Temporal patterns of benthic community development in an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard): results of a 24-year manipulation study

Beuchel, Frank; Gulliksen, Bjørn

doi:10.1007/s00300-008-0429-9

Cited by 59 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Taxa conspicuously absent from our shallow settlement plates included ascidians and sponges. Epifaunal and encrusting species of both taxa, notably Didemnum albinum and Halichondria sp., are present at Kvadehuken (Jørgensen and Gulliksen ; Beuchel and Gulliksen ; Laudien and Orchard ), but none recruited to the settlement plates there or at any other station. D. albinum and species of Halichondria brood their larvae (Marks ; Maldonado ), potentially leading to restricted dispersal.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recruitment of benthic invertebrates in high Arctic fjords: Relation to temperature, depth, and season

Meyer¹,

Sweetman

Kukliński

et al. 2017

Limnology & Oceanography

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In the high Arctic, recruitment of hard‐bottom benthic organisms has been studied at single locations, but little is known about how it varies spatially or temporally, or how it is influenced by abiotic factors. In this study, settlement plates were simultaneously deployed at five locations in three Svalbard (Norway) fjords at depths ranging from 7 m to 215 m. Recruitment was significantly different among fjords and among locations within a fjord. Recruits at each site co‐occurred randomly even though interspecific overgrowth was observed. This finding provides further evidence that there is not necessarily a relationship between non‐random co‐occurrence and interspecific competition, such as is traditionally assumed for other isolated, island‐like habitats. We found significantly lower recruitment in an Arctic‐influenced fjord than in more Atlantic‐influenced fjords. The abundance and richness of recruits was significantly lower in fall‐winter than in spring‐summer, but the spirorbid Circeis armoricana recruited in high abundance in fall‐winter. Both the abundance and taxonomic richness of recruits declined exponentially with depth, with the hydroid Stegopoma plicatile dominating at 215 m in an Atlantic‐influenced fjord. The most abundant recruiting taxa (C. armoricana, Semibalanus balanoides, Harmeria scutulata, Celleporella hyalina) can be described as pioneer (early‐succession) species. Crustose coralline algae, a slow‐growing superior competitor, also recruited at one location. Recruitment in Svalbard is highly variable, both spatially and temporally, and our results show the influence of local factors such as adult species composition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recruitment of benthic invertebrates in high Arctic fjords: Relation to temperature, depth, and season

Meyer¹,

Sweetman

Kukliński

et al. 2017

Limnology & Oceanography

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“…In nature, calcareous algae can tolerate overgrowth by macroalgae (Miles and Meslow ; Airoldi ; Dethier and Steneck ), enabling coexistence despite high macroalgal growth rates. Further, grazing by invertebrates may also promote coexistence in nature (Paine and Vadas ; Mumby et al ; Beuchel and Gulliksen ). This suggests that the complete exclusion of one or the other algae types ( C x M , M x C ) predicted by our model, may rather represent communities in which one algae type dominates the available substrate and the other is present in low abundance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a baseline for model construction, we used the observations of changes in benthic community structure from a 30‐yr‐long study in Svalbard, where coverage of macroalgal fronds in the shallow subtidal increased rapidly up to eight‐fold (Fig. a,b; Beuchel et al ; Beuchel and Gulliksen ; Kortsch et al ). We parameterized the model for temperature and light conditions at 15 m depth (below depths influenced by ice‐scouring) in sub‐arctic fjords and coastal areas.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanistic model identifies increasing light availability due to sea ice reductions as cause for increasing macroalgae cover in the Arctic

Scherrer

Kortsch

Varpe

et al. 2018

Limnology & Oceanography

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In the Arctic, rising seawater temperatures and increasing underwater light caused by reductions in sea ice cover are expected to change the structure of arctic marine communities. Substantial, sometimes sudden, increases in macroalgal productivity and biomass have already been observed in arctic rocky bottom communities. These macroalgal responses have been attributed to increasing temperature and light, but the relative importance of the suggested drivers of change has not yet been assessed. In this study, we used a mechanistic competition model to unravel the effects of temperature and light on benthic community structure and algae dominance, focusing on key algae species: red calcareous algae and macroalgal fronds. We find that light is the primary driver of increases in macroalgal coverage, whereas increased seawater temperature plays a secondary role. Shifts leading to macroalgae dominated communities may be mediated by competitive interactions, and are likely due to three light‐related processes: earlier sea ice break‐out at high latitudes can result in an exponential increase in the cumulative amount of light that enters the water column during a year; threshold effect in light requirements for algal growth; and light requirements of calcareous algae being substantially lower than those of macroalgae. With continued warming, our modeling results suggest that reduced sea ice coverage and increased light availability will favor dominance of macroalgae, which due to their key ecological role are expected to alter the structure and functioning of arctic rocky bottom ecosystems.

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“…Polar macrozoobenthos exhibits slow rates of recolonisation, reproduction and growth compared with temperate regions (Dunton et al 1982). Different recolonisation patterns for individual species correspond to lifespan, rate of maturity, predators and larval settlement (Beuchel and Gulliksen 2008). As macroalgae facilitate to some extent settlement of macrozoobenthos on shallow hard bottom, the recolonisation by macrozoobenthos might depend on macroalgal regrowth.…”

Section: Effects Of Disturbances On Heterogeneity Of Benthic Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal shift in biomass and production of macrozoobenthos in the macroalgal belt at Hansneset, Kongsfjorden, after 15 years

et al. 2015

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In Arctic macroalgal belt ecosystems, macrozoobenthic production is thought to be an important link between primary production and higher trophic levels. Macrozoobenthic biomass and secondary production were studied along transects (2.5-15 m depth) in the macroalgal belt at Hansneset in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, from 2012 to 2013. At 2.5 m, the standing stock reached its maxima of 174.8 ± 54.4 g ash-free dry weight per 1 m 2 , while density (4341 ind. m -2 ± 1127 95 % CI) and production (7.0 g C m -2 y -1 ± 2.8 95 % CI) were highest at 5 m water depth in 2012/13. Compared to a study from 1996/98, this re-sampling indicated a drastic change in the depth distribution of macrozoobenthic biomass and secondary production at Hansneset. While both biomass and secondary production increased with water depth in 1996/98, this pattern was inversed in 2012/13 owing to a tenfold increase in biomass and secondary production in the upper most sublittoral (2.5-5 m). Variability of macrozoobenthic biomass and secondary production corresponded to differences in the physical environment and macroalgal vegetation along the depth gradient. In the last decade, the number of ice-free days per year increased probably due to Arctic warming. As a result, shallow rocky habitats (2.5-5 m) are less affected by ice scouring, thereby opening new space for colonisation by benthic fauna. However, faunal secondary production was low compared to macroalgal primary production, indicating a considerable export of most of the algal production from the shallow habitats to the adjacent areas.

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Temporal patterns of benthic community development in an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard): results of a 24-year manipulation study

Cited by 59 publications

References 65 publications

Recruitment of benthic invertebrates in high Arctic fjords: Relation to temperature, depth, and season

Recruitment of benthic invertebrates in high Arctic fjords: Relation to temperature, depth, and season

Mechanistic model identifies increasing light availability due to sea ice reductions as cause for increasing macroalgae cover in the Arctic

Temporal shift in biomass and production of macrozoobenthos in the macroalgal belt at Hansneset, Kongsfjorden, after 15 years

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