Influence of water temperature and oxygenation on the aerobic metabolic scope of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

Environmental influences (temperature and oxygenation) on cod metabolism and their impact on the ecology of this species were investigated. Limiting oxygen concentration curves (O₂ level ranging between 15 and 100% air saturation) were established at 2, 5 and 10°C. The standard metabolic rate (SMR), the maximum metabolic rate and the metabolic scope were then modelled as functions of temperature and/or oxygen saturation. The mean SMR at 2, 5 and 10°C were 19.8±4.9, 30.8±6.1 and 54.3±4.1 mg O₂ h⁻¹ kg⁻¹, respectively. Between 2 and 5°C, the active metabolic rate of cod almost doubled from 65 to 120 mg O₂ h⁻¹ kg⁻¹, to reach 177 mg O₂ h⁻¹ kg⁻¹ at 10°C. In terms of metabolic scope (MS), the temperature rise from 2 to 5°C resulted in a two-fold increase from 45 to 89 mg O₂ h⁻¹ kg⁻¹, with MS reaching 123 mg O₂ h⁻¹ kg⁻¹ at 10°C. Our proposed model describing the impact of temperature and oxygen level provides new insight into the energetic interactions which govern the relationship between Atlantic cod and its environment. We re-examined published experimental and field studies from the angle of the regulation of metabolic power. We suggest that, when faced with heterogeneous or unstable hydrological conditions, cod tend to behaviourally maximise their metabolic scope. Through this adaptive response, fish reduce energy budgeting conflicts and presumably increase the probability of routinely operating away from lethal boundaries.     

The regime shift of the 1920s and 1930s in the North Atlantic

During the 1920s and 1930s, there was a dramatic warming of the northern North Atlantic Ocean. Warmer-than-normal sea temperatures, reduced sea ice conditions and enhanced Atlantic inflow in northern regions continued through to the 1950s and 1960s, with the timing of the decline to colder temperatures varying with location. Ecosystem changes associated with the warm period included a general northward movement of fish. Boreal species of fish such as cod, haddock and herring expanded farther north while colder-water species such as capelin and polar cod retreated northward. The maximum recorded movement involved cod, which spread approximately 1200 km northward along West Greenland. Migration patterns of “warmer water” species also changed with earlier arrivals and later departures. New spawning sites were observed farther north for several species or stocks while for others the relative contribution from northern spawning sites increased. Some southern species of fish that were unknown in northern areas prior to the warming event became occasional, and in some cases, frequent visitors. Higher recruitment and growth led to increased biomass of important commercial species such as cod and herring in many regions of the northern North Atlantic. Benthos associated with Atlantic waters spread northward off Western Svalbard and eastward into the eastern Barents Sea. Based on increased phytoplankton and zooplankton production in several areas, it is argued that bottom-up processes were the primary cause of these changes. The warming in the 1920s and 1930s is considered to constitute the most significant regime shift experienced in the North Atlantic in the 20th century.     

Candidate biomarker discovery in plasma of juvenile cod (Gadus morhua) exposed to crude North Sea oil, alkyl phenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

In this study we have investigated protein changes in plasma of juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) induced by crude North Sea oil and North Sea oil spiked with alkyl phenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a surrogate produced water composition. Using a proteomic approach, we identified 137 differentially expressed proteins at different levels of crude oil exposure. Many of the induced protein changes occurred at low levels of exposure. The results obtained with protein expression profiles after exposure to oil and surrogate produced water indicate effects on fibrinolysis and the complement cascade, the immune system, fertility-linked proteins, bone resorption, fatty acid metabolism as well as increased oxidative stress, impaired cell mobility and increased levels of proteins associated with apoptosis. Although the number of individuals and samples in this study is limited within each treatment group, the protein changes observed in this study represent a first screening for potential biomarker candidates in cod plasma reflecting potential effects of crude oil and produced water exposure on fish.     

Influence of diet on growth, condition and reproductive capacity in Newfoundland and Labrador cod (Gadus morhua): Insights from stable carbon isotopes (δC)

Cod populations in Newfoundland and Labrador waters have shown differing growth, condition and recruitment since near-universal declines in these properties during the cold period of the late 1980s and early 1990s. To assess the influence of variable prey communities on these parameters, we compared cod energetics and diet in populations off Labrador and the northeast and south coasts of Newfoundland. Many properties were highest in the southern group(s) and lowest in the northern group(s), including growth, somatic condition, liver index and age-at-maturity. Most differences could be explained by variations in diet, as measured by stomach contents and stable carbon isotopes (δ¹³C). The diet of Labrador cod consisted almost entirely of northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), and these cod displayed the most benthic δ¹³C signatures. Northeast cod had a more varied diet that included capelin and other fish, but still had mostly benthic δ¹³C signatures, suggesting the importance of benthic prey like shrimp in this population. South coast cod exhibited the most varied diet, including capelin (Mallotus villosus), zooplankton, crabs and other fish, and had the most pelagic δ¹³C signatures. Among and within populations, the benefits of a more pelagic diet in medium-sized (30–69 cm) cod included higher somatic condition, higher liver index (lipid stores) and greater spawning potential (decreased incidence of atresia). It is hypothesized that major rebuilding of Newfoundland and Labrador cod stocks will require a return to a system that supports mostly pelagic feeding (i.e. capelin) in cod.     

Bioenergetic modelling of the marine phase of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

A bioenergetic model of marine phase, wild Atlantic salmon was constructed to investigate the potential effects on post-smolt growth of predicted changes in oceanic conditions. Short-term estimates of growth in weight were similar to measurements in captivity and simulated growth varied with water temperature and swimming speed as expected. Longer-term estimates of growth in length were less than that achieved by wild salmon, particularly with constant swimming assumed. The model was sensitive to parameters relating to maximum daily food consumption, respiration and the relationships between body energy content, length and weight. Some of the sensitive parameters were based on substantive information on Atlantic salmon and their realistic ranges are likely to be much narrower than those tested. However, other parameter values were based on scant data, farmed Atlantic salmon or other salmonid species, and are therefore less certain and indicate where future empirical research should be focussed.     

Distribution of Calanus finmarchicus in the northern North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean—Expatriation and potential colonization

The distribution of Calanus finmarchicus was studied on a transect across the central Greenland Sea, and on five transects from the Eurasian shelves across the Atlantic Inflow in the Arctic Ocean. Stage composition was used as an indicator for successful growth; gonad maturity and egg production were taken as indicators for reproductive activity. On the Arctic Ocean transects, these parameters were measured simultaneously from the sibling species Calanus glacialis. Response of egg production rate to different temperatures at optimal food conditions was very similar between both species in the laboratory. C. finmarchicus was present at all stations studied, but young developmental stages were only present close to the regions of submergence of Atlantic water under the Polar water. This together with a decreasing abundance and biomass from west to east along the Atlantic Inflow in the Arctic Ocean and reproductive failure indicates that C. finmarchicus is expatriated in the Arctic Ocean. We hypothesize that the late availability of food in the Arctic Ocean, rather than low temperature per se, limits reproductive success. Better reproductive success in the very low temperature regions of the Return Atlantic Current and the marginal ice zone in the Greenland Sea supports this hypothesis. The possibility for a replacement of C. glacialis by C. finmarchicus and consequences for the ecosystem after increasing warming of the Arctic are discussed.