2020
DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2020.544386
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The Pan-Arctic Continental Slope: Sharp Gradients of Physical Processes Affect Pelagic and Benthic Ecosystems

Abstract: Continental slopes – steep regions between the shelf break and abyssal ocean – play key roles in the climatology and ecology of the Arctic Ocean. Here, through review and synthesis, we find that the narrow slope regions contribute to ecosystem functioning disproportionately to the size of the habitat area (∼6% of total Arctic Ocean area). Driven by inflows of sub-Arctic waters and steered by topography, boundary currents transport boreal properties and particle loads from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans along-… Show more

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Cited by 48 publications
(36 citation statements)
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References 231 publications
(345 reference statements)
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“…Calanus glacialis forms a distinct band of elevated biomass around the outer shelf and slope of the Arctic Ocean (Kosobokova, 2012; Kosobokova & Hirche, 2009; Wassmann et al, 2015). The shelf break, which was postulated to be a boundary for the horizontal distribution of this species, has historically coincided with the marginal ice zone, but this is now rapidly changing (Bluhm et al, 2020). Thus, it becomes important to distinguish that C. glacialis may not, in fact, be a shelf species within the Arctic, but rather a seasonal ice zone (SIZ)‐associated species.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Calanus glacialis forms a distinct band of elevated biomass around the outer shelf and slope of the Arctic Ocean (Kosobokova, 2012; Kosobokova & Hirche, 2009; Wassmann et al, 2015). The shelf break, which was postulated to be a boundary for the horizontal distribution of this species, has historically coincided with the marginal ice zone, but this is now rapidly changing (Bluhm et al, 2020). Thus, it becomes important to distinguish that C. glacialis may not, in fact, be a shelf species within the Arctic, but rather a seasonal ice zone (SIZ)‐associated species.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Further, the effect of topographic irregularities such as sills on the heat budget requires detailed studies, as these are often too small to be resolved in bathymetric data products and ocean models. Arctic continental slopes generally feature productive ecosystems (Bluhm et al., 2020), which are supported and maintained by complex ocean dynamics including boundary layer mixing and enhanced vertical nutrient fluxes (Randelhoff et al., 2020). The episodic nature of turbulence is a major source of uncertainty for heat budgets as well as for nutrient fluxes, and therefore requires enhanced efforts to develop and improve mooring‐based methods to measure turbulent mixing year‐round.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Just two rivers, the Ob and Yenisei, discharge about 30% of the total annual river run-off into the Arctic Ocean through the Kara Sea ( Fütterer & Galimov, 2003 ; Stein, 2000 ). From the ocean side, the upper slope of the Siberian seas is bathed by the warm Atlantic waters ( Aagaard, 1989 ; Rudels et al, 1994 ; Bluhm et al, 2020 ), the factor that potentially can influence trophic conditions by enriching the upper slope with organic carbon ( Dunton, 1992 ; Wassmann, Slagstad & Ellingsen, 2019 ; Bluhm et al, 2020 ). The lower boundary of the Atlantic layer in the Siberian Arctic represents a rather sharp gradient from 2–3 °C and ~35 psu to ~−1 °C and ~32–33 psu at depths of 500–700 m ( Bluhm et al, 2020 ).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…From the ocean side, the upper slope of the Siberian seas is bathed by the warm Atlantic waters ( Aagaard, 1989 ; Rudels et al, 1994 ; Bluhm et al, 2020 ), the factor that potentially can influence trophic conditions by enriching the upper slope with organic carbon ( Dunton, 1992 ; Wassmann, Slagstad & Ellingsen, 2019 ; Bluhm et al, 2020 ). The lower boundary of the Atlantic layer in the Siberian Arctic represents a rather sharp gradient from 2–3 °C and ~35 psu to ~−1 °C and ~32–33 psu at depths of 500–700 m ( Bluhm et al, 2020 ). Faunal changes coinciding with the inflow of Atlantic waters were reported for annelids, isopods, gastropods and fishes in the Norwegian Sea, where the gradient is particularly high ( Svavarsson, Brattegard & Strömberg, 1990 ; Bergstad, Bjelland & Gordon, 1999 ; Høisæter, 2010 ; Oug et al, 2017 ).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
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