Science.gov (United States)

DNA metabarcoding tools could increase our ability to detect changes in zooplankton communities and to detect invasive zooplankton taxa while they are still rare. Nonetheless, the use of DNA-metabarcoding for characterizing zooplankton biodiversity in the Great Lakes has not bee...

ZOOPLANKTON FAUNA OF BİNGÖL FLOATING ISLANDS IN WINTER SEASON

OpenAIRE

Şen Özdemir, Nurgül; Caf, Fatma

2015-01-01

In this study was carried out winter season in 2011; zooplankton faunaof the Bingol Floating Islands. To­tally 18 zooplankton species were determinedas fol­lows; 14 Rotifera, 3 Cladocera and 1 Copepoda. It was determined thatthis zooplanktonic organisms consist­ed of 87.74 % Rotifera, 6.83 % Cladocera, and3.36 %  copepodit stages, 2.07 %  nauplii of copepoda. Rotif­era were thedominant group with regard to both spe­cies numbers, and individual numbers ofspecies. Cy­clops vicinus from Copepoda...

The Holocene History of Nares Strait: Transition from Glacial Bay to Arctic-Atlantic Throughflow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jennings, Anne; Sheldon, Christina; Cronin, Thomas

2011-01-01

. As low-salinity, nutrient-rich Arctic Water began to enter Baffin Bay, it contributed to the Baffin and Labrador currents flowing southward. This enhanced freshwater inflow must have influenced the sea ice regime and likely is responsible for poor calcium carbonate preservation that characterizes...... retreat. A transitional unit with high ice-rafted debris content records the opening of Nares Strait at approximately 9,000 cal BP. High productivity in Hall Basin between 9,000 and 6,000 cal BP reflects reduced sea ice cover and duration as well as throughflow of nutrient-rich Pacific Water. The later......Retreat of glacier ice from Nares Strait and other straits in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago after the end of the last Ice Age initiated an important connection between the Arctic and the North Atlantic Oceans, allowing development of modern ocean circulation in Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea...

Predictive models for monitoring and analysis of the total zooplankton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Obradović Milica

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, modeling and prediction of total zooplankton abundance have been performed by various tools and techniques, among which data mining tools have been less frequent. The purpose of this paper is to automatically determine the dependency degree and the influence of physical, chemical and biological parameters on the total zooplankton abundance, through design of the specific data mining models. For this purpose, the analysis of key influencers was used. The analysis is based on the data obtained from the SeLaR information system - specifically, the data from the two reservoirs (Gruža and Grošnica with different morphometric characteristics and trophic state. The data is transformed into optimal structure for data analysis, upon which, data mining model based on the Naïve Bayes algorithm is constructed. The results of the analysis imply that in both reservoirs, parameters of groups and species of zooplankton have the greatest influence on the total zooplankton abundance. If these inputs (group and zooplankton species are left out, differences in the impact of physical, chemical and other biological parameters in dependences of reservoirs can be noted. In the Grošnica reservoir, analysis showed that the temporal dimension (months, nitrates, water temperature, chemical oxygen demand, chlorophyll and chlorides, had the key influence with strong relative impact. In the Gruža reservoir, key influence parameters for total zooplankton are: spatial dimension (location, water temperature and physiological groups of bacteria. The results show that the presented data mining model is usable on any kind of aquatic ecosystem and can also serve for the detection of inputs which could be the basis for the future analysis and modeling.

Nutrient regeneration by zooplankton during a red tide off Peru, with notes on biomass and species composition of zooplankton

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, S.L.

1978-01-01

During March and April 1976, a red tide, dominated by the dinoflagallate Gymnodinium splendens Lebour, developed in the vicinity of 15/sup 0/O6'S and 76/sup 0/31'W off Peru. At the height of the bloom, the euphotic zone was 6 m deep and the chlorophyll a at the surface was 48 ..mu..g 1/sup -1/. A daily collection of zooplankton at 09.00 hrs showed large fluctuations of biomass, from 0.2 to 3.84 g dry weight m/sup -2/ in a water column of 120 m. Copepodids and nauplii dominated the collections. During a period of reduced wind, the adult copepods were a mixture of the species characteristic of the coastal upwelling system and the neritic species associated with more northerly, tropical waters. Nitrogen regeneration by the zooplankton varied with the development of the bloom, the type of zooplankton dominating the experiment, and biomass fluctuations, but never accounted for more than 25% of the nitrogen uptake by phytoplankton.

Climate drift of AMOC, North Atlantic salinity and arctic sea ice in CFSv2 decadal predictions

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Bohua; Zhu, Jieshun; Marx, Lawrence; Wu, Xingren; Kumar, Arun; Hu, Zeng-Zhen; Balmaseda, Magdalena A.; Zhang, Shaoqing; Lu, Jian; Schneider, Edwin K.; Kinter, James L., III

2015-01-01

There are potential advantages to extending operational seasonal forecast models to predict decadal variability but major efforts are required to assess the model fidelity for this task. In this study, we examine the North Atlantic climate simulated by the NCEP Climate Forecast System, version 2 (CFSv2), using a set of ensemble decadal hindcasts and several 30-year simulations initialized from realistic ocean-atmosphere states. It is found that a substantial climate drift occurs in the first few years of the CFSv2 hindcasts, which represents a major systematic bias and may seriously affect the model's fidelity for decadal prediction. In particular, it is noted that a major reduction of the upper ocean salinity in the northern North Atlantic weakens the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) significantly. This freshening is likely caused by the excessive freshwater transport from the Arctic Ocean and weakened subtropical water transport by the North Atlantic Current. A potential source of the excessive freshwater is the quick melting of sea ice, which also causes unrealistically thin ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. Our sensitivity experiments with adjusted sea ice albedo parameters produce a sustainable ice cover with realistic thickness distribution. It also leads to a moderate increase of the AMOC strength. This study suggests that a realistic freshwater balance, including a proper sea ice feedback, is crucial for simulating the North Atlantic climate and its variability.

Climate sensitivity to Arctic seaway restriction during the early Paleogene

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Christopher D.; LeGrande, Allegra N.; Tripati, Aradhna K.

2009-09-01

The opening and closing of ocean gateways affects the global distribution of heat, salt, and moisture, potentially driving climatic change on regional to global scales. Between 65 and 45 million years ago (Ma), during the early Paleogene, exchange between the Arctic and global oceans occurred through two narrow and shallow seaways, the Greenland-Norway seaway and the Turgai Strait. Sediments from the Arctic Ocean suggest that, during this interval, the surface ocean was warm, brackish, and episodically enabled the freshwater fern Azolla to bloom. The precise mechanisms responsible for the development of these conditions in the Paleogene Arctic remain uncertain. Here we show results from an isotope-enabled, atmosphere-ocean general circulation model, which indicate that Northern Hemisphere climate would have been very sensitive to the degree of oceanic exchange through the Arctic seaways. We also present modelled estimates of seawater and calcite δ18O for the Paleogene. By restricting these seaways, we simulate freshening of the surface Arctic Ocean to ~ 6 psu and warming of sea-surface temperatures by 2 °C in the North Atlantic and 5-10 °C in the Labrador Sea. Our results may help explain the occurrence of low-salinity tolerant taxa in the Arctic Ocean during the Eocene and provide a mechanism for enhanced warmth in the north western Atlantic. We propose that the formation of a volcanic land-bridge between Greenland and Europe could have caused increased ocean convection and warming of intermediate waters in the Atlantic. If true, this result is consistent with the theory that bathymetry changes may have caused thermal destabilisation of methane clathrates and supports a tectonic trigger hypothesis for the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM).

Effects of increased zooplankton biomass on phytoplankton and cyanotoxins: A tropical mesocosm study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dos Santos Severiano, Juliana; Dos Santos Almeida-Melo, Viviane Lúcia; Bittencourt-Oliveira, Maria do Carmo; Chia, Mathias Ahii; do Nascimento Moura, Ariadne

2018-01-01

Zooplankton are important biocontrol agents for algal blooms in temperate lakes, while their potential in tropical and subtropical environments is not well understood. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of increased zooplankton biomass on phytoplankton community and cyanotoxins (microcystins and saxitoxin) content of a tropical reservoir (Ipojuca reservoir, Brazil) using in situ mesocosms. Mesocosms consisted of 50L transparent polyethylene bags suspended in the reservoir for twelve days. Phytoplankton populations were exposed to treatments having 1 (control), 2, 3 and 4 times the biomass of zooplankton found in the reservoir at the beginning of the experiment. Filamentous cyanobacteria such as Planktothrix agardhii and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii were not negatively influenced by increasing zooplankton biomass. In contrast, the treatments with 3 and 4 times zooplankton biomass negatively affected the cyanobacteria Aphanocapsa sp., Chroococcus sp., Dolichospermum sp., Merismopedia tenuissima, Microcystis aeruginosa and Pseudanabaena sp.; the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana; and the cryptophyte Cryptomonas sp. Total microcystin concentration both increased and decreased at different times depending on zooplankton treatment, while saxitoxin level was not significantly different between the treatments and control. The results of the present study suggest that zooplankton biomass can be manipulated to control the excessive proliferation of non-filamentous bloom forming cyanobacteria (e.g. M. aeruginosa) and their associated cyanotoxins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Power-plant-related estuarine zooplankton studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sage, L.E.; Olson, M.M.

1981-01-01

In-plant studies examining the effects of entrainment on zooplankton and field studies examining zooplankton abundance, composition, and distribution in the Chesapeake Bay in the vicinity of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant have been conducted from 1974 to the present. The evolution of these studies, with particular emphasis on design and statistical treatment, is discussed. Entrainment study designs evolved from discrete sampling episodes at 4-h intervals over 24 h to a time-series sampling design in which sampling took place every 30 min over 24 and 48-h periods. The near-field study design and samping methods have included replicated net tows, using 0.5-m nets, and replicated and nonreplicated pumped sampling, using a high-speed centrifugal pump. 16 refs

Studies on zooplankton from the Arabian sea off the south-central west coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sumitra-Vijayaraghavan; Selvakumar, R.A.; Rao, T.S.S.

Zooplankton biomass, composition and biochemical constituents were studied. Estimated average zooplankton biomass was 8.76 ml/100 m super(3). Of the major components constituting the zooplankton biomass, copepods formed the dominant group. Protein...

PeRL: a circum-Arctic Permafrost Region Pond and Lake database

Science.gov (United States)

Muster, Sina; Roth, Kurt; Langer, Moritz; Lange, Stephan; Cresto Aleina, Fabio; Bartsch, Annett; Morgenstern, Anne; Grosse, Guido; Jones, Benjamin; Sannel, A. Britta K.; Sjöberg, Ylva; Günther, Frank; Andresen, Christian; Veremeeva, Alexandra; Lindgren, Prajna R.; Bouchard, Frédéric; Lara, Mark J.; Fortier, Daniel; Charbonneau, Simon; Virtanen, Tarmo A.; Hugelius, Gustaf; Palmtag, Juri; Siewert, Matthias B.; Riley, William J.; Koven, Charles D.; Boike, Julia

2017-06-01

Ponds and lakes are abundant in Arctic permafrost lowlands. They play an important role in Arctic wetland ecosystems by regulating carbon, water, and energy fluxes and providing freshwater habitats. However, ponds, i.e., waterbodies with surface areas smaller than 1. 0 × 104 m2, have not been inventoried on global and regional scales. The Permafrost Region Pond and Lake (PeRL) database presents the results of a circum-Arctic effort to map ponds and lakes from modern (2002-2013) high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery with a resolution of 5 m or better. The database also includes historical imagery from 1948 to 1965 with a resolution of 6 m or better. PeRL includes 69 maps covering a wide range of environmental conditions from tundra to boreal regions and from continuous to discontinuous permafrost zones. Waterbody maps are linked to regional permafrost landscape maps which provide information on permafrost extent, ground ice volume, geology, and lithology. This paper describes waterbody classification and accuracy, and presents statistics of waterbody distribution for each site. Maps of permafrost landscapes in Alaska, Canada, and Russia are used to extrapolate waterbody statistics from the site level to regional landscape units. PeRL presents pond and lake estimates for a total area of 1. 4 × 106 km2 across the Arctic, about 17 % of the Arctic lowland ( pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.868349" target="_blank">https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.868349.

Ecology of selected marine communities in Glacier Bay: Zooplankton, forage fish, seabirds and marine mammals

Science.gov (United States)

Robards, Martin D.; Drew, Gary S.; Piatt, John F.; Anson, Jennifer Marie; Abookire, Alisa A.; Bodkin, James L.; Hooge, Philip N.; Speckman, Suzann G.

2003-01-01

-Bay.We identified 55 species of fish during this study (1999 and 2000) from beach seines, mid-water trawls, and rod and line catches. The diversity of physical, oceanographic, and glacial chronological conditions within Glacier Bay contribute a suite of factors that influence the distribution and abundance of fish. Accordingly, we observed significant differences in the abundance and distribution of fish within the Bay. Most significantly, abundance and diversity (primarily juvenile fish including walleye Pollock, eelblennies, and capelin) were greatest at the head of both the east and west arms where zooplankton abundance was greatest – in close proximity to tidewater glaciers and freshwater runoff. All of Glacier Bay and Icy Strait were surveyed hydroacoustically for plankton and fish during June 1999 surveys. Acoustically determined forage biomass was concentrated in relatively few important areas such as Pt. Adolphus, Berg Bay, on the Geikie-Scidmore shelf, around the Beardslee/Marble islands, and the upper arms of Glacier Bay. Forage biomass (primarily small schooling fish and euphausiids) was concentrated in shallow, nearshore waters; 50 % of acoustic biomass was found at depths 0.01 fish/m3) for seabirds foraging on zooplankton and small schooling fish. Less than 1 % of the area contained patches suitable (e.g., >0.1 fish/m3) for whales foraging on zooplankton and small schooling fish. High-density aggregations of 0.1-10 fish/m3 were comprised mostly of schools containing capelin, pollock, herring or euphausiids (0.1-1 kg/m3).During predator surveys (1999-2000), we observed 63 species of birds and 7 species of marine mammals. Seasonal distribution and abundance of these “apex” predators was highly variable by species. Glacier Bay supports high numbers of seabirds and marine mammals that consume zooplankton and small schooling fish. Nearshore areas had higher densities of both birds and marine mammals. Several areas, such as Pt. Adolphus, Berg Bay, on the Geikie

Structural-functional organization of the littoral zooplankton communities of the Kremenchutskiy reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Burian

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To find out the present state of the structural and functional organization of the littoral zooplankton communities of the upper Kremenchuk reservoir in the area of ​​the Kaniv Nature Reserve. Methodology. The material was collected in the summer time of 2016 at six stations of the littoral zone of the upper Kremenchug reservoir. The collection and analysis were carried out using generally accepted methods. The objects of the research were representatives of three main groups of zooplankton (rotifers, cladocerans, copepods, as well as ostracods and larvae of bivalve molluscs. Statistical data processing was done in MS Excel 2013. Findings. The results of the study represent the present state and organisation of littoral zooplankton. The species richness of the littoral zooplankton of the upper Kremenchug reservoir was presented by 48 species. There are 20 species of monogonont rotifers, 18 cladocerans species and copepods – 10. The representatives of the rotifer-cladoceran complex dominated in the taxonomic composition that can be explained by the preservation of the river regime and the rheophilic conditions in this part of the reservoir. The analysis showed that according to the ecological spectrum of zooplankton groups, the representatives of the pelagic group dominated – 47.92%. As for the feeding type, the largest share was represented by the non-predatory group – 64.58%. After analyzing of the quantitative indices (density and biomass of zooplankton, it was found that they were lower than average for overgrown biotopes (112580 ± 129914 ind./m³ і 1.83 ± 2.07 g/m³ and low for open water (26160 ± 19161 ind./m³ і 0,82 ± 0,86 g/m³. Originality. The present state of structural and functional organization of the littoral zooplankton communities of the upper Kremenchug reservoir has been revealed. Practical significance. The conducted studies give the information about the structural and functional organization of the

Zooplankton and zoobenthos of the Mokra Sura river

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Yakovenko

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To study the spatial distribution of structural and functional indicators of zooplankton and zoobenthos during the period of maximum development of hydrobiocenosis in the contaminated and conditionally clean sites of the Mokra Sura river being under antropogenic pressure. Methodology. During the collection and subsequent laboratory processing of zooplankton and zoobenthos samples, we used the standard conventional hydrobiological methods. In order to rank the studied river sites, we used the combined index of the community state (CICS based on the structural-functional indicators of zoobenthos. Findings. The research results have shown that the species composition of zoobenthos and zooplankton of the Mokra Sura river included many saprobiontic species such as oligochaetes, chironomids and rotifers, which were developed significantly in some sites under the effect of eutrophication and silt accumulation in the presence of anthropogenic pollution. The above-mentioned processes cause inhibition of the life activity of such filter feeders as mollusks and crustaceans being the most powerful zooplanktonic and zoobenthic agents of self-cleaning. The highest numbers of zooplankton and zoobenthos development were recorded in front of the point of the emergency discharge of right-bank sewage water (stimulating effect of organic pollution while the lowest numbers were registered near the tire plant (combined effect of both chemical sewage pollution and silt accumulation. In the «Dnipro - Zaporizhzhia highway» site, low numbers of zooplankton development were the result of silt accumulation, whereas the zoobenthos biomass turned out to be the highest due to the intensive development of oligochaetes. Planktonic saprobiontic rotifers dominated in the site located in front of the sewage discharge whereas bdelloid rotifers dominated in the upstream sites of the river. The dominance of planktonic and benthic saprobiontic rotifers caused the highest

Zooplankton assemblage of Oyun Reservoir, Offa, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moshood K Mustapha

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The influence of physico-chemical properties of Oyun Reservoir, Offa, Nigeria (a shallow tropical African reservoir on its zooplankton composition and abundance were investigated at three stations for two years between January 2002 and December 2003. Diversity is not high: only three groups of zooplankton were found: Rotifera with eight genera; and Cladocera and Copepoda with three genera each. Rotifera dominated numerically (71.02%, followed by Cladocera (16.45% and Copepoda (12.53%. The zooplankton was more prevalent during the rainy season, and there were variations in the composition and abundance along the reservoir continuum. Factors such as temperature, nutrients, food availability, shape and hydrodynamics of the reservoir, as well as reproductive strategies of the organisms, strongly influence the generic composition and population density of zooplankton. Prevention of ecological deterioration of the water body would greatly should result in a more productive water body, rich in zooplankton and with better fisheries. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (4: 1027-1047. Epub 2009 December 01.La influencia de las propiedades fisicoquímicas del Reservorio Oyun, Offa, Nigeria (un embalse tropical somero sobre la composición y abundancia del zooplancton fue investigada en tres estaciones entre enero de 2002 y diciembre de 2003. La diversidad no resultó muy alta con tres grupos de zooplancton: Rotifera con ocho géneros, y Cladocera y Copepoda con tres géneros cada uno. Rotifera dominó (71.02%, seguido de Cladocera (16.45% y Copepoda (12.53%. El zooplancton fue más común durante la temporada de lluvias, y hubo variaciones en su composición y abundancia a lo largo del embalse. Factores tales como la temperatura, los nutrientes, la disponibilidad de alimentos, la forma y la hidrodinámica del embalse, así como las estrategias reproductivas de los organismos, influyen fuertemente en la composición genérica y la densidad poblacional del zooplancton. La

Diurnal variation in zooplankton in the Zuari Estuary, west coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Padmavati, G.; Goswami, S.C.; Vidya, P.S.

Variations in zooplankton biomass and population density in relation to the prevailing hydrographical conditions were studied in Zuari Estuary, Goa. The physico-chemical parameters showed limited variations. Zooplankton biomass was relatively more...

Temporal and spatial variability of zooplankton on the Faroe shelf in spring 1997-2016

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobsen, Sólvá; Gaard, Eilif; Larsen, Karin Margretha Húsgarð; Eliasen, Sólvá Káradóttir; Hátún, Hjálmar

2018-01-01

Zooplankton availability during spring and summer determines the growth and survival of first-feeding fish larvae, and thus impacts the recruitment to both fish prey species and commercial fish stocks. On the Faroe shelf, however, the relative importance of oceanic versus neritic zooplankton species has hitherto not been well understood. In this study, spatio-temporal variability in zooplankton community structure and size spectra on the Faroe shelf is investigated using observations from late April during the period 1997-2016. The main objective was to explore which environmental variables influence the zooplankton community structure in early spring. The zooplankton community in the permanently well mixed central shelf inside the tidal front consists of a mixture of neritic, cosmopolitan and oceanic species. In this region, redundancy analyses showed that chlorophyll concentration had a positive effect on abundance of neritic copepods and meroplankton as well as all zooplankton abundance variability of these species shows increased production around 2000 and 2008-2009. The highest zooplankton abundance, mainly consisting of Calanus finmarchicus, is however observed off-shore from the tidal front, especially on the western side of the Faroe Plateau. A shift in C. finmarchicus phenology occurred around 2007, resulting in earlier reproduction of this species, and this variability could not be explained by the employed regional environmental parameters. Our results indicate that the Faroe shelf biological production is more dependent on the local primary production and neritic zooplankton species than on the large oceanic C. finmarchicus stock.

Effects of Climate on the Zooplankton of the California Current

Science.gov (United States)

Lavaniegos, B. E.

2007-05-01

Almost six decades of sampling of the California Current system, carried out by the CalCOFI program (California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation) complemented by a decade of observations from the IMECOCAL program (Investigaciones Mexicanas de la Corriente de California), have revealed changing patterns in zooplankton abundances, species composition, and distributions over interannual through multidecadal time scales. Interannual changes associated with ENSO variability are manifested as strong but transitory perturbations in the mean annual cycle in seasonal abundances (and distributions) of particular species. An investigation of longer- term change, limited to the region off southern California, shows a persistent decline in zooplankton volumes (a proxy for overall biomass of macrozooplankton) between 1977 and 1998 that is considered to be a response to the well documented shift in basin-scale climate forcing that occurred in 1976-77. Further examination of this decline in zooplankton volumes indicates that it was due principally to the disappearance of several salp species after 1977. Other species and functional groups did not decline after the change in climate regime, while some species have followed persistent secular trends that appear to be associated more with the phenomenon of long-term global warming. Differences in the regional responses to climate change throughout the California Current system have also been observed recently in the spatial distribution of zooplankton biomass and changes in latitudinal ranges of certain species. For example, zooplankton biomass in the Baja California region show typical values for the 1997-98 El Niño that were followed by a decrease during the sharp transition to the cool La Niña conditions in 1999. This contrasts with the nearby region off southern California that was characterized by reduced biomass during the El Niño period and the subsequent recovery during the La Niña. Another regional contrast in

Potential acidification impacts on zooplankton in CCS leakage scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halsband, Claudia; Kurihara, Haruko

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Effects of CCS techniques and ocean acidification on zooplankton are under-studied. • Vulnerable zooplankton are meso-, bathypelagic and vertically migrating species. • Impacts include impaired calcification, reproduction, development and survival. • Need for modelling studies combining physico-chemical with ecological impacts. -- Abstract: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies involve localized acidification of significant volumes of seawater, inhabited mainly by planktonic species. Knowledge on potential impacts of these techniques on the survival and physiology of zooplankton, and subsequent consequences for ecosystem health in targeted areas, is scarce. The recent literature has a focus on anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, leading to enhanced absorption of CO 2 by the oceans and a lowered seawater pH, termed ocean acidification. These studies explore the effects of changes in seawater chemistry, as predicted by climate models for the end of this century, on marine biota. Early studies have used unrealistically severe CO 2 /pH values in this context, but are relevant for CCS leakage scenarios. Little studied meso- and bathypelagic species of the deep sea may be especially vulnerable, as well as vertically migrating zooplankton, which require significant residence times at great depths as part of their life cycle

Zooplankton and ichthyoplankton distribution on the southern Brazilian shelf: an overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubens M. Lopes

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The southern Brazilian coast is the major fishery ground for the Brazilian sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis, a species responsible for up to 40% of marine fish catches in the region. Fish spawning and recruitment are locally influenced by seasonal advection of nutrient-rich waters from both inshore and offshore sources. Plankton communities are otherwise controlled by regenerative processes related to the oligotrophic nature of the Tropical Water from the Brazil Current. As recorded in other continental margins, zooplankton species diversity increases towards outer shelf and open ocean waters. Peaks of zooplankton biomass and ichthyoplankton abundance are frequent on the inner shelf, either at upwelling sites or off large estuarine systems. However, meandering features of the Brazil Current provide an additional mechanism of upward motion of the cold and nutrient-rich South Atlantic Central Water, increasing phyto- and zooplankton biomass and production on mid- and outer shelves. Cold neritic waters originating off Argentina, and subtropical waters from the Subtropical Convergence exert a strong seasonal influence on zooplankton and ichthyoplankton distribution towards more southern areas. This brief review highlights the need for further experimental studies on zooplankton life cycle strategies in order to understand the major processes controlling food web dynamics in this shelf ecosystem.

Effects of a herbicide-insecticide mixture in freshwater microcosms: Risk assessment and ecological effect chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brink, Paul J. van den; Crum, Steven J.H.; Gylstra, Ronald; Bransen, Fred; Cuppen, Jan G.M.; Brock, Theo C.M.

2009-01-01

Effects of chronic application of a mixture of the herbicide atrazine and the insecticide lindane were studied in indoor freshwater plankton-dominated microcosms. The macroinvertebrate community was seriously affected at all but the lowest treatment levels, the zooplankton community at the three highest treatment levels, with crustaceans, caddisflies and dipterans being the most sensitive groups. Increased abundance of the phytoplankton taxa Cyclotella sp. was found at the highest treatment level. Threshold levels for lindane, both at population and community level, corresponded well with those reported in the literature. Atrazine produced fewer effects than expected, probably due to decreased grazer stress on the algae as a result of the lindane application. The safety factors set by the Uniform Principles for individual compounds were also found to ensure protection against chronic exposure to a mixture of a herbicide and insecticide at community level, though not always at the population level. - Effects of chronic application of a herbicide-insecticide mixture were studied in indoor freshwater plankton-dominated microcosms. Effects could well be explained by the effects of the individual chemicals alone, no synergetic effects were reported

Biomass and composition of zooplankton in and around Gulf of Kutch

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Govindan, K.; Kasinathan, R.; Desai, B.N.

Biomass and composition of zooplankton in the nearshore waters of Thal, Maharashtra, India were studied at 9 stations during Feb. 1980 to Jan. 1981. The recorded variation in zooplankton biomass was 4.8-80.6 ml.(100 m super(3))/1 [av. 22.9 ml.(100 m...

Metabarcoding Reveals Seasonal and Temperature-Dependent Succession of Zooplankton Communities in the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Casas, Laura; Pearman, John K.; Irigoien, Xabier

2017-01-01

Very little is known about the composition and the annual cycle of zooplankton assemblages in the Red Sea, a confined water body characterized by a high biodiversity and endemism but at the same time one of the most understudied areas in the world in terms of marine biodiversity. This high diversity together with the lack of references for several of the groups poses a problem in obtaining basic information on zooplankton seasonal patterns. In the present work, we used high throughput sequencing to examine the temporal and spatial distribution of the zooplankton communities inhabiting the epipelagic zone in the central Red Sea. The analysis of zooplankton assemblages collected at two sites—coastal and offshore—twice a month at several depth strata by using MANTA, Bongo and WP2 nets provides baseline information of the seasonal patterns of the zooplankton community over 1 year. We show that the seasonal fluctuation of zooplankton communities living in the upper 100 m of the water column is driven mainly by the annual changes in seawater temperature. The 18S rRNA gene was used for metabarcoding of zooplankton assemblages revealing 630 metazoan OTUs (97% similarity) in five phyla, highlighting the richness of the Red Sea community. During colder months, communities were characterized by lower richness and higher biomass than communities found during the hot season. Throughout the year the zooplankton communities were dominated by the class Maxillopoda, mainly represented by copepods and class Hydrozoa. The rise in the water temperature favors the appearance of classes Malacostraca, Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, and Saggitoidea. The present study provides essential baseline information for future monitoring and improves our knowledge of the marine ecosystem in the Red Sea while reporting the main environmental variable structuring zooplankton assemblages in this region.

Metabarcoding Reveals Seasonal and Temperature-Dependent Succession of Zooplankton Communities in the Red Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Casas

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Very little is known about the composition and the annual cycle of zooplankton assemblages in the Red Sea, a confined water body characterized by a high biodiversity and endemism but at the same time one of the most understudied areas in the world in terms of marine biodiversity. This high diversity together with the lack of references for several of the groups poses a problem in obtaining basic information on zooplankton seasonal patterns. In the present work, we used high throughput sequencing to examine the temporal and spatial distribution of the zooplankton communities inhabiting the epipelagic zone in the central Red Sea. The analysis of zooplankton assemblages collected at two sites—coastal and offshore—twice a month at several depth strata by using MANTA, Bongo and WP2 nets provides baseline information of the seasonal patterns of the zooplankton community over 1 year. We show that the seasonal fluctuation of zooplankton communities living in the upper 100 m of the water column is driven mainly by the annual changes in seawater temperature. The 18S rRNA gene was used for metabarcoding of zooplankton assemblages revealing 630 metazoan OTUs (97% similarity in five phyla, highlighting the richness of the Red Sea community. During colder months, communities were characterized by lower richness and higher biomass than communities found during the hot season. Throughout the year the zooplankton communities were dominated by the class Maxillopoda, mainly represented by copepods and class Hydrozoa. The rise in the water temperature favors the appearance of classes Malacostraca, Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, and Saggitoidea. The present study provides essential baseline information for future monitoring and improves our knowledge of the marine ecosystem in the Red Sea while reporting the main environmental variable structuring zooplankton assemblages in this region.

Metabarcoding Reveals Seasonal and Temperature-Dependent Succession of Zooplankton Communities in the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Casas, Laura

2017-08-02

Very little is known about the composition and the annual cycle of zooplankton assemblages in the Red Sea, a confined water body characterized by a high biodiversity and endemism but at the same time one of the most understudied areas in the world in terms of marine biodiversity. This high diversity together with the lack of references for several of the groups poses a problem in obtaining basic information on zooplankton seasonal patterns. In the present work, we used high throughput sequencing to examine the temporal and spatial distribution of the zooplankton communities inhabiting the epipelagic zone in the central Red Sea. The analysis of zooplankton assemblages collected at two sites—coastal and offshore—twice a month at several depth strata by using MANTA, Bongo and WP2 nets provides baseline information of the seasonal patterns of the zooplankton community over 1 year. We show that the seasonal fluctuation of zooplankton communities living in the upper 100 m of the water column is driven mainly by the annual changes in seawater temperature. The 18S rRNA gene was used for metabarcoding of zooplankton assemblages revealing 630 metazoan OTUs (97% similarity) in five phyla, highlighting the richness of the Red Sea community. During colder months, communities were characterized by lower richness and higher biomass than communities found during the hot season. Throughout the year the zooplankton communities were dominated by the class Maxillopoda, mainly represented by copepods and class Hydrozoa. The rise in the water temperature favors the appearance of classes Malacostraca, Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, and Saggitoidea. The present study provides essential baseline information for future monitoring and improves our knowledge of the marine ecosystem in the Red Sea while reporting the main environmental variable structuring zooplankton assemblages in this region.

Zooplankton data collected from zooplankton net casts from RESEARCHER I and other platforms in TOGA Area of Pacific Ocean; 16 March 1968 to 02 July 1970 (NODC Accession 9500141)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Zooplankton species identities and other data were collected using zooplankton casts in the TOGA Area of Pacific Ocean from RESEARCHER I and other platforms. Data...

Zooplankton along the Tamil Nadu coast

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Santhakumari, V.; Saraswathy, M.

Zooplankton abundance along two sectors at Cape Comorin and Tuticorin of Tamil Nadu Coast, southeast coast of India was studied. High biomass contributed by Ostracods, Salps, Chaetognaths etc., were observed along Tuticorin transect. In the Cape...

Planktivory in the changing Lake Huron zooplankton community: Bythotrephes consumption exceeds that of Mysis and fish

Science.gov (United States)

Bunnell, D.B.; Hunter, R. Douglas; Warner, D.M.; Chriscinske, M.A.; Roseman, E.F.

2011-01-01

Oligotrophic lakes are generally dominated by calanoid copepods because of their competitive advantage over cladocerans at low prey densities. Planktivory also can alter zooplankton community structure. We sought to understand the role of planktivory in driving recent changes to the zooplankton community of Lake Huron, a large oligotrophic lake on the border of Canada and the United States. We tested the hypothesis that excessive predation by fish (rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax, bloater Coregonus hoyi) and invertebrates (Mysis relicta, Bythotrephes longimanus) had driven observed declines in cladoceran and cyclopoid copepod biomass between 2002 and 2007. We used a field sampling and bioenergetics modelling approach to generate estimates of daily consumption by planktivores at two 91-m depth sites in northern Lake Huron, U.S.A., for each month, May-October 2007. Daily consumption was compared to daily zooplankton production. Bythotrephes was the dominant planktivore and estimated to have eaten 78% of all zooplankton consumed. Bythotrephes consumption exceeded total zooplankton production between July and October. Mysis consumed 19% of all the zooplankton consumed and exceeded zooplankton production in October. Consumption by fish was relatively unimportant - eating only 3% of all zooplankton consumed. Because Bythotrephes was so important, we explored other consumption estimation methods that predict lower Bythotrephes consumption. Under this scenario, Mysis was the most important planktivore, and Bythotrephes consumption exceeded zooplankton production only in August. Our results provide no support for the hypothesis that excessive fish consumption directly contributed to the decline of cladocerans and cyclopoid copepods in Lake Huron. Rather, they highlight the importance of invertebrate planktivores in structuring zooplankton communities, especially for those foods webs that have both Bythotrephes and Mysis. Together, these species occupy the epi-, meta- and

Production and associations of zooplankton in estuarine and nearshore waters of Goa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Nair, V.R.

Zooplankton production in the Zuari and Mandovi estuaries indicated 2 peaks-one in November and another in March/April. In the nearshore waters very high value of zooplankton biomass was observed in April associated with Trichodesmium bloom. Mean...

Microplastics in Arctic polar waters: the first reported values of particles in surface and sub-surface samples

Science.gov (United States)

Lusher, Amy L.; Tirelli, Valentina; O’Connor, Ian; Officer, Rick

2015-01-01

Plastic, as a form of marine litter, is found in varying quantities and sizes around the globe from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. Identifying patterns of microplastic distribution will benefit an understanding of the scale of their potential effect on the environment and organisms. As sea ice extent is reducing in the Arctic, heightened shipping and fishing activity may increase marine pollution in the area. Microplastics may enter the region following ocean transport and local input, although baseline contamination measurements are still required. Here we present the first study of microplastics in Arctic waters, south and southwest of Svalbard, Norway. Microplastics were found in surface (top 16 cm) and sub-surface (6 m depth) samples using two independent techniques. Origins and pathways bringing microplastic to the Arctic remain unclear. Particle composition (95% fibres) suggests they may either result from the breakdown of larger items (transported over large distances by prevailing currents, or derived from local vessel activity), or input in sewage and wastewater from coastal areas. Concurrent observations of high zooplankton abundance suggest a high probability for marine biota to encounter microplastics and a potential for trophic interactions. Further research is required to understand the effects of microplastic-biota interaction within this productive environment. PMID:26446348

Microplastics in Arctic polar waters: the first reported values of particles in surface and sub-surface samples

Science.gov (United States)

Lusher, Amy L.; Tirelli, Valentina; O'Connor, Ian; Officer, Rick

2015-10-01

Plastic, as a form of marine litter, is found in varying quantities and sizes around the globe from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. Identifying patterns of microplastic distribution will benefit an understanding of the scale of their potential effect on the environment and organisms. As sea ice extent is reducing in the Arctic, heightened shipping and fishing activity may increase marine pollution in the area. Microplastics may enter the region following ocean transport and local input, although baseline contamination measurements are still required. Here we present the first study of microplastics in Arctic waters, south and southwest of Svalbard, Norway. Microplastics were found in surface (top 16 cm) and sub-surface (6 m depth) samples using two independent techniques. Origins and pathways bringing microplastic to the Arctic remain unclear. Particle composition (95% fibres) suggests they may either result from the breakdown of larger items (transported over large distances by prevailing currents, or derived from local vessel activity), or input in sewage and wastewater from coastal areas. Concurrent observations of high zooplankton abundance suggest a high probability for marine biota to encounter microplastics and a potential for trophic interactions. Further research is required to understand the effects of microplastic-biota interaction within this productive environment.

Feeding on dispersed vs. aggregated particles: The effect of zooplankton feeding behavior on vertical flux

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koski, Marja; Boutorh, Julia; De La Rocha, Christina L.

2017-01-01

Zooplankton feeding activity is hypothesized to attenuate the downward flux of elements in the ocean. We investigated whether the zooplankton community composition could influence the flux attenuation, due to the differences of feeding modes (feeding on dispersed vs. aggregated particles) and of ......Zooplankton feeding activity is hypothesized to attenuate the downward flux of elements in the ocean. We investigated whether the zooplankton community composition could influence the flux attenuation, due to the differences of feeding modes (feeding on dispersed vs. aggregated particles...

Numerical studies of the influence of food ingestion on phytoplankton and zooplankton biomasses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidia Dzierzbicka-G³owacka

2002-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the numerical simulations of the influence of food ingestion by a herbivorous copepod on phytoplankton and zooplankton biomasses (PZB in the sea. The numerical studies were carried out using the phytoplankton-zooplankton-nutrient-detritus PhyZooNuDe biological upper layer model. This takes account both of fully developed primary production and regeneration mechanisms and of daily migration of zooplankton. In this model the zooplankton is treated not as a 'biomass' but as organisms having definite patterns of growth, reproduction and mortality. Assuming also that {Zoop} is composed ofi cohorts of copepods with weights Wi and numbers Zi, then {Zoop} = WiZi. The PhyZooNuDe model consists of three coupled, partial second-order differential equations of the diffusion type for phytoplankton, zooplankton and nutrients, and one ordinary first-order differential equation for the benthic detritus pool, together with initial and boundary conditions. The calculations were made during 90 days (April, May and June for the study area P1 (Gdansk Deep in an area 0z<=20 m with a vertical space step of 0.1 m and a time step of 300 s. The simulation given here demonstrated the importance of food ingestion by zooplankton in that it can alter the nature of the interactions of plants and herbivores. The analysis of these numerical studies indicate that the maximal ingestion rate and the half-saturation constant for grazing strongly affect the magnitude of the spring bloom and the cyanobacterial bloom, and also the total zooplankton biomass.

Eutrophication and warming effects on long-term variation of zooplankton in Lake Biwa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. H. Hsieh

2011-05-01

Full Text Available We compiled and analyzed long-term (1961–2005 zooplankton community data in response to environmental variations in Lake Biwa. Environmental data indicate that Lake Biwa had experienced eutrophication (according to the total phosphorus concentration in the late 1960s and recovered to a normal trophic status around 1985, and then has exhibited warming since 1990. Total zooplankton abundance showed a significant correlation with total phytoplankton biomass. Following a classic pattern, the cladoceran/calanoid and cyclopoid/calanoid abundance ratio was related positively to eutrophication. The zooplankton community exhibited a significant response to the boom and bust of phytoplankton biomass as a consequence of eutrophication-reoligotriphication and warming. Moreover, our analyses suggest that the Lake Biwa ecosystem exhibited a hierarchical response across trophic levels; that is, higher trophic levels may show a more delayed response or no response to eutrophication than lower ones.

We tested the hypothesis that the phytoplankton community can better explain the variation of the zooplankton community than bulk environmental variables, considering that the phytoplankton community may directly affect the zooplankton succession through predator-prey interactions. Using a variance partition approach, however, we did not find strong evidence to support this hypothesis. We further aggregated zooplankton according to their feeding types (herbivorous, carnivorous, omnivorous, and parasitic and taxonomic groups, and analyzed the aggregated data. While the pattern remains similar, the results are less clear comparing the results based on finely resolved data. Our research suggests that zooplankton can be bio-indicators of environmental changes; however, the efficacy depends on data resolution.

High mortality of Red Sea zooplankton under ambient solar radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Aidaroos, Ali M; El-Sherbiny, Mohsen M O; Satheesh, Sathianeson; Mantha, Gopikrishna; Agustī, Susana; Carreja, Beatriz; Duarte, Carlos M

2014-01-01

High solar radiation along with extreme transparency leads to high penetration of solar radiation in the Red Sea, potentially harmful to biota inhabiting the upper water column, including zooplankton. Here we show, based on experimental assessments of solar radiation dose-mortality curves on eight common taxa, the mortality of zooplankton in the oligotrophic waters of the Red Sea to increase steeply with ambient levels of solar radiation in the Red Sea. Responses curves linking solar radiation doses with zooplankton mortality were evaluated by exposing organisms, enclosed in quartz bottles, allowing all the wavelengths of solar radiation to penetrate, to five different levels of ambient solar radiation (100%, 21.6%, 7.2%, 3.2% and 0% of solar radiation). The maximum mortality rates under ambient solar radiation levels averaged (±standard error of the mean, SEM) 18.4±5.8% h(-1), five-fold greater than the average mortality in the dark for the eight taxa tested. The UV-B radiation required for mortality rates to reach ½ of maximum values averaged (±SEM) 12±5.6 h(-1)% of incident UVB radiation, equivalent to the UV-B dose at 19.2±2.7 m depth in open coastal Red Sea waters. These results confirm that Red Sea zooplankton are highly vulnerable to ambient solar radiation, as a consequence of the combination of high incident radiation and high water transparency allowing deep penetration of damaging UV-B radiation. These results provide evidence of the significance of ambient solar radiation levels as a stressor of marine zooplankton communities in tropical, oligotrophic waters. Because the oligotrophic ocean extends across 70% of the ocean surface, solar radiation can be a globally-significant stressor for the ocean ecosystem, by constraining zooplankton use of the upper levels of the water column and, therefore, the efficiency of food transfer up the food web in the oligotrophic ocean.

High mortality of Red Sea zooplankton under ambient solar radiation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali M Al-Aidaroos

Full Text Available High solar radiation along with extreme transparency leads to high penetration of solar radiation in the Red Sea, potentially harmful to biota inhabiting the upper water column, including zooplankton. Here we show, based on experimental assessments of solar radiation dose-mortality curves on eight common taxa, the mortality of zooplankton in the oligotrophic waters of the Red Sea to increase steeply with ambient levels of solar radiation in the Red Sea. Responses curves linking solar radiation doses with zooplankton mortality were evaluated by exposing organisms, enclosed in quartz bottles, allowing all the wavelengths of solar radiation to penetrate, to five different levels of ambient solar radiation (100%, 21.6%, 7.2%, 3.2% and 0% of solar radiation. The maximum mortality rates under ambient solar radiation levels averaged (±standard error of the mean, SEM 18.4±5.8% h(-1, five-fold greater than the average mortality in the dark for the eight taxa tested. The UV-B radiation required for mortality rates to reach ½ of maximum values averaged (±SEM 12±5.6 h(-1% of incident UVB radiation, equivalent to the UV-B dose at 19.2±2.7 m depth in open coastal Red Sea waters. These results confirm that Red Sea zooplankton are highly vulnerable to ambient solar radiation, as a consequence of the combination of high incident radiation and high water transparency allowing deep penetration of damaging UV-B radiation. These results provide evidence of the significance of ambient solar radiation levels as a stressor of marine zooplankton communities in tropical, oligotrophic waters. Because the oligotrophic ocean extends across 70% of the ocean surface, solar radiation can be a globally-significant stressor for the ocean ecosystem, by constraining zooplankton use of the upper levels of the water column and, therefore, the efficiency of food transfer up the food web in the oligotrophic ocean.

Evaluation of butachlor for control of some submerged macrophytes along with its impact on biotic components of freshwater system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Chattopadhyay, S. Adhikari, S. P. Adhikary, S. Ayyappan

2006-04-01

Full Text Available In this investigation, the efficacy of the herbicide butachlor, (N-butoxymethyl-2 chloro-21, 61 diethyl acetanilide was tested against few common submerged macrophytes namely Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata (L. Royale, Najas (Najas minor All., Nechamandra (Nechamandra alternifolia (Roxb. Thwaites and Ottelia (Ottelia alismoides (L. Pers. of freshwater fish ponds. Almost complete decay of Hydrilla, Nechamandra and Ottelia was achieved at 7.5 L of active ingredient/ha/m butachlor within 15 days while the herbicide showed no negative effect on Najas. However at the same concentration of butachlor, total mortality of zooplankton and water fern Azolla (Azolla caroliniana Lamarck occurred within seven days. In case of few freshwater fish species like Rohu (Labeo rohita, Channa (Channa punctatus, Anabas (Anabas testitudineus and Heteropneustes (Heteropneustes fossilis, total mortality occurred upto 90 days after application of the same dose of butachlor but fish survived beyond 120 days of herbicide application indicating degradation of the herbicides.

NODC Standard Format Marine Zooplankton (F124) Data (1965-1983) (NODC Accession 0014196)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data type contains data from sampling and analysis of marine zooplankton. Information on zooplankton abundance, distribution and productivity derived from these...

Reaction of fresh water zooplankton community to chronic radiation exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osipov, D.; Pryakhin, E. [Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine - URCRM (Russian Federation); Ivanov, I. [FSUE Mayak PA (Russian Federation)

2014-07-01

The characteristic features of ecological community as a whole and cenosis of zooplankton organisms as part of it determine the intensity of the processes of self-purification of water and the formation of a particular body of water. Identifying features of the structure and composition of the zooplankton community of aquatic ecosystems exposed to different levels of radiation exposure, it is necessary to identify patterns of changes in zooplankton and hydro-biocenosis as a whole. Industrial reservoirs, the storage of liquid low-level radioactive waste 'Mayak' for decades, have high radiation load. A large range of levels of radioactive contamination (total volume beta-activity in water varies from 2.2x10{sup 3} to 2.3x10{sup 7} Bq/l, total volume alpha-activity - from 2.6x10{sup -1} to 3.1x10{sup 3} Bq/l) provides a unique opportunity to study ecosystems in a number of reservoirs with increasing impact of radiation factor. We studied five reservoirs that were used as the storage of low-and intermediate-level liquid radioactive waste pond and one comparison water body. In parallel with zooplankton sampling water samples were collected for hydro-chemical analysis. 41 indicators were analysed in order to assess the water chemistry. To determine the content of radionuclides in the various components of the ecosystem samples were collected from water, bottom sediments and plankton. Sampling of zooplankton for the quantitative analysis was performed using the method of weighted average auto bathometer. Apshteyn's plankton net of the surface horizon was used for qualitative analysis of the species composition of zooplankton. Software package ERICA Assessment Tool 2012 was used for the calculation of the absorbed dose rate. Species diversity and biomass of zooplankton, the share of rotifers in the number of species, abundance and biomass decrease with the increase of the absorbed dose rate and salinity. The number of species in a sample decreases with the

Zooplankton standing stock, community structure and diversity in the northern Arabian Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.; Srivastava, Y.

The effects of large scale oil spill, which occurred during the Gulf War in 1991 on zooplankton standing stock, community structure and diversity in the northern Arabian Sea were studied. Surface (1-0 m) and vertical zooplankton hauls (200-0 m, 250...

Ingestion of microplastics by natural zooplankton groups in the northern South China Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaoxia; Li, Qingjie; Zhu, Mingliang; Liang, Junhua; Zheng, Shan; Zhao, Yongfang

2017-02-15

The ingestion of microplastics by five natural zooplankton groups in the northern South China Sea was studied for the first time and two types of sampling nets (505μm and 160μm in mesh size) were compared. The microplastics were detected in zooplankton sampled from 16 stations, with the fibrous microplastics accounting for the largest proportion (70%). The main component of the found microplastics was polyester. The average length of the microplastics was 125μm and 167μm for Nets I and II, respectively. The encounter rates of microplastics/zooplankton increased with trophic levels. The average encounter rate of microplastics/zooplankton was 5%, 15%, 34%, 49%, and 120% for Net I, and 8%, 21%, 47%, 60%, and 143% for Net II for copepods, chaetognaths, jellyfish, shrimp, and fish larvae, respectively. The average abundance of microplastics that were ingested by zooplankton was 4.1pieces/m 3 for Net I and 131.5pieces/m 3 for Net II. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Productivity, trophic levels and size spectra of zooplankton in northern Norwegian shelf regions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Meng; Tande, Kurt S.; Zhu, Yiwu; Basedow, Sünnje

2009-10-01

Many studies have been conducted in northern Norwegian shelf regions to assess distributions and abundances of zooplankton in the last decade using towed Scanfish-conductivity, temperature and depth sensors (CTD)-optical plankton counter (OPC), and plankton nets. Significant progresses have been made in understanding dominant species, life histories and behavior, and in using size-structured data to identify dominant species in a certain size range. Using these Scanfish-CTD-OPC data, the analysis of zooplankton community size structures, compositions and their relationships with water types is made along the shelf region from Lofoten, North Cape to Varangerfjorden. From the relationships between the water types and zooplankton communities, the transports and exchanges of zooplankton communities between the Norwegian Coastal and Norwegian Atlantic Waters in regions near Malangsgrunnen and Nordvestbanken are examined. The biovolume (biomass) spectra are further analyzed for the productivity, trophic levels and seasonality of communities in these regions, indicating a steeper slope of the biovolume spectrum for a community dominated by herbivorous species in spring and a flatter slope for a community dominated by carnivorous-omnivorous species in winter. The comparison with the zooplankton biovolume spectra obtained in areas west of Antarctic Peninsula is made to examine and understand the differences in the zooplankton biovolume spectra, their trophic dynamics and potential human impacts between different regions.

Freshwater Megafauna: Flagships for Freshwater Biodiversity under Threat.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrizo, Savrina F; Jähnig, Sonja C; Bremerich, Vanessa; Freyhof, Jörg; Harrison, Ian; He, Fengzhi; Langhans, Simone D; Tockner, Klement; Zarfl, Christiane; Darwall, William

2017-10-01

Freshwater biodiversity is highly threatened and is decreasing more rapidly than its terrestrial or marine counterparts; however, freshwaters receive less attention and conservation investment than other ecosystems do. The diverse group of freshwater megafauna, including iconic species such as sturgeons, river dolphins, and turtles, could, if promoted, provide a valuable tool to raise awareness and funding for conservation. We found that freshwater megafauna inhabit every continent except Antarctica, with South America, Central Africa, and South and Southeast Asia being particularly species rich. Freshwater megafauna co-occur with up to 93% of mapped overall freshwater biodiversity. Fifty-eight percent of the 132 megafauna species included in the study are threatened, with 84% of their collective range falling outside of protected areas. Of all threatened freshwater species, 83% are found within the megafauna range, revealing the megafauna's capacity as flagship and umbrella species for fostering freshwater conservation.

Origin of freshwater and polynya water in the Arctic Ocean halocline in summer 2007

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bauch, D.; Rutgers van der Loeff, M.; Andersen, N.; Torres-Valdes, S.; Bakker, K.; Abrahamsen, E.Povl

2011-01-01

Extremely low summer sea-ice coverage in the Arctic Ocean in 2007 allowed extensive sampling and a wide quasi-synoptic hydrographic and delta O-18 dataset could be collected in the Eurasian Basin and the Makarov Basin up to the Alpha Ridge and the East Siberian continental margin. With the aim of

Recent increases in Arctic freshwater flux affects Labrador Sea convection and Atlantic overturning circulation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yang, Qian; Dixon, Timothy H.; Myers, Paul G.; Bonin, Jennifer; Chambers, Don; Van Den Broeke, M. R.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/073765643

2016-01-01

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an important component of ocean thermohaline circulation. Melting of Greenland's ice sheet is freshening the North Atlantic; however, whether the augmented freshwater flux is disrupting the AMOC is unclear. Dense Labrador Sea Water (LSW),

Incorporation of nitrogen from N2 fixation into amino acids of zooplankton

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Loick-Wilde, Natalie; Dutz, Jörg; Miltner, Anja

2012-01-01

quantified the direct incorporation of 15N tracer from N2-fixing N. spumigena (diazotroph nitrogen) and ammonium-utilizing R. salina into the amino acid nitrogen (AA-N) of zooplankton using complementary gas chromatography– combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry...... consistently low in E. affinis when exposed to N. spumigena, suggesting that these animals were reluctant to feed on N. spumigena. Essential isoleucine received most of the diazotroph nitrogen in field zooplankton, while nonessential amino acids received most 15N tracer in E. affinis. N. spumigena was clearly...... an important amino acid nitrogen source for Baltic Sea zooplankton...

Sensitivity to ocean acidification parallels natural pCO2 gradients experienced by Arctic copepods under winter sea ice

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Ceri N.; Brown, Kristina A.; Edwards, Laura A.; Cooper, Glenn; Findlay, Helen S.

2013-01-01

The Arctic Ocean already experiences areas of low pH and high CO2, and it is expected to be most rapidly affected by future ocean acidification (OA). Copepods comprise the dominant Arctic zooplankton; hence, their responses to OA have important implications for Arctic ecosystems, yet there is little data on their current under-ice winter ecology on which to base future monitoring or make predictions about climate-induced change. Here, we report results from Arctic under-ice investigations of copepod natural distributions associated with late-winter carbonate chemistry environmental data and their response to manipulated pCO2 conditions (OA exposures). Our data reveal that species and life stage sensitivities to manipulated OA conditions were correlated with their vertical migration behavior and with their natural exposures to different pCO2 ranges. Vertically migrating adult Calanus spp. crossed a pCO2 range of >140 μatm daily and showed only minor responses to manipulated high CO2. Oithona similis, which remained in the surface waters and experienced a pCO2 range of <75 μatm, showed significantly reduced adult and nauplii survival in high CO2 experiments. These results support the relatively untested hypothesis that the natural range of pCO2 experienced by an organism determines its sensitivity to future OA and highlight that the globally important copepod species, Oithona spp., may be more sensitive to future high pCO2 conditions compared with the more widely studied larger copepods. PMID:24297880

Dynamics of zooplankton community of Lake Tarasmozero in long-term anthropogenic pollution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuchko Yaroslav Alexandrovich

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In the article the results of zooplankton studies in Lake Tarasmozero (Lizhma river basin are presented. Wastes from the trout-breeding complex "Kedrozero" have been collected in this pond since 1992. The obtained data showed that from 1989 to 2012 a number of changes in zooplankton community take place and it is the evidence of the gradual increase in the trophic status of the reservoir. The average biomass of zooplankton increased from 500 to 1000 mg/m3. According to the trophic index (Myaemets, 1979, Tarasmozero is replaced into the category of mesotrophic water reservoirs (0.5 - 1.0. Saprobity index raised from 0.95 to 1.42. In the composition of the zooplankton there noted such species, as Polyarthra luminosa, Filinia longiseta, Trichocerca insignis, Daphnia longispina, Cyclops kolensis, which serve as indicators of increased trophic level in the conditions of moderate latitudes. After the trout farm started off, Bcrus/Brot indicator considerably decreased indicating to increasing role of rotifers in the formation of the total biomass of the zooplankton. Currently, the dominant species include D. longispina, Bosmina longirostris, Mesocyclops leuckarti, Asplanchna priodonta. In spite of the fact that the current changes are not catastrophic, it is reasonable to monitor regularly the initial links of the trophic chain of the reservoir ecosystem

Zooplankton Structure and Potential Food Web Interactions in the Plankton of a Subtropical Chain-of-Lakes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karl E. Havens

2002-01-01

Full Text Available This study evaluates the taxonomic and size structure of macro-zooplankton and its potential role in controlling phytoplankton in the Kissimmee Chain-of-Lakes, six shallow interconnected lakes in Florida, U.S. Macro-zooplankton species biomass and standard limnological attributes (temperature, pH, total phosphorus [TP], chlorophyll a [Chl a], and Secchi transparency were quantified on a bimonthly basis from April 1997 to February 1999. Concentrations of TP ranged from below 50 to over 150 μg l-1. Peak concentrations of particulate P coincided with maximal Chl a, and in one instance a high concentration of soluble reactive P followed. The cladoceran zooplankton was dominated by small species, including Eubosmina tubicen, Ceriodaphnia rigaudi, and Daphnia ambigua. The exotic daphnid, D. lumholtzii, periodically was abundant. The copepods were strongly dominated by Diaptomus dorsalis, a species previously shown to be highly resistant to fish predation. These results, and findings of controlled experiments on a nearby lake with a nearly identical zooplankton species complement, suggest that fish predation may be a major factor structuring the macro-zooplankton assemblage. Zooplankton biomass, on the other hand, may be affected by resource availability. There was a significant positive relationship between average biomass of macro-zooplankton and the average concentration of TP among the six lakes. No such relationship existed between zooplankton biomass and Chl a, suggesting that the predominant food web in these systems may be based on bacteria-plankton, as has been documented in nearby Lake Okeechobee. All of the zooplankton taxa encountered in the Kissimmee Chain-of-Lakes (except Mesocyclops edax are known bacteria grazers in Florida lakes. Phytoplankton biomass, measured as Chl a, was strongly associated with TP, both within and across lakes. Phytoplankton biomass was not associated with the biomass of zooplankton. These results, when

137Cs concentration in zooplankton and its relation to taxonomic composition in the western North Pacific Ocean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaeriyama, Hideki; Watabe, Teruhisa; Kusakabe, Masashi

2008-01-01

To study the role of zooplankton in the transport of 137 Cs in the ocean, zooplankton samples were collected in October 2005 and June 2006 in the western North Pacific Ocean. The peak zooplankton biomass was observed in the surface layer, and gelatinous plankton was more abundant in October 2005 than in June 2006 reflecting exchange of water masses. The concentrations of 137 Cs in zooplankton varied from 11 to 24 mBq kg wet -1 and were higher in October 2005 than in June 2006. The elevated abundance of gelatinous zooplankton probably led to higher concentration of 137 Cs in zooplankton in October 2005. Annual export fluxes of 137 Cs by ontogenetic vertical migrant copepods were estimated to be 0.8 and 0.6 mBq m -2 year -1 at 200 and 1000 m depths, respectively; this suggested that transport of 137 Cs by zooplankton may be no trivial pathway

Determine Age-structure of Gelatinous Zooplankton Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, H.; Shahrestani, S.; He, Y.

2016-02-01

Gelatinous are delicate and transparent by nature, but are conspicuous in many ecosystems when in bloom. Their proliferations are a bothersome and costly nuisance and influencing important food webs and species interactions. More importantly, gelatinous zooplankton respond to climate change rapidly and understanding their upsurge needs information on their recruitment and population dynamics which in turn require their age-structure. However, ageing gelatinous zooplankton is often restricted by the fact that they shrink under unfavorable conditions. In the present study, we examine the potential of using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to age gelatinous zooplankton. OCT is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses light waves to examine 2D or 3D structure of target objects at a resolution of 3-5 µm. We were able to successfully capture both 3D and 2D images of sea nettle muscle fibers. Preliminary results on ctenophores will be discussed. Overall, this non-destructive sampling allows us to scan and capture images of mesoglea from jellyfish cultured in the lab, using the same individual repeatedly through time, documenting its growth which will provide precise measurements to construct an age key that will be applied to gelatinous zooplankton captured in the field. Coupled with information on abundance, we can start to quantify their recruitment timing and success rate.

Biomass and composition of zooplankton in the nearshore waters of Thal, Maharashtra

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Nair, V.R.; Gajbhiye, S.N; Krishnakumari, L; Desai, B.N

Biomass and composition of zooplankton in the nearshore waters of Thal, Maharashtra, India were studied at 9 stations during Feb. 1980 to Jan. 1981. The recorded variation in zooplankton biomass was 4.8-80.6 ml.(100 m super(3))/1 [av. 22.9 ml.(100 m...

Future marine zooplankton research - a perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bathmann, U.; Bundy, M.H.; Clarke, M.E.

2001-01-01

and existence of dominant zooplankton taxa, and (2) the control of biodiversity and biocomplexity, for example, in the tropical ocean where diversity is high. These recommendations come from an assemblage of chemical, physical and biological oceanographers with experience in major interdisciplinary studies...

Magnetic Field Fluctuations Due to Diel Vertical Migrations of Zooplankton

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, C.; Soloviev, A.

2016-12-01

Dean et al. (2016) have indicated that at high zooplankton concentrations, diel vertical migrations (DVM) cause velocity fluctuations and a respective increase of the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). In this work, we used a 3D non-hydrostatic computational fluid dynamics model with Lagrangian particle injections (a proxy for migrating organisms) via a discrete phase model to simulate the effect of turbulence generation by DVM. We tested a range of organism concentrations from 1000 to 10,000 organisms/m3. The simulation at an extreme concentration of zooplankton showed an increase in dissipation rate of TKE by two to three orders of magnitude during DVM over background turbulence, 10-8 W kg-1. At lower concentrations (Frank, J. Wood, 2016: Biomixing due to diel vertical migrations of zooplankton. Ocean Modelling 98, 51-64.

AFSC/ABL: ACES-SHELFZ (Arctic Coastal Ecosystem Survey AND Shelf Habitat and EcoLogy of Fish and Zooplankton) Catch Database

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The objectives of these Arctic nearshore fish surveys is to measure seasonal changes in the distribution, demographics, trophic position and nutritional status of...

SEAPODYM-LTL: a parsimonious zooplankton dynamic biomass model

Science.gov (United States)

Conchon, Anna; Lehodey, Patrick; Gehlen, Marion; Titaud, Olivier; Senina, Inna; Séférian, Roland

2017-04-01

Mesozooplankton organisms are of critical importance for the understanding of early life history of most fish stocks, as well as the nutrient cycles in the ocean. Ongoing climate change and the need for improved approaches to the management of living marine resources has driven recent advances in zooplankton modelling. The classical modeling approach tends to describe the whole biogeochemical and plankton cycle with increasing complexity. We propose here a different and parsimonious zooplankton dynamic biomass model (SEAPODYM-LTL) that is cost efficient and can be advantageously coupled with primary production estimated either from satellite derived ocean color data or biogeochemical models. In addition, the adjoint code of the model is developed allowing a robust optimization approach for estimating the few parameters of the model. In this study, we run the first optimization experiments using a global database of climatological zooplankton biomass data and we make a comparative analysis to assess the importance of resolution and primary production inputs on model fit to observations. We also compare SEAPODYM-LTL outputs to those produced by a more complex biogeochemical model (PISCES) but sharing the same physical forcings.

Flow disturbances generated by feeding and swimming zooplankton

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas; Jiang, Haisong; Goncalves, R. J.

2014-01-01

that zooplankton, in which feeding and swimming are separate processes, produce flow disturbances during swimming with a much faster spatial attenuation (velocity u varies with distance r as u ∝ r−3 to r−4) than that produced by zooplankton for which feeding and propulsion are the same process (u ∝ r−1 to r−2...... vortex rings, or by “breast-stroke swimming.” Both produce rapidly attenuating flows. The more “noisy” swimming of those that are constrained by a need to simultaneously feed is due to constantly beating flagella or appendages that are positioned either anteriorly or posteriorly on the (cell) body...

Variability of zooplankton communities at Condor seamount and surrounding areas, Azores (NE Atlantic)

Science.gov (United States)

Carmo, Vanda; Santos, Mariana; Menezes, Gui M.; Loureiro, Clara M.; Lambardi, Paolo; Martins, Ana

2013-12-01

Seamounts are common topographic features around the Azores archipelago (NE Atlantic). Recently there has been increasing research effort devoted to the ecology of these ecosystems. In the Azores, the mesozooplankon is poorly studied, particularly in relation to these seafloor elevations. In this study, zooplankton communities in the Condor seamount area (Azores) were investigated during March, July and September 2010. Samples were taken during both day and night with a Bongo net of 200 µm mesh that towed obliquely within the first 100 m of the water column. Total abundance, biomass and chlorophyll a concentrations did not vary with sampling site or within the diel cycle but significant seasonal variation was observed. Moreover, zooplankton community composition showed the same strong seasonal pattern regardless of spatial or daily variability. Despite seasonal differences, the zooplankton community structure remained similar for the duration of this study. Seasonal variability better explained our results than mesoscale spatial variability. Spatial homogeneity is probably related with island proximity and local dynamics over Condor seamount. Zooplankton literature for the region is sparse, therefore a short review of the most important zooplankton studies from the Azores is also presented.

Efectos del herbicida Paraquat sobre el zooplancton Effects of Paraquat herbicide on zooplankton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana María Gagneten

2002-09-01

Full Text Available The effects of 0.1; 0.2; 0.4 and 0.8 mlPQ/L were analized on a zooplankton community, to determine the most sensitive species and to analize the occurence of physical abnormalities. A total of 40 taxa were determined. Paraquat affected significantly the zooplankton density but not the species richness. A progressive state of deformation of these organisms was also observed. Paraquat showed to be highly toxic for the zooplankton, so this herbicide should be strictly regulated in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Relation between 234Th scavenging and zooplankton biomass in Mediterranean surface waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, S.; Reyss, J.L.; Buat-Menard, P.; Nival, P.; Baker, M.

1992-01-01

Dissolved and particulate 234 Th activities were determined and phyto-and zooplankton biomass were periodically measured 8 miles off Nice (Mediterranean Sea) during spring 1987. The results show a strong variability of 234 Th distribution on short time scales in northwestern Mediterranean surface waters. The good correlation observed the zooplankton biomass and the rate of 234 Th export to deep water in particulate form is agreement with the assumption that the residence time of particulate 234 Th in oceanic surface waters is controlled by zooplankton grazing. Moreover, our results indicate the importance of salps in particular as efficient removers of small suspended particles in surface waters

Zooplankton trophic niches respond to different water types of the western Tasman Sea: A stable isotope analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Henschke, Natasha; Everett, Jason D.; Suthers, Iain M.; Smith, James A.; Hunt, Brian P. V.; Doblin, Martina A.; Taylor, Matthew D.

2015-10-01

The trophic relationships of 21 species from an oceanic zooplankton community were studied using stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. Zooplankton and suspended particulate organic matter (POM) were sampled in three different water types in the western Tasman Sea: inner shelf (IS), a cold core eddy (CCE) and a warm core eddy (WCE). δ15N values ranged from 3.9‰ for the parasitic copepod Sapphirina augusta to 10.2‰ for the euphausiid, Euphausia spinifera. δ13C varied from -22.6 to -19.4‰ as a result of the copepod Euchirella curticauda and E. spinifera. The isotopic composition of POM varied significantly among water types; as did the trophic enrichment of zooplankton over POM, with the lowest enrichment in the recently upwelled IS water type (0.5‰) compared to the warm core eddy (1.6‰) and cold core eddy (2.7‰). The WCE was an oligotrophic environment and was associated with an increased trophic level for omnivorous zooplankton (copepods and euphausiids) to a similar level as carnivorous zooplankton (chaetognaths). Therefore carnivory in zooplankton can increase in response to lower abundance and reduced diversity in their phytoplankton and protozoan prey. Trophic niche width comparisons across three zooplankton species: the salp Thalia democratica, the copepod Eucalanus elongatus and the euphausiid Thysanoessa gregaria, indicated that both niche partitioning and competition can occur within the zooplankton community. We have shown that trophic relationships among the zooplankton are dynamic and respond to different water types. The changes to the zooplankton isotopic niche, however, were still highly variable as result of oceanographic variation within water types.

Spatial variation of the zooplankton community in the western tropical Pacific Ocean during the summer of 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Guang; Li, Chaolun; Wang, Yanqing; Wang, Xiaocheng; Dai, Luping; Tao, Zhencheng; Ji, Peng

2017-03-01

Knowledge of the zooplankton community in the western tropical Pacific Ocean is poor compared to that of the communities in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. The zooplankton composition, abundance, biomass and community structure in the western Pacific Ocean were studied based on data collected during a synoptic cruise (August-September 2014). Four zooplankton communities were determined via cluster analysis, and these four clusters were mainly spatially related to four different currents: the Luzon Current (LC), Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC), North Equatorial Current (NEC) and North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC). The estimated mean abundance and biomass of the zooplankton for the whole surveyed area were 146.7±178.1 ind/m3 and 36.9±40.3 mg/m3, respectively. The zooplankton abundance was dominated by small copepods, such as Clausocalanus furcatus, C. pergens, Oncaea mediterranea and Oithona plumifera. The zooplankton abundance and biomass values were lowest in the STCC region and highest in the NECC region. BEST analysis based on surface environmental factors showed that chlorophyll a (chl a), pH, temperature and salinity were the environmental variables that best explained the distribution pattern of the zooplankton community (pw=0.372). The zooplankton abundance was higher south of the salinity front at 16°N, in accordance with the relatively higher nutrient and chl a levels. Maximum zooplankton biomass was found in regions on the periphery of the cyclonic Mindanao Eddy (ME) and anticyclonic Halmahera Eddy (HE).

Zooplankton resting egg banks in permanent and temporary tropical aquatic systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana Rabelo Araújo

Full Text Available AIM: We evaluated zooplankton resting egg banks and active communities in five coastal lagoons and in five temporary pools, aiming to compare the active and the dormant communities in such environments. As they differ in hydroperiod, we expected that pools present richer resting egg banks in comparison to those found in lagoons. METHODS: Zooplankton community was sampled twice in 2006 (lagoons and in 2010 (pools and resting egg banks were sampled once in December 2007 (lagoons and in May 2010 (pools. Resting eggs were isolated from the sediment by applying the sugar flotation method. RESULTS: In opposition to our expectation, species richness in the resting egg banks of pools did not differ from those of lagoons. Additionally, no difference was found between the active and the dormant zooplankton communities in each water body for both temporary and permanent environments. However, similarity between active and dormant communities was greater in permanent environments than it was in temporary environments. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that the diapause strategy observed in certain tropical zooplankton populations cannot be predicted based on the awareness of the environment type (permanent or temporary, since hatching cues may be species-specific.

Zooplankton composition and diversity at different location along Kalpakkam coastal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Subhashree; Ponnusamy, K.; Verma, Amrata; Munilkumar, S.; Rajaram, S.; Lakra, W.S.; Pal, Asim K.; Sreedevi, K.R.

2015-01-01

Zooplanktons are the base of aquatic food web which constitutes the most vital biological component in an aquatic ecosystem. They form an important link in the food chain from primary to tertiary level leading to the production of fishery and are known to serve as a food for larger organisms such as bivalves, crustaceans and fish. The present study was aimed to assess the composition and diversity among the different species of zooplankton in Kalpakkam coastal sites within 30 kms around Madras Atomic Power Station. Samples were collected using plankton net (mesh size 63 μm, mouth area 20 inch dia) from stations which were fixed using the GPS coordinates. The results of the present studies showed maximum zoo planktonic diversity in station N15 i.e. 15 km away from MAPS (Madras Atomic Power Station), as compared to the other selected sampling stations. Regarding composition of zooplankton at different sites along the MAPS, it was found Copepods dominated among the zooplankton forming up to 60% of total species composition which indicate that copepod species are likely to be good indicators of water-mass influence and changes. (author)

Role of zooplankton dynamics for Southern Ocean phytoplankton biomass and global biogeochemical cycles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Le Quéré, Corinne; Buitenhuis, Erik T.; Moriarty, Róisín

2016-01-01

zooplankton community, despite iron limitation of phytoplankton community growth rates. This result has implications for the representation of global biogeochemical cycles in models as zooplankton faecal pellets sink rapidly and partly control the carbon export to the intermediate and deep ocean....

Phytoplanktons and zooplanktons diversity in karachi coastal seawater under high and low tide during winter monsoon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaqoob, N.; Mashiatullah, A.; Sher, N.; Javed, T.; Ghaffar, A.

2013-01-01

This paper represents the population density of phytoplanktons and zooplanktons recorded during the marine environmental studies at Karachi coast in the month of February 2011. Samples were collected by towing net, preserved and quantification and identification was carried out under light microscope. Twenty-three phytoplanktons species and nine zooplankton groups were recorded in the seawater from the sampling area of 10 square kilometers. Coscinodiscus and Copepods were dominant in the population of phytoplankton and zooplankton, respectively. Phytoplankton population density increased while zooplankton abundance decreased offshore from the coastline in the open sea. (author)

Anthropogenic shift of planktonic food web structure in a coastal lagoon by freshwater flow regulation

Science.gov (United States)

Hemraj, Deevesh A.; Hossain, A.; Ye, Qifeng; Qin, Jian G.; Leterme, Sophie C.

2017-03-01

Anthropogenic modification of aquatic systems has diverse impacts on food web interactions and ecosystem states. To reverse the adverse effects of modified freshwater flow, adequate management of discharge is required, especially due to higher water requirements and abstractions for human use. Here, we look at the effects of anthropogenically controlled freshwater flow regimes on the planktonic food web of a Ramsar listed coastal lagoon that is under recovery from degradation. Our results show shifts in water quality and plankton community interactions associated to changes in water flow. These shifts in food web interactions represent modifications in habitat complexity and water quality. At high flow, phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions dominate the food web. Conversely, at low flow, bacteria, viruses and nano/picoplankton interactions are more dominant, with a substantial switch of the food web towards heterotrophy. This switch can be associated with excess organic matter loading, decomposition of dead organisms, and synergistic and antagonistic interactions. We suggest that a lower variability in flow amplitude could be beneficial for the long-term sustaining of water quality and food web interactions, while improving the ecosystem health of systems facing similar stresses as the Coorong.

Zooplankton structure in two interconnected ponds: similarities and differences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Špoljar Maria

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The research of zooplankton diversity, abundance and trophic structure was conducted during the summer period in pelagial zone on the longitudinal profile of the Sutla River Backwater. Investigated site consists of two interconnected basins: transparent Upper Basin with submerged macrophytes and turbid Lower Basin without macrophytes in the littoral zone. In the Upper Basin, abundance and diversity of zooplankton in the pelagial was higher in comparison to the Lower Basin, with prevailing species of genus Keratella as microfilter-feeder, and genera of Polyartha and Trihocerca as macrofilter-feeder rotifers. On the contrary, in the Lower Basin, crustaceans dominated in abundance. Microfilter-feeder cladoceran (Bosmina longirostris and larval and adult stages of macrofilter-feeder copepod (Macrocyclops albidus prevailed in the Lower Basin. Fish predation pressure was more pronounced in the pelagial of the Upper Basin, indicated by low cladoceran abundance in the surface layer. Although the studied basins were interconnected, results indicate significant (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05 differences in the zooplankton structure as a potential result of the macrophyte impact on environmental conditions and fish predation pressure.

Baseline monitoring of the western Arctic Ocean estimates 20% of Canadian basin surface waters are undersaturated with respect to aragonite.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa L Robbins

Full Text Available Marine surface waters are being acidified due to uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, resulting in surface ocean areas of undersaturation with respect to carbonate minerals, including aragonite. In the Arctic Ocean, acidification is expected to occur at an accelerated rate with respect to the global oceans, but a paucity of baseline data has limited our understanding of the extent of Arctic undersaturation and of regional variations in rates and causes. The lack of data has also hindered refinement of models aimed at projecting future trends of ocean acidification. Here, based on more than 34,000 data records collected in 2010 and 2011, we establish a baseline of inorganic carbon data (pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and aragonite saturation index for the western Arctic Ocean. This data set documents aragonite undersaturation in ≈ 20% of the surface waters of the combined Canada and Makarov basins, an area characterized by recent acceleration of sea ice loss. Conservative tracer studies using stable oxygen isotopic data from 307 sites show that while the entire surface of this area receives abundant freshwater from meteoric sources, freshwater from sea ice melt is most closely linked to the areas of carbonate mineral undersaturation. These data link the Arctic Ocean's largest area of aragonite undersaturation to sea ice melt and atmospheric CO2 absorption in areas of low buffering capacity. Some relatively supersaturated areas can be linked to localized biological activity. Collectively, these observations can be used to project trends of ocean acidification in higher latitude marine surface waters where inorganic carbon chemistry is largely influenced by sea ice meltwater.

Diurnal variation of zooplankton off Versova (Bombay)

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gajbhiye, S.N.; Nair, V.R.; Desai, B.N.

Physicochemical parameters and diurnal variaion of zooplankton were studied off Versova on 17/18 February 1981. Salinity and dissolved oxygen showed limited variation during the period of study. Nutrient values followed the tidal rhythm and high...

Vertical oceanic transport of alpha-radioactive nuclides by zooplankton fecal pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgo, J.J.W.; Cherry, R.D.; Heyraud, M.; Fowler, S.W.; Beasley, T.M.

1980-01-01

This paper gives the results of research to explain the role played by marine plankton metabolism in the vertical oceanic transport of the alpha-emitting nuclides. The common Mediterranean euphausiid, Meganyctiphanes norvegica, was selected as the typical zooplanktonic species that is the focus of this work. Measurements of 239 240 Pu, 238 U, 232 Th, and 210 Po are reported in whole euphausiids and in euphausiid fecal pellets and molts. The resulting data are inserted into a simple model that describes the flux of an element through a zooplanktonic animal. Concentrations of the nuclides concerned are high in fecal pellets, at levels which are typical of geological rather than biological material. It is suggested that zooplanktonic fecal pellets play a significant role in the vertical oceanic transport of plutonium, thorium, and polonium

Zooplankton abundance, species composition and ecology of tropical high-mountain crater lake Wonchi, Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fasil Degefu

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The highlands of Ethiopia represent some of the remnants of undisturbed aquatic ecosystems; they are however highly threatened by significant socio–economic developments and associated anthropogenic impacts. Lake Wonchi is one of the few remaining fairly pristine high–mountain crater lakes in the central highlands and has never been investigated in detail. We present a first study on zooplankton taxa composition, abundance and biomass conducted over more than one year including the underlying environmental drivers. The lake is basic (pH 7.9-8.9, dilute (specific conductivity 185-245 µS cm-1 and oligotrophic with mean trophic status index of 36. The zooplankton community composition showed low species richness comprising a total of fourteen taxa with six cladocerans, one copepod and seven rotifers. Simpson´s index of diversity with values between 0.6 and 0.8 pointed towards a homogenous taxa occurrence within the single sample units. The overall mean (±SD standing biomass of zooplankton was 62.02±25.76 mg dry mass m-3,which is low compared to other highland and rift valley lakes in Ethiopia. Cyclopoid copepods, in particular Thermocyclops ethiopiensis were the most abundant group and contributed 50% to the total zooplankton abundance followed by cladocerans (38% and rotifers (12%. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling resulted in a 3-dimensional model, which revealed similar community composition on successive sampling dates except in December/January and May. Temperature, alkalinity, conductivity and nitrate-N had significant influence on this seasonal pattern. A weak, but significant positive correlation (r=0.482, N=20, P=0.037 between Chlorophyll a and zooplankton biomass mirrors a bottom-up effect of phytoplankton biomass on zooplankton dynamics. The zooplankton of Lake Wonchi displayed some degree of segregation along the epi– and metalimnion during this study, but diel vertical migration was not observed. The results show that fish

Ecological factors affecting the distribution of zooplankton ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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and ecological functioning of aquatic ecosystems, which must be taken into account ... zooplankton, which is its key position in the trophic chain, gives a fundamental role ..... suspended solids can block the filtering apparatus and impede their ...

Indicator Properties of Baltic Zooplankton for Classification of Environmental Status within Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorokhova, Elena; Lehtiniemi, Maiju; Postel, Lutz; Rubene, Gunta; Amid, Callis; Lesutiene, Jurate; Uusitalo, Laura; Strake, Solvita; Demereckiene, Natalja

2016-01-01

The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires the EU Member States to estimate the level of anthropogenic impacts on their marine systems using 11 Descriptors. Assessing food web response to altered habitats is addressed by Descriptor 4 and its indicators, which are being developed for regional seas. However, the development of simple foodweb indicators able to assess the health of ecologically diverse, spatially variable and complex interactions is challenging. Zooplankton is a key element in marine foodwebs and thus comprise an important part of overall ecosystem health. Here, we review work on zooplankton indicator development using long-term data sets across the Baltic Sea and report the main findings. A suite of zooplankton community metrics were evaluated as putative ecological indicators that track community state in relation to Good Environmental Status (GES) criteria with regard to eutrophication and fish feeding conditions in the Baltic Sea. On the basis of an operational definition of GES, we propose mean body mass of zooplankton in the community in combination with zooplankton stock measured as either abundance or biomass to be applicable as an integrated indicator that could be used within the Descriptor 4 in the Baltic Sea. These metrics performed best in predicting zooplankton being in-GES when considering all datasets evaluated. However, some other metrics, such as copepod biomass, the contribution of copepods to the total zooplankton biomass or biomass-based Cladocera: Copepoda ratio, were equally reliable or even superior in certain basin-specific assessments. Our evaluation suggests that in several basins of the Baltic Sea, zooplankton communities currently appear to be out-of-GES, being comprised by smaller zooplankters and having lower total abundance or biomass compared to the communities during the reference conditions; however, the changes in the taxonomic structure underlying these trends vary widely across the sea basins due to

Comparative assessment of single and joint effects of diuron and Irgarol 1051 on Arctic and temperate microalgae using chlorophyll a fluorescence imaging

KAUST Repository

Kottuparambil, Sreejith

2017-02-06

Ship groundings and ice-breakers can cause pollution of the polar environment with antifouling biocides such as diuron and Irgarol 1051. The present study used pulse amplitude modulated fluorometry to compare single and joint toxicities of diuron and Irgarol 1051 on two freshwater taxa of microalgae (Chlorella and Chlamydomonas) originating from Arctic and temperate regions. 30min acute toxicity tests using chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence revealed that Arctic strains of microalgae were more sensitive to herbicides than their temperate counterparts. Diuron and Irgarol 1051 had equal toxicities in the Arctic species, while Irgarol 1051 was more toxic (EC50=5.55–14.70μgL−1) than diuron (EC50=12.90–>40μgL−1) in the temperate species. Toxicity assessment of various mixtures of diuron and Irgarol 1051 revealed antagonistic, additive, and synergistic effects. Our data suggest that herbicides can adversely affect photosynthesis in Arctic microalgae at relatively low levels, and their impact can increase under complex mixture conditions.

Comparative assessment of single and joint effects of diuron and Irgarol 1051 on Arctic and temperate microalgae using chlorophyll a fluorescence imaging

KAUST Repository

Kottuparambil, Sreejith; Brown, Murray T.; Park, Jihae; Choi, Soyeon; Lee, Hojun; Choi, Han-Gu; Depuydt, Stephen; Han, Taejun

2017-01-01

Ship groundings and ice-breakers can cause pollution of the polar environment with antifouling biocides such as diuron and Irgarol 1051. The present study used pulse amplitude modulated fluorometry to compare single and joint toxicities of diuron and Irgarol 1051 on two freshwater taxa of microalgae (Chlorella and Chlamydomonas) originating from Arctic and temperate regions. 30min acute toxicity tests using chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence revealed that Arctic strains of microalgae were more sensitive to herbicides than their temperate counterparts. Diuron and Irgarol 1051 had equal toxicities in the Arctic species, while Irgarol 1051 was more toxic (EC50=5.55–14.70μgL−1) than diuron (EC50=12.90–>40μgL−1) in the temperate species. Toxicity assessment of various mixtures of diuron and Irgarol 1051 revealed antagonistic, additive, and synergistic effects. Our data suggest that herbicides can adversely affect photosynthesis in Arctic microalgae at relatively low levels, and their impact can increase under complex mixture conditions.

Metal stress in zooplankton diapause production: post-hatching response.

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Aránguiz-Acuña, Adriana; Pérez-Portilla, Pablo

2017-04-01

Aquatic organisms commonly respond to harsh conditions by forming diapausing stages, which enable populations to survive adverse periods forming egg banks. Production of diapausing eggs is frequently observed in monogonont rotifers, previously changing from asexual to partial sexual reproduction (mixis). In despite that zooplankton are frequently used in ecotoxicological assessment because of their sensitivity to various toxicants and their important role in the ecosystems, toxicity evaluations often consider the directly exposed population produced by parthenogenetic reproduction, exclusively. We assessed experimentally effects of exposure to metals on mixis delay and fitness of hatchlings of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis obtained from a brackish water lagoon with high metal content, especially copper. We show that sub-lethal concentrations of copper affected traits related to sexual reproduction and diapausing egg production in the rotifer. Copper addition did not delay the start of mixis, suggesting that rapid initiation of mixis is promoted in risky environments, according to the hypothesis of mixis as an escape strategy. Higher investment in mixis was obtained when individuals were exposed to metal. Addition of copper negatively affected the hatching success of diapausing eggs and performance of hatchlings. Nevertheless, these effects were greater for individuals formed in non-metal conditions, suggesting an adaptive advantage of populations from natural sediments exposed to copper. These results highlight the ecological and evolutionary consequences of the presence of metals in freshwater environments by modulating diapause adaptive efficacy and the selective process in egg banks.

Mapping Arctic Bottomfast Sea Ice Using SAR Interferometry

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Dyre O. Dammann

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Bottomfast sea ice is an integral part of many near-coastal Arctic ecosystems with implications for subsea permafrost, coastal stability and morphology. Bottomfast sea ice is also of great relevance to over-ice travel by coastal communities, industrial ice roads, and marine habitats. There are currently large uncertainties around where and how much bottomfast ice is present in the Arctic due to the lack of effective approaches for detecting bottomfast sea ice on large spatial scales. Here, we suggest a robust method capable of detecting bottomfast sea ice using spaceborne synthetic aperture radar interferometry. This approach is used to discriminate between slowly deforming floating ice and completely stationary bottomfast ice based on the interferometric phase. We validate the approach over freshwater ice in the Mackenzie Delta, Canada, and over sea ice in the Colville Delta and Elson Lagoon, Alaska. For these areas, bottomfast ice, as interpreted from the interferometric phase, shows high correlation with local bathymetry and in-situ ice auger and ground penetrating radar measurements. The technique is further used to track the seasonal evolution of bottomfast ice in the Kasegaluk Lagoon, Alaska, by identifying freeze-up progression and areas of liquid water throughout winter.

A Prince's tribute...and trial. Monaco's Prince Albert II followed the footsteps of his great great grandfather when he ventured the Arctic Archipelago to trace climate change, this time with IAEA Marine scientists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lodding, L.

2006-01-01

Monaco's Prince Albert II followed the footsteps of his great great grandfather when he ventured to the Arctic Archipelago to track climate change, this time with IAEA Marine scientists. He undertook this trip to draw global attention to the environmental damage to the Arctic regions caused by global warming. Although far away from industrialized areas, Svalbard Island is eminently suitable to observe the evolution of climate change and long-range pollutants transported from northern European countries by water currents and from North America by winds. Using nuclear techniques, it is hoped that some of the causes of climate change can be unlocked. The first of these studies was undertaken to evaluate the shell laminations of a very long-lived marine bivalve mollusc, the Ocean Quahog. The mollusc, with a life expectancy well over a century, acts as a recording of temperature variations and water chemistry. The second project aimed at determining levels of contaminates in marine zooplankton in remote arctic environments for comparison with other climatic regions

Pliocene cooling enhanced by flow of low-salinity Bering Sea water to the Arctic Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Horikawa, Keiji; Martin, Ellen E; Basak, Chandranath; Onodera, Jonaotaro; Seki, Osamu; Sakamoto, Tatsuhiko; Ikehara, Minoru; Sakai, Saburo; Kawamura, Kimitaka

2015-06-29

Warming of high northern latitudes in the Pliocene (5.33-2.58 Myr ago) has been linked to the closure of the Central American Seaway and intensification of North Atlantic Deep Water. Subsequent cooling in the late Pliocene may be related to the effects of freshwater input from the Arctic Ocean via the Bering Strait, disrupting North Atlantic Deep Water formation and enhancing sea ice formation. However, the timing of Arctic freshening has not been defined. Here we present neodymium and lead isotope records of detrital sediment from the Bering Sea for the past 4.3 million years. Isotopic data suggest the presence of Alaskan glaciers as far back as 4.2 Myr ago, while diatom and C37:4 alkenone records show a long-term trend towards colder and fresher water in the Bering Sea beginning with the M2 glaciation (3.3 Myr ago). We argue that the introduction of low-salinity Bering Sea water to the Arctic Ocean by 3.3 Myr ago preconditioned the climate system for global cooling.

Zooplankton data: Vertical distributions of zooplankton in the Norweigian and Greenland Seas during summer, 1989

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lane, P.V.Z.; Smith, S.L.; Schwarting, E.M.

1993-08-01

Recent studies of zooplankton populations in the Greenland Sea have focused on processes at the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) and the areas immediately adjacent to it under the ice and in open water. These studies have shown a relatively short period of intense secondary productivity which is closely linked temporally and spatially to phytoplankton blooms occurring near the ice edge in spring and early summer. During the summer of 1989 we participated in a project focusing on benthic and water column processes in the basins of the Norwegian and Greenland Seas. This study allowed us to compare biological processes at the MIZ with those occurring in the open waters of the Greenland Sea, and to compare processes at both of these locations with those in the Norwegian Sea. The data presented in this report are the results of zooplankton net tows covering the upper 1000 meters of the water column over the Norwegian Sea basin and the Greenland Sea basin, and the upper 500 meters of open water adjacent to the MIZ in the Greenland Sea. Sampling was conducted between 12 and 29 July 1989.

Where to Forage in the Absence of Sea Ice? Bathymetry As a Key Factor for an Arctic Seabird.

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Françoise Amélineau

Full Text Available The earth is warming at an alarming rate, especially in the Arctic, where a marked decline in sea ice cover may have far-ranging consequences for endemic species. Little auks, endemic Arctic seabirds, are key bioindicators as they forage in the marginal ice zone and feed preferentially on lipid-rich Arctic copepods and ice-associated amphipods sensitive to the consequences of global warming. We tested how little auks cope with an ice-free foraging environment during the breeding season. To this end, we took advantage of natural variation in sea ice concentration along the east coast of Greenland. We compared foraging and diving behaviour, chick diet and growth and adult body condition between two years, in the presence versus nearby absence of sea ice in the vicinity of their breeding site. Moreover, we sampled zooplankton at sea when sea ice was absent to evaluate prey location and little auk dietary preferences. Little auks foraged in the same areas both years, irrespective of sea ice presence/concentration, and targeted the shelf break and the continental shelf. We confirmed that breeding little auks showed a clear preference for larger copepod species to feed their chick, but caught smaller copepods and nearly no ice-associated amphipod when sea ice was absent. Nevertheless, these dietary changes had no impact on chick growth and adult body condition. Our findings demonstrate the importance of bathymetry for profitable little auk foraging, whatever the sea-ice conditions. Our investigations, along with recent studies, also confirm more flexibility than previously predicted for this key species in a warming Arctic.

Zooplankton ecology of the mangrove habitats of Goa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.

and fish larvae constituted bulk of zooplankton. Majority of these organisms were stragglers. The zooplankters showing better eco-physiological adaptations colonized in pools surroundEd. by thick mangroves vegetation...

Allochthonous subsidies of organic matter across a lake-river-fjord landscape in the Chilean Patagonia: Implications for marine zooplankton in inner fjord areas

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Vargas, Cristian A.; Martinez, Rodrigo A.; San Martin, Valeska; Aguayo, Mauricio; Silva, Nelson; Torres, Rodrigo

2011-03-01

Ecosystems can act as both sources and sinks of allochthonous nutrients and organic matter. In this sense, fjord ecosystems are a typical interface and buffer zone between freshwater systems, glaciated continents, and the coastal ocean. In order to evaluate the potential sources and composition of organic matter across fjord ecosystems, we characterized particulate organic matter along a lake-river-fjord corridor in the Chilean Patagonia using stable isotope (δ 13C) and lipid (fatty acid composition) biomarker analyses. Furthermore, estimates of zooplankton carbon ingestion rates and measurements of δ 13C and δ 15N in zooplankton (copepods) were used to evaluate the implications of allochthonous subsidies for copepods inhabiting inner fjord areas. Our results showed that riverine freshwater flows contributed an important amount of dissolved silicon but, scarce nitrate and phosphate to the brackish surface layer of the fjord ecosystem. Isotopic signatures of particulate organic matter from lakes and rivers were distinct from their counterparts in oceanic influenced stations. Terrestrial allochthonous sources could support around 68-86% of the particulate organic carbon in the river plume and glacier melting areas, whereas fatty acid concentrations were maximal in the surface waters of the Pascua and Baker river plumes. Estimates of carbon ingestion rates and δ 13C in copepods from the river plume areas indicated that terrestrial carbon could account for a significant percentage of the copepod body carbon (20-50%) during periods of food limitation. Particulate organic matter from the Pascua River showed a greater allochthonous contribution of terrigenous/vascular plant sources. Rivers may provide fjord ecosystems with allochthonous contributions from different sources because of the distinct vegetation coverage and land use along each river's watershed. These observations have significant implications for the management of local riverine areas in the context of

ZOOPLANKTON COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF THE SEA SURFACE MICROLAYER NEAR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND MARINE FISH CULTURE ZONES IN DAYA BAY

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

杨宇峰; 王肇鼎; 潘明祥; 焦念志

2002-01-01

The authors' surveys in May-June 1999 (two cruises) at six sampling stations near nuclear power plants (NPP) and marine fish culture zones in Daya Bay, Guangdong, revealed species composition, densities and body-size of thesea surface microlayer (SM) zooplankton (>35 μm). Results showed that protozoans and copepod nauplii were the predominant components, accounting for 65.40% to95.56% of total zooplankton in abundance. The size-frequency distributions showed that the frequency of micro-zooplankton (0.02-0.2 mm) reached 0.8235. The SM zooplankton community structure revealed in the present study was quite different from that revealed by investigations in the 1980s in Daya Bay. Difference of sampling method has important influence on the obtained zooplankton community structure. SM zooplankton consisted of micro- and mesozooplankton (0.2-2.0 mm), with micro-zooplankton being predominant. Some possible cause-effect relations between the zooplankton community structure and mariculture, nuclear power plants cooling systems and sampling method are discussed.``

Baseline monitoring of the western Arctic Ocean estimates 20% of the Canadian Basin surface waters are undersaturated with respect to aragonite

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Robbins, Lisa L.; Wynn, Jonathan G.; Lisle, John T.; Yates, Kimberly K.; Knorr, Paul O.; Byrne, Robert H.; Liu, Xuewu; Patsavas, Mark C.; Azetsu-Scott, Kumiko; Takahashi, Taro

2013-01-01

Marine surface waters are being acidified due to uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, resulting in surface ocean areas of undersaturation with respect to carbonate minerals, including aragonite. In the Arctic Ocean, acidification is expected to occur at an accelerated rate with respect to the global oceans, but a paucity of baseline data has limited our understanding of the extent of Arctic undersaturation and of regional variations in rates and causes. The lack of data has also hindered refinement of models aimed at projecting future trends of ocean acidification. Here, based on more than 34,000 data records collected in 2010 and 2011, we establish a baseline of inorganic carbon data (pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and aragonite saturation index) for the western Arctic Ocean. This data set documents aragonite undersaturation in ~20% of the surface waters of the combined Canada and Makarov basins, an area characterized by recent acceleration of sea ice loss. Conservative tracer studies using stable oxygen isotopic data from 307 sites show that while the entire surface of this area receives abundant freshwater from meteoric sources, freshwater from sea ice melt is most closely linked to the areas of carbonate mineral undersaturation. These data link the Arctic Ocean’s largest area of aragonite undersaturation to sea ice melt and atmospheric CO2 absorption in areas of low buffering capacity. Some relatively supersaturated areas can be linked to localized biological activity. Collectively, these observations can be used to project trends of ocean acidification in higher latitude marine surface waters where inorganic carbon chemistry is largely influenced by sea ice meltwater.

Nutrient supply, surface currents, and plankton dynamics predict zooplankton hotspots in coastal upwelling systems

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Messié, Monique; Chavez, Francisco P.

2017-09-01

A simple combination of wind-driven nutrient upwelling, surface currents, and plankton growth/grazing equations generates zooplankton patchiness and hotspots in coastal upwelling regions. Starting with an initial input of nitrate from coastal upwelling, growth and grazing equations evolve phytoplankton and zooplankton over time and space following surface currents. The model simulates the transition from coastal (large phytoplankton, e.g., diatoms) to offshore (picophytoplankton and microzooplankton) communities, and in between generates a large zooplankton maximum. The method was applied to four major upwelling systems (California, Peru, Northwest Africa, and Benguela) using latitudinal estimates of wind-driven nitrate supply and satellite-based surface currents. The resulting zooplankton simulations are patchy in nature; areas of high concentrations coincide with previously documented copepod and krill hotspots. The exercise highlights the importance of the upwelling process and surface currents in shaping plankton communities.

Zooplankton community of Parnaíba River, Northeastern Brazil

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Ludmilla Cavalcanti Antunes Lucena

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Aim:The objective of the present work is to present a list of species of zooplankton (Rotifera, Cladocera and Copepoda from the Parnaíba River. Additionally, we provide comments on their distribution along the river, and between dry and wet seasons.MethodsZooplankton was collected with a plankton net (60 µm mesh and concentrated into a volume of 80 mL for further analysis, during the dry (October 2010 and wet (April 2011 seasons. Sampling was restricted to the marginal areas at depths between 80 and 150 cm.ResultsA total of 132 species was recorded among the three zooplankton groups studied. During the dry season a total of 82 species was registered and 102 species was registered for the wet season. Rotifera contributed with 66.7% of the species, followed by Cladocera (26.5% and Copepoda (6.8%.ConclusionsThe richness of species observed was high compared to other large rivers in Brazil. In the context of current policies for water management and river diversions in northeastern Brazil, the present study highlights the importance of this river system for biodiversity conservation.

Zooplankton standing stock and composition in coastal waters of Goa, west coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.

Temporal and spatial variability in standing stock and zooplankton composition at 5 stations along the Goa Coast, India during 1975-76 were studied. Standing stock values ranged from 22.81 to 53.65 mg C.m/3. Zooplankton community was diverse...

Distribution of toxic metals, Hg, Cd and Pb in zooplankton along the Indian coasts

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sengupta, R.; Kureishy, T.W.

Distribution of toxic metals such as Hg, Cd and Pb in zooplankton is assessed with a view to correlate it with the prevalent environmental conditions along the Indian coast. While Hg could not be detected in zooplankton the concentrations of Cd...

impact of physicochemical factors on zooplankton species richness

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR. AMINU

This study revealed that physicochemical fluctuations was negative impact on the zooplankton species ... of convergence of wastewater streams, of which Jakara River carries ..... Discharge on Physicochemical Parameters and Some Heavy ...

Mercury concentration variability in the zooplankton of the southern Baltic coastal zone

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Bełdowska, Magdalena; Mudrak-Cegiołka, Stella

2017-12-01

Being a toxic element, mercury is introduced to the human organism through the consumption of fish and seafood, which in turn often feed on zooplankton. The bioaccumulation of Hg by zooplankton is an important factor influencing the magnitude of the mercury load introduced with food into the predator organism. Therefore the present article attempts to identify the processes and factors influencing Hg concentration in the zooplankton of the coastal zone, an area where marine organisms - an attractive food source for humans - thrive. This is particularly important in areas where climate changes influence the species composition and quantity of plankton. The studies were carried out on three test sites in the coastal zone of the southern Baltic Sea in the period from December 2011 to May 2013. The obtained results show that the shorting of the winter season is conducive to Hg increase in zooplankton and, consequently, in the trophic chain. High mercury concentrations were measured in genus Synchaeta and Keratella when Mesodinium rubrum were predominant in phytoplankton, while other sources of this metal in the plankton fauna were epilithon, epiphton and microbenthos. This is of particular importance when it comes to sheltered bays and estuaries with low water dynamics.

Impact of acid precipitation on freshwater ecosystems in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wright, R F; Dale, T; Gjessing, E T; Hendrey, G R; Henriksen, A; J Hannesen, M; Muniz, I P

1975-01-01

Precipitation in southern Norway contains large amounts of H/sup +/, SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/, and NO/sub 3//sup -/ ions, along with heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb. These pollutants are transported over long distances to Scandinavia and are deposited in precipitation and dry-fallout. Large areas of southern Norway have been adversely affected by acid precipitation. The pH of many lakes is below 5.0 and sulfate, rather than bicarbonate, is the major anion. Lakes in these areas are particularly vulnerable to acid precipitation because their watersheds are underlain by highly resistant bedrock with low calcium and magnesium contents. The effects of the increasing acidity of freshwater ecosystems involve interference at every trophic level. Biological surveys indicate that low pH-values inhibit the decomposition of allochthonous organic matter, decrease the species number of phyto- and zooplankton and benthic invertebrates, and promote the growth of benthic mosses. Fish populations have been severely affected - the salmon have been eliminated from many rivers, and hundreds of lakes have lost their sport fisheries.

Acoustic discrimination of Southern Ocean zooplankton

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Brierley, Andrew S.; Ward, Peter; Watkins, Jonathan L.; Goss, Catherine

Acoustic surveys in the vicinity of the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia during a period of exceptionally calm weather revealed the existence of a number of horizontally extensive yet vertically discrete scattering layers in the upper 250 m of the water column. These layers were fished with a Longhurst-Hardy plankton recorder (LHPR) and a multiple-opening 8 m 2 rectangular mid-water trawl (RMT8). Analysis of catches suggested that each scattering layer was composed predominantly of a single species (biovolume>95%) of either the euphausiids Euphausia frigida or Thysanöessa macrura, the hyperiid amphipod Themisto gaudichaudii, or the eucalaniid copepod Rhincalanus gigas. Instrumentation on the nets allowed their trajectories to be reconstructed precisely, and thus catch data to be related directly to the corresponding acoustic signals. Discriminant function analysis of differences between mean volume backscattering strength at 38, 120 and 200 kHz separated echoes originating from each of the dominant scattering layers, and other signals identified as originating from Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superba), with an overall correct classification rate of 77%. Using echo intensity data alone, gathered using hardware commonly employed for fishery acoustics, it is therefore possible to discriminate in situ between several zooplanktonic taxa, taxa which in some instances exhibit similar gross morphological characteristics and have overlapping length- frequency distributions. Acoustic signals from the mysid Antarctomysis maxima could also be discriminated once information on target distribution was considered, highlighting the value of incorporating multiple descriptors of echo characteristics into signal identification procedures. The ability to discriminate acoustically between zooplankton taxa could be applied to provide improved acoustic estimates of species abundance, and to enhance field studies of zooplankton ecology, distribution and species interactions.

Body size and condition influence migration timing of juvenile Arctic grayling

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Heim, Kurt C.; Wipfli, Mark S.; Whitman, Matthew S.; Seitz, Andrew C.

2016-01-01

Freshwater fishes utilising seasonally available habitats within annual migratory circuits time movements out of such habitats with changing hydrology, although individual attributes of fish may also mediate the behavioural response to environmental conditions. We tagged juvenile Arctic grayling in a seasonally flowing stream on the Arctic Coastal Plain in Alaska and recorded migration timing towards overwintering habitat. We examined the relationship between individual migration date, and fork length (FL) and body condition index (BCI) for fish tagged in June, July and August in three separate models. Larger fish migrated earlier; however, only the August model suggested a significant relationship with BCI. In this model, 42% of variability in migration timing was explained by FL and BCI, and fish in better condition were predicted to migrate earlier than those in poor condition. Here, the majority (33%) of variability was captured by FL with an additional 9% attributable to BCI. We also noted strong seasonal trends in BCI reflecting overwinter mass loss and subsequent growth within the study area. These results are interpreted in the context of size and energetic state-specific risks of overwinter starvation and mortality (which can be very high in the Arctic), which may influence individuals at greater risk to extend summer foraging in a risky, yet prey rich, habitat. Our research provides further evidence that heterogeneity among individuals within a population can influence migratory behaviour and identifies potential risks to late season migrants in Arctic beaded stream habitats influenced by climate change and petroleum development.

Impacts of algal blooms removal by chitosan-modified soils on zooplankton community in Taihu Lake,China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jiajia Ni; Yuhe Yu; Weisong Feng; Qingyun Yan; Gang pan; Bo Yang; Xiang Zhang; Xuemei Li

2010-01-01

It is important to assess the effect on zooplankton when perform the environmental protection or restoration technology,especially removing algal blooms,because algae were the major primary producer in algal lakes.The influence on zooplankton community after half a year of algal blooms removed by chitosan-modified soils in Taihu Lake was assessed and the rationality of carrying out the process semiannually was evaluated in the present study.Morphological composition and genetic diversity of zooplankton community were investigated by microscope checkup and polymerase chain reaction-denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE).A total of 44 zooplankton taxa (23 protozoa,17 rotifers,3 copepoda and 1 cladocera) were detected by microscope checkup,and a total of 91 bands (28 bands amplified by primers F1427-GC and R1616,63 bands amplified by primers Fung-G-C and NS1) were detected by PCR-DGGE.The results of cluster analysis or detrended correspondence analysis indicated that there was no considerable difference in morphological composition of zooplankton and DGGE profiles between experimental and control sites,and DGGE profiles could represent the biologic diversity.The study showed that zooplankton community could recover original condition after half year of algal blooms removed by chitosan-modified soils and it was acceptable to apply this process semiannually.In addition,the results revealed that PCR-DGGE could be applied to investigate the impacts of the environmental protection or restoration engineering on zooplankton community diversity.

The effects of juvenile American shad planktivory on zooplankton production in Columbia River food webs

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Haskell, Craig A.; Tiffan, Kenneth F.; Rondorf, Dennis W.

2013-01-01

Columbia River reservoirs support a large population of nonnative American Shad Alosa sapidissima that consume the zooplankton that native fishes also rely on. We hypothesized that the unprecedented biomass of juvenile American Shad in John Day Reservoir is capable of altering the zooplankton community if these fish consume a large portion of the zooplankton production. We derived taxon-specific estimates of zooplankton production using field data and a production model from the literature. Empirical daily ration was estimated for American Shad and expanded to population-level consumption using abundance and biomass data from hydroacoustic surveys. Daphnia spp. production was high in early summer but declined to near zero by September as shad abundance increased. American Shad sequentially consumed Daphnia spp., copepods, and Bosmina spp., which tracked the production trends of these taxa. American Shad evacuation rates ranged from 0.09 to 0.24/h, and daily rations ranged from 0.008 to 0.045 g·g−1·d−1 (dry weight) over all years. We observed peak American Shad biomass (45.2 kg/ha) in 1994, and daily consumption (1.6 kg/ha) approached 30% (5.3 kg/ha) of zooplankton production. On average, American Shad consumed 23.6% of the available zooplankton production (range, food web in John Day Reservoir, potentially affecting native fishes, including Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp.

Effects of the fungicide metiram in outdoor freshwater microcosms: responses of invertebrates, primary producers and microbes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ronghua; Buijse, Laura; Dimitrov, Mauricio R; Dohmen, Peter; Kosol, Sujitra; Maltby, Lorraine; Roessink, Ivo; Sinkeldam, Jos A; Smidt, Hauke; Van Wijngaarden, René P A; Brock, Theo C M

2012-07-01

The ecological impact of the dithiocarbamate fungicide metiram was studied in outdoor freshwater microcosms, consisting of 14 enclosures placed in an experimental ditch. The microcosms were treated three times (interval 7 days) with the formulated product BAS 222 28F (Polyram®). Intended metiram concentrations in the overlying water were 0, 4, 12, 36, 108 and 324 μg a.i./L. Responses of zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, phytoplankton, macrophytes, microbes and community metabolism endpoints were investigated. Dissipation half-life (DT₅₀) of metiram was approximately 1-6 h in the water column of the microcosm test system and the metabolites formed were not persistent. Multivariate analysis indicated treatment-related effects on the zooplankton (NOEC(community) = 36 μg a.i./L). Consistent treatment-related effects on the phytoplankton and macroinvertebrate communities and on the sediment microbial community could not be demonstrated or were minor. There was no evidence that metiram affected the biomass, abundance or functioning of aquatic hyphomycetes on decomposing alder leaves. The most sensitive populations in the microcosms comprised representatives of Rotifera with a NOEC of 12 μg a.i./L on isolated sampling days and a NOEC of 36 μg a.i./L on consecutive samplings. At the highest treatment-level populations of Copepoda (zooplankton) and the blue-green alga Anabaena (phytoplankton) also showed a short-term decline on consecutive sampling days (NOEC = 108 μg a.i./L). Indirect effects in the form of short-term increases in the abundance of a few macroinvertebrate and several phytoplankton taxa were also observed. The overall community and population level no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC(microcosm)) was 12-36 μg a.i./L. At higher treatment levels, including the test systems that received the highest dose, ecological recovery of affected measurement endpoints was fast (effect period < 8 weeks).

Arctic transitions in the Land - Atmosphere System (ATLAS): Background, objectives, results, and future directions

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, A.D.; Sturm, M.; Chapin, F. S.

2003-01-01

This paper briefly reviews the background, objectives, and results of the Arctic Transitions in the Land-Atmosphere System (ATLAS) Project to date and provides thoughts on future directions. The key goal of the ATLAS Project is to improve understanding of controls over spatial and temporal variability of terrestrial processes in the Arctic that have potential consequences for the climate system, i.e., processes that affect the exchange of water and energy with the atmosphere, the exchange of radiatively active gases with the atmosphere, and the delivery of freshwater to the Arctic Ocean. Three important conclusions have emerged from research associated with the ATLAS Project. First, associated with the observation that the Alaskan Arctic has warmed significantly in the last 30 years, permafrost is warming, shrubs are expanding, and there has been a temporary release of carbon dioxide from tundra soils. Second, the winter is a more important period of biological activity than previously appreciated. Biotic processes, including shrub expansion and decomposition, affect snow structure and accumulation and affect the annual carbon budget of tundra ecosystems. Third, observed vegetation changes can have a significant positive feedback to regional warming. These vegetation effects are, however, less strong than those exerted by land-ocean heating contrasts and the topographic constraints on air mass movements. The papers of this special section provide additional insights related to these conclusions and to the overall goal of ATLAS.

Net-zooplankton abundance and biomass from Annaba Bay (SW Mediterranean Sea under estuarine influences

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M. OUNISSI

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Zooplankton samples were collected in Annaba Bay (Algeria from January 2009-March 2011 at three coastal sites differently affected by estuarine plumes and external currents. Aim of this survey was to analyze zooplankton composition, abundance and biomass and compare the results with previous studies to reveal possible populations and environmental changes. The mean zooplankton abundance varied between 1,200-6,000 ind. m-3 and biomass 6.70-25.70 mg DW m-3, according to the site. Copepods constituted the main fraction of zooplankton community, and Oithona similis and Paracalanus indicus successively dominated during autumn-winter and spring-summer. The dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans was one of the major zooplankton components, and developed high numbers during February-April, becoming common in neritic and coastal regions. The singularity of the zooplankton from Annaba Bay is the prevalence of P. indicus throughout the entire bay and the decrease in Acartia discaudata and A. clausi (with respect to previous years, possibly replaced by A. negligens. Additionally, Oithona nana abundance markedly decreased with the large development of O. similis. Annaba Bay also differs from other similar Mediterranean coastal areas by the large development of Centropages ponticus populations during the warm period. Among the identified copepod species, the alien species Pseudodiaptomus australiensis and P. arabicus are reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea. The occurrence of copepodid V stages of P. australiensis suggests that this species survives and reproduces in Annaba Bay, but so far without developing an abundant population.

Zooplankton community structure in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea in autumn

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Hongju Chen

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Study on zooplankton spatial distribution is essential for understanding food web dynamics in marine ecosystems and fishery management. Here we elucidated the composition and distribution of large mesozooplankton on the continental shelf of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, and explored the zooplankton community structure in these water masses. Sixty vertical hauls (bottom or 200 m in deep water to surface using a ring net (diameter 0.8 m, 505-μm mesh were exploited in November 2007. The biogeographic patterns of zooplankton communities were investigated using multivariate analysis methods; copepod biodiversity was analyzed using univariate indices. Copepods and protozoans were dominate in the communities. Based on the species composition, we divided the study areas into six station groups. Significant differences in zooplankton assemblages were detected between the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Species richness was higher in East China Sea groups than those in Yellow Sea, whereas taxonomic distinctness was higher in Yellow Sea than in East China Sea. There was a clear relationship between the species composition and water mass group.

Zooplankton in littoral waters of a tropical lake: a revisited biodiversity

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PM. Maia-Barbosa

Full Text Available The present study was carried out in Lake Dom Helvécio, in the state of Minas Gerais, with two main objectives: to demonstrate the contribution of the littoral zone, in order to better characterize zooplankton fauna; and to assess the distribution of zooplankton species in different habitats, i.e., the littoral zone with and without aquatic vegetation. The samples were collected in February and July 2006, throughout the littoral zone of the lake, in areas with and without aquatic vegetation. We identified a total of 188 species, of which 130 are new records for Lake Dom Helvécio. One hundred and eighty-four species were identified in the littoral zone with aquatic vegetation, and 117 in the zone with no vegetation. The higher zooplankton richness in areas of the littoral zone with aquatic vegetation can be related to the greater environmental heterogeneity. Compared to previous studies on the littoral zones of lakes along the middle River Doce, the present study expended greater sampling effort, and identified many more species. In relation to biological conservation, this study demonstrated the importance of the littoral zone for better characterization and conservation of the zooplankton fauna, especially when it is colonized by aquatic vegetation. Underestimating the richness of species may provide inaccurate data on the biota, as well as on the ecological conditions in an environment.

Trophic transfer of persistent organochlorine contaminants (OCs) within an Arctic marine food web from the southern Beaufort-Chukchi Seas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoekstra, P.F.; O'Hara, T.M.; Fisk, A.T.; Borgaa, K.; Solomon, K.R.; Muir, D.C.G.

2003-01-01

The trophic status and biomagnification of persistent OCs within the near-shore Beaufort-Chukchi Seas food web from Barrow, AK is discussed. - Stable isotope values (δ 13 C, δ 15 N) and concentrations of persistent organochlorine contaminants (OCs) were determined to evaluate the near-shore marine trophic status of biota and biomagnification of OCs from the southern Beaufort-Chukchi Seas (1999-2000) near Barrow, AK. The biota examined included zooplankton (Calanus spp.), fish species such as arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), and fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis), along with marine mammals, including bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus), beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), ringed seals (Phoca hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus). The isotopically derived trophic position of biota from the Beaufort-Chukchi Seas marine food web, avian fauna excluded, is similar to other coastal food webs in the Arctic. Concentrations of OCs in marine mammals were significantly greater than in fish and corresponded with determined trophic level. In general, OCs with the greatest food web magnification factors (FWMFs) were those either formed due to biotransformation (e.g. p,p'-DDE, oxychlordane) or considered recalcitrant (e.g. β-HCH, 2,4,5-Cl substituted PCBs) in most biota, whereas concentrations of OCs that are considered to be readily eliminated (e.g. γ-HCH) did not correlate with trophic level. Differences in physical-chemical properties of OCs, feeding strategy and possible biotransformation were reflected in the variable biomagnification between fish and marine mammals. The FWMFs in the Beaufort-Chukchi Seas region were consistent with reported values in the Canadian Arctic and temperate food webs, but were statistically different than FWMFs from the Barents and White Seas, indicating that the spatial variability of OC contamination in top-level marine Arctic predators is

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

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Walkusz, Wojciech; Paulic, Joclyn E.; Williams, William J.; Kwasniewski, Slawomir; Papst, Michael H.

2011-02-01

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.

Zooplankton structure and vertical migration: Using acoustics and biomass to compare stratified and mixed fjord systems

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Díaz-Astudillo, Macarena; Cáceres, Mario A.; Landaeta, Mauricio F.

2017-09-01

The patterns of abundance, composition, biomass and vertical migration of zooplankton in short-time scales (ADCP device mounted on the hull of a ship were used to obtain vertical profiles of current velocity data and intensity of the backscattered acoustic signal, which was used to study the migratory strategies and to relate the echo intensity with zooplankton biomass. Repeated vertical profiles of temperature, salinity and density were obtained with a CTD instrument to describe the density patterns during both experiments. Zooplankton were sampled every 3 h using a Bongo net to determine abundance, composition and biomass. Migrations were diel in the stratified station, semi-diel in the mixed station, and controlled by light in both locations, with large and significant differences in zooplankton abundance and biomass between day and night samples. No migration pattern associated with the effect of tides was found. The depth of maximum backscatter strength showed differences of approximately 30 m between stations and was deeper in the mixed station. The relation between mean volume backscattering strength (dB) computed from echo intensity and log10 of total dry weight (mg m-3) of zooplankton biomass was moderate but significant in both locations. Biomass estimated from biological samples was higher in the mixed station and determined by euphausiids. Copepods were the most abundant group in both stations. Acoustic methods were a useful technique to understand the detailed patterns of migratory strategies of zooplankton and to help estimate zooplankton biomass and abundance in the inner waters of southern Chile.

Additive impacts of experimental climate change increase risk to an ectotherm at the Arctic's edge

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Davenport, Jon M.; Hossack, Blake R.; Fishback, LeeAnn

2017-01-01

Globally, Arctic and Subarctic regions have experienced the greatest temperature increases during the last 30 years. These extreme changes have amplified threats to the freshwater ecosystems that dominate the landscape in many areas by altering water budgets. Several studies in temperate environments have examined the adaptive capacity of organisms to enhance our understanding of the potential repercussions of warming and associated accelerated drying for freshwater ecosystems. However, few experiments have examined these impacts in Arctic or Subarctic freshwater ecosystems, where the climate is changing most rapidly. To evaluate the capacity of a widespread ectotherm to anticipated environmental changes, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) in the Canadian Subarctic. Three warming treatments were fully crossed with three drying treatments to simulate a range of predicted changes in wetland environments. We predicted wetland warming and drying would act synergistically, with water temperature partially compensating for some of the negative effects of accelerated drying. Across all drying regimes, a 1 °C increase in water temperature increased the odds of survival by 1.79, and tadpoles in 52-day and 64-day hydroperiod mesocosms were 4.1–4.3 times more likely to survive to metamorphosis than tadpoles in 45-day mesocosms. For individuals who survived to metamorphosis, there was only a weak negative effect of temperature on size. As expected, increased temperatures accelerated tadpole growth through day 30 of the experiment. Our results reveal that one of the dominant herbivores in Subarctic wetlands, wood frog tadpoles, are capable of increasing their developmental rates in response to increased temperature and accelerated drying, but only in an additive manner. The strong negative effects of drying on survival, combined with lack of compensation between these two environmental drivers, suggest changes in the aquatic environment

Current status of zooplankton in reservoir R-3 of the 'Mayak' production association

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Osipova, O.; Pryakhin, E. [Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine - URCRM (Russian Federation); Ivanov, I. [FSUE Mayak PA (Russian Federation)

2014-07-01

One of the commonly used objects for the study of human influence on aquatic ecosystems is zooplankton. Zooplankton community is a sensitive component of biota in reservoir which can change their functional parameters and species composition in response to exposure to different factors. The role of zooplankton in the transformation of energy and in the biotic cycling of the substance is very important. The study of the responses of this element in the water ecosystem with anthropogenic influences, including radioactive contamination, is an important task. The object of the study was the zooplankton in the reservoir R-3, Chelyabinsk region, Russia. R-3 is located in the buffer zone of the 'Mayak' PA and is the storage for low-level radioactive waste. In addition to the high content of radionuclides (the average specific activity of {sup 90}Sr in water was 2.8 kBq/l, {sup 137}Cs - 0.7 kBq/l), this reservoir is characterized by high values of dichromate oxidizability and phosphate contamination. Previously, the study of the zooplankton of this reservoir was conducted in 1952, regular observations were not organized. Assessment of the current status of the community, more than half a century residing in the conditions of radioactive and chemical contamination, seems highly interesting. Sampling was carried out in 2011-2012 at three stations: in the upper, middle, and near the dam of the reservoir by the method of weighted average of samples with bathometer. Analysis of samples showed that the zooplankton community consists of the following major groups: rotifers and cladocerans and copepods crustaceans. In total in R-3 27 species of zooplankton, including 19 species of rotifers, 3 species of copepod and 3 species of cladocerans, as well as two species of ciliates were discovered. Zooplankton abundance in 2011 was 9±9 million individuals/m{sup 3} (given the mean and standard deviation), in 2012 - 26.0±0.9 million individuals/m{sup 3}. The main contribution

[Phytoplankton and zooplankton of the industrial reservoir R-9 (Lake Karachay)].

Science.gov (United States)

Priakhin, E A; Triapitsina, G A; Atamaniuk, N I; Osipov, D I; Stukalov, P M; Ivanov, I A; Popova, I Ia; Akleev, A V

2012-01-01

Planktonic communities of the Reservoir-9 (Lake Karachay, storage reservoir of liquid medium-level radioactive waste of the Mayak Production Association) are exposed to the severe radioactive forcing (in 2010 the total beta-activity of the water was 1.8 x 10(7) Bq/L, total alpha-activity was 1.1 x 10(4) Bq/L), aswell as to the chemical contamination (level of nitrates in water 4.1 g/L). The calculated values of the absorbed dose rate were 130 Gy/day for phytoplankton and 4.0 Gy/day for zooplankton. Extremely low species diversity, the overwhelming dominance of one species (phytoplankton is close to a monoculture of ubiquitous cyanobacteria Geitlerinema amphibium, zooplankton--to a monoculture of rotifers Hexarthrafennica), wide fluctuations in numbers of algae, a low number of zooplankton were the most substantial characteristics of the plankton communities in Lake Karachay. So, plankton communities status is a sign of environmental retrogress in this ecosystem.

Zooplankton Distribution in Four Western Norwegian Fjords

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Gorsky, G.; Flood, P. R.; Youngbluth, M.; Picheral, M.; Grisoni, J.-M.

2000-01-01

A multi-instrumental array constructed in the Laboratoire d'Ecologie du Plancton Marin in Villefranche sur mer, France, named the Underwater Video Profiler (UVP), was used to investigate the vertical distribution of zooplankton in four western Norwegian fjords in the summer 1996. Six distinct zoological groups were monitored. The fauna included: (a) small crustaceans (mainly copepods), (b) ctenophores (mainly lobates), (c) siphonophores (mainly physonects), (d) a scyphomedusa Periphylla periphylla, (e) chaetognaths and (f) appendicularians. The use of the non-disturbing video technique demonstrated that the distribution of large zooplankton is heterogeneous vertically and geographically. Furthermore, the abundance of non-migrating filter feeders in the deep basins of the fjords indicates that there is enough food (living and non-living particulate organic matter) to support their dietary needs. This adaptation may be considered as a strategy for survival in fjords. Specifically, living in dark, deep water reduces visual predation and population loss encountered in the upper layer due to advective processes.

Diurnal variation of zooplankton in Malad creek, Bombay

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gajbhiye, S.N.; Nair, V.R.; Desai, B.N.

stock and total population were higher in night than in day collections. Abundance and diversity of zooplankton were directly correlated to the prevailing tide and pollution load. Copepods formed the predominant group followed by decapods, gastropods...

Spatial patterns of littoral zooplankton assemblages along a salinity gradient in a brackish sea: A functional diversity perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Helenius, Laura K.; Leskinen, Elina; Lehtonen, Hannu; Nurminen, Leena

2017-11-01

The distribution patterns and diversity of littoral zooplankton are both key baseline information for understanding the functioning of coastal ecosystems, and for identifying the mechanisms by which the impacts of recently increased eutrophication are transferred through littoral food webs. In this study, zooplankton community structure and diversity along a shallow coastal area of the northern Baltic Sea were determined in terms of horizontal environmental gradients. Spatial heterogeneity of the zooplankton community was examined along the gradient. Altogether 31 sites in shallow sandy bays on the coast of southwest Finland were sampled in the summer periods of 2009 and 2010 for zooplankton and environmental variables (surface water temperature, salinity, turbidity, wave exposure, macrophyte coverage, chlorophyll a and nutrients). Zooplankton diversity was measured as both taxonomic as well as functional diversity, using trait-based classification of planktonic crustaceans. Salinity, and to a lesser extent turbidity and temperature, were found to be the main predictors of the spatial patterns and functional diversity of the zooplankton community. Occurrence of cyclopoid copepods, as well as abundances of the calanoid copepod genus Acartia and the rotifer genus Keratella were found to be key factors in differentiating sites along the gradient. As far as we know, this is the first extensive study of functional diversity in Baltic Sea coastal zooplankton communities.

Effect of tide on the variability of zooplankton in the nearshore waters of Thal, Maharashtra

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gajbhiye, S.N; Nair, V.R.; Krishnakumari, L; Desai, B.N

Quantitative and qualitative difference in zooplankton in relation to the tide were studied along 3 transects located off Thal, Maharashtra, India during Feb. 1980 to Jan. 1981. Variation in zooplankton biomass for the flood and ebb period were 2...

Arctic Ocean circulation during the anoxic Eocene Azolla event

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Speelman, Eveline; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap; März, Christian; Brumsack, Hans; Reichart, Gert-Jan

2010-05-01

The Azolla interval, as encountered in Eocene sediments from the Arctic Ocean, is characterized by organic rich sediments ( 4wt% Corg). In general, high levels of organic matter may be caused by increased productivity, i.e. extensive growth of Azolla, and/or enhanced preservation of organic matter, or a combination of both. Anoxic (bottom) water conditions, expanded oxygen minimum zones, or increased sedimentation rates all potentially increase organic matter preservation. According to plate tectonic, bathymetric, and paleogeographic reconstructions, the Arctic Ocean was a virtually isolated shallow basin, with one possible deeper connection to the Nordic Seas represented by a still shallow Fram Strait (Jakobsson et al., 2007), hampering ventilation of the Arctic Basin. During the Azolla interval surface waters freshened, while at the same time bottom waters appear to have remained saline, indicating that the Arctic was highly stratified. The restricted ventilation and stratification in concert with ongoing export of organic matter most likely resulted in the development of anoxic conditions in the lower part of the water column. Whereas the excess precipitation over evaporation maintained the freshwater lid, sustained input of Nordic Sea water is needed to keep the deeper waters saline. To which degree the Arctic Ocean exchanged with the Nordic Seas is, however, still largely unknown. Here we present a high-resolution trace metal record (ICP-MS and ICP-OES) for the expanded Early/Middle Eocene section capturing the Azolla interval from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 302 (ACEX) drilled on the Lomonosov Ridge, central Arctic Ocean. Euxinic conditions throughout the interval resulted in the efficient removal of redox sensitive trace metals from the water column. Using the sedimentary trace metal record we also constrained circulation in the Arctic Ocean by assessing the relative importance of trace metal input sources (i.e. fluvial, eolian, and

Stratification of zooplankton in the northwestern Indian Ocean

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Paulinose, V.T.; Gopalakrishnan, T.C.; Nair, K.K.C.; Aravindakshan, P.N.

Study on stratification of zooplankton in the north western Indian Ocean was carried out with special reference to its relative abundance and distribution. Samples were collected using multiple plankton net, during first cruise of ORV Sagar Kanya...

Zooplankton composition in Dharamtar creek adjoining Bombay harbour

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Tiwari, L.R.; Nair, V.R.

bedoti was the true inhabitant. In general zooplankton production indicated 1.5 fold increase towards the upper reaches of the creek where salinity variations were drastic. A more diversified faunal assemblage of oceanic and neritic species characterised...

Evaluation of sound extinction and echo interference in densely aggregated zooplankton

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Natalia Gorska

2000-09-01

Full Text Available The investigation of sound extinction and echo interference is important as regards the accurate assessment of the abundance of densely aggregated zooplankton. To study these effects,the analytical model describing sound backscattering by an aggregation of isotropic scatterers (Rytov et al. 1978, Sun & Gimenez 1992 has been extended to the case of densely aggregated elongated zooplankton. The evaluation of the effects in the case of a dense krill aggregation demonstrates that they can be significant and should be taken into account.

The effects of power plant passage on zooplankton mortalities: Eight years of study at the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, M.S.; Warren, G.J.; Page, D.I.

1986-01-01

Zooplankton mortalities resulting from passage through the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant (southeastern Lake Michigan) were studied over an 8-year (1975-1982) period. The power plant operated at a low ΔT ( 0 C) and discharge water temperatures did not exceed 35 0 C (except September 1978). While zooplankton mortalities were significantly greater in discharge than intake waters, differences were small, averaging <3%. There was no evidence of additional delayed effects on zooplankton mortality following plant passage. There was no relationship between zooplankton mortalities and temperature (ΔT, discharge water temperature). Mechanical stresses appeared to be the major cause of zooplankton mortality. The authors hypothesize that fish predation, rather than power plant operation, probably was the major source of zooplankton mortality in inshore waters during much of the year. (author)

Amplified North Atlantic Warming in the Late Pliocene by Changes in Arctic Gateways

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Otto-Bliesner, B. L.; Jahn, A.; Feng, R.; Brady, E. C.; Hu, A.; Lofverstrom, M.

2017-12-01

Reconstructions of the late Pliocene (mid-Piacenzian, 3.3 - 3.0 million years ago) sea surface temperature (SST) find much warmer conditions in the North Atlantic than modern. The much warmer SSTs, up to 8.8°C from sites with good dating and replicates from several different types of proxies, have been difficult for climate models to reproduce. Even with the slow feedbacks of a reduced Greenland ice sheet and expansion of boreal forests to the Arctic Ocean over Canada and Eurasia, models cannot warm the North Atlantic sufficiently to match the reconstructed SSTs. An enhancement of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) during the late Pliocene, proposed as a possible mechanism based on ocean core records of δ13C, also is not present in the model simulations. Here, we present CESM simulations using a new reconstruction of late Pliocene paleogeography that has the Bering Strait (BS) and Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) Straits closed. We find that the closure of these small Arctic gateways strengthens the AMOC, by inhibiting freshwater (FW) transport from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean and from the Arctic Ocean to the Labrador Sea, leading to warmer sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic. The cutoff of the short export route through the CAA results in a more saline Labrador and south Greenland Sea with increased deep convection. At the same time, as all FW now leaves the Arctic east of Greenland, there is a freshening of and decreased deepwater formation in the Norwegian Sea. Overall, the AMOC strengthens. This past time period has implications for a future Earth under more responsible scenarios of emissions. Late Pliocene atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are estimated to have ranged between 350 and 450 ppmv and the paleogeography is relatively similar to modern. Our study indicates that the state of the Arctic gateways may influence the sensitivity of the North Atlantic climate in complex ways, and better understanding of the

Dredging induced changes in zooplankton community and water ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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water characteristics and zooplankton community structure in Dal Lake. An assessment was done ... et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2010). In aquatic ecosystems, .... generally high in fine grain sediment (Fisher et al., 1982;. Valiela, 1995). In post ...

Trophic dynamics in marine nearshore systems of the Alaskan high arctic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunton, K.H.

1985-01-01

This dissertation describes two ecological studies in the arctic Alaskan nearshore zone: the productivity and growth strategies of arctic kelp and the use of natural carbon isotope abundances to examine food web structure and energy flow in the marine ecosystem. Linear growth of the kelp, Laminaria solidungula is greatest in winter and early spring when nutrients are available for new tissue growth. Since over 90% of this growth occurs in complete darkness beneath a turbid ice canopy, the plant draws on stored food reserves and is in a carbon deficit during the ice covered period. Annual productivity of L. solidungula under these conditions is about 6 g C m -2 compared to about 10 g c m -2 if light penetrates the ice canopy. Carbon isotope abundances were used to assess food web structure and energy flow in the Boulder Patch, an isolated kelp bed community, and in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea fauna. Isotopic analyses of the resident fauna of the Boulder Patch revealed that kelp carbon contributes significantly to the diet of many benthic animals, including suspension feeders. Across the shelf of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea, a distinct gradient in the isotopic composition of marine zooplankton and benthic fauna was related to the intrusion of the Bering Sea water and upwelling in the eastern Beaufort Sea near Barter Island. The 13 C depletion in fauna of the eastern Beaufort Sea is presumed due to the cycling of 13 C depleted inorganic carbon into the euphotic zone

FORMATION OF BACTERIAL AND ZOOPLANKTON COMPONENT OF NATURAL FOOD BASE UNDER EFFECT OF TRADITIONAL ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

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S. Krazhan

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Characterization of bacteria and zooplankton in rearing ponds using traditional fertilizers: cattle manure and bird droppings in modern conditions for fish farming. Methodology. Material collection and processing were carried out according to conventional hydrochemical and hydrobiological methods. Findings. We consider forming of bacteria and zooplankton component of natural food base of Irkliiv herbivorous fish nursery rearing ponds under the influenced of traditional organic fertilizers such as bird droppings (0,12 t/ha and cattle manure (2,0 t/ha. Each pond was planted by ongrowing Nyvka carp larvae (40,0 thousand ind./ha with silver carp (1,0 thousand ind./ha and grass carp larvae (1,0 thousand ind./ha. Qualitative and quantitative development of bacteria and zooplankton in fish-breeding ponds was investigated. The results show that in the development of the studied invertebrate groups of zooplankton in production ponds had no significant differences, except for rotifers, which group prevailed by the biomass to 3,6 times in the pond with the introduction of humus. Originality. The parameters of bacteria and zooplankton by the application of traditional organic fertilizers at present fish farming are studied. Practical value. These quantitative indicators of bacteria and zooplankton of fish-rearing ponds with water supply from Kremenchug reservoir, the application of cattle manure and bird droppings could be offered as an optimum data at present fish production stage.

Zooplankton of an urban coastal lagoon: composition and association with environmental factors and summer fish kill

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Leonardo C. e Souza

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Zooplankton may be regarded as a sensitive tool for monitoring environmental variations in coastal lagoons due to their ability to immediately react to changes in the water column trophic features and salinity levels. As a coastal lagoon with a broad history of anthropic influence, Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is widely used for water sports and artisanal fishing. The present study aimed to expand the knowledge base about zooplankton in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon by assessing the composition and time-spatial distribution of the major zooplankton groups. Samples were collected fortnightly from at four distinct sampling points August 2001 to July 2002. At each point, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and water transparency were measured. During the study period, the lagoon behaved as an spatially homogeneous environment in what regards the abiotic variables. However, all these variables showed significant differences along the time, mainly related to seasonality (air temperature and rainy and dry periods. The zooplankton community showed low taxonomic richness, with the predominance of species commonly found in coastal lagoons, especially with mesohaline conditions, as well as those found in estuaries. An interesting fact was the rise in zooplankton abundance at all sampling points right after a fish kill event. Such increase was caused mainly by the Brachionus plicatilis O.F. Müller 1786 species. Thus, the zooplankton community was affected by physical and chemical factors, mainly by the dissolved oxygen decline event and variations in the influx of seawater into the lagoon. In addition, phytoplankton availability and fish predation pressure were suggested as important regulating factors of the zooplankton community.

Evidence of Diel Vertical Migration of Mesopelagic Sound-Scattering Organisms in the Arctic

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Harald Gjøsæter

2017-10-01

Full Text Available While sound scattering layers (SSLs have been described previously from ice-covered waters in the Arctic, the existence of a viable mesopelagic community that also includes mesopelagic fishes in the Arctic has been questioned. In addition, it has been hypothesized that vertical migration would hardly exist in these areas. We wanted to check if deep scattering layers (DSLs was found to the west and north of Svalbard (79°30′N−82°10′N during autumn 2015, and if present; whether organisms in such DSLs undertook vertical migrations. Our null hypothesis was that there would be no evidence of diel vertical migration. Multi-frequency acoustic observations by hull mounted echo sounder (18, 38, and 120 kHz revealed a DSL at depths ~210–510 m in areas with bottom depths exceeding ~600 m. Investigating eight geographical locations that differed with respect to time periods, light cycle and sea ice conditions, we show that the deeper layer of DSL displayed a clear ascending movement during night time and a descending movement during daytime. The high-light weighted mean depth (WMD (343–514 m with respect to backscattered energy was statistically deeper than the low-light WMD (179–437 m for the locations studied. This behavior of the DSL was found to be consistent both when the sun was continuously above the horizon and after it started to set on 1 September, and both in open water and sea ice covered waters. The WMD showed an increasing trend, while the nautical area backscattering strength from the DSL showed a decreasing trend from south to north among the studied locations. Hydrographic observations revealed that the diel migration was found in the lower part of the north-flowing Atlantic Water, and was disconnected from the surface water masses above the Atlantic Water during day and night. The organisms conducting vertical migrations were studied by vertical and oblique hauls with zooplankton nets and pelagic trawls. These data suggest

The characteristic of a zooplankton in the contaminated bottom stream of the Pripyat' river and backwaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarubaw, A.I.; Malatkow, D.V.

1994-01-01

The researches of zooplankton are conducted on two stations on the Pripyat' river, but also on two backwaters which are in the Chernobyl NPP contamination zone. The rotifera is dominant group of zooplankton. Their quantity is more than 10 samples/litter. An absolute and relative fertility of rotifera is determined. It is established an structural and functional reorganization of the rotifera dominant complexes occurs. Any influence of contamination on a zooplankton condition is not found out. 5 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs

Biochemical composition of zooplankton from the Andaman Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.; Rao, T.S.S.; Matondkar, S.G.P.

Protein was the dominant constituent in mixed zooplankton major planktonic groups and some common species collected from the Andaman Sea. Overall mean values, calculated as a percentage of dry weight, were 45,14 protein, 10.6 lipid, 4.2 carbohydrate...

Foraging mode and prey size spectra of suspension-feeding copepods and other zooplankton

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas

2016-01-01

Prey size spectra of suspension-feeding zooplankton may be predicted from foraging mode and a mechanistic understanding of prey perception and capture. I examine this for suspension-feeding copepods where 2 foraging modes can be distinguished: ambush feeding and active (i.e. cruising and feeding-...... the prediction. I also make qualitative predictions of food size spectra in zooplankton with other prey perception mechanisms that accord with observations....

Stable isotope methods: The effect of gut contents on isotopic ratios of zooplankton

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, J. M.; McQuaid, C. D.

2011-05-01

In the past decade there has been an increased awareness of the potential for methodological bias resulting from multiple pre-analytical procedures in foodweb interpretations based on stable isotope techniques. In the case of small organisms, this includes the effect of gut contents on whole body signatures. Although gut contents may not reflect actual assimilation, their carbon and nitrogen values will be isotopically lighter than after the same material has been assimilated. The potential skewing of isotopic ratios in whole organism samples is especially important for aquatic environments as many studies involve trophic relationships among small zooplankton. This is particularly important in pelagic waters, where herbivorous zooplankton comprise small taxa. Hence this study investigated the effect of gut contents on the δ13C and δ15N ratios of three size classes of zooplankton (1.0-2.0, 2.0-4.0 and >4.0 mm) collected using bongo net tows in the tropical waters of the south-west Indian Ocean. Animals were collected at night, when they were likely to be feeding, sieved into size classes and separated into genera. We focused on Euphausia spp which dominated zooplankton biomass. Three treatment types were processed: bulk animals, bulk animals without guts and tail muscle from each size class at 10 bongo stations. The δ15N ratios were influenced by zooplankton size class, presumably reflecting ontogenetic changes in diet. ANOVA post hoc results and correlations in δ15N signatures among treatments suggest that gut contents may not affect overall nitrogen signatures of Euphausia spp., but that δ13C signatures may be significantly altered by their presence. Carbon interpretations however, were complicated by potential effects of variation in chitin, lipids and metabolism among tissues and the possibility of opportunistic omnivory. Consequently we advocate gut evacuation before sacrifice in euphausiids if specific tissue dissection is impractical and recommend

Eclipse effects on field crops and marine zooplankton: the 29 March 2006 total solar eclipse

Science.gov (United States)

Economou, G.; Christou, E. D.; Giannakourou, A.; Gerasopoulos, E.; Georgopoulos, D.; Kotoulas, V.; Lyra, D.; Tsakalis, N.; Tzortziou, M.; Vahamidis, P.; Papathanassiou, E.; Karamanos, A.

2008-08-01

Some effects in the biosphere from the Total Solar Eclipse of 29 March 2006 were investigated in field crops and marine zooplankton. Taking into account the decisive role of light on plant life and productivity, measurements of photosynthesis and stomatal behaviour were conducted on seven important field-grown cereal and leguminous crops. A drop in photosynthetic rates, by more than a factor of 5 in some cases, was observed, and the minimum values of photosynthetic rates ranged between 3.13 and 10.13 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1. The drop in solar irradiance and the increase in mesophyll CO2-concentration during the eclipse did not induce stomatal closure thus not blocking CO2 uptake by plants. Light effects on the photochemical phase of photosynthesis may be responsible for the observed depression in photosynthetic rates. Field studies addressing the migratory responses of marine zooplankton (micro-zooplankton (ciliates), and meso-zooplankton) due to the rapid changes in underwater light intensity were also performed. The light intensity attenuation was simulated with the use of accurate underwater radiative transfer modeling techniques. Ciliates, responded to the rapid decrease in light intensity during the eclipse adopting night-time behaviour. From the meso-zooplankton assemblage, various vertical migratory behaviours were adopted by different species.

Zooplankton data from zooplankton net casts and other instruments in the Delaware Bay and North Atlantic Ocean as part of the Ocean Continental Shelf (OCS - Mid Atlantic) project, 03 November 1976 - 18 November 1977 (NODC Accession 7800340)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Zooplankton data were collected using zooplankton net casts and other instruments in the Delaware Bay and North Atlantic Ocean from November 3, 1976 to November 18,...

Spatial and temporal trends of contaminants in terrestrial biota from the Canadian Arctic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gamberg, Mary [Gamberg Consulting, Box 10460, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 7A1 (Canada)]. E-mail: mary.gamberg@northwestel.net; Braune, Birgit [Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3 (Canada); Davey, Eric [Athabasca Tribal Council, Environmental Affairs, 9206 McCormick Drive, Fort McMurray, AB, T9H 1C7 (Canada); Elkin, Brett [Northwest Territories Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Yellowknife, NT X1A 3S8 (Canada); Hoekstra, Paul F. [Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 (Canada); Kennedy, David [Northwest Territories Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Yellowknife, NT X1A 3S8 (Canada); Macdonald, Colin [Northern Environmental Consulting, Pinawa, MB, R0E 1L0 (Canada); Muir, Derek [National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, L7R 4A6 (Canada); Nirwal, Amar [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Box 17000, Stn Forces, Kingston, ON, K7K 7B4 (Canada); Wayland, Mark [Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Prairie and Northern Region, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X4 (Canada); Zeeb, Barbara [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Box 17000, Stn Forces, Kingston, ON, K7K 7B4 (Canada)

2005-12-01

Contaminants in the Canadian Arctic have been studied over the last twelve years under the guidance of the Northern Contaminants Program. This paper summarizes results from that program from 1998 to 2003 with respect to terrestrial animals in the Canadian Arctic. The arctic terrestrial environment has few significant contaminant issues, particularly when compared with freshwater and marine environments. Both current and historical industrial activities in the north may have a continuing effect on biota in the immediate area, but effects tend to be localized. An investigation of arctic ground squirrels at a site in the Northwest Territories that had historically received applications of DDT concluded that DDT in arctic ground squirrels livers was the result of contamination and that this is an indication of the continuing effect of a local point source of DDT. Arsenic concentrations were higher in berries collected from areas around gold mines in the Northwest Territories than from control sites, suggesting that gold mining may significantly affect arsenic levels in berries in the Yellowknives Dene traditional territory. Although moose and caribou from the Canadian Arctic generally carry relatively low contaminant burdens, Yukon moose had high renal selenium concentrations, and moose and some woodland caribou from the same area had high renal cadmium levels, which may put some animals at risk of toxicological effects. Low hepatic copper levels in some caribou herds may indicate a shortage of copper for metabolic demands, particularly for females. Similarities in patterns of temporal fluctuations in renal element concentrations for moose and caribou suggest that environmental factors may be a major cause of fluctuations in renal concentrations of some elements. Concentrations of persistent organochlorines and metals in beaver and muskrat from the Northwest Territories, and carnivores from across the Canadian Arctic were very low and considered normal for terrestrial

Sources and fate of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and water mass ventilation in the upper Arctic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, S. A.; Amon, R. M.; Stedmon, C. A.

2011-12-01

The majority of high latitude soil organic carbon is stored within vast permafrost regions surrounding the Arctic, which are highly susceptible to climate change. As global warming persists increased river discharge combined with permafrost erosion and extended ice free periods will increase the supply of soil organic carbon to the Arctic Ocean. Increased river discharge to the Arctic will also have a significant impact its hydrological cycle and could potentially be critical to sea ice formation. This impact is due to freshwater discharge to the Arctic which has been shown to help sustain halocline formation, a critical water mass that acts as an insulator trapping heat from inflowing Atlantic waters from ice at the surface. As the climate warms it is therefore important to identify halocline source waters and to determine fluctuations in their contribution to this critical water mass. To better understand dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality and its fate within the Arctic as well as runoff distributions across the basin the optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic carbon (CDOM) were evaluated during a trans-Arctic expedition, AOS 2005. This cruise is unique because it is the first time fluorescence data have been obtained from all basins in the Arctic. Excitation/Emission Matrix Spectroscopy (EEM's) coupled to Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was used to decompose the combined CDOM fluorescence signal into six independent components that can be traced to a source. Three humic-like CDOM components were isolated and linked to runoff waters using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Inherent differences were observed between Eurasian (EB) and Canadian (CB) basin surface waters in terms of DOM quality and freshwater distributions. In EB surface waters (0-50m) the humic-like CDOM components explained roughly half of the variance in the DOC pool and were strongly related to lignin phenol concentrations. These results indicate CDOM in Trans-Polar Drift

The Holocene history of Nares Strait: Transition from glacial bay to Arctic-Atlantic throughflow

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Anne E.; Sheldon, Christina; Cronin, Thomas M.; Francus, Pierre; Stoner, Joseph; Andrews, John

2011-01-01

Retreat of glacier ice from Nares Strait and other straits in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago after the end of the last Ice Age initiated an important connection between the Arctic and the North Atlantic Oceans, allowing development of modern ocean circulation in Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea. As low-salinity, nutrient-rich Arctic Water began to enter Baffin Bay, it contributed to the Baffin and Labrador currents flowing southward. This enhanced freshwater inflow must have influenced the sea ice regime and likely is responsible for poor calcium carbonate preservation that characterizes the Baffin Island margin today. Sedimentologic and paleoceanographic data from radiocarbon-dated core HLY03-05GC, Hall Basin, northern Nares Strait, document the timing and paleoenvironments surrounding the retreat of waning ice sheets from Nares Strait and opening of this connection between the Arctic Ocean and Baffin Bay. Hall Basin was deglaciated soon before 10,300 cal BP (calibrated years before present) and records ice-distal sedimentation in a glacial bay facing the Arctic Ocean until about 9,000 cal BP. Atlantic Water was present in Hall Basin during deglaciation, suggesting that it may have promoted ice retreat. A transitional unit with high ice-rafted debris content records the opening of Nares Strait at approximately 9,000 cal BP. High productivity in Hall Basin between 9,000 and 6,000 cal BP reflects reduced sea ice cover and duration as well as throughflow of nutrient-rich Pacific Water. The later Holocene is poorly resolved in the core, but slow sedimentation rates and heavier carbon isotope values support an interpretation of increased sea ice cover and decreased productivity during the Neoglacial period.

Diel variations in zooplankton and their biochemical composition from Vengurla to Ratnagiri, west coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.; KrishnaKumari, L.; Shrivastava, Y.

Diel variations in zooplankton biomass, common groups and proximate composition zooplankton at stations between Vengurla to Ratnagiri, along west coast of India were studied. Higher biomass values were obtained for the night samples (av = 80 ml/100...

Biomass and composition of zooplankton in Auranga, Ambika, Purna and Mindola estuaries of south Gujarat

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Nair, V.R.; Gajbhiye, S.N.; JiyalalRam, M.J.; Desai, B.N.

Biomass and composition of zooplankton in the nearshore waters of Thal, Maharashtra, India were studied at 9 stations during Feb. 1980 to Jan. 1981. The recorded variation in zooplankton biomass was 4.8-80.6 ml.(100 m super(3))/1 [av. 22.9 ml.(100 m...

An isotopic investigation of mercury accumulation in terrestrial food webs adjacent to an Arctic seabird colony

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choy, Emily S.; Gauthier, Martine; Mallory, Mark L.; Smol, John P.; Douglas, Marianne S.V.; Lean, David; Blais, Jules M.

2010-01-01

At Cape Vera (Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada), a seabird colony of northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) congregates and releases nutrients through the deposition of guano to the coastal terrestrial environment, thus creating nutrient-fertilized habitats important to insects, birds, and mammals. Here we determined whether mercury was similarly enriched in various terrestrial food web components in this High Arctic coastal ecosystem due to seabird inputs. Stable isotopes (δ 15 N, δ 13 C) were used to identify trophic linkages and possible routes of contaminant transfer in the food web. Values of δ 15 N were significantly higher in lichens and certain plants collected closer to the bird colony, demonstrating a gradient of seabird influence, and were higher at Cape Vera than our reference site at Cape Herschel, on eastern Ellesmere Island, an area relatively unaffected by seabirds. In contrast, δ 13 C showed little variation among terrestrial species, suggesting minimal influence by seabirds. Concentrations of total mercury (THg) in primary producers and phyto/zooplankton were not significantly correlated with distance from the seabird colony or δ 15 N values, and were similar to other taxa from the High Arctic. Our results provide novel data on THg in several Arctic taxa where concentrations have not been reported previously. Moreover, the analyses indicate that δ 15 N is significantly enriched in the adjacent environment by guano fertilization, but our study was unable to show an enrichment of THg and δ 13 C in the terrestrial food web near the seabird colony.

Zooplankton assessment of Iyikpesu river Aragba- Orogun, Delta ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

48.0 (39±9) mg CaCO3/L. All parameters were within permissible limits. Eighty– three (83) species of zooplankton belonging to five (5) taxonomic groups were identified. Rotifers contributed the highest number of taxa (36) followed by copepods ...

Acoustic insights into the zooplankton dynamics of the eastern Weddell Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Cisewski, Boris; Strass, Volker H.

2016-05-01

The success of any efforts to determine the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems depends on understanding in the first instance the natural variations, which contemporarily occur on the interannual and shorter time scales. Here we present results on the environmental controls of zooplankton distribution patterns and behaviour in the eastern Weddell Sea, Southern Ocean. Zooplankton abundance and vertical migration are derived from the mean volume backscattering strength (MVBS) and the vertical velocity measured by moored acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs), which were deployed simultaneously at 64°S, 66.5°S and 69°S along the Greenwich Meridian from February, 2005, until March, 2008. While these time series span a period of full three years they resolve hourly changes. A highly persistent behavioural pattern found at all three mooring locations is the synchronous diel vertical migration (DVM) of two distinct groups of zooplankton that migrate between a deep residence depth during daytime and a shallow depth during nighttime. The DVM was closely coupled to the astronomical daylight cycles. However, while the DVM was symmetric around local noon, the annual modulation of the DVM was clearly asymmetric around winter solstice or summer solstice, respectively, at all three mooring sites. DVM at our observation sites persisted throughout winter, even at the highest latitude exposed to the polar night. Since the magnitude as well as the relative rate of change of illumination is minimal at this time, we propose that the ultimate causes of DVM separated from the light-mediated proximal cue that coordinates it. In all three years, a marked change in the migration behaviour occurred in late spring (late October/early November), when DVM ceased. The complete suspension of DVM after early November is possibly caused by the combination of two factors: (1) increased availability of food in the surface mixed layer provided by the phytoplankton spring bloom, and

Zooplankton abundance in the River Kars, Northeast Turkey: Impact ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PRECIOUS

2009-11-02

Nov 2, 2009 ... Turkey: Impact of environmental variables. H. Özbay1* and ... in the river. Key words: River Kars, zooplankton, running water, environmental factors. ..... tergestina (Branchiopoda: Onychopoda) in Guanabara Bay, Brazil. Braz.

Feeding ecology of mesopelagic zooplankton of the subtropical and subarctic North Pacific Ocean determined with fatty acid biomarkers

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, S. E.; Steinberg, D. K.; Chu, F.-L. E.; Bishop, J. K. B.

2010-10-01

Mesopelagic zooplankton may meet their nutritional and metabolic requirements in a number of ways including consumption of sinking particles, carnivory, and vertical migration. How these feeding modes change with depth or location, however, is poorly known. We analyzed fatty acid (FA) profiles to characterize zooplankton diet and large particle (>51 μm) composition in the mesopelagic zone (base of euphotic zone -1000 m) at two contrasting time-series sites in the subarctic (station K2) and subtropical (station ALOHA) Pacific Ocean. Total FA concentration was 15.5 times higher in zooplankton tissue at K2, largely due to FA storage by seasonal vertical migrators such as Neocalanus and Eucalanus. FA biomarkers specific to herbivory implied a higher plant-derived food source at mesotrophic K2 than at oligotrophic ALOHA. Zooplankton FA biomarkers specific to dinoflagellates and diatoms indicated that diatoms, and to a lesser extent, dinoflagellates were important food sources at K2. At ALOHA, dinoflagellate FAs were more prominent. Bacteria-specific FA biomarkers in zooplankton tissue were used as an indicator of particle feeding, and peaks were recorded at depths where known particle feeders were present at ALOHA (e.g., ostracods at 100-300 m). In contrast, depth profiles of bacterial FA were relatively constant with depth at K2. Diatom, dinoflagellate, and bacterial biomarkers were found in similar proportions in both zooplankton and particles with depth at both locations, providing additional evidence that mesopelagic zooplankton consume sinking particles. Carnivory indices were higher and increased significantly with depth at ALOHA, and exhibited distinct peaks at K2, representing an increase in dependence on other zooplankton for food in deep waters. Our results indicate that feeding ecology changes with depth as well as by location. These changes in zooplankton feeding ecology from the surface through the mesopelagic zone, and between contrasting environments

Zooplankton grazing in a eutrophic lake: implications of diel vertical migration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lampert, W.; Taylor, B.E.

1985-01-01

During summer and fall, depth profiles of zooplankton community grazing were determined in situ during day and night in the Schoehsee, a small eutrophic lake. Labeled algae of two different sizes were mixed with the natural suspension of phytoplankton in a grazing chamber. A small blue-green alga (Synechococcus, 1 μm) was labeled with 32 P; a larger green alga (Scenedesmus, 4-15 μm) was labeled with 14 C. During summer, grazing in the upper 5 m was negligible during day but strong at night. Hence, algae grow relatively unimpeded by grazing during daytime but are harvested at night. Vertical and diel differences in grazing rates disappeared when the vertical migration ceased in fall. Selectivity of grazing was controlled by the zooplankton species composition. Eudiaptomus showed a strong preference for Scenedesmus. Daphnia showed a slight preference for Scenedesmus, but Ceriodaphnia preferred Synechococcus. Cyclopoid copepodites did not ingest the small blue-green. Because Daphnia and Eudiaptomus were dominant, grazing rates on larger cells were usually higher than grazing rates on the small cells. Negative electivity indices for scenedesmus occurred only when the biomass of large crustaceans was extremely low (near the surface, during day). Zooplankton biomass was the main factor controlling both vertical and seasonal variations in grazing. Highest grazing rates (65%/d) were measured during fall when zooplankton abundance was high. Because differential losses can produce substantial errors in the results, it was necessary to process the samples on the boat immediately after collection, without preservation

Food habits of Juvenile American Shad and dynamics of zooplankton in the lower Columbia River

Science.gov (United States)

Haskell, C.A.; Tiffan, K.F.; Rondorf, D.W.

2006-01-01

As many as 2.4 million adult American shad annually pass John Day Dam, Columbia River to spawn upriver, yet food web interactions of juvenile shad rearing in John Day Reservoir are unexplored. We collected zooplankton and conducted mid-water trawls in McNary (June-July) and John Day reservoirs (August-November) from 1994 through 1996 during the outmigration of subyearling American shad and Chinook salmon. Juvenile American shad were abundant and represented over 98% of the trawl catch in late summer. The five major taxa collected in zooplankton tows were Bosmina longirostris, Daphnia, cyclopoid cope-pods, rotifers, and calanoid copepods. We evaluated total crustacean zooplankton abundance and Daphnia biomass in relation to water temperature, flow, depth, diel period, and cross-sectional location using multiple regression. Differences in zooplankton abundance were largely due to differences in water temperature and flow. Spatial variation in total zooplankton abundance was observed in McNary Reservoir, but not in John Day Reservoir. Juvenile American shad generally fed on numerically abundant prey, despite being less preferred than larger bodied zooplankton. A decrease in cladoceran abundance and size in August coupled with large percentages of Daphnia in juvenile American shad stomachs indicated heavy planktivory. Smaller juvenile American shad primarily fed on Daphnia in August, but switched to more evasive copepods as the mean size of fish increased and Daphnia abundance declined. Because Daphnia are particularly important prey items for subyearling Chinook salmon in mainstem reservoirs in mid to late summer, alterations in the cladoceran food base is of concern for the management of outmigrating salmonids and other Columbia River fishes. ?? 2006 by the Northwest Scientific Association. All rights reserved.

210Po/210Pb dynamics in relation to zooplankton biomass and trophic conditions during an annual cycle in northwestern Mediterranean coastal waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Färber Lorda, Jaime; Fowler, Scott W.; Miquel, Juan-Carlos; Rodriguez y Baena, Alessia; Jeffree, Ross A.

2013-01-01

Monthly sampling in northwestern Mediterranean coastal waters was undertaken to better understand the relationship between zooplankton biomass and the cycling of the natural radionuclide 210 Po/ 210 Pb pair during a one-year period (October 1995–November 1996). In conjunction with mesozooplankton collections and 210 Po/ 210 Pb measurements in seawater, zooplankton and their fecal pellets, the biochemical composition of particulate organic matter (POM) was also examined at three depths (0, 20 and 50 m) as an indicator of trophic conditions. During May 1996, a strong zooplankton “bloom” was observed which was preceded by a prolonged increase in POM (protein + carbohydrates + lipids) starting at the end of March, and further demonstrated by a concomitant increase in the concentration of smaller particles, two features that are typical of mesotrophic waters. Simultaneous measurements of 210 Po in sea water and zooplankton showed an inverse trend between these two parameters during the sampling period, with the two lowest 210 Po concentrations in the dissolved phase of seawater coincident with the highest radionuclide concentrations in the zooplankton; however, this apparent relationship was not statistically significant over the entire year. Freshly excreted mesozooplankton and salp fecal pellets, which have been strongly implicated in the removal and downward transport of these radionuclides from the upper water column, contained 210 Po and 210 Pb levels ranging from 175 to 878 and 7.5–486 Bq kg −1 dry weight, respectively. Salp pellets contained 5 and 10 times more 210 Po and 210 Pb than in fecal pellets produced by mixed zooplankton, a finding most likely related to their different feeding strategies. During the zooplankton biomass peak observed in May, the 210 Po concentration in zooplankton was at a minimum; however, in contrast to what has been reported to occur in some open sea oligotrophic waters, over the year no statistically significant inverse

Next generation sequencing reveals the hidden diversity of zooplankton assemblages.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penelope K Lindeque

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Zooplankton play an important role in our oceans, in biogeochemical cycling and providing a food source for commercially important fish larvae. However, difficulties in correctly identifying zooplankton hinder our understanding of their roles in marine ecosystem functioning, and can prevent detection of long term changes in their community structure. The advent of massively parallel next generation sequencing technology allows DNA sequence data to be recovered directly from whole community samples. Here we assess the ability of such sequencing to quantify richness and diversity of a mixed zooplankton assemblage from a productive time series site in the Western English Channel. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: Plankton net hauls (200 µm were taken at the Western Channel Observatory station L4 in September 2010 and January 2011. These samples were analysed by microscopy and metagenetic analysis of the 18S nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA gene using the 454 pyrosequencing platform. Following quality control a total of 419,041 sequences were obtained for all samples. The sequences clustered into 205 operational taxonomic units using a 97% similarity cut-off. Allocation of taxonomy by comparison with the National Centre for Biotechnology Information database identified 135 OTUs to species level, 11 to genus level and 1 to order, <2.5% of sequences were classified as unknowns. By comparison a skilled microscopic analyst was able to routinely enumerate only 58 taxonomic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Metagenetics reveals a previously hidden taxonomic richness, especially for Copepoda and hard-to-identify meroplankton such as Bivalvia, Gastropoda and Polychaeta. It also reveals rare species and parasites. We conclude that Next Generation Sequencing of 18S amplicons is a powerful tool for elucidating the true diversity and species richness of zooplankton communities. While this approach allows for broad diversity assessments of plankton it may

Zooplankton community structure and dynamics during the transition ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigates the zooplankton community structure and dynamics of Kufena Rock Pool during the transition from dry season (March to April) to rainy season (May to June) in Zaria, Nigeria. Physicochemical parameters such as temperature, hydrogen ion concentration, electrical conductivity and total dissolved ...

Metal and proton toxicity to lake zooplankton: A chemical speciation based modelling approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stockdale, Anthony; Tipping, Edward; Lofts, Stephen; Fott, Jan; Garmo, Øyvind A.; Hruska, Jakub; Keller, Bill; Löfgren, Stefan; Maberly, Stephen C.; Majer, Vladimir; Nierzwicki-Bauer, Sandra A.; Persson, Gunnar; Schartau, Ann-Kristin; Thackeray, Stephen J.

2014-01-01

The WHAM-F TOX model quantifies the combined toxic effects of protons and metal cations towards aquatic organisms through the toxicity function (F TOX ), a linear combination of the products of organism-bound cation and a toxic potency coefficient for each cation. We describe the application of the model to predict an observable ecological field variable, species richness of pelagic lake crustacean zooplankton, studied with respect to either acidification or the impacts of metals from smelters. The fitted results give toxic potencies increasing in the order H + TOX to relate combined toxic effects of protons and metal cations towards lake crustacean zooplankton. • The fitted results give toxic potencies increasing in the order H + TOX model has been applied to field data for pelagic lake crustacean zooplankton. The fitted results give metal toxic potencies increasing in the order H + < Al < Cu < Zn < Ni

Eclipse effects on field crops and marine zooplankton: the 29 March 2006 total solar eclipse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Economou

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Some effects in the biosphere from the Total Solar Eclipse of 29 March 2006 were investigated in field crops and marine zooplankton. Taking into account the decisive role of light on plant life and productivity, measurements of photosynthesis and stomatal behaviour were conducted on seven important field-grown cereal and leguminous crops. A drop in photosynthetic rates, by more than a factor of 5 in some cases, was observed, and the minimum values of photosynthetic rates ranged between 3.13 and 10.13 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹. The drop in solar irradiance and the increase in mesophyll CO₂-concentration during the eclipse did not induce stomatal closure thus not blocking CO₂ uptake by plants. Light effects on the photochemical phase of photosynthesis may be responsible for the observed depression in photosynthetic rates. Field studies addressing the migratory responses of marine zooplankton (micro-zooplankton (ciliates, and meso-zooplankton due to the rapid changes in underwater light intensity were also performed. The light intensity attenuation was simulated with the use of accurate underwater radiative transfer modeling techniques. Ciliates, responded to the rapid decrease in light intensity during the eclipse adopting night-time behaviour. From the meso-zooplankton assemblage, various vertical migratory behaviours were adopted by different species.

White Arctic vs. Blue Arctic: Making Choices

Science.gov (United States)

Pfirman, S. L.; Newton, R.; Schlosser, P.; Pomerance, R.; Tremblay, B.; Murray, M. S.; Gerrard, M.

2015-12-01

As the Arctic warms and shifts from icy white to watery blue and resource-rich, tension is arising between the desire to restore and sustain an ice-covered Arctic and stakeholder communities that hope to benefit from an open Arctic Ocean. If emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere continue on their present trend, most of the summer sea ice cover is projected to be gone by mid-century, i.e., by the time that few if any interventions could be in place to restore it. There are many local as well as global reasons for ice restoration, including for example, preserving the Arctic's reflectivity, sustaining critical habitat, and maintaining cultural traditions. However, due to challenges in implementing interventions, it may take decades before summer sea ice would begin to return. This means that future generations would be faced with bringing sea ice back into regions where they have not experienced it before. While there is likely to be interest in taking action to restore ice for the local, regional, and global services it provides, there is also interest in the economic advancement that open access brings. Dealing with these emerging issues and new combinations of stakeholders needs new approaches - yet environmental change in the Arctic is proceeding quickly and will force the issues sooner rather than later. In this contribution we examine challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities related to exploring options for restoring Arctic sea ice and potential pathways for their implementation. Negotiating responses involves international strategic considerations including security and governance, meaning that along with local communities, state decision-makers, and commercial interests, national governments will have to play central roles. While these issues are currently playing out in the Arctic, similar tensions are also emerging in other regions.

AROME-Arctic: New operational NWP model for the Arctic region

Science.gov (United States)

Süld, Jakob; Dale, Knut S.; Myrland, Espen; Batrak, Yurii; Homleid, Mariken; Valkonen, Teresa; Seierstad, Ivar A.; Randriamampianina, Roger

2016-04-01

In the frame of the EU-funded project ACCESS (Arctic Climate Change, Economy and Society), MET Norway aimed 1) to describe the present monitoring and forecasting capabilities in the Arctic; and 2) to identify the key factors limiting the forecasting capabilities and to give recommendations on key areas to improve the forecasting capabilities in the Arctic. We have observed that the NWP forecast quality is lower in the Arctic than in the regions further south. Earlier research indicated that one of the factors behind this is the composition of the observing system in the Arctic, in particular the scarceness of conventional observations. To further assess possible strategies for alleviating the situation and propose scenarios for a future Arctic observing system, we have performed a set of experiments to gain a more detailed insight in the contribution of the components of the present observing system in a regional state-of-the-art non-hydrostatic NWP model using the AROME physics (Seity et al, 2011) at 2.5 km horizontal resolution - AROME-Arctic. Our observing system experiment studies showed that conventional observations (Synop, Buoys) can play an important role in correcting the surface state of the model, but prove that the present upper-air conventional (Radiosondes, Aircraft) observations in the area are too scarce to have a significant effect on forecasts. We demonstrate that satellite sounding data play an important role in improving forecast quality. This is the case with satellite temperature sounding data (AMSU-A, IASI), as well as with the satellite moisture sounding data (AMSU-B/MHS, IASI). With these sets of observations, the AROME-Arctic clearly performs better in forecasting extreme events, like for example polar lows. For more details see presentation by Randriamampianina et al. in this session. The encouraging performance of AROME-Arctic lead us to implement it with more observations and improved settings into daily runs with the objective to

Metals in coastal zooplanktons - A coastal living resource hazard

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Paimpillil, J.S.; Joseph, T.; Rejomon, G.; Gerson, V.J.

are linked to bioaccumulation. The biological concentration factor and metal contents in zooplankton is appreciably varied for all the elements except for iron and zinc. The above findings clearly indicates the importance of bioavailability of metals...

Zooplankton characteristics of the coastal ecosystem off Bombay, India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Nair, V.R.; Ramaiah, Neelam

spinicauda) dominated the copepod community. Four species of chaetognaths were found in the area with predominance of Sagitta bedoti. Among the penaeid larvae Metapenaeus offinis was the most common species. Population of omnivores dominated the zooplankton...

Arctic Newcomers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tonami, Aki

2013-01-01

Interest in the Arctic region and its economic potential in Japan, South Korea and Singapore was slow to develop but is now rapidly growing. All three countries have in recent years accelerated their engagement with Arctic states, laying the institutional frameworks needed to better understand...... and influence policies relating to the Arctic. But each country’s approach is quite different, writes Aki Tonami....

Effect of pig dung fertilizer on zooplankton production

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SARAH

2014-12-29

Dec 29, 2014 ... Key-words: pig dung, fertilization, zooplankton production. ... an already widespread practice in many Asian countries (fukusho, et al., ..... Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company,. New York ... Effect on Water Quality, pond productivity and. Growth of ... McQueen DJ, Johannes MRS, Post JR, Stewart TJ, Lean.

Evaluation of factors related to increased zooplankton biomass and altered species composition following impoundment of a Newfoundland reservoir

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, C.E.; Knoechel, R.; Copeman, D.

1998-01-01

An 11-year study of the zooplankton community in Cat Arm Hydroelectric Reservoir in Newfoundland was conducted to assess long-term zooplankton community dynamics in a subarctic system. Zooplankton biomass and species compositions were monitored from 1983 to 1993. The monitoring program documented the trophic evolution of the Cat Arm system as it changed from a shallow lake with short water retention time to a deep reservoir with a much lower flushing rate. Zooplankton biomass increased approximately 19-fold in the oligotrophic hydroelectric reservoir following impoundment in 1984, relative to biomass in the preexisting lake. During the first three years of impoundment, there were no increases in either phytoplankton biomass or primary productivity. Natality of the dominant cladoceran (Daphnia catawba) did not increase. Summer water retention time increased from pre-impoundment levels of 4 days in 1983 to 338 days in 1993. The study showed that zooplankton biomass was greatly correlated with water retention time, and showed no major correlation with phytoplankton biomass, primary productivity, nutrient concentrations, pH, colour, or epilimnetic temperature. It was concluded that changes in the zooplankton community in the hydroelectric reservoir were a result of decreases in losses due to washout. 41 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs

Secondary production and zooplankton abundance in the coastal waters from Vengurla to Malpe, west coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.

Secondary production and zooplankton abundance in surface and vertical hauls at different stations along 7 transects from Vengurla to Malpe, Maharashtra, India were studied. Zooplankton production varied with the depth of sampling station and type...

Rapid reassessment of the eutrophication status of Kingston Harbour, Jamaica using the zooplankton community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrice A. Francis

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Previous extensive studies of zooplankton distribution in the eutrophic Kingston Harbour established that it was being continuously contaminated. We assessed the community in 2011, 17 years after a previous study and five years after the introduction of a tertiary waste water system. Sampling was conducted for four weeks at eight stations identical to those sampled in a previous study. We used horizontal surface tows with a 200µm net. A total of 73 zooplankton taxa were identified and copepods dominated with 20 species. Mean total abundances were high, ranging from a minimum of 2 383 animals m-3 in the southern region of Hunts Bay to 194 166 animals m-3at the Inner Harbour. Five zooplankton taxa (Acartia tonsa, Paracalanus spp., Temora turbinata, Penilia avirostris and Lucifer faxoni that were previously identified as indicators, were again important in the Harbour. The overall zooplankton abundances were similar and in some cases higher than the previous study. There was no significant improvement in the water quality since the introduction of the treatment system at Soapberry. This may be a result of unknown nutrient inputs or of nutrient remaining in the sediments.

ZOOPLANKTON DIVERSITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN MANI RESERVOIR OF WESTERN GHATS, REGION, HOSANAGAR TALUK, SHIVAMOGA DISTRICT KARNATAKA, INDIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. N. Veerendra

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Studies on relationship between zooplankton abundance and water quality parameter in Mani reservoir were made between January 2008 and December 2008. In the current investigation, impact of different physico-chemical parameters on zooplankton population was found. Ten genera of zooplankton were identified. The relationship between zooplankton and water quality parameters was varied from place to place depending upon the condition of the reservoir water.

Generalist feeding strategies in Arctic freshwater fish: A mechanism for dealing with extreme environments

Science.gov (United States)

Laske, Sarah M.; Rosenberger, Amanda E.; Wipfli, Mark S.; Zimmerman, Christian E.

2018-01-01

Generalist feeding strategies are favoured in stressful or variable environments where flexibility in ecological traits is beneficial. Species that feed across multiple habitat types and trophic levels may impart stability on food webs through the use of readily available, alternative energy pools. In lakes, generalist fish species may take advantage of spatially and temporally variable prey by consuming both benthic and pelagic prey to meet their energy demands. Using stomach content and stable isotope analyses, we examined the feeding habits of fish species in Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) lakes to determine the prevalence of generalist feeding strategies as a mechanism for persistence in extreme environments (e.g. low productivity, extreme cold and short growing season). Generalist and flexible feeding strategies were evident in five common fish species. Fish fed on benthic and pelagic (or nektonic) prey and across trophic levels. Three species were clearly omnivorous, feeding on fish and their shared invertebrate prey. Dietary differences based on stomach content analysis often exceeded 70%, and overlap in dietary niches based on shared isotopic space varied from zero to 40%. Metrics of community‐wide trophic structure varied with the number and identity of species involved and on the dietary overlap and niche size of individual fishes. Accumulation of energy from shared carbon sources by Arctic fishes creates redundancy in food webs, increasing likely resistance to perturbations or stochastic events. Therefore, the generalist and omnivorous feeding strategies employed by ACP fish may maintain energy flow and food web stability in extreme environments.

The Impacts of Recently Established Fish Populations on Zooplankton Communities in a Desert Spring, and Potential Conflicts in Setting Conservation Goals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sujan M. Henkanaththegedara

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Desert springs, which harbor diverse and endemic invertebrate assemblages, are often used as refuge habitats for protected fish species. Additionally, many of these springs have been colonized by invasive fish species. However, the potential impacts of recently established fish populations on invertebrate communities in desert springs have been relatively unexplored. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to assess the impact of both protected and invasive fish on community structure of spring-dwelling invertebrates focusing on zooplankton. Experimental populations of spring zooplankton communities were established and randomly assigned to one of three treatments, (1 invasive western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis; (2 endangered Mohave tui chub (Siphateles bicolor mohavensis; and (3 fishless control. Final populations of zooplankton and fish were sampled, sorted, identified and counted. The treatment differences of zooplankton communities were analyzed by comparing the densities of six major zooplankton taxa. Further, we performed nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS to visualize the patterns of zooplankton community assemblages. Four zooplankton taxa, crustacean nauplii, cladocera, calanoid and cyclopoid copepods had significantly lower densities in fish treatments compared to fishless control. Overall, invasive mosquitofish caused a 78.8% reduction in zooplankton density, while Mohave tui chub caused a 65.1% reduction. Both protected and invasive fish had similar effects on zooplankton except for cladocerans where tui chub caused a 60% reduction in density, whereas mosquitofish virtually eliminated cladocerans. The presence of fish also had a significant effect on zooplankton community structure due to population declines and local extirpations presumably due to fish predation. This work shows that conservation-translocations undertaken to conserve protected fish species may impact spring-dwelling invertebrate communities, and such impacts are

Dynamics of the zooplankton assemblage of Ojirami Reservoir, Edo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Zooplankton form an important trophic link between phytoplankton and fish in ... with water temperature and water level; and positive with alkalinity, free CO2 and phosphate. The study revealed low pollution indicator species in the reservoir ...

Understanding cyanobacteria-zooplankton interactions in a more eutrophic world

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ger, K.A.; Hansson, L.; Lurling, M.F.L.L.W.

2014-01-01

1.We review and update recent observations of cyanobacteria–zooplankton interactions, identify theoretical and methodological limitations and evaluate approaches necessary for understanding the effects of increasing cyanobacterial blooms on plankton dynamics. 2.The emphasis on oversimplified studies

Diversity and seasonal variation of zooplankton of Lake Hlan ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SARAH

2016-06-30

Jun 30, 2016 ... The taxonomic composition and the species ... Keywords: Biodiversity; Community structure; Hydrological season; Zooplankton .... Table 1: Seasonal change in recorded environmental parameters ..... reproduction, growth and life duration (Fernandez de .... Spatial temporal patterns and relationships with.

Relevance of hydro-climatic change projection and monitoring for assessment of water cycle changes in the Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Bring, Arvid; Destouni, Georgia

2011-06-01

Rapid changes to the Arctic hydrological cycle challenge both our process understanding and our ability to find appropriate adaptation strategies. We have investigated the relevance and accuracy development of climate change projections for assessment of water cycle changes in major Arctic drainage basins. Results show relatively good agreement of climate model projections with observed temperature changes, but high model inaccuracy relative to available observation data for precipitation changes. Direct observations further show systematically larger (smaller) runoff than precipitation increases (decreases). This result is partly attributable to uncertainties and systematic bias in precipitation observations, but still indicates that some of the observed increase in Arctic river runoff is due to water storage changes, for example melting permafrost and/or groundwater storage changes, within the drainage basins. Such causes of runoff change affect sea level, in addition to ocean salinity, and inland water resources, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Process-based hydrological modeling and observations, which can resolve changes in evapotranspiration, and groundwater and permafrost storage at and below river basin scales, are needed in order to accurately interpret and translate climate-driven precipitation changes to changes in freshwater cycling and runoff. In contrast to this need, our results show that the density of Arctic runoff monitoring has become increasingly biased and less relevant by decreasing most and being lowest in river basins with the largest expected climatic changes.

The Eocene Arctic Azolla bloom: environmental conditions, productivity and carbon drawdown.

Science.gov (United States)

Speelman, E N; Van Kempen, M M L; Barke, J; Brinkhuis, H; Reichart, G J; Smolders, A J P; Roelofs, J G M; Sangiorgi, F; de Leeuw, J W; Lotter, A F; Sinninghe Damsté, J S

2009-03-01

Enormous quantities of the free-floating freshwater fern Azolla grew and reproduced in situ in the Arctic Ocean during the middle Eocene, as was demonstrated by microscopic analysis of microlaminated sediments recovered from the Lomonosov Ridge during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 302. The timing of the Azolla phase (approximately 48.5 Ma) coincides with the earliest signs of onset of the transition from a greenhouse towards the modern icehouse Earth. The sustained growth of Azolla, currently ranking among the fastest growing plants on Earth, in a major anoxic oceanic basin may have contributed to decreasing atmospheric pCO2 levels via burial of Azolla-derived organic matter. The consequences of these enormous Azolla blooms for regional and global nutrient and carbon cycles are still largely unknown. Cultivation experiments have been set up to investigate the influence of elevated pCO2 on Azolla growth, showing a marked increase in Azolla productivity under elevated (760 and 1910 ppm) pCO2 conditions. The combined results of organic carbon, sulphur, nitrogen content and 15N and 13C measurements of sediments from the Azolla interval illustrate the potential contribution of nitrogen fixation in a euxinic stratified Eocene Arctic. Flux calculations were used to quantitatively reconstruct the potential storage of carbon (0.9-3.5 10(18) gC) in the Arctic during the Azolla interval. It is estimated that storing 0.9 10(18) to 3.5 10(18) g carbon would result in a 55 to 470 ppm drawdown of pCO2 under Eocene conditions, indicating that the Arctic Azolla blooms may have had a significant effect on global atmospheric pCO2 levels through enhanced burial of organic matter.

Zooplankton assemblages and biomass during a 4-period survey in a northern Mediterranean coastal lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam-Hoai, T; Rougier, C

2001-01-01

The authors proposed to examine zooplankton biomass at three stations inside (T and Z) and outside (M) a coastal lagoon of the north-western Mediterranean Sea. Station T represented the lagoon central area, and station Z was positioned in a shellfish farming sector, while the seaside station (M) served as a reference of marine environment. Analyses were designed to outline the net zooplankton assemblages (taxonomic structures and length distributions) in different environmental conditions, including the farming activity. A discriminant analysis of environmental variables determined that temperature, salinity and phytoplankton implied mainly in spatial pattern of the samples. An ordination of taxa biomasses showed two main factors which might contribute to the organisation of the zooplankton assemblages: the geographical position and the thermal period. The geographical position integrated the lagoon-sea water exchange under forcing parameters (habitat, tides and winds). The thermal period reflected both the populations development cycles and the environmental constraints (temperature, salinity, trophic resources). The resulting effects appeared in structured zooplankton assemblages in space and time. The number of 50 microns interval length classes and of taxa decreased from the seaside and the lagoon central area free of farming activity to the shallower farming zone. But the biomass-length distribution profiles did not closely follow such an expected opposition between opened and confined areas: more extended profiles were observed at station Z. Biomass dominant size classes concerned the range up to 300 microns. This size category appeared to collapse in terms of biomass from the seaside or central area of the lagoon towards the farming area, similarly to zooplankton global biomass fluctuations. Difference between biomass levels and between biomass structures suggested that net zooplankton partly acted as food competitors of macro-filtering organisms, and as

Effects of natural banks of free-floating plants on zooplankton community in a shallow subtropical lake in Southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa Gazulha

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to test the effects of natural free-floating plants on zooplankton distribution in a shallow subtropical lake. First, the hypothesis that free-floating plants have an effect on physico-chemicals, leading to a decrease on nutrient availability and influencing the phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton community was tested. Second, the hypothesis that free-floating plants act as a refuge for zooplankton was tested. Three microhabitats were selected: free-floating plants, littoral area and open water. Results demonstrated that the effects of different microhabitats on phytoplankton biomass and physico-chemicals were not significant, indicating a weak influence of the plants. Zooplankton densities were higher in free-floating plants and littoral area, although the effect of microhabitats was weak for most of the predominant genera. The absence of free-floating plant effects on phytoplankton and physico-chemicals showed that it was not a factor influencing the microcrustacean distribution in the microhabitats. Low differences in densities of zooplankton among microhabitats and low abundance of large-bodied cladocerans led to reject the hypothesis that free-floating plants act as a refuge for zooplankton.

Grazing experiments and model simulations of the role of zooplankton in Phaeocystis food webs

Science.gov (United States)

Verity, P. G.

2000-08-01

A combined empirical and modelling study was conducted to further examine the potential importance of grazing by zooplankton in pelagic food webs in which Phaeocystis is a significant or dominant component. Laboratory experiments were designed to measure ingestion of Phaeocystis and other potential prey items which co-occur with Phaeocystis. Grazers included copepods and ciliates, and prey included Phaeocystis colonies and solitary cells, diatoms, ciliates, bacteria, and detritus. These data were expressed in the model currency of nitrogen units, and fit to hyperbolic tangent equations which included minimum prey thresholds. These equations and literature data were used to constrain a food web model whose purpose was to investigate trophic interactions rather than to mimic actual events. Nevertheless, the model output was similar to the general pattern and magnitude of development of Phaeocystis-diatom communities in some environments where they occur, e.g. north Norwegian waters. The model included three forms of nitrogen, three phytoplankton groups, bacteria, two zooplankton groups, and detritus, with detailed flows between compartments. An important component of the model was inclusion of variable prey preferences for zooplankton. The experiments and model simulations suggest several salient conclusions. Phaeocystis globosa colonies were eaten by a medium-sized copepod species, but ingestion appeared to be strongly dependent upon a proper size match between grazer and prey. If not, colonies were eaten little if at all. Phaeocystis solitary cells were ingested rapidly by ciliate microzooplankton, in agreement with prior literature observations. In contrast, detritus was eaten comparatively slowly by both ciliates and copepods. Both types of zooplankton exhibited apparent minimum prey thresholds below which grazing did not occur or was inconsequential. Model simulations implied that transitions between life cycle stages of Phaeocystis may potentially be important

Trace metal concentrations in marine zooplankton from the western Bay of Bengal

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Rejomon, G.; Balachandran, K.K.; Nair, M.; Joseph, T.

on the interrelationships of zooplankton and phytoplankton. – Journal of Marine Biological Association U.K 32: 375-445. [2] Brooks, R.R., Presley, B.J., Kaplan, I.R. (1967): APDC-MIBK extraction system for the determination of trace elements in saline waters by Atomic... of contaminants in the food web dynamics as well as in the biogeochemical cycling of trace elements. Zooplanktons are the most abundant animals in the sea, which play an important role in the marine food chain. They mostly feed on phytoplankton and in turn...

Analysis of southeast Australian zooplankton observations of 1938-42 using synoptic oceanographic conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Baird, Mark E.; Everett, Jason D.; Suthers, Iain M.

2011-03-01

The research vessel Warreen obtained 1742 planktonic samples along the continental shelf and slope of southeast Australia from 1938-42, representing the earliest spatially and temporally resolved zooplankton data from Australian marine waters. In this paper, Warreen observations along the southeast Australian seaboard from 28°S to 38°S are interpreted based on synoptic meteorological and oceanographic conditions and ocean climatologies. Meteorological conditions are based on the NOAA-CIRES 20th Century Reanalysis Project; oceanographic conditions use Warreen hydrological observations, and the ocean climatology is the CSIRO Atlas of Regional Seas. The Warreen observations were undertaken in waters on average 0.45 °C cooler than the climatological average, and included the longest duration El Niño of the 20th century. In northern New South Wales (NSW), week time-scale events dominate zooplankton response. In August 1940 an unusual winter upwelling event occurred in northern NSW driven by a stronger than average East Australian Current (EAC) and anomalous northerly winds that resulted in high salp and larvacean abundance. In January 1941 a strong upwelling event between 28° and 33°S resulted in a filament of upwelled water being advected south and alongshore, which was low in zooplankton biovolume. In southern NSW a seasonal cycle in physical and planktonic characteristics is observed. In January 1941 the poleward extension of the EAC was strong, advecting more tropical tunicate species southward. Zooplankton abundance and distribution on the continental shelf and slope are more dependent on weekly to monthly timescales on local oceanographic and meteorological conditions than continental-scale interannual trends. The interpretation of historical zooplankton observations of the waters off southeast Australia for the purpose of quantifying anthropogenic impacts will be improved with the use of regional hindcasts of synoptic ocean and atmospheric weather that can

Eocene climate and Arctic paleobathymetry: A tectonic sensitivity study using GISS ModelE-R

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, C. D.; Legrande, A. N.; Tripati, A. K.

2009-12-01

The early Paleogene (65-45 million years ago, Ma) was a ‘greenhouse’ interval with global temperatures warmer than any other time in the last 65 Ma. This period was characterized by high levels of CO2, warm high-latitudes, warm surface-and-deep oceans, and an intensified hydrological cycle. Sediments from the Arctic suggest that the Eocene surface Arctic Ocean was warm, brackish, and episodically enabled the freshwater fern Azolla to bloom. The precise mechanisms responsible for the development of these conditions remain uncertain. We present equilibrium climate conditions derived from a fully-coupled, water-isotope enabled, general circulation model (GISS ModelE-R) configured for the early Eocene. We also present model-data comparison plots for key climatic variables (SST and δ18O) and analyses of the leading modes of variability in the tropical Pacific and North Atlantic regions. Our tectonic sensitivity study indicates that Northern Hemisphere climate would have been very sensitive to the degree of oceanic exchange through the seaways connecting the Arctic to the Atlantic and Tethys. By restricting these seaways, we simulate freshening of the surface Arctic Ocean to ~6 psu and warming of sea-surface temperatures by 2°C in the North Atlantic and 5-10°C in the Labrador Sea. Our results may help explain the occurrence of low-salinity tolerant taxa in the Arctic Ocean during the Eocene and provide a mechanism for enhanced warmth in the north western Atlantic. We also suggest that the formation of a volcanic land-bridge between Greenland and Europe could have caused increased ocean convection and warming of intermediate waters in the Atlantic. If true, this result is consistent with the theory that bathymetry changes may have caused thermal destabilisation of methane clathrates in the Atlantic.

Assessment of Zooplankton Community Structure of the Bahir Dar ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In general, species richness, evenness, and diversity increased as average abundance increased in the littoral zones of the lake. The dominant zooplankton were Bosmina longirostris, Daphnia lumholtzi, Thermodiaptomus galebi, Thermocyclops ethiopiensis, Diaphanosoma sarsi, Keratella sp., Brachionus sp., Filinia sp.

Tropical Freshwater Biology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tropical Freshwater Biology promotes the publication of scientific contributions in the field of freshwater biology in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. One issue is published annually but this number may be increased. Original research papers and short communications on any aspect of tropical freshwater ...

Arctic Haze Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Mei, Linlu; Xue, Yong

2013-04-01

The Arctic atmosphere is perturbed by nature/anthropogenic aerosol sources known as the Arctic haze, was firstly observed in 1956 by J. Murray Mitchell in Alaska (Mitchell, 1956). Pacyna and Shaw (1992) summarized that Arctic haze is a mixture of anthropogenic and natural pollutants from a variety of sources in different geographical areas at altitudes from 2 to 4 or 5 km while the source for layers of polluted air at altitudes below 2.5 km mainly comes from episodic transportation of anthropogenic sources situated closer to the Arctic. Arctic haze of low troposphere was found to be of a very strong seasonal variation characterized by a summer minimum and a winter maximum in Alaskan (Barrie, 1986; Shaw, 1995) and other Arctic region (Xie and Hopke, 1999). An anthropogenic factor dominated by together with metallic species like Pb, Zn, V, As, Sb, In, etc. and nature source such as sea salt factor consisting mainly of Cl, Na, and K (Xie and Hopke, 1999), dust containing Fe, Al and so on (Rahn et al.,1977). Black carbon and soot can also be included during summer time because of the mix of smoke from wildfires. The Arctic air mass is a unique meteorological feature of the troposphere characterized by sub-zero temperatures, little precipitation, stable stratification that prevents strong vertical mixing and low levels of solar radiations (Barrie, 1986), causing less pollutants was scavenged, the major revival pathway for particulates from the atmosphere in Arctic (Shaw, 1981, 1995; Heintzenberg and Larssen, 1983). Due to the special meteorological condition mentioned above, we can conclude that Eurasian is the main contributor of the Arctic pollutants and the strong transport into the Arctic from Eurasia during winter caused by the high pressure of the climatologically persistent Siberian high pressure region (Barrie, 1986). The paper intends to address the atmospheric characteristics of Arctic haze by comparing the clear day and haze day using different dataset

Meso-zooplankton movement through the newly constructed Mfolozi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results show that the beach spillway has facilitated recruitment into St Lucia from the ocean and the Mfolozi River. Further research is needed to ascertain what effect this recruitment has on long-term zooplankton community structure. Key words: iSimangaliso Wetland Park, relinkage, Mfolozi channel, ebb and flood tides, ...

Human-induced Arctic moistening.

Science.gov (United States)

Min, Seung-Ki; Zhang, Xuebin; Zwiers, Francis

2008-04-25

The Arctic and northern subpolar regions are critical for climate change. Ice-albedo feedback amplifies warming in the Arctic, and fluctuations of regional fresh water inflow to the Arctic Ocean modulate the deep ocean circulation and thus exert a strong global influence. By comparing observations to simulations from 22 coupled climate models, we find influence from anthropogenic greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosols in the space-time pattern of precipitation change over high-latitude land areas north of 55 degrees N during the second half of the 20th century. The human-induced Arctic moistening is consistent with observed increases in Arctic river discharge and freshening of Arctic water masses. This result provides new evidence that human activity has contributed to Arctic hydrological change.

Evolution of anomalies of salinity of surface waters of Arctic Ocean and their possible influence on climate changes

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, A.; Rubchenia, A.

2009-04-01

Numerous of model simulations of ice extent in Arctic Ocean predict almost full disappearance of sea ice in Arctic regions by 2050. However, the nature, as against models, does not suffer the unidirectional processes. By means of various feedback responses system aspires to come in an equilibrium condition. In Arctic regions one of the most powerful generators of a negative feedback is the fresh-water stream to Greenland Sea and Northern Atlantic. Increasing or decreasing of a fresh-water volume from the Arctic basin to Greenland Sea and Northern Atlantic results in significant changes in climatic system. At the Oceanology department of Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) (St-Petersburg, Russia) in 2007, on the basis of the incorporated Russian-American database of the oceanographic data, reconstruction of long-term time series of average salinity of ocean surface was executed. The received time series describes the period from 1950 to 1993. For allocation of the processes determining formation of changes of average salinity of surface waters in Arctic basin the correlation analysis of interrelation of the received time series and several physical parameters which could affect formation of changes of salinity was executed. We found counter-intuitive result: formation of long-term changes of average salinity of surface waters of Arctic basin in the winter period does not depend on changes of a Siberian rivers runoff. Factors of correlation do not exceed -0,31. At the same time, clear inverse relationship of salinity of surface waters from volumes of the ice formed in flaw lead polynyas of the Siberian shelf seas is revealed. In this case factors of correlation change from -0,56 to -0,7. The maximum factor of correlation is -0,7. It characterizes interrelation of total volume of the ice formed in flaw lead polynyas of all seas of the Siberian shelf and average salinity of surface waters of Arctic basin. Thus, at increase of volumes of the ice formed in

Behind the impact of introduced trout in high altitude lakes: adult, not juvenile fish are responsible of the selective predation on crustacean zooplankton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rocco Tiberti

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Introduced fish seriously affect zooplankton communities in mountain lakes, often leading to the loss of large species. Selective predation is recognized to be the ultimate cause of such a strong impact. Here we describe the selection of zooplankton prey by analyzing the stomach contents of more than 300 brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis inhabiting seven alpine lakes in the Gran Paradiso National Park (western Italian Alps. Our results show that planktivory is much more common in young fish, which feed on a larger number of taxa, but also adult fish maintain the ability to feed on zooplankton. There is a direct dependence between the length of zooplankton prey and the length of their fish predators, and adult, not juvenile fish are responsible of the selective predation on large crustacean zooplankton, which drive the impact of introduced fish throughout the entire zooplankton community. In some rare cases, large zooplankton populations develop in the presence of brook trout, and planktivory can become an important temporary resource for adult fish during the ice-free season. Thus, in the early stages of the establishment of non-native trout in alpine lakes, large-bodied zooplankton may represent an important food resource.

A simple and efficient total genomic DNA extraction method for individual zooplankton.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazhan, Hanafiah; Waiho, Khor; Shahreza, Md Sheriff

2016-01-01

Molecular approaches are widely applied in species identification and taxonomic studies of minute zooplankton. One of the most focused zooplankton nowadays is from Subclass Copepoda. Accurate species identification of all life stages of the generally small sized copepods through molecular analysis is important, especially in taxonomic and systematic assessment of harpacticoid copepod populations and to understand their dynamics within the marine community. However, total genomic DNA (TGDNA) extraction from individual harpacticoid copepods can be problematic due to their small size and epibenthic behavior. In this research, six TGDNA extraction methods done on individual harpacticoid copepods were compared. The first new simple, feasible, efficient and consistent TGDNA extraction method was designed and compared with the commercial kit and modified available TGDNA extraction methods. The newly described TGDNA extraction method, "Incubation in PCR buffer" method, yielded good and consistent results based on the high success rate of PCR amplification (82%) compared to other methods. Coupled with its relatively consistent and economical method the "Incubation in PCR buffer" method is highly recommended in the TGDNA extraction of other minute zooplankton species.

The Arctic Turn

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahbek-Clemmensen, Jon

2018-01-01

In October 2006, representatives of the Arctic governments met in Salekhard in northern Siberia for the biennial Arctic Council ministerial meeting to discuss how the council could combat regional climate change, among other issues. While most capitals were represented by their foreign minister......, a few states – Canada, Denmark, and the United States – sent other representatives. There was nothing unusual about the absence of Per Stig Møller, the Danish foreign minister – a Danish foreign minister had only once attended an Arctic Council ministerial meeting (Arctic Council 2016). Møller......’s nonappearance did, however, betray the low status that Arctic affairs had in the halls of government in Copenhagen. Since the end of the Cold War, where Greenland had helped tie Denmark and the US closer together due to its geostrategically important position between North America and the Soviet Union, Arctic...

Two stressors and a community - Effects of hydrological disturbance and a toxicant on freshwater zooplankton

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stampfli, Nathalie C. [Department of System Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig (Germany); Quantitative Landscape Ecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829 Landau (Germany); Knillmann, Saskia [Department of System Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig (Germany); Department of Ecosystem Analyses, Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen (Germany); Liess, Matthias [Department of System Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig (Germany); Noskov, Yury A. [Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Frunze St. 11, 630091 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Schaefer, Ralf B. [Quantitative Landscape Ecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829 Landau (Germany); Beketov, Mikhail A., E-mail: mikhail.beketov@ufz.de [Department of System Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig (Germany)

2013-02-15

Climate change models predict an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme fluctuations in water level in aquatic habitats. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the combined effects of hydrological fluctuations and toxicants on aquatic biological communities. We investigated the individual and combined effects of the insecticide esfenvalerate and recurring fluctuations in water level on zooplankton communities in a system of 55 outdoor pond microcosms. The communities were exposed to esfenvalerate contamination as a single pulse (at 0.03, 0.3, or 3 {mu}g/L) and gradual removal of water and its subsequent replacement over three cycles and monitored until 84 days after contamination. The results showed that the sensitivities of the community and its constituent populations to the toxicant were increased by the hydrological stress. Specifically, for both the community structure and abundance of Daphnia spp. the lowest-observed-effect concentrations (LOEC) were 0.03 and 0.3 {mu}g/L for the series with fluctuating and constant water levels, respectively. Despite these differences in sensitivity, the interactive effects of the two stressors were found to be additive for both the community structure and the abundance of the most affected species. Presumably, it was not possible to detect synergism due to the strong individual effects of the water level fluctuations. Recovery times in the series exposed to the highest pesticide concentration were 64 and 55 days under fluctuating and constant water level regimes, respectively. Competition and water quality are suggested to be the major factors that underlie the observed effects of fluctuations in the water level. For the ecological risk assessment of toxicants, the present results suggest that (i) community sensitivity may vary substantially, depending on the environmental context, and (ii) this variability can be assessed experimentally to derive safety factors (coefficients used to avoid unexpected effects

The joint Russia-US-Sweden studies in the near-shore zone of the East-Siberian Arctic seas: (1999-2008)

Science.gov (United States)

Sergienko, V. I.; Shakhova, N.; Dudarev, O.; Gustafsson, O.; Anderson, L.; Semiletov, I.

2009-04-01

The Arctic Ocean is surrounded by permafrost, which is being degraded at an increasing rate under conditions of warming which are most pronounced in Siberia and Alaska . A major constraint on our ability to understand linkages between the Arctic Ocean and the global climate system is the scarcity of observational data in the Siberian Arctic marginal seas where major fresh water input and terrestrial CNP fluxes exist. The East-Siberian Sea has never been investigated by modern techniques despite the progress that has been made in new technologies useful for measuring ocean characteristics of interest. In this multi-year international project which joins scientists from 3 nations (Russia-USA-Sweden), and in cooperation with scientists from other countries (UK, Netherlands) we focus on poorly explored areas located west from the U.S.-Russia boundary, Warming causes thawing of the permafrost underlying a substantial fraction of the Arctic; this process could accelerate coastal erosion, river discharge and carbon losses from soils. Siberian freshwater discharge to the Arctic Ocean is expected to increase with increasing temperatures, potentially resulting in greater river export of old terrigenous organic carbon to the ocean. Rivers integrate variability in the components of the hydrometeorological regime, including soil condition, permafrost seasonal thaw, and thermokarst development, all the variables that determine atmospheric and ground water supply for the rivers and chemical weathering in their watershed. Thus studying carbon cycling in the East Siberian Arctic marginal seas has a high scientific priority in order to establish the carbon budget and evaluate the role of the Arctic region in global carbon cycling, especially in the coastal zone where the redistribution of carbon between terrestrial and marine environments occurs and the characteristics of carbon exchange with atmosphere are unknown. In this report we overview the main field activities and present

Additive impacts of experimental climate change increase risk to an ectotherm at the Arctic's edge.

Science.gov (United States)

Davenport, Jon M; Hossack, Blake R; Fishback, LeeAnn

2017-06-01

Globally, Arctic and Subarctic regions have experienced the greatest temperature increases during the last 30 years. These extreme changes have amplified threats to the freshwater ecosystems that dominate the landscape in many areas by altering water budgets. Several studies in temperate environments have examined the adaptive capacity of organisms to enhance our understanding of the potential repercussions of warming and associated accelerated drying for freshwater ecosystems. However, few experiments have examined these impacts in Arctic or Subarctic freshwater ecosystems, where the climate is changing most rapidly. To evaluate the capacity of a widespread ectotherm to anticipated environmental changes, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) in the Canadian Subarctic. Three warming treatments were fully crossed with three drying treatments to simulate a range of predicted changes in wetland environments. We predicted wetland warming and drying would act synergistically, with water temperature partially compensating for some of the negative effects of accelerated drying. Across all drying regimes, a 1 °C increase in water temperature increased the odds of survival by 1.79, and tadpoles in 52-day and 64-day hydroperiod mesocosms were 4.1-4.3 times more likely to survive to metamorphosis than tadpoles in 45-day mesocosms. For individuals who survived to metamorphosis, there was only a weak negative effect of temperature on size. As expected, increased temperatures accelerated tadpole growth through day 30 of the experiment. Our results reveal that one of the dominant herbivores in Subarctic wetlands, wood frog tadpoles, are capable of increasing their developmental rates in response to increased temperature and accelerated drying, but only in an additive manner. The strong negative effects of drying on survival, combined with lack of compensation between these two environmental drivers, suggest changes in the aquatic environment that

Factors affecting biotic mercury concentrations and biomagnification through lake food webs in the Canadian high Arctic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lescord, Gretchen L., E-mail: glescord@gmail.com [University of New Brunswick/Canadian Rivers Institute, 100 Tucker Park Rd, Saint John, NB E2L 4A6 (Canada); Kidd, Karen A. [University of New Brunswick/Canadian Rivers Institute, 100 Tucker Park Rd, Saint John, NB E2L 4A6 (Canada); Kirk, Jane L. [Environment Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, 867 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1 (Canada); O' Driscoll, Nelson J. [Acadia University, 15 University Ave, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6 (Canada); Wang, Xiaowa; Muir, Derek C.G. [Environment Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, 867 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1 (Canada)

2015-03-15

In temperate regions of Canada, mercury (Hg) concentrations in biota and the magnitude of Hg biomagnification through food webs vary between neighboring lakes and are related to water chemistry variables and physical lake features. However, few studies have examined factors affecting the variable Hg concentrations in landlocked Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) or the biomagnification of Hg through their food webs. We estimated the food web structure of six high Arctic lakes near Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada, using stable carbon (δ{sup 13}C) and nitrogen (δ{sup 15}N) isotopes and measured Hg (total Hg (THg) in char, the only fish species, and methylmercury (MeHg) in chironomids and zooplankton) concentrations in biota collected in 2010 and 2011. Across lakes, δ{sup 13}C showed that benthic carbon (chironomids) was the dominant food source for char. Regression models of log Hg versus δ{sup 15}N (of char and benthic invertebrates) showed positive and significant slopes, indicting Hg biomagnification in all lakes, and higher slopes in some lakes than others. However, no principal components (PC) generated using all water chemistry data and physical characteristics of the lakes predicted the different slopes. The PC dominated by aqueous ions was a negative predictor of MeHg concentrations in chironomids, suggesting that water chemistry affects Hg bioavailability and MeHg concentrations in these lower-trophic-level organisms. Furthermore, regression intercepts were predicted by the PCs dominated by catchment area, aqueous ions, and MeHg. Weaker relationships were also found between THg in small char or MeHg in pelagic invertebrates and the PCs dominated by catchment area, and aqueous nitrate and MeHg. Results from these high Arctic lakes suggest that Hg biomagnification differs between systems and that their physical and chemical characteristics affect Hg concentrations in lower-trophic-level biota. - Highlights: • Mercury (Hg) in Arctic char and invertebrates

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of pelagic zooplankton elucidate ecohydrographic features in the oligotrophic Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Kü rten, Benjamin; Al-Aidaroos, Ali M.; Kurten, Saskia; El-Sherbiny, Mohsen M.; Devassy, Reny P.; Struck, Ulrich; Zarokanellos, Nikolaos; Jones, Burton; Hansen, Thomas; Bruss, Gerd; Sommer, Ulrich

2015-01-01

Although zooplankton occupy key roles in aquatic biogeochemical cycles, little is known about the pelagic food web and trophodynamics of zooplankton in the Red Sea. Natural abundance stable isotope analysis (SIA) of carbon (δ13C) and N (δ15N) is one

Toxicity, sublethal effects, and potential modes of action of select fungicides on freshwater fish and invertebrates

Science.gov (United States)

Elskus, Adria A.

2012-01-01

Despite decades of agricultural and urban use of fungicides and widespread detection of these pesticides in surface waters, relatively few data are available on the effects of fungicides on fish and invertebrates in the aquatic environment. Nine fungicides are reviewed in this report: azoxystrobin, boscalid, chlorothalonil, fludioxonil, myclobutanil, fenarimol, pyraclostrobin, pyrimethanil, and zoxamide. These fungicides were identified as emerging chemicals of concern because of their high or increasing global use rates, detection frequency in surface waters, or likely persistence in the environment. A review of the literature revealed significant sublethal effects of fungicides on fish, aquatic invertebrates, and ecosystems, including zooplankton and fish reproduction, fish immune function, zooplankton community composition, metabolic enzymes, and ecosystem processes, such as leaf decomposition in streams, among other biological effects. Some of these effects can occur at fungicide concentrations well below single-species acute lethality values (48- or 96-hour concentration that effects a response in 50 percent of the organisms, that is, effective concentration killing 50 percent of the organisms in 48 or 96 hours) and chronic sublethal values (for example, 21-day no observed adverse effects concentration), indicating that single-species toxicity values may dramatically underestimate the toxic potency of some fungicides. Fungicide modes of toxic action in fungi can sometimes reflect the biochemical and (or) physiological effects of fungicides observed in vertebrates and invertebrates; however, far more studies are needed to explore the potential to predict effects in nontarget organisms based on specific fungicide modes of toxic action. Fungicides can also have additive and (or) synergistic effects when used with other fungicides and insecticides, highlighting the need to study pesticide mixtures that occur in surface waters. For fungicides that partition to

Micro-zooplankton and its abundance relative to the larger zooplankton and other seston components, 08 February 1967 to 27 February 1967 (NODC Accession 0000916)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Micro-zooplankton populations in the upper 100 m were sampled from 5 marine environments in the northeast Pacific Ocean extending from slope waters off San Diego to...

Arctic potential - Could more structured view improve the understanding of Arctic business opportunities?

Science.gov (United States)

Hintsala, Henna; Niemelä, Sami; Tervonen, Pekka

2016-09-01

The increasing interest towards the Arctic has been witnessed during the past decades. However, the commonly shared definitions of the Arctic key concepts have not yet penetrated national and international arenas for political and economic decision making. The lack of jointly defined framework has made different analyses related to the Arctic quite limited considering the magnitude of economic potential embedded in Arctic. This paper is built on the key findings of two separate, yet connected projects carried out in the Oulu region, Finland. In this paper's approach, the Arctic context has been defined as a composition of three overlapping layers. The first layer is the phenomenological approach to define the Arctic region. The second layer is the strategy-level analysis to define different Arctic paths as well as a national level description of a roadmap to Arctic specialization. The third layer is the operationalization of the first two layers to define the Arctic business context and business opportunities. The studied case from Oulu region indicates that alternative futures for the Arctic competences and business activities are in resemblance with only two of the four identified strategic pathways. Introduction of other pathways to regional level actors as credible and attractive options would require additional, systematic efforts.

Squaring the Arctic Circle: connecting Arctic knowledge with societal needs

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkinson, J.

2017-12-01

Over the coming years the landscape of the Arctic will change substantially- environmentally, politically, and economically. Furthermore, Arctic change has the potential to significantly impact Arctic and non-Arctic countries alike. Thus, our science is in-demand by local communities, politicians, industry leaders and the public. During these times of transition it is essential that the links between science and society be strengthened further. Strong links between science and society is exactly what is needed for the development of better decision-making tools to support sustainable development, enable adaptation to climate change, provide the information necessary for improved management of assets and operations in the Arctic region, and and to inform scientific, economic, environmental and societal policies. By doing so tangible benefits will flow to Arctic societies, as well as for non-Arctic countries that will be significantly affected by climate change. Past experience has shown that the engagement with a broad range of stakeholders is not always an easy process. Consequently, we need to improve collaborative opportunities between scientists, indigenous/local communities, private sector, policy makers, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders. The development of best practices in this area must build on the collective experiences of successful cross-sectorial programmes. Within this session we present some of the outreach work we have performed within the EU programme ICE-ARC, from community meetings in NW Greenland through to sessions at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP Conferences, industry round tables, and an Arctic side event at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Aging of microplastics promotes their ingestion by marine zooplankton

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vroom, Renske J.E.; Koelmans, Bart; Besseling, Ellen

2017-01-01

Microplastics (<5 mm) are ubiquitous in the marine environment and are ingested by zooplankton with possible negative effects on survival, feeding, and fecundity. The majority of laboratory studies has used new and pristine microplastics to test their impacts, while aging processes such as

Simulation Modeling of Zooplankton and Benthos in Reservoirs: Documentation and Development of Model Constructs.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-03-01

additional food sources were available. 111. Porter (1973), who examined in situ the selective grazing of algae by a zooplankton community in Fuller Pond...large green algae increased. 112. Anabaena affinis and A. flos- aguae were rarely consumed by the zooplankton and were unaffected by increased grazing...grazing rates over the limited temperature range of 170 to 21*C. Nauwerck (1959), who conducted in situ experiments at Lake Erken, Sweden, with Daphnia

Community response of zooplankton to oceanographic changes (2002-2012) in the central/southern upwelling system of Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Medellín-Mora, Johanna; Escribano, Ruben; Schneider, Wolfgang

2016-03-01

A 10-year time series (2002-2012) at Station 18 off central/southern Chile allowed us to study variations in zooplankton along with interannual variability and trends in oceanographic conditions. We used an automated analysis program (ZooImage) to assess changes in the mesozooplankton size structure and the composition of the taxa throughout the entire community. Oceanographic conditions changed over the decade: the water column became less stratified, more saline, and colder; the mixed layer deepened; and the oxygen minimum zone became shallower during the second half of the time series (2008-2012) in comparison with the first period (2002-2007). Both the size structure and composition of the zooplankton were significantly associated with oceanographic changes. Taxonomic and size diversity of the zooplankton community increased to the more recent period. For the second period, small sized copepods (1.5 mm) and medium size copepods (1-1.5 mm), whereas euphausiids, decapod larvae, appendicularian and ostracods increased their abundance during the second period. These findings indicated that the zooplankton community structure in this eastern boundary ecosystem was strongly influenced by variability of the upwelling process. Thus, climate-induced forcing of upwelling trends can alter the zooplankton community in this highly productive region with potential consequences for the ecosystem food web.

Zooplankton standing and diversity in the Gulf of Kachchh with special reference to larvae of decapoda and pisces

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Paulinose, V.T.; Devi, C.B.L.; Nair, V.R.; Ramaiah, Neelam; Gajbhiye, S.N.

Zooplankton characteristics of the Gulf of Kachchh including the major creek systems of Nakti, Kandla and Hansthal were studied for monsoon, postmonsoon and pre- monsoon periods. Zooplankton collections were made at 7 locations. The area was very...

The concentration of 137Cs and stable Cs in zooplankton in the western North Pacific in relation to their taxonomic composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaeriyama, Hideki; Watabe, Teruhisa; Kusakabe, Masashi

2008-01-01

The objective of this study is to obtain information on the background level of 137 Cs in zooplankton in the waters close to Rokkasho-mura in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, where a large-scale project has been progressively promoted to establish the nuclear fuel cycle. Prior to the full-scale operation of the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, zooplankton samples were collected in May and October 2005, June 2006, and June 2007 from the surface water (0-5 m depth). The samples were analyzed to determine the concentrations of 137 Cs and stable Cs in relation to taxonomic composition. The numerical abundance of the plankton varied from 253 to 1514 inds. m -3 . Taxonomic composition differed between the two sampling periods. Although copepods formed the most abundant taxonomic group during both seasons, gelatinous plankton (chaetognaths, siphonophores, appendicularians and doliolids) were more abundant in October 2005 than in June 2006 and June 2007. The concentration of 137 Cs in zooplankton varied from 11 to 24 mBq kg-WW -1 . At the same station, the 137 Cs concentration in zooplankton in October 2005 was almost twice as much as that in June 2006, although the concentration of 137 Cs in seawater did not show a difference. The concentration of stable Cs was measured for each taxonomic group: that in gelatinous zooplankton (chaetognaths) was higher than that in crustacean zooplankton (copepods, euphausiids and amphipods). These results suggest that the concentration of 137 Cs in zooplankton is affected by the occurrence of gelatinous zooplankton. (author)

Radar and infrared remote sensing of terrain, water resources, arctic sea ice, and agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Biggs, A. W.

1983-01-01

Radar range measurements, basic waveforms of radar systems, and radar displays are initially described. These are followed by backscatter from several types of terrain and vegetation as a function of frequency and grazing angle. Analytical models for this backscatter include the facet models of radar return, with range-angle, velocity-range, velocity-angle, range, velocity, and angular only discriminations. Several side-looking airborne radar geometries are presented. Radar images of Arctic sea ice, fresh water lake ice, cloud-covered terrain, and related areas are presented to identify applications of radar imagery. Volume scatter models are applied to radar imagery from alpine snowfields. Short pulse ice thickness radar for subsurface probes is discussed in fresh-water ice and sea ice detection. Infrared scanners, including multispectral, are described. Diffusion of cold water into a river, Arctic sea ice, power plant discharges, volcanic heat, and related areas are presented in thermal imagery. Multispectral radar and infrared imagery are discussed, with comparisons of photographic, infrared, and radar imagery of the same terrain or subjects.

Approaching a Postcolonial Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Lars

2016-01-01

This article explores different postcolonially configured approaches to the Arctic. It begins by considering the Arctic as a region, an entity, and how the customary political science informed approaches are delimited by their focus on understanding the Arctic as a region at the service...... of the contemporary neoliberal order. It moves on to explore how different parts of the Arctic are inscribed in a number of sub-Arctic nation-state binds, focusing mainly on Canada and Denmark. The article argues that the postcolonial can be understood as a prism or a methodology that asks pivotal questions to all...... approaches to the Arctic. Yet the postcolonial itself is characterised by limitations, not least in this context its lack of interest in the Arctic, and its bias towards conventional forms of representation in art. The article points to the need to develop a more integrated critique of colonial and neo...

Response of the Arctic pteropod Limacina helicina to projected future environmental conditions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steeve Comeau

Full Text Available Thecosome pteropods (pelagic mollusks can play a key role in the food web of various marine ecosystems. They are a food source for zooplankton or higher predators such as fishes, whales and birds that is particularly important in high latitude areas. Since they harbor a highly soluble aragonitic shell, they could be very sensitive to ocean acidification driven by the increase of anthropogenic CO(2 emissions. The effect of changes in the seawater chemistry was investigated on Limacina helicina, a key species of Arctic pelagic ecosystems. Individuals were kept in the laboratory under controlled pCO(2 levels of 280, 380, 550, 760 and 1020 microatm and at control (0 degrees C and elevated (4 degrees C temperatures. The respiration rate was unaffected by pCO(2 at control temperature, but significantly increased as a function of the pCO(2 level at elevated temperature. pCO(2 had no effect on the gut clearance rate at either temperature. Precipitation of CaCO(3, measured as the incorporation of (45Ca, significantly declined as a function of pCO(2 at both temperatures. The decrease in calcium carbonate precipitation was highly correlated to the aragonite saturation state. Even though this study demonstrates that pteropods are able to precipitate calcium carbonate at low aragonite saturation state, the results support the current concern for the future of Arctic pteropods, as the production of their shell appears to be very sensitive to decreased pH. A decline of pteropod populations would likely cause dramatic changes to various pelagic ecosystems.

Zooplankton composition of the Kalpeni and Agatti atolls, Lakshadweep archiplago

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Achuthankutty, C.T.; Nair, S.R.S.; Haridas, P.; Madhupratap, M.

Composition of zooplankton in the lagoons was quite different from that of the sea and to a large extent, was independent of oceanic influence While copepods were dominant in the sea, meroplankton, particularly brachyuran zoeae constituted...

Relative invasion risk for plankton across marine and freshwater systems: examining efficacy of proposed international ballast water discharge standards.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oscar Casas-Monroy

Full Text Available Understanding the implications of different management strategies is necessary to identify best conservation trajectories for ecosystems exposed to anthropogenic stressors. For example, science-based risk assessments at large scales are needed to understand efficacy of different vector management approaches aimed at preventing biological invasions associated with commercial shipping. We conducted a landscape-scale analysis to examine the relative invasion risk of ballast water discharges among different shipping pathways (e.g., Transoceanic, Coastal or Domestic, ecosystems (e.g., freshwater, brackish and marine, and timescales (annual and per discharge event under current and future management regimes. The arrival and survival potential of nonindigenous species (NIS was estimated based on directional shipping networks and their associated propagule pressure, environmental similarity between donor-recipient ecosystems (based on salinity and temperature, and effects of current and future management strategies (i.e., ballast water exchange and treatment to meet proposed international biological discharge standards. Our findings show that current requirements for ballast water exchange effectively reduce invasion risk to freshwater ecosystems but are less protective of marine ecosystems because of greater environmental mismatch between source (oceanic and recipient (freshwater ecoregions. Future requirements for ballast water treatment are expected to reduce risk of zooplankton NIS introductions across ecosystem types but are expected to be less effective in reducing risk of phytoplankton NIS. This large-scale risk assessment across heterogeneous ecosystems represents a major step towards understanding the likelihood of invasion in relation to shipping networks, the relative efficacy of different invasion management regimes and seizing opportunities to reduce the ecological and economic implications of biological invasions.

Passive sampler for dissolved organic matter in freshwater environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Buuan; Simpson, André J

2006-12-15

A passive sampler for the isolation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from freshwater environments is described. The sampler consists of a molecular weight selective membrane (1000 kDa) and an anion exchange resin (diethylaminoethylcellulose (DEAE-cellulose)). NMR indicates the samplers isolate DOM that is nearly indistinguishable from that isolated using the batch DEAE-cellulose procedure. In a comparative study DOM isolated from Lake Ontario cost approximately 0.30 dollars/mg to isolate using the passive samplers while DOM isolated using the traditional batch procedure cost approximately 8-10 dollars/mg. The samplers have been shown to be effective in a range of freshwater environments including a large inland lake (Lake Ontario), fast flowing tributary, and wetland. Large amounts (gram quantities of DOM) can be easily isolated by increasing the size or number of samplers deployed. Samplers are easy to construct, negate the need for pressure filtering, and also permit a range of temporal and spatial experiments that would be very difficult or impossible to perform using conventional approaches. For example, DOM can be monitored on a regular basis at numerous different locations, or samplers could be set at different depths in large lakes. Furthermore, they could potentially be deployed into hard to reach environments such as wells, groundwater aquifers, etc., and as they are easy to use, they can be mailed to colleagues or included with expeditions going to difficult to reach places such as the Arctic and Antarctic.

Reviews and syntheses: Effects of permafrost thaw on Arctic aquatic ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Vonk, J.E.; Tank, S.E.; Bowden, W.B.; Laurion, I.; Vincent, W.F.; Alekseychik, P.; Amyot, Y.; Billet, M.F.; Canario, J.; Cory, R.M.; Deshpande, B.N.; Helbig, M.; Jammet, M.; Karlsson, J.; Larouche, J.; MacMillan, G.; Rautio, Milla; Walter Anthony, K.M.; Wickland, Kimberly P.

2015-01-01

The Arctic is a water-rich region, with freshwater systems covering about 16 % of the northern permafrost landscape. Permafrost thaw creates new freshwater ecosystems, while at the same time modifying the existing lakes, streams, and rivers that are impacted by thaw. Here, we describe the current state of knowledge regarding how permafrost thaw affects lentic (still) and lotic (moving) systems, exploring the effects of both thermokarst (thawing and collapse of ice-rich permafrost) and deepening of the active layer (the surface soil layer that thaws and refreezes each year). Within thermokarst, we further differentiate between the effects of thermokarst in lowland areas vs. that on hillslopes. For almost all of the processes that we explore, the effects of thaw vary regionally, and between lake and stream systems. Much of this regional variation is caused by differences in ground ice content, topography, soil type, and permafrost coverage. Together, these modifying factors determine (i) the degree to which permafrost thaw manifests as thermokarst, (ii) whether thermokarst leads to slumping or the formation of thermokarst lakes, and (iii) the manner in which constituent delivery to freshwater systems is altered by thaw. Differences in thaw-enabled constituent delivery can be considerable, with these modifying factors determining, for example, the balance between delivery of particulate vs. dissolved constituents, and inorganic vs. organic materials. Changes in the composition of thaw-impacted waters, coupled with changes in lake morphology, can strongly affect the physical and optical properties of thermokarst lakes. The ecology of thaw-impacted lakes and streams is also likely to change; these systems have unique microbiological communities, and show differences in respiration, primary production, and food web structure that are largely driven by differences in sediment, dissolved organic matter, and nutrient delivery. The degree to which thaw enables the delivery

Some ecological implications of a neem (azadirachtin) insecticide disturbance to zooplankton communities in forest pond enclosures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreutzweiser, David P; Sutton, Trent M; Back, Richard C; Pangle, Kevin L; Thompson, Dean G

2004-04-28

A neem-based insecticide, Neemix 4.5, was applied to forest pond enclosures at concentrations of 10, 17, and 28 microg l(-1) azadirachtin (the active ingredient). At these test concentrations, significant, concentration-dependent reductions in numbers of adult copepods were observed, but immature copepod and cladoceran populations were unaffected. There was no evidence of recovery of adult copepods within the sampling season (May to October). The ecological significance of this disturbance to the zooplankton community was examined by determining biomass as a measure of food availability for higher predators, plankton community respiration, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, and conductivity as functional indicators of ecosystem stress, and zooplankton food web stability as a measure of effects on trophic structure. The selective removal or reduction of adult copepods was sufficient to measurably reduce total zooplankton biomass for several weeks mid-season. During the period of maximal impact (about 4-9 weeks after the applications), total plankton community respiration was significantly reduced, and this appeared to contribute to significant, concentration-dependent increases in dissolved oxygen and decreases in conductivity among treated enclosures. The reductions in adult copepods resulted in negative effects on zooplankton food web stability through eliminations of a trophic link and reduced interactions and connectance. Comparing the results here to those from a previous study with tebufenozide, which was selectively toxic to cladocerans and had little effect on food web stability, indicates that differential sensitivity among taxa can influence the ecological significance of pesticide effects on zooplankton communities.

The gap in the Arctic Cenozoic Record: Expect the Unexpected

Science.gov (United States)

Sangiorgi, F.; Brumsack, H.; Schouten, S.; Brinkhuis, H.; Kaminski, M. A.; Reichart, G.; Stickley, C. E.; Willard, D. A.; Sinninghe Damste', J. S.

2006-12-01

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 302, a.k.a. the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX), drilled more than 400 meters below the seafloor at the central Lomonosov Ridge, ca 250 km from the modern North Pole in water depths of about 1300 m. The partially recovered sediments provide a unique record of the geological and paleoceanographical evolution of the Arctic Ocean during the Cenozoic. The record indicates a transition from a "greenhouse world", characterized by a relative shallow marine setting, with organic-rich sediment and frequent brackish or even fresh surface waters during the latest Palaeocene and the early Eocene, to an "icehouse world" of hemipelagic sedimentation affected by the occurrence of sea ice from the middle Miocene to present. Much to our surprise, these two states are separated by a major hiatus, not obvious from the seismic record and the lithology of the cores, spanning at least 25 Ma as derived from dinocyst and benthic foraminifer stratigraphies. These testify that deposits of probable late early Miocene age directly overlie early middle Eocene sediments. To unravel the nature of the hiatus, we performed a multiproxy micropaleontological and geochemical study on the surrounding record, i.e. lithological units 1/6, 1/5 and 1/4, where the sediment changes from homogeneous dark into a cm-scaled alternation ("zebra-like") black and grey bands to light grey, blue and reddish-brown. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts, pollen and spores, benthic foraminifera, inorganic and organic geochemistry and siliceous remains reveal conspicuous changes, suggesting a transition from brackish-freshwater to shallow-lagoonal and to open marine environments. These environmental turnovers, coupled with the occurrence of such a large hiatus, cannot be due to climatic shifts alone, but suggest that major tectonic rearrangements likely changed the depositional setting. On-going organic geochemical analysis will be

Potential acidification impacts on zooplankton in CCS leakage scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Halsband, Claudia; Kurihara, Haruko

2013-08-30

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies involve localized acidification of significant volumes of seawater, inhabited mainly by planktonic species. Knowledge on potential impacts of these techniques on the survival and physiology of zooplankton, and subsequent consequences for ecosystem health in targeted areas, is scarce. The recent literature has a focus on anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, leading to enhanced absorption of CO2 by the oceans and a lowered seawater pH, termed ocean acidification. These studies explore the effects of changes in seawater chemistry, as predicted by climate models for the end of this century, on marine biota. Early studies have used unrealistically severe CO2/pH values in this context, but are relevant for CCS leakage scenarios. Little studied meso- and bathypelagic species of the deep sea may be especially vulnerable, as well as vertically migrating zooplankton, which require significant residence times at great depths as part of their life cycle. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Size-dependent responses of zooplankton to submerged macrophyte restoration in a subtropical shallow lake

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Lei; He, Feng; Zhang, Yi; Liu, Biyun; Dai, Zhigang; Zhou, Qiaohong; Wu, Zhenbin

2018-03-01

To explore the size-dependent responses of zooplankton to submerged macrophyte restoration, we collected macrophyte, zooplankton and water quality samples seasonally from a subtropical shallow lake from 2010 to 2012. Special attention was given to changes in rotifers and crustaceans (cladocerans and copepods). The rotifers were grouped into three size classes (400 μm) to explore their size-related responses to macrophyte restoration. The results showed that during the restoration, the annual mean biomass and macrophyte coverage increased significantly from 0 to 637 g/m2 and 0 to 27%, respectively. In response, the density and biomass of crustaceans and the crustacean-to-rotifer ratio increased significantly, while the rotifer density decreased significantly. Moreover, rotifers showed significant sizedependent responses to macrophyte restoration. Specially, rotifers sized zooplankton tended to boom, while that of small rotifers was inhibited during macrophyte restoration. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed positive correlations between macrophytes and crustaceans, rotifers and COD or Chl- a, but negative correlations between macrophytes and COD or Chl- a, and between crustaceans and Chl- a. Moreover, the results indicate that increased predation on phytoplankton by large-sized zooplankton might be an important mechanism for macrophyte restoration during development of aquatic ecosystems, and that this mechanism played a very important role in promoting the formation of a clear-water state in subtropical shallow lakes.

The Arctic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petersen, H.; Meltofte, H.; Rysgaard, S.; Rasch, M.; Jonasson, S.; Christensen, T.R.; Friborg, T.; Soegaard, H.; Pedersen, S.A.

2001-01-01

Global climate change in the Arctic is a growing concern. Research has already documented pronounced changes, and models predict that increases in temperature from anthropogenic influences could be considerably higher than the global average. The impacts of climate change on Arctic ecosystems are complex and difficult to predict because of the many interactions within ecosystem, and between many concurrently changing environmental variables. Despite the global consequences of change in the Arctic climate the monitoring of basic abiotic as well as biotic parameters are not adequate to assess the impact of global climate change. The uneven geographical location of present monitoring stations in the Arctic limits the ability to understand the climate system. The impact of previous variations and potential future changes to ecosystems is not well understood and need to be addressed. At this point, there is no consensus of scientific opinion on how much of the current changes that are due to anthropogenic influences or to natural variation. Regardless of the cause, there is a need to investigate and assess current observations and their effects to the Arctic. In this chapter examples from both terrestrial and marine ecosystems from ongoing monitoring and research projects are given. (LN)

Seasonal and inter-annual variations in methyl mercury concentrations in zooplankton from boreal lakes impacted by deforestation or natural forest fires.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Edenise; Carignan, Richard; Lean, David R S

2007-08-01

We compared the effects of natural and anthropogenic watershed disturbances on methyl mercury (MeHg) concentration in bulk zooplankton from boreal Shield lakes. MeHg in zooplankton was monitored for three years in nine lakes impacted by deforestation, in nine lakes impacted by wildfire, and in twenty lakes with undisturbed catchments. Lakes were sampled during spring, mid- and late summer. MeHg in zooplankton showed a seasonal trend: concentrations were the lowest in spring, then peaked in mid-summer and decreased in late summer. Over the three study years, MeHg concentrations observed in mid-summer in zooplankton from forest harvested lakes were significantly higher than in reference and fire-impacted lakes, whereas differences between these two groups of lakes were not significant. The pattern of distribution of MeHg in zooplankton during the different seasons paralleled that of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is known as a vector of Hg from watershed soils to lake water. Besides DOC, MeHg in zooplankton also showed a positive significant correlation with epilimnetic temperature and sulfate concentrations. An inter-annual decreasing trend in MeHg was observed in zooplankton from reference and fire-impacted lakes. In forest harvested lakes, however, MeHg concentrations remained higher and nearly constant over three years following the impact. Overall these results indicate that the MeHg pulse observed in zooplankton following deforestation by harvesting is relatively long-lived, and may have repercussions to the accumulation of MeHg along the food chain. Therefore, potential effects of deforestation on the Hg contamination of fish should be taken into account in forest management practices.

The temporal dynamics of zooplankton communities of different types of water bodies within Ichniansky National Park

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. V. Burian

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, the influence of anthropogenic impact on aquatic ecosystems has increased. This has led to a restructuring of aquatic ecosystems and affected the structural and functional organization of groups of aquatic organisms, causing qualitative and quantitative changes. Particular attention is drawn to the different types of water bodies of protected areas like IchnyanskyNational Park, which is located in Ichnyansky district of Chernihiv region. This park is a newly created one, so the reduction in intensity of anthropogenic pressure can be traced within its waters. Zooplankton plays an important role in the functioning of trophic networks because it transfers energy from producers and primary consumers to young fish and planktonophagous fish. Therefore, three main groups of zooplankton were chosen as the object of study: rotifers (class Eurotatoria, cladocerans (class Branchiopoda, order Cladocera, different age stages of copepods (class Copepoda, and also ostracods (Class Ostracoda. The zooplankton used as research material was collected in the daytime in spring (April, summer (late July – early August and autumn (late September – early October in the years 2015–2016 from ten experimental stations. During this period 81 species of zooplankton were recorded within heterogeneous reservoirs of IchnianskyNational Park. Monogonont rotifers (subclass Monogononta included 35 species (43% of all species and bdelloid rotifers (subclass Bdelloidea, cladocerns, comprised 28 species (35%, and copepods included 18 species (22%. The faunal range of zooplankton over different years and seasons was characterized by the predominance of the rotator complex in spring, rotator-cladocerans and cladocerans in summer, and of the cladocerans complex in autumn. This was due to the formation during spring and summer of favourable conditions in the waters for filter feeders, which consist generally of rotifers and cladocerans. In autumn the water

Arctic whaling : proceedings of the International Symposium Arctic Whaling February 1983

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jacob, H.K. s'; Snoeijing, K

1984-01-01

Contents: D.M. Hopkins and Louie Marincovich Jr. Whale Biogeography and the history of the Arctic Basin P.M. Kellt, J.H.W. Karas and L.D. Williams Arctic Climate: Past, Present and Future Torgny E. Vinje On the present state and the future fate of the Arctic sea ice cover P.J.H. van Bree On the

Live from the Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Warnick, W. K.; Haines-Stiles, G.; Warburton, J.; Sunwood, K.

2003-12-01

For reasons of geography and geophysics, the poles of our planet, the Arctic and Antarctica, are places where climate change appears first: they are global canaries in the mine shaft. But while Antarctica (its penguins and ozone hole, for example) has been relatively well-documented in recent books, TV programs and journalism, the far North has received somewhat less attention. This project builds on and advances what has been done to date to share the people, places, and stories of the North with all Americans through multiple media, over several years. In a collaborative project between the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) and PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, Live from the Arctic will bring the Arctic environment to the public through a series of primetime broadcasts, live and taped programming, interactive virtual field trips, and webcasts. The five-year project will culminate during the 2007-2008 International Polar Year (IPY). Live from the Arctic will: A. Promote global understanding about the value and world -wide significance of the Arctic, B. Bring cutting-edge research to both non-formal and formal education communities, C. Provide opportunities for collaboration between arctic scientists, arctic communities, and the general public. Content will focus on the following four themes. 1. Pan-Arctic Changes and Impacts on Land (i.e. snow cover; permafrost; glaciers; hydrology; species composition, distribution, and abundance; subsistence harvesting) 2. Pan-Arctic Changes and Impacts in the Sea (i.e. salinity, temperature, currents, nutrients, sea ice, marine ecosystems (including people, marine mammals and fisheries) 3. Pan-Arctic Changes and Impacts in the Atmosphere (i.e. precipitation and evaporation; effects on humans and their communities) 4. Global Perspectives (i.e. effects on humans and communities, impacts to rest of the world) In The Earth is Faster Now, a recent collection of comments by members of indigenous arctic peoples, arctic

Effect of planktivores, zooplankton, and macrobenthos on material flow in a small lake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starkel, W.M.

1985-01-01

Planktivores, zooplankton grazers, and macrobenthos were studied to determine how changes in animal community structure may alter the flow of material in Dunham Pond, CT. Chaoborus and chironomid larvae were studied to determine how they affect the flux of matter across the sediment/water interface. This was done by incubating undisturbed cores in situ and relating changes in water chemistry to larval density. The log-transformed flux rates of iron, manganese, and phosphorus were linearly related to larval biomass. Functional groups may be successfully used to predict rates of material flow. Changes in the mass of macroinvertebrates affect the flux rates of redox-active substances across the sediment/water interface. The use of population densities and feeding characteristics to estimate trophic transfer in Dunham Pond indicate that (1) visual planktivory by larval perch may result in overutilization of prey, (2) ambush planktivory by univoltine Chaoborus appears to under utilize prey, and (3) zooplankton grazing tracks net primary productivity, regardless of zooplankton community structure. Animal groups cycle 30-100% of the phosphorus required for 14 C productivity in Dunham Pond

Spatio-temporal variability of the North Sea cod recruitment in relation to temperature and zooplankton.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delphine Nicolas

Full Text Available The North Sea cod (Gadus morhua, L. stock has continuously declined over the past four decades linked with overfishing and climate change. Changes in stock structure due to overfishing have made the stock largely dependent on its recruitment success, which greatly relies on environmental conditions. Here we focus on the spatio-temporal variability of cod recruitment in an effort to detect changes during the critical early life stages. Using International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS data from 1974 to 2011, a major spatio-temporal change in the distribution of cod recruits was identified in the late 1990s, characterized by a pronounced decrease in the central and southeastern North Sea stock. Other minor spatial changes were also recorded in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. We tested whether the observed changes in recruits distribution could be related with direct (i.e. temperature and/or indirect (i.e. changes in the quantity and quality of zooplankton prey effects of climate variability. The analyses were based on spatially-resolved time series, i.e. sea surface temperature (SST from the Hadley Center and zooplankton records from the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey. We showed that spring SST increase was the main driver for the most recent decrease in cod recruitment. The late 1990s were also characterized by relatively low total zooplankton biomass, particularly of energy-rich zooplankton such as the copepod Calanus finmarchicus, which have further contributed to the decline of North Sea cod recruitment. Long-term spatially-resolved observations were used to produce regional distribution models that could further be used to predict the abundance of North Sea cod recruits based on temperature and zooplankton food availability.

Summer in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Science.gov (United States)

2001-01-01

This colorful image of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Beaufort Sea was acquired by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer's nadir (vertical-viewing) camera on August 16, 2000, during Terra orbit 3532. The swirling patterns apparent on the Beaufort Sea are small ice floes driven by turbulent water patterns, or eddies, caused by the interactions of water masses of differing salinity and temperature. By this time of year, all of the seasonal ice which surrounds the north coast of Alaska in winter has broken up, although the perennial pack ice remains further north. The morphology of the perennial ice pack's edge varies in response to the prevailing wind. If the wind is blowing strongly toward the perennial pack (that is, to the north), the ice edge will be more compact. In this image the ice edge is diffuse, and the patterns reflected by the ice floes indicate fairly calm weather.The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (often abbreviated to ANWR) was established by President Eisenhower in 1960, and is the largest wildlife refuge in the United States. Animals of the Refuge include the 130,000-member Porcupine caribou herd, 180 species of birds from four continents, wolves, wolverine, polar and grizzly bears, muskoxen, foxes, and over 40 species of coastal and freshwater fish. Although most of ANWR was designated as wilderness in 1980, the area along the coastal plain was set aside so that the oil and gas reserves beneath the tundra could be studied. Drilling remains a topic of contention, and an energy bill allowing North Slope oil development to extend onto the coastal plain of the Refuge was approved by the US House of Representatives on August 2, 2001.The Refuge encompasses an impressive variety of arctic and subarctic ecosystems, including coastal lagoons, barrier islands, arctic tundra, and mountainous terrain. Of all these, the arctic tundra is the landscape judged most important for wildlife. From the coast inland to an average of 30-60 kilometers

Bacterial community structure in High-Arctic snow and freshwater as revealed by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes and cultivation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Annette K.; Søborg, Ditte A.; Abu Al-Soud, Waleed

2013-01-01

of the microbial assemblages was different within the snow layers and between snow and freshwater. The highest diversity was seen in snow. In the middle and top snow layers, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria dominated, although Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were relatively abundant also. High numbers...... of chloroplasts were also observed. In the deepest snow layer, large percentages of Firmicutes and Fusobacteria were seen. In freshwater, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia were the most abundant phyla while relatively few Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria were present. Possibly, light intensity...

Arctic wind energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peltola, E. [Kemijoki Oy (Finland); Holttinen, H.; Marjaniemi, M. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland); Tammelin, B. [Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki (Finland)

1998-12-31

Arctic wind energy research was aimed at adapting existing wind technologies to suit the arctic climatic conditions in Lapland. Project research work included meteorological measurements, instrument development, development of a blade heating system for wind turbines, load measurements and modelling of ice induced loads on wind turbines, together with the development of operation and maintenance practices in arctic conditions. As a result the basis now exists for technically feasible and economically viable wind energy production in Lapland. New and marketable products, such as blade heating systems for wind turbines and meteorological sensors for arctic conditions, with substantial export potential, have also been developed. (orig.)

Arctic wind energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peltola, E.; Holttinen, H.; Marjaniemi, M.; Tammelin, B.

1998-01-01

Arctic wind energy research was aimed at adapting existing wind technologies to suit the arctic climatic conditions in Lapland. Project research work included meteorological measurements, instrument development, development of a blade heating system for wind turbines, load measurements and modelling of ice induced loads on wind turbines, together with the development of operation and maintenance practices in arctic conditions. As a result the basis now exists for technically feasible and economically viable wind energy production in Lapland. New and marketable products, such as blade heating systems for wind turbines and meteorological sensors for arctic conditions, with substantial export potential, have also been developed. (orig.)

Collaboration across the Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huppert, Verena Gisela; Chuffart, Romain François R.

2017-01-01

The Arctic is witnessing the rise of a new paradigm caused by an increase in pan-Arctic collaborations which co-exist with the region’s traditional linkages with the South. Using an analysis of concrete examples of regional collaborations in the Arctic today in the fields of education, health...... and infrastructure, this paper questions whether pan-Arctic collaborations in the Arctic are more viable than North-South collaborations, and explores the reasons behind and the foreseeable consequences of such collaborations. It shows that the newly emerging East-West paradigm operates at the same time...... as the traditional North-South paradigm, with no signs of the East-West paradigm being more viable in the foreseeable future. However, pan-Arctic collaboration, both due to pragmatic reasons and an increased awareness of similarities, is likely to increase in the future. The increased regionalization process...

Arctic Rabies – A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prestrud Pål

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Rabies seems to persist throughout most arctic regions, and the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland, is the only part of the Arctic where rabies has not been diagnosed in recent time. The arctic fox is the main host, and the same arctic virus variant seems to infect the arctic fox throughout the range of this species. The epidemiology of rabies seems to have certain common characteristics in arctic regions, but main questions such as the maintenance and spread of the disease remains largely unknown. The virus has spread and initiated new epidemics also in other species such as the red fox and the racoon dog. Large land areas and cold climate complicate the control of the disease, but experimental oral vaccination of arctic foxes has been successful. This article summarises the current knowledge and the typical characteristics of arctic rabies including its distribution and epidemiology.

Inter- and intra-specific diurnal habitat selection of zooplankton during the spring bloom observed by Video Plankton Recorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sainmont, Julie; Gislason, Astthor; Heuschele, Jan

2014-01-01

Recorder (VPR), a tool that allows mapping of vertical zooplankton distributions with a far greater spatial resolution than conventional zooplankton nets. The study took place over a full day–night cycle in Disko Bay, Greenland, during the peak of the phytoplankton spring bloom. The sampling revealed...

Mooring-based long-term observation of oceanographic condition in the Chukchi Ses and Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Kikuchi, Takashi; Itoh, Motoyo; Nishino, Shigeto; Watanabe, Eiji

2015-04-01

Changes of the Arctic Ocean environment are well known as one of the most remarkable evidences of global warming, attracting social and public attentions as well as scientists'. However, to illustrate on-going changes and predict future condition of the Arctic marine environment, we still do not have enough knowledge of Arctic sea ice and marine environment. In particular, lack of observation data in winter, e.g., under sea ice, still remains a key issue for precise understanding of seasonal cycle on oceanographic condition in the Arctic Ocean. Mooring-based observation is one of the most useful methods to collect year-long data in the Arctic Ocean. We have been conducting long-term monitoring using mooring system in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. Volume, heat, and freshwater fluxes through Barrow Canyon where is a major conduit of Pacific-origin water-masses into the Canada Basin have been observed since 2000. We show from an analysis of the mooring results that volume flux through Barrow Canyon was about 60 % of Bering Strait volume flux. Averaged heat flux ranges from 0.9 to 3.07 TW, which could melt 88,000 to 300,000 km2 of 1m thick ice in the Canada Basin, which likely contributed to sea ice retreat in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. In winter, we found inter-annual variability in salinity related to coastal polynya activity in the Chukchi Sea. In collaboration with Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) project, which is one of the tasks of Sustaining Arctic Observing Network (SAON), we also initiated year-long mooring observation in the Hope Valley of the southern Chukchi Sea since 2012. Interestingly, winter oceanographic conditions in the Hope Valley are greatly different between in 2012-2013 and in 2013-2014. We speculate that differences of sea ice freeze-up and coastal polynya activity in the southern Chukchi Sea cause significant difference of winter oceanographic condition. It suggests that recent sea ice reduction in the Pacific

Arctic Security

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Nils

2013-01-01

The inclusion of China, India, Japan, Singapore and Italy as permanent observers in the Arctic Council has increased the international status of this forum significantly. This chapter aims to explain the background for the increased international interest in the Arctic region through an analysis...

Biochemical studies on some zooplankton off the west coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.; Rao, T.S.S.; Matondkar, S.G.P.

Proximate biochemical analyses on twelve zooplankton species showed that protein was the predominant biochemical component followed by lipid. Carbohydrate content was very low especially in species with high water content or calcareous shell...

Elemental (C, H, N) composition of zooplankton from north Arabian Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Matondkar, S.G.P.; Bhat, K.L.; Ansari, Z.A.; Parulekar, A.H.

found to be much lower than the values presently used in routine conversion factors. Such factors are now essentially needed for accounting role of zooplankton in sediment trap collections in Arabian Sea region...

Terrestrial and marine trophic pathways support young-of-year growth in a nearshore Arctic fish

Science.gov (United States)

von Biela, Vanessa R.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Cohn, Brian R.; Welker, Jeffrey M.

2013-01-01

River discharge supplies nearshore communities with a terrestrial carbon source that is often reflected in invertebrate and fish consumers. Recent studies in the Beaufort Sea have documented widespread terrestrial carbon use among invertebrates, but only limited use among nearshore fish consumers. Here, we examine the carbon source and diet of rapidly growing young-of-year Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) using stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) from muscle and diet analysis (stomach contents) during a critical and previously unsampled life stage. Stable isotope values (δ15N and δ13C) may differentiate between terrestrial and marine sources and integrate over longer time frames (weeks). Diet analysis provides species-specific information, but only from recent foraging (days). Average δ13C for all individuals was −25.7 ‰, with the smallest individuals possessing significantly depleted δ13C values indicative of a stronger reliance of terrestrial carbon sources as compared to larger individuals. Average δ15N for all individuals was 10.4 ‰, with little variation among individuals. As fish length increased, the proportion of offshore Calanus prey and neritic Mysis prey increased. Rapid young-of-year growth in Arctic cisco appears to use terrestrial carbon sources obtained by consuming a mixture of neritic and offshore zooplankton. Shifts in the magnitude or phenology of river discharge and the delivery of terrestrial carbon may alter the ecology of nearshore fish consumers.

Seasonal variation of zooplankton abundance and community structure in Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2009-2016

Science.gov (United States)

McKinstry, Caitlin A. E.; Campbell, Robert W.

2018-01-01

Large calanoid copepods and other zooplankters comprise the prey field for ecologically and economically important predators such as juvenile pink salmon, herring, and seabirds in Prince William Sound (PWS).​ From 2009-2016, the Gulf Watch Alaska program collected zooplankton 5-10 times each year at 12 stations in PWS to establish annual patterns. Surveys collected 188 species of zooplankton with Oithona similis, Limacina helicina, Pseudocalanus spp., and Acartia longiremis as the most common species present in 519 samples. Generalized additive models assessed seasonal abundance and showed peak abundance in July (mean: 9826 no. m-3 [95% CI: 7990-12,084]) and lowest abundance in January (503 no. m-3 [373 to 678]). Significantly higher zooplankton abundance occurred in 2010 (542 no. m-3 ± 55 SE) and lowest in 2013 (149 no. m-3 ± 13). The species composition of communities, determined via hierarchical cluster analysis and indicator species analysis, produced six distinct communities based on season and location. The winter community, characterized by warm-water indicator species including Mesocalanus tenuicornis, Calanus pacificus, and Corycaeus anglicus, diverged into four communities throughout the spring and summer. The first spring community, characterized by copepods with affinities for lower salinities, occurred sound-wide. The second spring community, comprised of planktonic larvae, appeared sporadically in PWS bays in 2011-2013. Spring and summer open water stations were defined by the presence of large calanoid copepods. A summer community including the most abundant taxa was common in 2010 and 2011, absent in 2013, then sporadically appeared in 2014 and 2015 suggesting interannual variability of zooplankton assemblages. The zooplankton community shifted to a uniform assemblage characterized by cnidarians in the early autumn. Community assemblages showed significant correlations to a set of environmental variables including SST, mixed layer depth

Biomass, organic carbon and calorific content of zooplankton from the Arabian Sea off Central West coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Krishnakumari, L.; Nair, V.R.

Organic carbon content and calorific values of zooplankton varied from 18.35 to 32.49% (av. 27.8%) and from 2.56 to 4.71 k cal. g-1 dry wt (av. 3.99) respectively. Areawise off Gujarat sustained higher standing stock of zooplankton (77.18 mg m-3...

Structure, seasonal dynamics and distribution of zooplankton in lake Drukshiai in 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazheikaite, S.; Pashkauskas, R.

1995-01-01

Investigations on the zooplankton of Lake Drukshiai were carried out in 1994. There were registered 62 taxons of protozoa and 50 taxons of metazoa, and compared with the data of 1979 - 1986 the diversity of species composition decreased 2.1 times. Eurytermic and stenothermic thermophylic species prevailed in the plankton biocenosis. In protozooplankton dominated ciliates of subclasses teolotricha and spirotricha, in metazooplankton -planctonic crustacea (Copopeda and Cladocera). Rotifers (Rotaria) were abundant only in the shallow and heated water outlet area. Seasonal dynamics of protozooplankton indicated one maximum in spring and metazooplankton - in summer. High diferentiation in quantity and biomass of zooplankton in the lake revealed different level of eutrophication of some areas. (author). 7 refs., 5 figs

The effect of some environmental factors on zooplankton community ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The zooplankton of Lake Qarun was studied January–December 2003. A total of 26 species was recorded, amongst which protozoa, primarily ciliophora, were most abundant (79% of the species total), followed by rotifera (13%) and copepoda (8%). The average density ranged from 965–1 452 l–1. The highest density (2 ...

Studies on the distribution of gelatinous zooplankton in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

spamer

boundary to the system (Agenbag and Shannon 1988,. Largier and Boyd 2001), it is not considered to have a profound influence on the specific composition of regional zooplankton (Gibbons et al. 1995, Gibbons and Thibault-Botha 2002, but see Barange et al. 1992,. Emanuel et al. 1992). Indeed, it has been suggested.

SEARCH: Study of Environmental Arctic Change—A System-scale, Cross-disciplinary Arctic Research Program

Science.gov (United States)

Wiggins, H. V.; Eicken, H.; Fox, S. E.

2012-12-01

SEARCH is an interdisciplinary and interagency program that works with academic and government agency scientists to plan, conduct, and synthesize studies of arctic change. The vision of SEARCH is to provide scientific understanding of arctic environmental change to help society understand and respond to a rapidly changing Arctic. Towards this end, SEARCH: 1. Generates and synthesizes research findings and promotes arctic science and scientific discovery across disciplines and among agencies. 2. Identifies emerging issues in arctic environmental change. 3. Provides information resources to arctic stakeholders, policy-makers, and the public to help them respond to arctic environmental change. 4. Coordinates with national arctic science programs integral to SEARCH goals. 5. Facilitates research activities across local-to-global scales with stakeholder concerns incorporated from the start of the planning process. 6. Represents the U.S. arctic environmental change science community in international and global change research initiatives. Specific current activities include: Arctic Observing Network (AON) - coordinating a system of atmospheric, land- and ocean-based environmental monitoring capabilities that will significantly advance our observations of arctic environmental conditions. Arctic Sea Ice Outlook ¬- an international effort that provides monthly summer reports synthesizing community estimates of the expected sea ice minimum. Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook - a resource for Alaska Native subsistence hunters, coastal communities, and others that provides weekly reports with information on sea ice conditions relevant to walrus in Alaska waters. In April, the SEARCH Science Steering Committee (SSC) released a set of draft 5-year goals and objectives for review by the broader arctic science community. The goals and objectives will direct the SEARCH program in the next five years. The draft SEARCH goals focus on four areas: ice-diminished Arctic Ocean, warming

210Po/210Pb dynamics in relation to zooplankton biomass and trophic conditions during an annual cycle in northwestern Mediterranean coastal waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Färber Lorda, Jaime; Fowler, Scott W; Miquel, Juan-Carlos; Rodriguez y Baena, Alessia; Jeffree, Ross A

2013-01-01

Monthly sampling in northwestern Mediterranean coastal waters was undertaken to better understand the relationship between zooplankton biomass and the cycling of the natural radionuclide (210)Po/(210)Pb pair during a one-year period (October 1995-November 1996). In conjunction with mesozooplankton collections and (210)Po/(210)Pb measurements in seawater, zooplankton and their fecal pellets, the biochemical composition of particulate organic matter (POM) was also examined at three depths (0, 20 and 50 m) as an indicator of trophic conditions. During May 1996, a strong zooplankton "bloom" was observed which was preceded by a prolonged increase in POM (protein + carbohydrates + lipids) starting at the end of March, and further demonstrated by a concomitant increase in the concentration of smaller particles, two features that are typical of mesotrophic waters. Simultaneous measurements of (210)Po in sea water and zooplankton showed an inverse trend between these two parameters during the sampling period, with the two lowest (210)Po concentrations in the dissolved phase of seawater coincident with the highest radionuclide concentrations in the zooplankton; however, this apparent relationship was not statistically significant over the entire year. Freshly excreted mesozooplankton and salp fecal pellets, which have been strongly implicated in the removal and downward transport of these radionuclides from the upper water column, contained (210)Po and (210)Pb levels ranging from 175 to 878 and 7.5-486 Bq kg(-1) dry weight, respectively. Salp pellets contained 5 and 10 times more (210)Po and (210)Pb than in fecal pellets produced by mixed zooplankton, a finding most likely related to their different feeding strategies. During the zooplankton biomass peak observed in May, the (210)Po concentration in zooplankton was at a minimum; however, in contrast to what has been reported to occur in some open sea oligotrophic waters, over the year no statistically significant inverse

Disagreement between Hydrological and Land Surface models on the water budgets in the Arctic: why is this and which of them is right?

Science.gov (United States)

Blyth, E.; Martinez-de la Torre, A.; Ellis, R.; Robinson, E.

2017-12-01

The fresh-water budget of the Artic region has a diverse range of impacts: the ecosystems of the region, ocean circulation response to Arctic freshwater, methane emissions through changing wetland extent as well as the available fresh water for human consumption. But there are many processes that control the budget including a seasonal snow packs building and thawing, freezing soils and permafrost, extensive organic soils and large wetland systems. All these processes interact to create a complex hydrological system. In this study we examine a suite of 10 models that bring all those processes together in a 25 year reanalysis of the global water budget. We assess their performance in the Arctic region. There are two approaches to modelling fresh-water flows at large scales, referred to here as `Hydrological' and `Land Surface' models. While both approaches include a physically based model of the water stores and fluxes, the Land Surface models links the water flows to an energy-based model for processes such as snow melt and soil freezing. This study will analyse the impact of that basic difference on the regional patterns of evapotranspiration, runoff generation and terrestrial water storage. For the evapotranspiration, the Hydrological models tend to have a bigger spatial range in the model bias (difference to observations), implying greater errors compared to the Land-Surface models. For instance, some regions such as Eastern Siberia have consistently lower Evaporation in the Hydrological models than the Land Surface models. For the Runoff however, the results are the other way round with a slightly higher spatial range in bias for the Land Surface models implying greater errors than the Hydrological models. A simple analysis would suggest that Hydrological models are designed to get the runoff right, while Land Surface models designed to get the evapotranspiration right. Tracing the source of the difference suggests that the difference comes from the treatment

Zooplankton communities in three adjacent softwater lobelia lakes of slightly differentiated morphology and trophic state

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuczyńska-Kippen Natalia

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of an investigation of physical-chemical features of water as well as rotifer and crustacean abundance and diversity measures, relating to the taxonomic richness and species diversity index, in three lobelia lakes differing in trophic status and morphometric features. The main purpose of this study was to establish the diversity of zooplankton communities in the open water area of lobelia lakes, including extracting species common for each lake and also to find environmental predictors which are responsible for the development of zooplankton communities. Despite the fact that the three studied lakes are of the same origin, located in the same vicinity and have generally similar environmental factors, zooplankton community structure revealed a great variation in reference to species diversity (only ca. 20% of the species were common for all lakes and particularly in inhabiting species. Obrowo Lake had the most diverse assemblages of both rotifers and crustaceans compared to Modre and Pomysko lakes. In the taxonomic structure species that are rare for the Polish fauna, such as e.g. Holopedium gibberum and Heterocope appendiculata, occurred. Even though the examined lobelia lakes are ecosystems that undergo varying human-induced impacts, they still remain taxonomically very variable aquatic ecosystems, containing rare species of very high ecological status. The observed symptoms of deterioration of water quality, reflected in the zooplankton biocoenotic features, showed that the best conditions were attributed to Obrowo Lake in comparison with the two remaining lakes – Modre and Pomysko. Total nitrogen and chlorophyll a concentration were decisive for the distribution of zooplankton species in Pomysko and Obrowo lakes, while in case of Modre lake water reactivity and conductivity were of higher impact.

Determination of thermal stability of specific biomarker lipids of the freshwater fern Azolla through hydrous pyrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Sap, Merel; Speelman, Eveline N.; Lewan, Michael D.; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.; Reichart, Gert-Jan

2010-05-01

Enormous blooms of the free-floating freshwater fern Azolla occurred within the Arctic Basin during an extended period of ~1.2 Ma during the middle Eocene (Brinkhuis et al. 2006; Speelman et al., GB, 2009). The sustained growth of Azolla, currently ranking among the fastest growing plants on Earth, in a major anoxic basin may have substantially contributed to decreasing atmospheric CO2 levels by burial of Azolla-derived organic matter. Speelman et al. (OG, 2009) reported biomarkers for Azolla (1,w20 C32 - C36 diols, structurally related C29 ω20,ω21 diols, C29 1,20,21 triols, C29 dihydroxy fatty acids as well as a series of wax esters containing these mono- and dihydroxy lipids), which can be used to reconstruct palaeo-environmental conditions. Here we assess the thermal stability of these compounds, to extend their biomarker potential. We specifically focused on the thermal stability of the Azolla biomarkers using hydrous pyrolysis in order to determine which burial conditions allow reconstruction of past occurrences of Azolla. In addition, hydrous pyrolysis was also performed on samples from the Eocene Arctic Ocean (ACEX core), to test if and how the biomarkers change under higher temperatures and pressures in situ. During hydrous pyrolysis, the biomass was heated under high pressure at temperatures ranging between 220 and 365°C for 72 hours. Four experiments were also run using different durations to explore the kinetics of biomarker degradation at specific temperatures. First results indicate that the Azolla specific diols are still present at 220°C, while the corresponding wax esters are already absent. At 300°C all Azolla specific biomarkers are destroyed. More specific determination of the different biomarkers' stability and kinetics would potentially allow the reconstruction of the temperature and pressure history of Azolla deposits. Literature: • Brinkhuis, H., Schouten, S., Collinson, M. E., Sluijs, A., Sinninghe Damste, J. S., Dickens, G. R., Huber

Diverse origins of Arctic and Subarctic methane point source emissions identified with multiply-substituted isotopologues

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas, P. M. J.; Stolper, D. A.; Smith, D. A.; Walter Anthony, K. M.; Paull, C. K.; Dallimore, S.; Wik, M.; Crill, P. M.; Winterdahl, M.; Eiler, J. M.; Sessions, A. L.

2016-09-01

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and there are concerns that its natural emissions from the Arctic could act as a substantial positive feedback to anthropogenic global warming. Determining the sources of methane emissions and the biogeochemical processes controlling them is important for understanding present and future Arctic contributions to atmospheric methane budgets. Here we apply measurements of multiply-substituted isotopologues, or clumped isotopes, of methane as a new tool to identify the origins of ebullitive fluxes in Alaska, Sweden and the Arctic Ocean. When methane forms in isotopic equilibrium, clumped isotope measurements indicate the formation temperature. In some microbial methane, however, non-equilibrium isotope effects, probably related to the kinetics of methanogenesis, lead to low clumped isotope values. We identify four categories of emissions in the studied samples: thermogenic methane, deep subsurface or marine microbial methane formed in isotopic equilibrium, freshwater microbial methane with non-equilibrium clumped isotope values, and mixtures of deep and shallow methane (i.e., combinations of the first three end members). Mixing between deep and shallow methane sources produces a non-linear variation in clumped isotope values with mixing proportion that provides new constraints for the formation environment of the mixing end-members. Analyses of microbial methane emitted from lakes, as well as a methanol-consuming methanogen pure culture, support the hypothesis that non-equilibrium clumped isotope values are controlled, in part, by kinetic isotope effects induced during enzymatic reactions involved in methanogenesis. Our results indicate that these kinetic isotope effects vary widely in microbial methane produced in Arctic lake sediments, with non-equilibrium Δ18 values spanning a range of more than 5‰.

Arctic Climate Systems Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivey, Mark D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Robinson, David G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Boslough, Mark B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Backus, George A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Peterson, Kara J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); van Bloemen Waanders, Bart G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Swiler, Laura Painton [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Desilets, Darin Maurice [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Reinert, Rhonda Karen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-03-01

This study began with a challenge from program area managers at Sandia National Laboratories to technical staff in the energy, climate, and infrastructure security areas: apply a systems-level perspective to existing science and technology program areas in order to determine technology gaps, identify new technical capabilities at Sandia that could be applied to these areas, and identify opportunities for innovation. The Arctic was selected as one of these areas for systems level analyses, and this report documents the results. In this study, an emphasis was placed on the arctic atmosphere since Sandia has been active in atmospheric research in the Arctic since 1997. This study begins with a discussion of the challenges and benefits of analyzing the Arctic as a system. It goes on to discuss current and future needs of the defense, scientific, energy, and intelligence communities for more comprehensive data products related to the Arctic; assess the current state of atmospheric measurement resources available for the Arctic; and explain how the capabilities at Sandia National Laboratories can be used to address the identified technological, data, and modeling needs of the defense, scientific, energy, and intelligence communities for Arctic support.

Zooplankton production, composition and diversity in the coastal waters of Goa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Goswami, S.C.; Padmavati, G.

, siphonophores, chaetognaths and fish eggs were the other common taxa. Zooplankton population was never dominated by a single group. Swarms of copepods (Temora turbinata), cladocerans (Evadne tergestina), and pteropods (Creseis acicula) occurred in the nutrient...

Connecting Arctic Research Across Boundaries through the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)

Science.gov (United States)

Rich, R. H.; Myers, B.; Wiggins, H. V.; Zolkos, J.

2017-12-01

The complexities inherent in Arctic research demand a unique focus on making connections across the boundaries of discipline, institution, sector, geography, knowledge system, and culture. Since 1988, ARCUS has been working to bridge these gaps through communication, coordination, and collaboration. Recently, we have worked with partners to create a synthesis of the Arctic system, to explore the connectivity across the Arctic research community and how to strengthen it, to enable the community to have an effective voice in research funding policy, to implement a system for Arctic research community knowledge management, to bridge between global Sea Ice Prediction Network researchers and the science needs of coastal Alaska communities through the Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook, to strengthen ties between Polar researchers and educators, and to provide essential intangible infrastructure that enables cost-effective and productive research across boundaries. Employing expertise in managing for collaboration and interdisciplinarity, ARCUS complements and enables the work of its members, who constitute the Arctic research community and its key stakeholders. As a member-driven organization, everything that ARCUS does is achieved through partnership, with strong volunteer leadership of each activity. Key organizational partners in the United States include the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee, National Academy of Sciences Polar Research Board, and the North Slope Science Initiative. Internationally, ARCUS maintains strong bilateral connections with similarly focused groups in each Arctic country (and those interested in the Arctic), as well as with multinational organizations including the International Arctic Science Committee, the Association of Polar Early Career Educators, the University of the Arctic, and the Arctic Institute of North America. Currently, ARCUS is applying the best practices of the science of team science

Restoring lakes by using artificial plant beds: habitat selection of zooplankton in a clear and a turbid shallow lake

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schou, Majbritt Overgård; Risholt, Casper; Lauridsen, Torben L.

2009-01-01

1. Return of large-bodied zooplankton populations is of key importance for creating a shift from a turbid to a clear-water state in shallow lakes after a nutrient loading reduction. In temperate lakes, recovery is promoted by submerged macrophytes which function as a daytime refuge for large...... zooplankton. However, recovery of macrophytes is often delayed and use of artificial plant beds (APB) has been suggested as a tool to enhance zooplankton refuges, thereby reinforcing the shift to a clear-water state and, eventually, colonisation of natural plants. 2. To further evaluate the potential of APB...... in lake restoration, we followed the day–night habitat choices of zooplankton throughout summer in a clear and a turbid lake. Observations were made in the pelagic and littoral zones and in APB in the littoral representing three different plant densities (coverage 0%, 40% and 80%). 3. In the clear lake...

AMAP Assessment 2013: Arctic Ocean acidification

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

This assessment report presents the results of the 2013 AMAP Assessment of Arctic Ocean Acidification (AOA). This is the first such assessment dealing with AOA from an Arctic-wide perspective, and complements several assessments that AMAP has delivered over the past ten years concerning the effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems and people. The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) is a group working under the Arctic Council. The Arctic Council Ministers have requested AMAP to: - produce integrated assessment reports on the status and trends of the conditions of the Arctic ecosystems;

Changes of species composition, formation of quantitative structure and peculiarities of development of proto- and meta zooplankton under the impact of ecological factors in Lake Drukshiai

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazheikaite, S.

1997-01-01

According to 1993-95 research data, water temperature was found to be the most significant factor influencing the structure of zooplankton as well as seasonal development changes. Because of great amount of heated water discharged from Ignalina NPP, determining an increase of the temperature in all water layers and disappearance of the thermal zone below 10 degrees of Centigrade in deep water layers in summer, the species diversity of zooplankton decreased more than twice if compared with 1979-86. Cold-steno thermal species were the first to disappear. At the same time, warm-requiring and eurithermal species predominated. Natural seasonal rise of temperature (till 26.5 degrees of Centigrade) stimulated the development of some groups of meta zooplankton (Cladocera and Copepod a). The abundance of most species of Rotator ia decreased when the water temperature was over 15 degrees of Centigrade. The heated water discharged from Ignalina NPP caused structural changes of meta zooplankton, decrease of its biomass, decrease of the amount and biomass of proto zooplankton in this area. Because of heated water impact, the highest mortality of proto zooplankton was observed in summer. One maximum of quantitative development was characteristic of seasonal dynamics of zooplankton in Lake Drukshiai, while in water basins with natural thermal regime there are 2 seasonal maxima. Dependence of proto zooplankton on phytoplankton nd on Copepod a as well as dependence of meta zooplankton on phytoplankton were investigated. Data on spatial distribution of zooplankton in Lake Drukshiai indicate the eutrophication process in the southwestern part of the lake (because of increase of biogen s concentration). (author)

Effects of sandbar openings on the zooplankton community of coastal lagoons with different conservation status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rayanne Barros Setubal

Full Text Available AIM: Artificial sandbar openings are a common management practice in coastal lagoons but they can be a threat when negative effects to the quality of water and to the aquatic biota are observed. The current study compared sandbar opening effects in two coastal lagoons located close to each other, but differing on trophic status and on sandbar openings' background. METHODS:Limnological variables and zooplankton community were recorded monthly during one year before and one year after sandbar openings that occurred in the same month for both lagoons, giving 24 samples. We compared the effects of sandbar opening on response variables, according to the two types of system. RESULTS: The sandbar openings determined changes in some limnological features - depth and salinity - but such effects were different in the two types of system. The zooplankton structure displayed dramatic changes in the eutrophic and commonly opened lagoon. The occurrence and abundance of some species were closely related to changes in limnological variables. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicated that zooplankton communities are more resistant to sandbar openings in coastal lagoons historically less disturbed. The direction and magnitude of changes promoted by sandbar openings might be specific to each lagoon, due to different backgrounds of disturbances that, in the long term, modify the water quality and the structure of zooplankton communities, and consequently, their resistance and resilience.

Biochemical composition and caloric potential of zooplankton from Bay of Bengal

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sreepada, R.A.; Rivonker, C.U.; Parulekar, A.H.

Proximate composition and variations in protein, lipid, carbohydrate, ash and organic carbon in zooplankton from 42 stations in the Bay of Bengal are reported. Average percentages of moisture, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, ash and carbon were 85...

Trophic pathways of phytoplankton size classes through the zooplankton food web over the spring transition period in the north-west Mediterranean Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Brian P. V.; Carlotti, François; Donoso, Katty; Pagano, Marc; D'Ortenzio, Fabrizio; Taillandier, Vincent; Conan, Pascal

2017-08-01

Knowledge of the relative contributions of phytoplankton size classes to zooplankton biomass is necessary to understand food-web functioning and response to climate change. During the Deep Water formation Experiment (DEWEX), conducted in the north-west Mediterranean Sea in winter (February) and spring (April) of 2013, we investigated phytoplankton-zooplankton trophic links in contrasting oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions. Size fractionated particulate matter (pico-POM, nano-POM, and micro-POM) and zooplankton (64 to >4000 μm) composition and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were measured inside and outside the nutrient-rich deep convection zone in the central Liguro-Provencal basin. In winter, phytoplankton biomass was low (0.28 mg m-3) and evenly spread among picophytoplankton, nanophytoplankton, and microphytoplankton. Using an isotope mixing model, we estimated average contributions to zooplankton biomass by pico-POM, nano-POM, and micro-POM of 28, 59, and 15%, respectively. In spring, the nutrient poor region outside the convection zone had low phytoplankton biomass (0.58 mg m-3) and was dominated by pico/nanophytoplankton. Estimated average contributions to zooplankton biomass by pico-POM, nano-POM, and micro-POM were 64, 28 and 10%, respectively, although the model did not differentiate well between pico-POM and nano-POM in this region. In the deep convection zone, spring phytoplankton biomass was high (1.34 mg m-3) and dominated by micro/nano phytoplankton. Estimated average contributions to zooplankton biomass by pico-POM, nano-POM, and micro-POM were 42, 42, and 20%, respectively, indicating that a large part of the microphytoplankton biomass may have remained ungrazed.Plain Language SummaryThe grazing of zooplankton on algal phytoplankton is a critical step in the transfer of energy through all ocean food webs. Although microscopic, phytoplankton span an enormous size range. The smallest picophytoplankton are generally thought to be too

An atmosphere-ocean GCM modelling study of the climate response to changing Arctic seaways in the early Cenozoic.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, C. D.; Legrande, A. N.; Tripati, A. K.

2008-12-01

The report of fossil Azolla (a freshwater aquatic fern) in sediments from the Lomonosov Ridge suggests low salinity conditions occurred in the Arctic Ocean in the early Eocene. Restricted passages between the Arctic Ocean and the surrounding oceans are hypothesized to have caused this Arctic freshening. We investigate this scenario using a water-isotope enabled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model with Eocene boundary conditions including 4xCO2, 7xCH4, altered bathymetry and topography, and an estimated distribution of Eocene vegetational types. In one experiment, oceanic exchange between the Arctic Ocean and other ocean basins was restricted to two shallow (~250 m) seaways, one in the North Atlantic, the Greenland-Norwegian seaway, and the second connecting the Arctic Ocean with the Tethys Ocean, the Turgai Straits. In the restricted configuration, the Greenland-Norwegian seaway was closed and exchange through the Turgai Straits was limited to a depth of ~60 m. The simulations suggest that the severe restriction of Arctic seaways in the early Eocene may have been sufficient to freshen Arctic Ocean surface waters, conducive to Azolla blooms. When exchange with the Arctic Ocean is limited, salinities in the upper several hundred meters of the water column decrease by ~10 psu. In some regions, surface salinity is within 2-3 psu of the reported maximum modern conditions tolerated by Azolla (~5 psu). In the restricted scenario, salt is stored preferentially in the North Atlantic and Tethys oceans, resulting in enhanced meridional overturning, increased poleward heat transport in the North Atlantic western boundary current, and warming of surface and intermediate waters in the North Atlantic by several degrees. Increased sensible and latent heat fluxes from the North Atlantic Ocean, combined with a reduction in cloud albedo, also lead to an increase in surface air temperature of over much of North America, Greenland and Eurasia. Our work is consistent with

Repeated megafloods from glacial Lake Vitim, Siberia, to the Arctic Ocean over the past 60,000 years

Science.gov (United States)

Margold, Martin; Jansen, John D.; Codilean, Alexandru T.; Preusser, Frank; Gurinov, Artem L.; Fujioka, Toshiyuki; Fink, David

2018-05-01

Cataclysmic outburst floods transformed landscapes and caused abrupt climate change during the last deglaciation. Whether such events have also characterized previous deglaciations is not known. Arctic marine cores hint at megafloods prior to Oxygen Isotope Stage (OIS) 2, but the overprint of successive glaciations means that geomorphological traces of ancient floods remain scarce in Eurasia and North America. Here we present the first well-constrained terrestrial megaflood record to be linked with Arctic archives. Based on cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating and optically stimulated luminescence dating applied to glacial-lake sediments, a 300-m deep bedrock spillway, and giant eddy-bars > 200-m high, we reconstruct a history of cataclysmic outburst floods from glacial Lake Vitim, Siberia, to the Arctic Ocean over the past 60,000-years. Three megafloods have reflected the rhythm of Eurasian glaciations, leaving traces that stretch more than 3500 km to the Lena Delta. The first flood was coincident with deglaciation from OIS-4 and the largest meltwater spike in Arctic marine-cores within the past 100,000 years (isotope-event 3.31 at 55.5 ka). The second flood marked the lead up to the local Last Glacial Maximum, and the third flood occurred during the last deglaciation. This final 3000 km3 megaflood stands as one of the largest freshwater floods ever documented, with peak discharge of 4.0-6.5 million m3s-1, mean flow depths of 120-150 m, and average flow velocities up to 21 m s-1.

Freshwater Fish Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Freshwater fish are ecologically important in stream ecosystems, and they provide people with significant food, recreation, and conservation value as biological indicator of freshwater streams. Historically, the streams and rivers of southern New England supported moderately dive...

Exploring Freshwater Science

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

and long term studies on mapping freshwater biodiversity1. 1. R J Ranjit Daniels ... The hierarchical nature of stream organization offers opportunity to ecologists to ask .... threats, freshwater systems are losing their aesthetic value (Fig- ure 4).

[Effects of large bio-manipulation fish pen on community structure of crustacean zooplankton in Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake].

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Zhi-Xin; Xie, Ping; Guo, Long-Gen; Xu, Jun; Zhou, Qiong

2012-08-01

In 2005, a large bio-manipulation pen with the stock of silver carp and bighead carp was built to control the cyanobacterial bloom in Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake. This paper investigated the seasonal variation of the community structure of crustacean zooplankton and the water quality within and outside the pen. There were no significant differences in the environmental parameters and phytoplankton biomass within and outside the pen. The species composition and seasonal dynamics of crustacean zooplankton within and outside the pen were similar, but the biomass of crustacean zooplankton was greatly suppressed by silver carp and bighead carp. The total crustacean zooplankton biomass and cladocerans biomass were significantly lower in the pen (P < 0.05). In general, silver carp and bighead carp exerted more pressure on cladoceran species than on copepod species. A distinct seasonal succession of crustacean zooplankton was observed in the Bay. Many crustacean species were only dominated in given seasons. Large-sized crustacean (mainly Daphnia sp. and Cyclops vicnus) dominated in winter and spring, while small-sized species (mainly Bosmina sp., Ceriodaphnia cornuta, and Limnoithona sinensis) dominated in summer and autumn. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that water transparency, temperature, and phytoplankton biomass were the most important factors affecting the seasonal succession of the crustacean.

Oceanographic mechanisms that possibly explain dominance of neritic-tropical zooplankton species assemblages around the Islas Marías Archipelago, Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaime Gómez-Gutiérrez

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The nearshore zooplankton species assemblage, identified per taxonomic groups (20 and per species for 12 selected groups, was analyzed from samples collected during November 2010 at four volcanic islands of the Islas Marías Archipelago (IMA, located 90-120 km offshore Nayarit, Mexico. From chlorophyll-a concentration and zooplankton biovolume perspective mesotrophic conditions prevailed in comparison with the Gulf of California during November. Crustaceans numerically dominated the zooplankton assemblage (92.3% [Copepoda (79.2%, Decapoda larvae (4.7%, Cladocera (3.7%, Mysidacea (2.7%, and Euphausiacea (2.0%]. The other 15 taxonomic groups (7.7% combined accounted each one less than 1.5% of the relative abundance. Species richness of selected taxa (~56%> included 259 taxa (121 identified to species, 117 to genus, and 21 not identified. Tropical species from neritic affinity clearly dominated zooplankton assemblage around IMA. Five tropical Copepoda species [Calanopia minor (Dana, Clausocalanus jobei Frost & Fleminger, Acrocalanus gibber Giesbrecht, Canthocalanus pauper (Giesbrecht, and Centropages furcatus (Dana], a cladoceran Pseudevadne tergestina (Claus, and a Mysidacea species (Mysidium reckettsi Harrison & Bowman dominated the zooplankton assemblage (accounting about 55% of total abundance of the identified species. Except C. furcatus, all these species are not abundant at oceanic regions of the central and northern Gulf of California. The similarity of multiple neritic and tropical species in the zooplankton assemblage from IMA and Cape Corrientes suggests strong coastal-insular plankton connectivity. Episodic current plumes associated with anomalous intense rivers discharge during rainy years, eddies generated by coastal upwelling event that move offshore, and northward regional oceanic circulation are the most likely mesoscale oceanographic processes that cause costal tropical zooplankton drift enhancing coastal-Archipelago species

Freshwater and fish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saxen, R.

1997-01-01

Severe radioactive contamination of the freshwater environment could have serious consequences for both drinking water and fish. Most of the Nordic countries have an abundance of freshwater lakes and rivers. Finland alone has about 56,000 lakes, each with a surface area of 1 hectare or more. Nearly 10% of Finland's surface is covered with lakes and rivers. In Sweden, about 9% of the surface area is freshwater, in Norway about 5%, and in Denmark only about 2%. Freshwater plays a minor role in Iceland, but even there numerous rivers discharge from the volcanic soils to the Ocean. Cs-137 and 90 Sr are likely to be the most important radionuclides with respect to long term radioactive contamination of freshwater. If radioactive deposition occurs in the absence of snow and ice radionuclides will contaminate the surface water directly and may rapidly enter the aquatic food chain. Fish which eat contaminated plankton become contaminated almost immediately. Deposition during summer increases the transfer for radionuclides to fish since fish metabolism is faster during the warm season. During the cold period, fish metabolism is slow and thus uptake and excretion of radiocaesium are also slow. (EG)

Culture of Freshwater Prawns (Macrobrachium Rosenbergii) Using Geothermal Waste Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, William C

1978-01-01

The farming of freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) in geothermal-heated water has been demonstrated to be feasible in a non-tropical climate. The husbandry of prawns is being done in two outdoor raceway ponds, 9.1 m by 2.5 m and 29 m by 3.5 m that are 1.2 m deep. The ponds are not shielded from the ambient climate which during the winter months has recorded air temperatures as low as -20oC. A selected brood stock is held in a small spawning building where larvae are hatched in artificial saltwater and reared to the post-larvae stage which makes the facility self-supporting. This project is providing a model for potential investors to utilize the low-temperature geothermal resources in the western United States for warm water aquaculture. Zooplankton, macroscopic crusteans, from a local euthrophic lake are being fed to the post-larvae and adult prawns in addition to prepared commercial dry pelleted foods to keep operational costs at a minimum. Initial measurements of growth and weight gains indicate the production of two crops of prawns per year at seven to the pond is possible. No work on intensive culture has been done. Plans to enlarge the facility and do work on developing intensive culture are being considered.

Pan-Arctic observations in GRENE Arctic Climate Change Research Project and its successor

Science.gov (United States)

Yamanouchi, Takashi

2016-04-01

We started a Japanese initiative - "Arctic Climate Change Research Project" - within the framework of the Green Network of Excellence (GRENE) Program, funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT), in 2011. This Project targeted understanding and forecasting "Rapid Change of the Arctic Climate System and its Global Influences." Four strategic research targets are set by the Ministry: 1. Understanding the mechanism of warming amplification in the Arctic; 2. Understanding the Arctic climate system for global climate and future change; 3. Evaluation of the impacts of Arctic change on the weather and climate in Japan, marine ecosystems and fisheries; 4. Projection of sea ice distribution and Arctic sea routes. Through a network of universities and institutions in Japan, this 5-year Project involves more than 300 scientists from 39 institutions and universities. The National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) works as the core institute and The Japan Agency for Marine- Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) joins as the supporting institute. There are 7 bottom up research themes approved: the atmosphere, terrestrial ecosystems, cryosphere, greenhouse gases, marine ecology and fisheries, sea ice and Arctic sea routes and climate modeling, among 22 applications. The Project will realize multi-disciplinal study of the Arctic region and connect to the projection of future Arctic and global climatic change by modeling. The project has been running since the beginning of 2011 and in those 5 years pan-Arctic observations have been carried out in many locations, such as Svalbard, Russian Siberia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland and the Arctic Ocean. In particular, 95 GHz cloud profiling radar in high precision was established at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, and intensive atmospheric observations were carried out in 2014 and 2015. In addition, the Arctic Ocean cruises by R/V "Mirai" (belonging to JAMSTEC) and other icebreakers belonging to other

Implementation of the zooplankton functional response in plankton models: State of the art, recent challenges and future directions

Science.gov (United States)

Morozov, Andrew; Poggiale, Jean-Christophe; Cordoleani, Flora

2012-09-01

The conventional way of describing grazing in plankton models is based on a zooplankton functional response framework, according to which the consumption rate is computed as the product of a certain function of food (the functional response) and the density/biomass of herbivorous zooplankton. A large amount of literature on experimental feeding reports the existence of a zooplankton functional response in microcosms and small mesocosms, which goes a long way towards explaining the popularity of this framework both in mean-field (e.g. NPZD models) and spatially resolved models. On the other hand, the complex foraging behaviour of zooplankton (feeding cycles) as well as spatial heterogeneity of food and grazer distributions (plankton patchiness) across time and space scales raise questions as to the existence of a functional response of herbivores in vivo. In the current review, we discuss limitations of the ‘classical’ zooplankton functional response and consider possible ways to amend this framework to cope with the complexity of real planktonic ecosystems. Our general conclusion is that although the functional response of herbivores often does not exist in real ecosystems (especially in the form observed in the laboratory), this framework can be rather useful in modelling - but it does need some amendment which can be made based on various techniques of model reduction. We also show that the shape of the functional response depends on the spatial resolution (‘frame’) of the model. We argue that incorporating foraging behaviour and spatial heterogeneity in plankton models would not necessarily require the use of individual based modelling - an approach which is now becoming dominant in the literature. Finally, we list concrete future directions and challenges and emphasize the importance of a closer collaboration between plankton biologists and modellers in order to make further progress towards better descriptions of zooplankton grazing.

Migrant biomass and respiratory carbon flux by zooplankton and micronekton in the subtropical northeast Atlantic Ocean (Canary Islands)

Science.gov (United States)

Ariza, A.; Garijo, J. C.; Landeira, J. M.; Bordes, F.; Hernández-León, S.

2015-05-01

Diel Vertical Migration (DVM) in marine ecosystems is performed by zooplankton and micronekton, promoting a poorly accounted export of carbon to the deep ocean. Major efforts have been made to estimate carbon export due to gravitational flux and to a lesser extent, to migrant zooplankton. However, migratory flux by micronekton has been largely neglected in this context, due to its time-consuming and difficult sampling. In this paper, we evaluated gravitational and migratory flux due to the respiration of zooplankton and micronekton in the northeast subtropical Atlantic Ocean (Canary Islands). Migratory flux was addressed by calculating the biomass of migrating components and measuring the electron transfer system (ETS) activity in zooplankton and dominant species representing micronekton (Euphausia gibboides, Sergia splendens and Lobianchia dofleini). Our results showed similar biomass in both components. The main taxa contributing to DVM within zooplankton were juvenile euphausiids, whereas micronekton were mainly dominated by fish, followed by adult euphausiids and decapods. The contribution to respiratory flux of zooplankton (3.4 ± 1.9 mg C m-2 d-1) was similar to that of micronekton (2.9 ± 1.0 mg C m-2 d-1). In summary, respiratory flux accounted for 53% (range 23-71) of the gravitational flux measured at 150 m depth (11.9 ± 5.8 mg C m-2 d-1). However, based on larger migratory ranges and gut clearance rates, micronekton are expected to be the dominant component that contributes to carbon export in deeper waters. Micronekton estimates in this paper as well as those in existing literature, although variable due to regional differences and difficulties in calculating their biomass, suggest that carbon fluxes driven by this community are important for future models of the biological carbon pump.

Species composition, abundance and distribution of zooplankton in a tropical eutrophic lake: Lake Catemaco, México

OpenAIRE

Roberto E. Torres-Orozco B.; Sandra A. Zanatta

1998-01-01

From April 1992 to May 1993, zooplankton samples were collected monthly by means of horizontal tows in nine sites of the lake. Prior to the towing, temperature of surface water, transparency (Secchi), pH and dissolved oxygen were evaluated. A total of 31 zooplankton forms, including 14 species of rotifers, three copepods, five cladocerans and one ostracod, as well as protozoans (mainly vorticellids and ciliates), were detected. Rotifers were the dominant organisms, mainly Brachionus havanaens...

Contemporary Arctic Sea Level

Science.gov (United States)

Cazenave, A. A.

2017-12-01

During recent decades, the Arctic region has warmed at a rate about twice the rest of the globe. Sea ice melting is increasing and the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerated rate. Arctic warming, decrease in the sea ice cover and fresh water input to the Arctic ocean may eventually impact the Arctic sea level. In this presentation, we review our current knowledge of contemporary Arctic sea level changes. Until the beginning of the 1990s, Arctic sea level variations were essentially deduced from tide gauges located along the Russian and Norwegian coastlines. Since then, high inclination satellite altimetry missions have allowed measuring sea level over a large portion of the Arctic Ocean (up to 80 degree north). Measuring sea level in the Arctic by satellite altimetry is challenging because the presence of sea ice cover limits the full capacity of this technique. However adapted processing of raw altimetric measurements significantly increases the number of valid data, hence the data coverage, from which regional sea level variations can be extracted. Over the altimetry era, positive trend patterns are observed over the Beaufort Gyre and along the east coast of Greenland, while negative trends are reported along the Siberian shelf. On average over the Arctic region covered by satellite altimetry, the rate of sea level rise since 1992 is slightly less than the global mea sea level rate (of about 3 mm per year). On the other hand, the interannual variability is quite significant. Space gravimetry data from the GRACE mission and ocean reanalyses provide information on the mass and steric contributions to sea level, hence on the sea level budget. Budget studies show that regional sea level trends over the Beaufort Gyre and along the eastern coast of Greenland, are essentially due to salinity changes. However, in terms of regional average, the net steric component contributes little to the observed sea level trend. The sea level budget in the Arctic

Comparative account on zooplankton in polluted and unpolluted estuaries of Gujarat

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Desai, B.N.; Gajbhiye, S.N.; JiyalalRam, M.J.; Nair, V.R.

An assessment of the zooplankton biomass and composition in Kolak Par, Damanganga and Auranga estuaries was made. Among these four rivers pollution is severe in the first two, moderate in Damanganga and good water quality prevailed in Auranga...

Redefining U.S. Arctic Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-15

responsibility shifts 21 Barno, David and Nora Bensahel. The Anti-Access Challenge you’re not thinking...International Affairs 85, no. 6 (2009). 38 Barno, David and Nora Bensahel. THE ANTI-ACCESS CHALLENGE YOU’RE NOT THINKING ABOUT, 05 May 2015...and Rescue in the Arctic, 22 June 2011. Arctic Council Secretariat. About the Arctic Council, Arctic Council, 2011. Barno, David and Nora

Wet Season Spatial Occurrence Of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

were due to high freshwater inflow from adjoining waterways and reduced tidal incursion from the sea. ... Information dealing with the plankton species of the Lagos lagoon and its environs is ... short season of dry, dusty North-East Trade winds are experienced sometimes between ...... In: Freshwater. Algae of North America.

A 13C labelling study on carbon fluxes in Arctic plankton communities under elevated CO2 levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. de Kluijver

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The effect of CO2 on carbon fluxes (production, consumption, and export in Arctic plankton communities was investigated during the 2010 EPOCA (European project on Ocean Acidification mesocosm study off Ny Ålesund, Svalbard. 13C labelled bicarbonate was added to nine mesocosms with a range in pCO2 (185 to 1420 μatm to follow the transfer of carbon from dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC into phytoplankton, bacterial and zooplankton consumers, and export. A nutrient–phytoplankton–zooplankton–detritus model amended with 13C dynamics was constructed and fitted to the data to quantify uptake rates and carbon fluxes in the plankton community. The plankton community structure was characteristic for a post-bloom situation and retention food web and showed high bacterial production (∼31% of primary production, high abundance of mixotrophic phytoplankton, low mesozooplankton grazing (∼6% of primary production and low export (∼7% of primary production. Zooplankton grazing and export of detritus were sensitive to CO2: grazing decreased and export increased with increasing pCO2. Nutrient addition halfway through the experiment increased the export, but not the production rates. Although mixotrophs showed initially higher production rates with increasing CO2, the overall production of POC (particulate organic carbon after nutrient addition decreased with increasing CO2. Interestingly, and contrary to the low nutrient situation, much more material settled down in the sediment traps at low CO2. The observed CO2 related effects potentially alter future organic carbon flows and export, with possible consequences for the efficiency of the biological pump.

Surface zooplankton communities in the Indian sector of the Antarctic Ocean in early summer 1999/2000 observed with a Continuous Plankton Recorder

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Haruko Umeda

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The first deployment of a Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR on board the icebreaker Shirase was conducted during the 41st Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE in 1999/2000 austral summer in the Indian sector of the Antarctic Ocean. The CPR was towed horizontally at approximately 10m depth while the Shirase was steaming at about 14 knots across the Polar Front (PF. Mean total abundance of zooplankton for horizontal five nautical mile sample units was 168.1(SD : ±117.18 individuals with the maximum of 456 individuals. Zooplanktons were counted for 34 categories of species/taxa. Copepods occupied more than 90% of the total abundance in numbers. Oithona spp. was the most dominant group among copepods, representing 59% of the total zooplankton. Other numerically important categories were small-sized calanoids (copepodites and adults; 18.4%, and copepodites of Calanoides acutus and Calanus simillimus (8.2%. Latitudinal change of zooplankton abundance coincided with increasing/decreasing tends of temperature and salinity. Two different zooplankton assemblages were identified by cluster analysis and these assemblages seem to be closely related to different water characteristics, such as the of PF and areas of cold water masses. CPR is considered to be an ideal tool for long term monitoring of surface zooplankton communities.

Zooplankton data collected from SWIMMER/DIVER in Coastal Waters of Hawaii; 07 February 1995 to 15 March 1995 (NODC Accession 9800149)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Zooplankton data were collected using zooplankton net casts in Coastal Waters of Hawaii from SWIMMER / DIVER. Data were collected from 07 February 1995 to 15 March...

Mechanisms underlying recovery of zooplankton in Lake Orta after liming

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Roberta Piscia

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The goal of this study was to improve the understanding of the large-scale mechanisms underlying the recovery of the zooplankton of Lake Orta from historical contamination, following reduced input of ammonia and metals and the subsequent 1989/90 liming intervention. The industrial pollution had been severe and long-lasting (1929-1990. Zooplankton biodiversity has improved, but most of the new taxa appearing in our counts are rotifers, while many calanoids and the large cladoceran predators (Bythotrephes and Leptodora that are common in the nearby Lake Maggiore, were still absent from Lake Orta 17 years after liming. To aid understanding of the large-scale mechanisms controlling changes in annual richness, we assessed the annual persistence (P of Crustacea and Rotifera taxa as an estimator of whether propagules that survived introduction, as result of the natural recolonization process, also thrived. We found that the rate of introduction of zooplankton colonists and their persistence in the water column of Lake Orta changed from 1971 to 2007. New rotifer taxa appeared in the lake after the mid-1980s, when discharge of toxic substances decreased, but their annual persistence was low (P<0.5 until the turn of the century. The numerical values of rotifer and crustacean persistence in Lake Orta were unexpectedly high in 2001 and 2007 (0.55 and 0.72 for rotifers, 0.85 and 0.86 for crustacean, respectively, much higher than in limed lakes in Sudbury, Canada, and in adjacent Lake Maggiore. We hypothesize this could be related to the lack of Cladoceran predators and zooplanktivorous fish in the pelagic waters of Lake Orta.

Linkages between the circulation and distribution of dissolved organic matter in the White Sea, Arctic Ocean