Temporal variability of benthic communities in an Alaskan glacial fjord, 1971–2007

Blanchard, Arny L.; Feder, Howard M.; Hoberg, Max K.

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2009.08.005

Cited by 26 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Benthic diversity and biomass can change significantly from the outer to the inner parts of Arctic and Subarctic fjords (Kendall and Aschan 1993;Holte and Oug 1996;Włodarska-Kowalczuk et al 2005;Blanchard et al 2010). The chronic disturbance associated with glacial activity is especially visible in the shallow areas located close to the glacial terminus (Włodarska-Kowalczuk et al 1998;Włodarska-Kowalczuk and Pearson 2004;Siciński et al 2012); however, this influence can be very strong to as deep as 100 m (Siciński 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution patterns of polychaete fauna in an Arctic fjord (Hornsund, Spitsbergen)

et al. 2013

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Polychaetes are one of the most important groups of benthic organisms in marine ecosystems. They dominate on the Arctic shelf and play an important role in ecosystem functioning. This study focuses on the polychaete biodiversity and their distribution patterns in Hornsund, an open glacial fjord, in western Spitsbergen and provides important baseline data for future studies of temporal fluctuations in benthic fauna. The main aim of this study was to assess how the polychaete abundance, biomass, diversity, community structure, and function vary along the Hornsund fjord's axis, in relation to the environmental factors. Eighty-eight polychaete taxa were identified; an average density was 457 ind. m -2 ± 237.5 SD. Three assemblages were distinguished (INNER, MIDDLE, and OUTER) along the fjord axis, reflecting the intensity of glacial disturbance. A clear division between the highly disturbed inner part of the fjord (Brepollen) and the less impacted middle and outer parts was observed. Continuous gradients in abundance, biomass, and diversity were found with all those values diminishing toward the inner region of the fjord. The polychaete assemblages' indices were significantly correlated with bottom temperature, sediment characteristics (grain size), and distance to the glacier (longitude). No significant correlations were found with depth or total organic carbon content. Carnivore and motile surface deposit feeding polychaete species dominated in the areas close to the glaciers, while the OUTER community was dominated by carnivores and surface sessile and discretely motile species, and had more complex trophic structure, with multiple species representing different functional groups including carnivores, sessile, discretely motile, and motile surface deposit feeders and motile burrowers.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution patterns of polychaete fauna in an Arctic fjord (Hornsund, Spitsbergen)

et al. 2013

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“…Weathered petroleum enters the fjord via a diffuser pipeline through which treated ballast water (taken from incoming tankers and treated onshore) is discharged. Prior studies demonstrated limited effects on benthic fauna from short-term increases in sediment hydrocarbon at a shallow station adjacent to the point of discharge for treated ballast water while no effects were noted from hydrocarbons at deep sampling locations (Blanchard et al 2002(Blanchard et al , 2010. The quantity of treated ballast water discharged into the fjord has declined over the study period but associated changes in benthic fauna have not been observed (Blanchard et al 2002;Payne et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…The fjord has two sills (at 120 and 200 m depth) which limit bottom-water circulation and a relatively flat bottom reaching a depth of 230 to 250 m. The residence time of mid-depth water is estimated as 40 days due to a slow, counter-clockwise circulation (Colonell et al 1988). Macrofaunal abundance and biomass are relatively low and spatial trends in community structure are associated with a gradient in sediment deposition and grain size within the fjord (Feder and Matheke 1980;Feder and Jewett 1988;Blanchard et al 2010). Oily ballast water from tankers is treated onshore to remove hydrocarbons through physical, chemical, and biological treatment phases (Shaw and Hameedi 1988).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The range of responses of macrofauna to hydrocarbons and the potential influence of confounding variables makes accurate determinations of responses of biota difficult (Peterson et al 1996;Blanchard et al 2002;Wake 2002). Longterm studies with power to discriminate shifts in communities over space and time are necessary to clarify responses of benthic organisms to sediment contamination and disturbance (Gray and Christie 1983;Pearson and Mannvik 1998;Hawkins et al 2002;Blanchard et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Associations between macrofauna and sediment hydrocarbons from treated ballast water effluent at a marine oil terminal in Port Valdez, Alaska

Blanchard

Feder

Shaw

2010

Environ Monit Assess

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Sediment-dwelling macrofauna, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and abiotic parameters were monitored annually in benthic marine sediments from 1989-2007 in Port Valdez, a period of declining routine discharge of treated marine ballast water containing residual PAH from a major crude oil loading facility. The resulting dataset was used to evaluate associations between macrofauna and environmental characteristics including PAH concentrations. The influences of natural abiotic gradients on macrofauna were stronger than associations between macrofauna and sediment PAH. Though overall associations of PAH with macrofaunal community structure were weak, effects were greater for the tube-dwelling polychaete worms Galathowenia oculata and Melinna cristata which responded negatively to low PAH values near sediment quality criteria (threshold effects concentration: TEC and field-based sediment quality criterion: fb-SQG: ∼300 ng g( -1)). Effects of PAH on benthic fauna may be strongest through poor survival of juveniles and failed recruitment over multiple years. Comparison of measured PAH concentrations to the TEC and field-based fb-SQG suggest that the observed levels of change in Port Valdez are minor and the criteria are ecologically appropriate for environmental monitoring. By demonstrating positive responses of sensitive fauna to reduction of PAH concentration, this study contributes to understanding the temporal change, ecological importance, and size of effects expected on benthic fauna in the presence of continuous exposure to low levels of hydrocarbons.

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“…Environment-growth relationships were most common with 2-year lags or during the current summer of fish growth. Again, a mechanism involving the Kelp Greenlings' prey may be responsible, as warmer conditions are associated with increased abundance (Blanchard et al 2010), growth (Neuparth et al 2002;Black et al 2009;Stoner et al 2010;Helser et al 2012), development (Shirley et al 1987;Hoegh-Guldberg and Pearse 1995), and reproduction (Hines 1982;Neuparth et al 2002) of benthic invertebrates.…”

Section: Kelp Greenlings In the Alaska Coastal Currentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Basin‐ and Local‐Scale Environmental Conditions on Nearshore Production in the Northeast Pacific Ocean

et al. 2016

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Nearshore marine habitats are productive and vulnerable owing to their connections to pelagic and terrestrial landscapes. To understand how ocean basin‐ and local‐scale conditions may influence nearshore species, we developed an annual index of nearshore production (spanning the period 1972–2010) from growth increments recorded in otoliths of representative pelagic‐feeding (Black Rockfish Sebastes melanops) and benthic‐feeding (Kelp Greenling Hexagrammos decagrammus) nearshore‐resident fishes at nine sites in the California Current and Alaska Coastal Current systems. We explored the influence of basin‐ and local‐scale conditions across all seasons at lags of up to 2 years to represent changes in prey quantity (1‐ or 2‐year time lags) and quality (within‐year relationships). Relationships linking fish growth to basin‐scale (Pacific Decadal Oscillation, North Pacific Gyre Oscillation, and multivariate El Niño–Southern Oscillation index) and local‐scale (sea surface temperature, sea surface height anomalies, upwelling index, photosynthetically active radiation, and freshwater discharge) environmental conditions varied by species and current system. Growth of Black Rockfish increased with cool basin‐scale conditions in the California Current and warm local‐scale conditions in the Alaska Coastal Current, consistent with existing hypotheses linking climate to pelagic production on continental shelves in the respective regions. Relationships for Kelp Greenlings in the California Current were complex, with faster growth related to within‐year warm conditions and lagged‐year cool conditions. These opposing, lag‐dependent relationships may reflect differences in conditions that promote quantity versus quality of benthic invertebrate prey in the California Current. Thus, we hypothesize that benthic production is maximized by alternating cool and warm years, as benthic invertebrate recruitment is food limited during warm years while growth is temperature limited by cool years in the California Current. On the other hand, Kelp Greenlings grew faster during and subsequent to warm conditions at basin and local scales in the Alaska Coastal Current. Received November 3, 2015; accepted May 5, 2016

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Temporal variability of benthic communities in an Alaskan glacial fjord, 1971–2007

Cited by 26 publications

References 57 publications

Distribution patterns of polychaete fauna in an Arctic fjord (Hornsund, Spitsbergen)

Distribution patterns of polychaete fauna in an Arctic fjord (Hornsund, Spitsbergen)

Associations between macrofauna and sediment hydrocarbons from treated ballast water effluent at a marine oil terminal in Port Valdez, Alaska

Influence of Basin‐ and Local‐Scale Environmental Conditions on Nearshore Production in the Northeast Pacific Ocean

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