Bathymetric variations in vertical distribution patterns of meiofauna in the surface sediments of the deep Arctic ocean (HAUSGARTEN,Fram strait)

Deep-sea benthic communities and their structural and functional characteristics are regulated by surface water processes. Our study focused on the impact of changes in water depth and food supplies on small-sized metazoan bottom-fauna (meiobenthos) along a bathymetric transect (1200–5500 m) in the western Fram Strait. The samples were collected every summer season from 2005 to 2009 within the scope of the HAUSGARTEN monitoring program. In comparison to other polar regions, the large inflow of organic matter to the sea floor translates into relatively high meiofaunal densities in this region. Densities along the bathymetric gradient range from approximately 2400 ind. 10 cm^-2 at 1200 m to approximately 300 ind. 10 cm^-2 at 4000 m. Differences in meiofaunal distribution among sediment layers (i.e., vertical profile) were stronger than among stations (i.e., bathymetric gradient). At all the stations meiofaunal densities and number of taxa were the highest in the surface sediment layer (0–1 cm), and these decreased with increasing sediment depth (down to 4–5 cm). However, the shape of the decreasing pattern differed significantly among stations. Meiofaunal densities and taxonomic richness decreased gradually with increasing sediment depth at the shallower stations with higher food availability. At deeper stations, where the availability of organic matter is generally lower, meiofaunal densities decreased sharply to minor proportions at sediment depths already at 2–3 cm. Nematodes were the most abundant organisms (60–98%) in all the sediment layers. The environmental factors best correlated to the vertical patterns of the meiofaunal community were sediment-bound chloroplastic pigments that indicate phytodetrital matter.     

The interannual variability of megafaunal assemblages in the Arctic deep sea: Preliminary results from the HAUSGARTEN observatory (79°N)

Although megafaunal organisms play an important role in deep benthic ecosystems and contribute significantly to benthic biomass in the Arctic little is known about their temporal dynamics. Here, we assessed the interannual dynamics of megafaunal organisms from the HAUSGARTEN observatory in the Fram Strait, an area where the effects of climatic forcing are particularly evident. We analysed three congruent camera transects taken in 2002, 2004 and 2007. Environmental parameters were measured in order to be able to put our faunal results into an environmental context.Our results indicate that although the densities of megafaunal species show different patterns over time, most exhibit an overall decrease between 2002 and 2007 and total megafaunal densities decreased regularly from 2002 to 2004 to 2007 (12.16±0.96 to 7.41±0.43 ind m⁻²). This concurs with a steady increase in bottom-water temperatures and a decrease in the total organic content and microbial biomass of surficial sediments at the same time period. Although suspension feeder densities also decreased, predator/scavenger and deposit feeder densities have declined to such an extent that suspension feeders accounted for almost 100% of the megafauna in 2007. It could thus be argued that the trophic diversity at the central HAUSGARTEN station (2500 m) has decreased. Temperature-related changes in the production of the surface layers may lead to changes in the quality and/or quantity of particles exported to the deep seafloor. The densities of deposit feeders (i.e. holothurians) peaked (1.14±0.13 ind m⁻²) in 2004, the year following the longest ice cover. These results indicate the importance of ice-related export of particles to the deep seafloor and highlight the need for time-series transects, especially in an era when productive marginal ice zones tend to disappear with the receding sea ice. Although there is a general consensus that the Arctic is in a transition towards a warmer state, only continued observation will allow us to assess if the interannual changes observed are a result of decadal cycles related to the Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillation or if they are indicators of long-term change.     

A preliminary study on benthos food web structure of tidal zone in the Laoshan Bay by using stable carbon isotopes

By analyses of carbon isotopic composition(δ¹³C values) of the benthos collected in the Laoshan Bay in August 1993 and February and May 1994, it is found that the main food sources of the benthos can be divided into four groups in terms of carbon isotope composition: Particulate Organic Matter (POM),benthic diatoms, benthic macroalgae and the organic matter in sediments.The results show that the carbon isotopic composition of the benthic animals has a close relation with that of the food they take in.The carbon isotopic compositions of benthos may be useful in elucidating their food sources.The carbon isotopic data have confirmed that POM is the main food source of the benthic filter feeders such as bivalves; crustaceans have a wide range of δ¹³C values, showing their food source has diversity; benthic diatoms are an important fraction of the food for most of gastropods.A preliminary investigation of the benthic-pelagic coupling in that region using the stable carbon isotopic tracers has confirmed the importance of POM as a food source for benthos in this region,but the organic matter in sediments and benthic diatoms are also relatively important for a lot of benthic animals.The benthic-pelagic coupling in the Laoshan Bay temperate ecosystem is not so tight as that in ecosystems at higher latitudes such as north-eastern water polynya.     

Shifts in an epibenthic trophic web across a marine frontal area in the Southwestern Atlantic (Argentina)

Marine benthic trophic relationships and food web structures may be influenced by benthic–pelagic coupling processes, which could also be intensified by the physical dynamics of marine fronts. In this work, we employed stable isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) analysis to investigate the influence of the Southwest (SW) Atlantic shelf-break front (SBF; 38–39°S, 55–56°W; Argentina) on an epibenthic trophic web. Epibenthic organisms were sampled, at depths of ~ 100 m, with a non-selective dredge from a sandy bottom community located in frontal (F) and marginal (M) areas. The SBF position and the chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations were inferred using satellite data of the sea surface temperature (SST) and satellite chl-a concentration, respectively. The most noticeable shifts in stable isotopes between the sampled areas were those of the Patagonian scallop, Zygochlamys patagonica (δ¹³C), and those of the sea urchin, Sterechinus agassizi (δ¹⁵N). Diet analyses inferred from stable isotopes and mixing models demonstrated that the dominant component of this community, Z. patagonica, had variable contributions to higher trophic levels between areas. More importantly, the epibenthic assemblage in F areas showed δ¹³C-enriched and δ¹⁵N-depleted isotopic signatures with respect to the M areas. Collectively, this evidence suggests that frontal dynamics promotes the accumulation of δ¹³C-enriched phytoplankton in the seabed in F areas, while in M areas the more degraded organic matter becomes more important in the trophic web, decreasing the δ¹⁵N isotopic signature of the assemblage. Therefore, the trophic web was sustained by fresher food in F areas than in M areas, demonstrating the role of frontal dynamics in the shaping of these communities.     

Chromium(VI) distributions in the Arctic and the Atlantic Oceans and a reassessment of the oceanic Cr cycle

Chromium(VI) concentrations ranging between 3.0 and 6.1 nmol l⁻¹ and 3.1 and 7.3 nmol l⁻¹ were found in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, respectively. The vertical profiles show modest depletion of chromium(VI) in surface waters, but poor overall correlations between Cr(VI) and nutrient profiles. Given that Cr(VI) is the dominant oxidation state of chromium in open-ocean waters, these data are combined with literature data to reassess the distribution of Cr in oceanic waters. It is concluded that while Cr shows some characteristics of both “recycled” and “accumulated” vertical profiles, it does not fall clearly within either group.     

Recent sediment dynamics in hadal trenches: Evidence for the influence of higher-frequency (tidal,near-inertial) fluid dynamics

In addition to high hydrostatic pressure, scarcity of food is viewed as a factor that limits the abundance and activity of heterotrophic organisms at great ocean depths, including hadal trenches. Supply of nutritious food largely relies on the flux of organic-rich particulate matter from the surface ocean. It has been speculated that the shape of hadal trenches helps to ‘funnel’ particulate matter into the deeper parts of the trench, leading to sediment ‘focussing’ and improved benthic food supply. Here we investigate for five Northwest Pacific trenches the efficiency of sediment focussing by evaluating ratios of measured (sediment-derived) and expected (water-column-derived) sedimentary inventories of the naturally occurring and radioactive particulate-matter tracer ²¹⁰Pb_xs. The sites comprise a broad range of surface-ocean productivity and physical-oceanographic regimes. Across the five trench-axis settings the inventory ratio varies between 0.5 and 4.1, with four trench-axis settings having ratios>1 (sediment focussing) and one trench-axis setting a ratio<1 (sediment winnowing). Although the fluid- and sediment-dynamical forcing behind sediment focussing remains unclear, this study finds evidence for another mechanism that is superimposed on, and counteracts, the focussing mechanism. This superimposed mechanism is related to higher-frequency (tidal, near-inertial) fluid dynamics. In particular, there is evidence for a strong and negative relation between the intensity of propagating internal tides and the extent of sediment focussing in the trench-axis. The relation can be approximated by a power function and the most intense drop in sediment focussing already occurs at moderate internal-tide intensities. This suggests that propagating internal tides may have a subtle but significant influence on particulate-matter dynamics and food supply in hadal trenches in particular, but possibly also in the deep seas in general. A mechanism for the influence of internal tides on sediment dynamics is proposed.     

Feeding of Aurelia sp. (Scyphozoa) and links to the microbial food web

The impact of the scyphomedusa Aurelia sp. on planktonic assemblages was experimentally studied in enclosures incubated in situ in the sea lake of Mljet Island (Big Lake, Southern Adriatic), where jellyfish are present throughout the year. In situ feeding experiments using plankton at natural densities indicated a reduction in abundance for small calanoid and cyclopoid copepods, copepodites, nauplii and ciliates in the presence of Aurelia sp. In addition to direct predatory pressure, Aurelia sp. exerted an indirect cascading effect on autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial plankton. Phytoplankton biomass increases of up to 0.5 μg C·l^?1·h^?1 were mainly related to 19′‐hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin‐ and 19′‐butanoyloxyfucoxanthin‐containing phytoplankton. Bacterial production was about twice as high in the presence of Aurelia sp. and biomass was also consistently higher. It appears that the top‐down effect of predation along with material release by Aurelia sp. results in increases in microbial biomass and production.     

Seasonal and spatial distribution of particulate organic matter (POM) in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas

As part of the Western Arctic Shelf–Basin Interactions (SBI) project, the production and fate of organic carbon and nitrogen from the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea shelves were investigated during spring (5 May–15 June) and summer (15 July–25 August) cruises in 2002. Seasonal observations of suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) and large-particle (>53 μm) size class suggest that there was a large accumulation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) between spring and summer in the surface mixed layer due to high phytoplankton productivity. Considerable organic matter appeared to be transported from the shelf into the Arctic Ocean basin in an elevated POC and PON layer at the top of the upper halocline. Seasonal changes in the molar carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio of the suspended particulate organic matter (POM) pool reflect a change in the quality of the organic material that was present and presumably being exported to the sediment and to Arctic Ocean waters adjacent to the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea shelves. In spring, low particulate C:N ratios (<6; i.e., N rich) were observed in nitrate-replete surface waters. By the summer, localized high particulate C:N ratios (>9; i.e., N-poor) were observed in nitrate-depleted surface waters. Low POC and inorganic nutrient concentrations observed in the surface layer suggest that rates of primary, new and export production are low in the Canada Basin region of the Arctic Ocean.     

The planktonic food web of the Bizerte lagoon (south-western Mediterranean) during summer: I. Spatial distribution under different anthropogenic pressures

The structure and the trophic interactions of the planktonic food web were investigated during summer 2004 in a coastal lagoon of south-western Mediterranean Sea. Biomasses of planktonic components as well as bacterial and phytoplankton production and grazing by microzooplankton were quantified at four stations (MA, MB, MJ and R) inside the lagoon. Station MA was impacted by urban discharge, station MB was influenced by industrial activity, station MJ was located in a shellfish farming sector, while station R represented the lagoon central area. Biomasses and production rates of bacteria (7–33 mg C m⁻³; 17.5–35 mg C m⁻³ d⁻¹) and phytoplankton (80–299 mg C m⁻³; 34–210 mg C m⁻³ d⁻¹) showed high values at station MJ, where substantial concentrations of nutrients (NO₃⁻ and Si(OH)₄) were found. Microphytoplankton, which dominated the total algal biomass and production (>82%), were characterized by the proliferation of several chain-forming diatoms. Microzooplankton was mainly composed of dinoflagellates (Torodinium, Protoperidinium and Dinophysis) and aloricate (Lohmaniellea and Strombidium) and tintinnid (Tintinnopsis, Tintinnus, Favella and Eutintinnus) ciliates. Higher biomass of these protozoa (359 mg C m⁻³) was observed at station MB, where large tintinnids were encountered. Mesozooplankton mainly represented by Calanoida (Acartia, Temora, Calanus, Eucalanus, Paracalanus and Centropages) and Cyclopoida (Oithona) copepods, exhibited higher and lower biomasses at stations MA/MJ and MB, respectively. Bacterivory represented only 35% of bacterial production at stations MB and R, but higher fractions (65–70%) were observed at stations MA and MJ. Small heterotrophic flagellates and aloricate ciliates seemed to be the main controllers of bacteria. Pico- and nanophytoplankton represented a significant alternative carbon pool for micrograzers, which grazing represented 67–90% of pico- and nano-algal production in all stations. Microzooplankton has, however, a relatively low impact on microphytoplankton, as ≤45% of microalgal production was consumed in all stations. This implies that an important fraction of diatom production would be channelled by herbivorous meso-grazers to higher consumers at stations MA and MJ where copepods were numerous. Most of the microalgal production would, however, sink particularly at station MB where copepods were scare. These different trophic interactions suggest different food web structures between stations. A multivorous food web seemed to prevail in stations MJ and MA, whereas microbial web was dominant in the other stations.     

Food web and fish stock changes in central Chile: comparing the roles of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) predation,the environment,and fisheries

We analyzed recent food web and fish stock changes in the central Chile marine ecosystem, comparing the roles of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) as predator, the environment, and fishing. To accomplish this we used food web modeling and the Ecopath with Ecosim software (EwE). The principal fish stocks have experienced wide decadal fluctuations in the past 30 years, including stock collapses of horse mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) and hake (Merluccius gayi), and there was a large influx of jumbo squid during the mid-2000s. We used two EwE models representing the food web off central Chile to test the hypothesis that predation by jumbo squid has been significant in explaining the dynamics of the main fishing resources and other species in the study area. Results indicate that predation by jumbo squid on fish stocks is lower than that of other predators (e.g. hake) and the fishery. Long-term fluctuations (1978–2004) in the biomass of the main fish stocks (as well as other components of the food web) seem to be related to fishing and to variation in primary production, rather than to predation by jumbo squid alone. Jumbo squid seems to play a role as predator rather than prey in the system, but its impacts are low when compared with the impacts of other predators and fishing. Therefore, we conclude that jumbo squid predation on its prey was not the primary force behind the collapse of important fish stocks off central Chile. Future efforts should be directed to better understanding factors that trigger sudden increases in jumbo squid abundance off central Chile, as well as modeling its trophic impacts.     

Simulated carbon and nitrogen flows of the planktonic food web during an upwelling relaxation period in St Helena Bay (southern Benguela ecosystem)

A vertically resolved ecosystem model is developed to simulate the dynamics of the pelagic food web in St Helena Bay during a representative period of relaxation after an upwelling event. The proposed model aims at coupling three biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen and silicon), using several recently developed concepts of the stoichiometric approach. A consequence of this approach is that important qualitative aspects are introduced, such as indicators of phytoplankton physiological state or variable food C:N ratios. For instance, the sedimentation and exudation rates for phytoplankton vary according to physiological state. An attempt is made to parameterize and simulate the diel cycles for vertical migration and feeding rhythms of large zooplankton, two important mesoscale processes that are thought to influence the overall dynamics of the huge phytoplankton blooms in the region.Observations of the Anchor Station Experiment 1987 (ASE’87) are used to assess the quality of the model. There is overall agreement between observations and the corresponding simulated results. The timing, the magnitude, and the vertical structure of the phytoplankton bloom are well reproduced. The balances for carbon and nitrogen flows and stocks compare well to the numerous estimates found from the literature for the southern Benguela region.On the basis of the model results, the origin of the new nutrients, the fate of the carbon fixed by phytoplankton, and the importance of the microheterotrophic pathways are discussed. It is concluded that sediments of the St Helena Bay and surrounding areas may play a crucial role in increasing the level of phytoplankton production. The results also suggest that exudation is the main process by which the carbon fixed by phytoplankton would have been lost, and that microheterotrophic pathways would have been intense during the experiment.     

Temporal variability of Pb fluxes and bioturbation in shelf sediments beneath the high primary production area off Concepción, central-southern Chile (36°S)

We estimated monthly fluxes of ²¹⁰Pb in shelf sediments beneath a high productivity area off central-southern Chile (36°S) during 1 year (September 2002-August 2003). Sediment cores were obtained using a multiple corer and were analyzed mainly for ²¹⁰Pb, total pigments, and macrofauna abundance. The ²¹⁰Pb inventories and fluxes were estimated for surface sediments (0-5 cm) and bioturbation coefficients were inferred using chlorophyll-a (reactive) profiles. In general, ²¹⁰Pb content was inversely correlated with phytodetritus fluxes. High photosynthetic pigment contents in surface sediments were consistently associated with lower ²¹⁰Pb contents. Macrofaunal activity responded to oxygen and organic matter supplies at the sediment surface, generally concentrated in the first centimeters, but particularly so during months of high organic matter fluxes and deficient bottom water oxygen conditions. At this study site, several processes involved in the ²¹⁰Pb surface distribution make it difficult to accurately estimate ages at the surface. We postulate that the organic fluxes promote changes in the faunal activity, which, in combination with sediment resuspension and water circulation over the shelf, produce seasonal variations in the ²¹⁰Pb inventories.     

Depth gradients of benthic standing stock and diversity on the continental margin at a high-latitude ice-free site (off Spitsbergen, 79°N)

High-latitude seas are mostly covered by multi-year ice, which impacts processes of primary production and sedimentation of organic matter. Because of the warming effect of West Spitsbergen Current (WSC), the waters off West Spitsbergen have only winter ice cover. That is uncommon for such a high latitude and enables to separate effects of multiyear-ice cover from the latitudinal patterns. Macrofauna was sampled off Kongsfjord (79°N) along the depth gradient from 300 to 3000 m. The density, biomass and diversity at shallow sites situated in a canyon were very variable. Biomass was negatively correlated with depth (R=-0.86, p<0.001), and ranged from 61 g ww m⁻² (212 m) to 1 g ww m⁻² (2025 m). The biomasses were much higher than in the multiyear-ice covered High Arctic at similar depths, while resembling those from temperate and tropical localities. Species richness (expressed by number of species per sample and species–area accumulation curves) decreased with depth. There was no clear depth-related pattern in diversity measures: Hurbert rarefaction, Shannon–Wiener or Pielou. The classic increase of species richness and diversity with depth was not observed. Species richness and diversity of deep-sea macrofauna were much lower in our study than in comparable studies of temperate North Atlantic localities. That is related to geographic isolation of Greenland–Icelandic–Norwegian (GIN) seas from the Atlantic pool of species.     

西北冰洋表-底层碳动力学耦合作用的同位素(13C,234Th)指示

The coupling of upper ocean-benthic carbon dynamics in the ice-free western Arctic Ocean(the Chukchi Sea and the Canada Basin) was evaluated during the late July–early September 2003 using natural stable(13C) and radioactive(238U-234Th) isotope tracers. POC export flux estimated from 234Th/238 U disequilibria and dissolved CO2 concentration([CO2(aq)]) pointed out that the strengthened biological pump in the Chukchi Shelf have significantly lowered [CO2(aq)] and altered the magnitude of isotopic(12C/13C) fractionation during carbon fixation in the surface ocean. Further, d13 C signatures of surface sediments(d13Csed) are positively correlated to those of weighted d13 CPOC in upper ocean(d13Csed =13.64+1.56×d13CPOC, r2=0.73, p0.01), suggesting that the POC isotopic signals from upper ocean have been recorded in the sediments, partly due to the rapid export of particles as evidenced by low residence times of the highly particle-reactive 234 Th from the upper water column. It is suggested that there probably exists an upper ocean-benthic coupling of carbon dynamics, which likely assures the sedimentary d13 C record an indicator of paleo-CO2 in the western Arctic Ocean.     

西北太平洋深海海山的一种蛇尾新记录

Ophioleila elegans是一种非常少见的蛇尾。2014年大洋35航次中利用“蛟龙”号载人潜器在西北太平洋麦哲伦海山链的采薇平定海山水深1660m处采集到2株该种标本。该种首次发现于夏威夷海山相似的生境当中,本次采集到的样品是继首次发现之后的再次公开报道。本文中对该种的形态学特征,如腕部骨骼等,进行了更加详细的研究,同时基于COI序列进行系统发育分析。形态和系统发育分析的结果都表明,Ophioleila属与辐蛇尾科更加接近。     

Small-scale fisheries and food security strategies in countries in the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) region: Angola,Namibia and South Africa

This paper provides an overview of the small-scale fisheries sector in countries within the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME), one of the most productive large marine ecosystems in the world. The study revealed that Angola, Namibia and South Africa have very different legal and policy frameworks, show different levels of compliance with international and regional agreements to protect the livelihoods and food security of small-scale fishers, as well as of integration of fisheries into food security objectives. Angolan law recognises and protects small-scale fishers through legal and institutional mechanisms. In Namibia, this sector of fishers is not legally recognised, while in South Africa traditional fishers have been largely excluded from the new fisheries management framework. Trends in national and regional fish consumption and in the extent of export orientation in fisheries are explored, as well as the potential threats to small-scale producers and food security in the region posed by ongoing drives to incorporate fisheries in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements.     

Paleocurrent directions from paleomagnetic reorientation of magnetic fabrics in deep-sea sediments at the Antarctic Peninsula Pacific margin (ODP Sites 1095, 1101)

We have determined the azimuth of bottom-current flow in drift deposit sediments recovered at ODP Sites 1095 and 1101, Antarctic Peninsula, using paleomagnetic reorientation of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) ellipsoids. A total of 38 cores from the two ODP sites have been measured, providing spatial and directional information on the physical record of the ACC (Antarctic Circumpolar Current) in the Plio-Pleistocene. Declination and inclination of the paleomagnetic vector of each core segment were used to reorient the AMS principal axes to the geographic coordinates. The cores were reoriented using the measured direction of the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) with respect to a common reference line for the core, from which we are able to determine the orientation of the paleocurrent flow for Sites 1095 (Drift 7) and 1101 (Drift 4) relative to the geographic coordinates. Both sites have paleocurrent directions trending ~ NW-SE, which in the former locality are parallel to a sediment wave field. Our study shows that a combination of magnetic fabric analysis and paleomagnetism allows deep-sea sedimentary fabric to be used as a long-term proxy of bottom-current flow history.     

Modelling the influence of environmental factors on the physiological status of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in an estuarine embayment; The Baie des Veys (France)

It is well known that temporal changes in bivalve body mass are strongly correlated with temporal variations in water temperature and food supply. In order to study the influence of the year-to-year variability of environmental factors on oyster growth, we coupled a biogeochemical sub-model, which simulates trophic resources of oysters (i.e. phytoplankton biomass via chlorophyll a), and an ecophysiological sub-model, which simulates growth and reproduction (i.e. gametogenesis and spawning), using mechanistic bases. The biogeochemical sub-model successfully simulated phytoplankton dynamics using river nutrient inputs and meteorological factors as forcing functions. Adequate simulation of oyster growth dynamics requires a relevant food quantifier compatible with outputs of the biogeochemical sub-model (i.e. chlorophyll a concentration). We decided to use the phytoplankton carbon concentration as quantifier for food, as it is a better estimator of the energy really available to oysters. The transformation of chlorophyll a concentration into carbon concentration using a variable chlorophyll a to carbon ratio enabled us to improve the simulation of oyster growth especially during the starvation period (i.e. autumn and winter). Once validated, the coupled model was a suitable tool to study the influence of the year-to-year variability of phytoplankton dynamics and water temperature on the gonado-somatic growth of the Pacific oyster. Four years with highly contrasted meteorological conditions (river inputs, water temperature and light) 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003, were simulated. The years were split into two groups, wet years (2000 and 2001) and dry years (2002 and 2003). Significant variability of the response of oysters to environmental conditions was highlighted between the four scenarios. In the wet years, an increase in loadings of river nutrients and suspended particulate matter led to a shift in the initiation and the magnitude of the phytoplanktonic spring bloom, and consequently to a shift in oyster growth patterns. In contrast, in the dry years, an increase in water temperature—especially during summer—resulted in early spawning. Thus, the gonado-somatic growth pattern of oysters was shown to be sensitive to variations in river loadings and water temperature. In this context, the physiological status of oysters is discussed using a relevant indicator of energy needs.     

Big fish (and a smallish skate) eat small fish: diet variation and trophic level of Sympterygia acuta,a medium‐sized skate high in the food web

The bignose fanskate, Sympterygia acuta, is a small‐to‐medium‐sized species endemic to shallow coastal waters of the Southwest Atlantic. Sympterygia acuta displays a clear seasonal reproductive cycle, characterized by maximum egg‐laying activity in spring and hatching in summer. We hypothesized that diet and feeding activity change with maturity stage and season and that, given its smallish size, the trophic level is low. Using a multiple‐hypothesis modeling approach, the diet of S. acuta in relation to sex, body size, maturity stage, region (i.e. north and south) and season was analysed; and a potential relationship between feeding activity and the seasonal reproductive cycle was assessed. Sympterygia acuta fed on a broad spectrum of prey, but teleosts were more important (47.97% index of relative importance, %IRI), followed by decapods (39.84%IRI), cumaceans (8.31%IRI) and isopods (1.89%IRI). Maturity stage was a strong determinant of the ontogenetic diet shift of S. acuta, and relationships between number of prey consumed with season and region were found.. Feeding activity was higher in the cold season than in the warm season, and was less important in the south region than in the north region. Unexpectedly, the specific trophic level was high (3.87). Sympterygia acuta shifts its diet with maturity stage, possibly by a combination of an improved ability to capture prey and a change in energy demand of mature individuals. Despite being a small‐to‐medium‐sized skate, S. acuta showed a trophic level similar to that of large‐bodied marine predators. It reduces its feeding activity seasonally because in the warm season this species may experience an increased predation risk from large sharks.