Seasonal dynamics of meroplankton in a high-latitude fjord

Michelsen, Helena Kling; Svensen, Camilla; Reigstad, Marit; Nilssen, Einar M.; Pedersen, Torstein

doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2016.12.001

Cited by 32 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 56 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…1, Table S1). Water was collected at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 m and followed procedures described in Michelsen et al (2017). In contour maps, temperature and salinity at the surface and seafloor together with the depth-integrated chl a concentration at each station were interpolated and smoothed using data interpolate variational analysis (DIVA) gridding to extrapolate missing data points across the whole fjord using Ocean Data View software (Schlitzer 2012).…”

Section: Plankton Sampling and Hydrographymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main planktonic components (meroplankton and holoplankton) were identified and counted. Randomized subsample aliquots were extracted until approximately 300 individuals of each zooplankton component were counted using a stereo microscope (Leica MZ16) equipped with a calibrated micrometer (see Michelsen et al 2017 for details). Meroplankton were identified to the lowest level possible using available identification keys.…”

Section: Zooplankton Enumeration and Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fjord supports high benthic production and biomass (Fuhrmann et al 2015) and the environmental variables have been shown to be important to both the holoplanktonic and benthic adult community structure within the fjord (Fuhrmann et al 2015, Priou 2015. Moreover, a recent study on the seasonal dynamics of meroplankton at 2 stations within the fjord showed that meroplankton dynamics in the water column followed a strong seasonal trend, where spring and summer had the highest total abundance of meroplankton as well as relative abundance of meroplankton in the zooplankton community (Michelsen et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reproductive timing, output and developmental duration of these invertebrates are finely tuned to environmental variables to ensure that spawning and egg hatching occur during the optimal time of highest fertilization success, larval survival or when energy levels are high enough for further adult survival (Thorson 1950, Mileikovsky 1971. Due to the temporally and spatially variable nature of environmental variables at high latitudes, benthic invertebrates display a strong annual timing of these lifecycle events (Kuklinski et al 2013, Silberberger et al 2016, Stübner et al 2016, Michelsen et al 2017). Reproduction at high latitudes occurs mainly in spring and summer and often coincides with increasing chlorophyll a (chl a) concentrations, warming temperatures and increasing day length (Kwasniewski et al 2013, Silberberger et al 2016, Stübner et al 2016, Michelsen et al 2017.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to the temporally and spatially variable nature of environmental variables at high latitudes, benthic invertebrates display a strong annual timing of these lifecycle events (Kuklinski et al 2013, Silberberger et al 2016, Stübner et al 2016, Michelsen et al 2017). Reproduction at high latitudes occurs mainly in spring and summer and often coincides with increasing chlorophyll a (chl a) concentrations, warming temperatures and increasing day length (Kwasniewski et al 2013, Silberberger et al 2016, Stübner et al 2016, Michelsen et al 2017. The exact timing of larval or gamete release depends on the species and their biogeographical origin and may vary between taxa and species as they respond differently to the environmental variability experienced (Monro & Marshall 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Spatial patterns of spring meroplankton along environmental gradients in a sub-Arctic fjord

Michelsen¹,

Nilssen²,

Pedersen³

et al. 2017

Aquat. Biol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The spatial patterns in abundance and composition of benthic invertebrate larvae (meroplankton), the correlation between these patterns and environmental variables (temperature, salinity and chl a) and the relative abundance of meroplankton in the mesozooplankton community were investigated in the sub-Arctic Porsangerfjord, Norway (70°N). Zooplankton samples and CTD-profiles were collected at 17 stations along the fjord in April 2013. A total of 32 morphologically different larval types belonging to 8 phyla were identified. Meroplankton were found at all stations, and their community and abundance differed significantly along the fjord. Meroplankton abundance in the inner and outer parts of the fjord was low and was dominated by Gastropoda and Echinodermata. The greatest numbers were recorded in shallow bays and the middle part of the fjord where Cirripedia and Polychaeta were dominant. Meroplankton contributed significantly to the mesozooplankton community in the bays (30 to 90%) and mid-fjord (13 to 48%) areas. These changes in community structure were attributed to spatial gradients in environmental variables such as chl a, salinity and temperature. The different communities suggested a seasonal succession in reproductive events from the fjord mouth toward the head. Considering that spring is an important season for reproduction in pelagic organisms, meroplankton may play a role in the pelagic ecosystem of high-latitude fjords as grazers and prey. Furthermore, the spatial dynamics and reproductive timing of benthic and holoplanktonic organisms are sensitive to local hydrographical features, illustrating their sensitivity to changing environments.

show abstract

Section: Plankton Sampling and Hydrographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Zooplankton Enumeration and Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Spatial patterns of spring meroplankton along environmental gradients in a sub-Arctic fjord

Michelsen¹,

Nilssen²,

Pedersen³

et al. 2017

Aquat. Biol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Seasonal dynamics of mesozooplankton biomass over a sub‐Arctic continental shelf

Silberberger

Renaud²,

Eiane

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mesozooplankton research in high latitude ecosystems tends to focus on different life stages of Calanus spp. due to its biomass dominance and trophic roles. However, a complex seasonal succession of abundant smaller mesozooplankton taxa suggests that the ecological functioning of the mesozooplankton communities is more complicated. We studied the year‐round taxon‐specific biomass measurements and size distributions of mesozooplankton on a sub‐Arctic continental shelf based on formalin preserved samples. Our results confirm that Calanus spp. dominate the mesozooplankton biomass (81%). We show that commonly used length–weight relationships underestimate Calanus biomass in autumn and winter, and accordingly, a strong seasonal bias was introduced in our understanding of sub‐Arctic plankton communities. We observed two periods with considerable contribution of meroplankton, the planktonic larvae of benthic invertebrates, to the mesozooplankton biomass: (a) Cirripedia nauplii accounted for 17% of total biomass close to the coast in early April and (b) meroplankton comprised up to 12.7% of total biomass in late July. Based on these results, we suggest that meroplankton may play an ecologically important role in addition to their role in dispersal of benthic species. We conclude that the seasonal succession of the biomass of small‐sized holoplankton and meroplankton, often obscured by patterns in the Calanus biomass, should receive more attention as these smaller individuals are likely an important functional component of the pelagic food web.

show abstract

Seasonal and interannual variability of the Queen Maud Gulf ecosystem derived from sediment trap measurements

Dezutter

Lalande

Darnis

et al. 2020

Limnology & Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Several years of monitoring in the northern Canadian Arctic Archipelago contrast with a lack of repeated measurements in Queen Maud Gulf. As sea ice cover declines and maritime traffic increases along the Northwest Passage, Queen Maud Gulf, including the protected national historic sites of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror wrecks, may experience drastic environmental changes. As part of the Kitikmeot Marine Ecosystems Study, moored oceanographic devices including a sediment trap were deployed in Queen Maud Gulf over three consecutive annual cycles from October 2015 to August 2018 to study the functioning of this geographic bottleneck along the Northwest Passage. Seasonal and interannual variability in total particulate matter (TPM), particulate organic carbon (POC), and microalgal fluxes were investigated in relation to wind speed, snow depth, sea ice cover, water temperature, and current velocity. Zooplankton and meroplankton present in the sediment trap were enumerated to monitor their composition and seasonal development. Landfast ice breakup consistently occurred in early June, followed by sea ice breakup in July. The release of sea ice algae was initiated in March 2016, May 2017, and June 2018, whereas peaks in diatom fluxes occurred in August or September. Sustained abundance of pelagic copepods and meroplankton suggested an ecosystem sufficiently productive to support the year‐round development of the pelagic and benthic communities. Elevated autumn TPM and POC fluxes reflected wind‐induced mixing and resuspension in the absence of ice cover. Our results provide a baseline for evaluating the impact of environmental changes on the Queen Maud Gulf marine ecosystem.

show abstract

Seasonal dynamics of meroplankton in a high-latitude fjord

Cited by 32 publications

References 56 publications

Spatial patterns of spring meroplankton along environmental gradients in a sub-Arctic fjord

Spatial patterns of spring meroplankton along environmental gradients in a sub-Arctic fjord

Seasonal dynamics of mesozooplankton biomass over a sub‐Arctic continental shelf

Seasonal and interannual variability of the Queen Maud Gulf ecosystem derived from sediment trap measurements

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About