Greenland halibut diet in the Northwest Atlantic from 1978 to 2003 as an indicator of ecosystem change

The Northwest Atlantic marine community underwent dramatic changes during the last 30 years, including the collapse of many groundfish stocks and an increase in shrimp populations. Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides is an important commercial species and one of the top fish predators in this system. It is a large, wide-ranging flatfish that is found at depths up to 2200 m and it has an opportunistic diet which makes it a potential candidate for an ecosystem indicator. Analysis of stomach contents of Greenland halibut between 1978 and 2003 indicates that diet composition reflects the major changes in community structure. Over the entire period there was a clear increase in the importance of invertebrates, particularly after 1992. This change was associated with a higher importance of Pandalus shrimp and Gonatus squid and a protracted reliance on zooplankton by predators under 25 cm length. Capelin Mallotus villosus was the dominant prey between 1978 and 1992 for predators in the 12–63 cm range, but its importance dropped off drastically in the mid 1990s. Levels of main prey in the diet of Greenland halibut correlated well with fishery-independent surveys. Greenland halibut sample capelin well, compared to bottom trawl surveys and acoustic surveys. Greenland halibut consumed small shrimp which are not routinely caught by surveys and may be important in deriving information on year classes and growth of shrimp. Our results suggest that Greenland halibut's diet is a useful tracker of ecosystem change.     

Trophic relationships at intrannual spatial and temporal scales of macro and megafauna around a submarine canyon off the Catalonian coast (western Mediterranean)

The spatial and temporal changes of near-bottom macrofauna (suprabenthos and macroplankton) and the trophic relationships of megabenthic decapod crustaceans were analyzed off the Catalonian coasts (western Mediterranean) around Berenguera submarine canyon in four periods (April and December 1991, March and July 1992) and four zones (within Berenguera Canyon at ca. 450 m, and on adjacent slope at ca. 400, 600 m and 1200 m). In March 1992, we found the highest macrofauna abundance and the smallest sizes in the canyon, suggesting a positive effect of river discharges on suprabenthos recruitment. By contrast, macroplankton (decapods, fishes and euphausiids) did not show higher recruitment into canyons. After analyzing the diet of 23 decapod crustaceans, we found a significant segregation between guilds feeding on zooplankton and on benthos. Zooplankton (euphausiids and Pasiphaeidae) and infauna (polychaetes, Calocaris macandreae and ophiuoroids) were consistently the main prey exploited by decapod crustaceans around Berenguera Canyon. We also found some macrophyte (Posidonia oceanica) consumption, which was higher in periods of water column homogeneity (winter–spring and late autumn). Positive correlations between decapods' gut fullness (F) and decapod abundance indicate feeding aggregations, while positive correlations were also found between F and Llobregat River (situated ca. 18 km from Berenguera head) flow 1 to 2 months before sampling. Increases in F were delayed only 1 month when zooplankton feeders were analyzed alone, while benthos feeders did not show significant relationships with any environmental variables. That indicates that the response of megabenthic decapods feeding on benthos to environmental shifts is slower than that of zooplankton feeders. The importance of river flows in enhancing food supply of macro- and megabenthos dwelling close to submarine canyons was apparent, with a delay in the fauna response of 0–2 months after river flow peaks.     

Ice extent in the Greenland Sea 1978–1995

During the European Subpolar Ocean Programme (ESOP) project from 1993 to 1995, very little ice was formed in the central Greenland Sea. The large-scale ice cover in the area during the period October 1978 to June 1995 has been mapped using passive microwave data from the scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) and the special sensor microwave/imager (SSM/I). Special emphasis is put on the last three years of the period (the ESOP years), from the summer of 1992 to the summer of 1995. The results for the three winters compared with the average winter of the previous 12 yr show unusually little ice in the Greenland Sea during the winters of 1993–1995. In particular, the winters of 1994 and 1995 saw no ice (i.e. no Odden) in the central Greenland Sea at all. Another result is an observed upper limit of approximately 250,000 km² to the seasonal ice cover in the study region (the Odden Area) within the central Greenland Sea over the period 1978–1995.     

Actinian dominated intertidal mudflats: A new case of an extraordinary rare phenomenon from Southern Chile

Generally, estuarine intertidal mudflats constitute important nurseries for fish and foraging grounds for coastal birds by providing a plenitude of mollusks, worms, and crustaceans as prey, which in turn mostly feed on suspended and benthic microalgae, bacteria, and detritus. Despite the high productivity of such habitats, pronounced variability in both salinity and temperature results typically in low diversity. The only sea anemone reported from estuarine mud is the edwardsiid Nematostella vectensis Stephenson, 1935. It occurs widely in the northern hemisphere, and occasionally in extremely high density. Here we document another sea anemone from estuarine mud and muddy sand found in Southern Chile which has similar ecological attributes. Taxonomic confusion has impeded the reporting on this small but prominent member in a macrozoobenthic assemblage, the brooding Anthopleura hermaphroditica (Carlgren, 1899; Anthozoa: Actiniidae). It differs from N. vectensis by the presence of symbiotic algae. Average density under poly- to euhaline conditions in mud and muddy sand at around mid tide level was about 3 actinians per cm². An average abundance of 11,000 m^? 2, a biovolume of 487 cm³ m^? 2, and a biomass of 35.5 g dry organic weight m^? 2 were found in mud and muddy sand in two surveys 20 years apart. The mean fishing area of fully expanded individuals covers 42 ± 25 mm², corresponding to a circular area with a diameter of 7.3 ± 5.7 mm. Preliminary experiments indicate that associated benthos may be relegated to life below surface by the net of tentacles above the sediment. As no predators on A. hermaphroditica could be found on the mudflat, the success of this mixotrophic sea anemone may entail a trophic dead end.     

Seasonal patterns in the fish and epibenthic crustaceans community of an intertidal zone with particular reference to the population dynamics of plaice and brown shrimp

The intertidal zone of a sandy beach located on the French coast of the Eastern Channel, was sampled during spring and summer 2000 to analyse the community structure of fish and epibenthic crustaceans. The presence of many juvenile fish (mainly O-group) and crustaceans indicated the important role played by the intertidal zone as a nursery ground. The brown shrimp, Crangon crangon and O-group plaice, Pleuronectes platessa are the two most abundant species of the intertidal ecosystem.Plaice settlement period extended from mid-March to early June. Over the survey period, densities increased to maximum numbers of about 27 ind. 10 m⁻² in mid-April. In the following week, density rapidly decreased due to mortality and migration into deeper waters. The mortality was attributed mainly to predation by brown shrimp (C. crangon) and to a lesser extent by the shore crab (Carcinus maenas). The mean size of 0-group plaice increased from 19 mm in mid-April to 58 mm in July. Growth of juvenile 0-group plaice is described by an exponential equation: total length (TL, mm) = 12.602 e^{0.022 (post-settlement age)}. Post-settlement growth rates, estimated by otolith microstructure analysis, were 0.38 mm d⁻¹ for plaice ≤30 mm and 0.61 mm d⁻¹ for plaice >30 mm. Settlement of juvenile brown shrimp started in mid-April, peaked in early June (93 ind. 10 m⁻²) and continued with fluctuating intensity throughout the summer. Growth rate of juvenile C. crangon, estimated after the settlement peak, was 0.163 mm d⁻¹. Growth conditions of juvenile plaice and C. crangon were analysed by comparing estimated growth in the field with predicted maximum growth according to temperature-growth rate models from experimental studies of growth with unlimited food supply. For plaice, the estimated growth rate was lower (plaice ≤30 mm) but similar (plaice >30 mm) to the predicted maximum growth suggesting a food limitation only for newly settled individual. The observed increase in mean length of juvenile C. crangon was lower than the maximum possible growth. The function of the intertidal zone in the early juvenile stages of marine species is discussed.     

Clearance rates of ephyrae and small medusae of the common jellyfish Aurelia aurita offered different types of prey

Prey selection and knowledge of the amounts of water processed by the early stages of the common jellyfish Aurelia aurita may at certain times of the year be crucial for understanding the plankton dynamics in marine ecosystems with mass occurrences of this jellyfish. In the present study we used two different methods (“clearance method” and “ingestion-rate method”) to estimate the amount of water cleared per unit of time of different types and sizes of prey organisms offered to A. aurita ephyrae and small medusae. The mean clearance rates of medusae, estimated with Artemia sp. nauplii as prey by both methods, agreed well, namely 3.8 ± 1.4 l h^? 1 by the clearance method and 3.2 ± 1.1 l h^? 1 by the ingestion-rate method. Both methods showed that copepods (nauplii and adults) and mussel veligers are captured with considerably lower efficiency, 22 to 37% and 14 to 30%, respectively, than Artemia salina nauplii. By contrast, the water processing rates of ephyrae measured by the clearance method with A. salina nauplii as prey were 3 to 5 times lower than those measured by the ingestion-rate method. This indicates that the prerequisite of full mixing for using the clearance method may not have been fulfilled in the ephyrae experiments. The study demonstrates that the predation impact of the young stages of A. aurita is strongly dependent on its developmental stage (ephyra versus medusa), and the types and sizes of prey organisms. The estimated prey-digestion time of 1.3 h in a steady-state feeding experiment with constant prey concentration supports the reliability of the ingestion-rate method, which eliminates the negative “container effects” of the clearance method, and it seems to be useful in future jellyfish studies, especially on small species/younger stages in which both type and number of prey can be easily and precisely assessed.     

Bioenergetic model estimates of interannual and spatial patterns in consumption demand and growth potential of juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in the Gulf of Alaska

A bioenergetic model of juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) was used to estimate daily prey consumption and growth potential of four ocean habitats in the Gulf of Alaska during 2001 and 2002. Growth potential was not significantly higher in 2002 than in 2001 at an alpha level of 0.05 (P=0.073). Average differences in growth potential across habitats were minimal (slope habitat=0.844 g d⁻¹, shelf habitat=0.806 g d⁻¹, offshore habitat=0.820 g d⁻¹, and nearshore habitat=0.703 g d⁻¹) and not significantly different (P=0.630). Consumption demand differed significantly between hatchery and wild stocks (P=0.035) when examined within year due to the interaction between hatchery verses wild origin and year. However, the overall effect of origin across years was not significant (P=0.705) due to similar total amounts of prey consumed by all juvenile pink salmon in both study years. We anticipated that years in which ocean survival was high would have had high growth potential, but this relationship did not prove to be true. Therefore, modeled growth potential may not be useful as a tool for forecasting survival of Prince William Sound hatchery pink salmon stocks. Significant differences in consumption demand and a two-fold difference in nearshore abundance during 2001 of hatchery and wild pink salmon confirmed the existence of strong and variable interannual competition and the importance of the nearshore region as being a potential competitive bottleneck.     

Mesoscale structure and oceanographic determinants of krill hotspots in the California Current: Implications for trophic transfer and conservation

Krill (crustaceans of the family Euphausiacea) comprise an important prey field for vast array of fish, birds, and marine mammals in the California Current and other large marine ecosystems globally. In this study, we test the hypothesis that mesoscale spatial organization of krill is related to oceanographic conditions associated with coastal upwelling. To test this, we compiled a climatology of krill distributions based on hydroacoustic surveys off California in May–June each year between 2000 and 2009 (missing 2007). Approximately 53,000 km of ocean habitat was sampled, resulting in a comprehensive geo-spatial data set from the Southern California Bight to Cape Mendocino. We determined the location and characteristics of eight definite and two probable krill “hotspots” of abundance. Directional-dependence analysis revealed that krill hotspots were oriented in a northwest–southeast (135°) direction, corresponding to the anisotropy of the 200–2000 m isobath. Krill hotspots were disassociated (inversely correlated) with three upwelling centers, Point Arena, Point Sur, and Point Conception, suggesting that krill may avoid locations of strong offshore transport or aggregate downstream from these locations. While current fisheries management considers the entire coast out to the 2000 m isobath critical habitat for krill in this ecosystem, we establish here smaller scale structuring of this critical mid-trophic level prey resource. Identifying mesoscale krill hotspots and their oceanographic determinants is significant as these smaller ecosystem divisions may warrant protection to ensure key ecosystem functions (i.e., trophic transfer) and resilience. Furthermore, delineating and quantifying krill hotspots may be important for conservation of krill-predators in this system.     

Life history of the bathyal octopus Pteroctopus tetracirrhus (Mollusca,Cephalopoda) in the Mediterranean Sea

The life cycle of the deep-sea octopus Pteroctopus tetracirrhus was studied from monthly samples obtained throughout the year in different areas of the western Mediterranean (mainly around the Balearic Islands and along the coast of the Iberian Peninsula). A total of 373 individuals (205 females, 168 males) were analyzed; females ranged from 4.5 to 14.0 cm mantle length (ML) and males from 4.5 to 11.5 cm ML. There were few small-sized octopuses (<7 cm ML) in the samples, which might indicate that these individuals inhabit rocky grounds that are not accessible to trawlers or waters deeper than the maximum depth sampled (800 m). The species occurred more frequently around the Balearic Islands than along the Iberian Peninsula as they appeared in 20% and 7%, respectively, of the hauls in these areas. The octopus inhabits the lower continental shelf and upper slope in both areas, primarily between 200 and 500 m depth. Modal lengths were followed from autumn, when recruits were caught by trawlers, to summer, when reproduction took place. Females grew from 8 to 10 cm ML from winter to spring, but this modal size did not increase further in summer; males grew from 7 to 9 cm ML from winter to spring. The total disappearance of large individuals after summer suggests a life cycle lasting a single year. The evolution of the monthly mean sizes showed that the growth was best described by log-linear functions in both sexes. The length at first maturity was clearly higher in females (12 cm ML) than in males (8 cm ML). A total of 30 different prey items, belonging to four major taxonomic groups (crustaceans, osteichthyes, cephalopods and gastropods), were identified in the stomach contents. The diet of the octopus was based on crustaceans and teleosts, which accounted for 75% and 23% of the prey items, respectively. Cephalopods and gastropods were accessory prey as they only represented 1.6% and 0.7%, respectively, of the total. The octopus showed a marked preference for the benthic fish Symphurus nigrescens and the endobenthic crustacean Alpheus glaber. The bathymetric distribution of P. tetracirrhus coincides with those of these two main prey, which suggests that the distribution of the octopus might be strongly linked to its trophic resources.     

The feeding habits of slope dwelling macrourid fishes in the eastern North Pacific

The diet of slope dwelling macrourid fishes in the eastern North Pacific is poorly known. We collected several hundred stomach samples to investigate the feeding habits of Coryphaenoides acrolepis and Albatrossia pectoralis, the two dominant slope dwelling macrourids off the continental United States. Coryphaenoides acrolepis exhibited a pronounced ontogenetic shift in diet. Specimens <15 cm pre-anal fin length (PAF) consumed primarily polychaetes, amphipods, cumaceans and mysids, while larger individuals consumed increasingly larger, more pelagic prey such as fish, squid, and large crustaceans. Scavenging was also very important to specimens >15 cm with scavenged food constituting approximately 20% of the weight of total prey and occurring in approximately 20% of fish 21–29 cm. Albatrossia pectoralis consumed primarily midwater fish and squid, and we believe that it feeds in the water column. There were significant differences between the diets of A. pectoralis and C. acrolepis suggesting some degree of niche separation between macrourid species on the continental slope of the eastern North Pacific. Both species are at the top of the food web on the upper continental slope and, because of their abundance, may exert significant pressures on their prey populations.     

Polychaete assemblage as surrogate for prey availability in assessing southeastern Bering Sea flatfish habitat

The flatfish yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera), northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra), and Alaska plaice (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus) in the southeastern Bering Sea prey mainly on infauna. Spatial correspondence between their stomach contents and infauna assemblages across habitat types was examined to identify indices of prey availability for flatfish habitat characterization and quality assessment. Benthic samples and flatfish stomachs were collected in 2009 near the Alaska Peninsula in the southeastern Bering Sea. Polychaetes and bivalves were the most dominant infauna groups, each comprising 35–60% by weight in each infauna sample. These two were also the only prey groups that frequently averaged > 50% of stomach content by weight. Bivalves dominated the infauna biomass on the relatively sandy inner shelf (0–50 m depth). The muddier middle shelf (50–100 m) had the highest infauna biomass, which was dominated by polychaetes. Diet compositions of the flatfish varied spatially in correspondence with the infauna assemblage. Polychaetes were prevalent in all flatfish diets on the middle shelf, even yellowfin sole whose typical primary prey are amphipods and bivalves. Polychaete-rich habitats are potentially prime for flatfish as polychaetes are readily utilized where available and generally have high nutritional value. Flatfish did not select for specific polychaete taxa, so an index of habitat quality could be based on the biomass of aggregate polychaetes or on dominant polychaete families of the region. Under normal environmental conditions, the three flatfish have slightly-offset spatial distributions, enabling each to utilize different infauna assemblages across the shelf. However, during cold phases in the Bering Sea ecosystem, as when this study was conducted, a cold pool of < 2 °C bottom water from the spring ice melt extends over the middle shelf in summer. This physiological barrier displaces all three flatfish to the inner shelf, intensifying competition for prey resources.     

Physical drivers of phytoplankton production in the southern Benguela upwelling system

Investigations of primary production (PP) were undertaken in the southern Benguela ecosystem during two research surveys in October 2006 and May 2007. Significant differences in environmental conditions, as well as biomass and PP, were observed between October and May. During October, integrated biomass and PP were significantly higher, ranging from 20.43 to 355.01 mg m⁻², and 0.71 to 6.98 g C m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively, than in May, where the range was 47.92–141.79 mg m⁻², and 0.70–3.35 g C m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively. Distribution patterns indicated low biomass and PP in newly upwelled water along the coast, higher biomass and PP in the mid-shelf region, while lower values were observed at and beyond the shelf edge. Latitudinal variations showed consistently higher biomass and PP in the St. Helena Bay region compared to biomass and PP south of Cape Town. During both surveys, phytoplankton communities were comprised primarily of diatoms and small flagellates, with no significant differences. Phytoplankton adaptation to environmental variability was characterised by increased P_m^B and E_k under elevated temperatures and irradiance, while no clear relationships were evident for α^B. Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) showed that photosynthetic parameters were all significant predictors of photosynthesis rates (P_z), with P_m^B being the most important, accounting for 36.97% of the deviance in P_z. However, biomass levels and environmental conditions exerted a much greater influence on P_z, with irradiance explaining the largest proportion (68.24%) of the deviance. Multiple predictor GAMs revealed that 96.26% of the deviance in P_z could be explained by a model which included nitrate, chlorophyll a, and irradiance.     

Diet composition and feeding behaviour of juvenile Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the Svalbard area

The diet of trawl-captured juvenile Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides Walbaum) from three locations on the western and northern coasts of Svalbard, Norway, in December 1995 and January 1996 is described. Stomach fullness was recorded for 1216 fish of 7 to 65 cm length, and stomach contents were analysed for 353 non-empty stomachs. The diet differed only slightly between the sampling areas and no differences were found between males and females. The overall percentage of empty stomachs (PES) was comparable to other nursery areas and lower than recordings from feeding and spawning areas. PES decreased and prey size increased as predator length increased. Fish and crustaceans dominated the diet, the most important prey species being Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis). The relative importance of fish and crustaceans, respectively, was independent of predator length. However, a size-dependent variation in preferred prey was found, as smaller fish preyed upon small crustaceans and polar cod while larger individuals displayed a preference for northern shrimp, juvenile Atlantic cod, and other larger fish. Finally, there was a close resemblance between the length distribution of prey species from the trawl and from the stomachs.     

Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of mercury in striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and tautog (Tautoga onitis) from the Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island,USA)

We examined the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of mercury in two marine finfish species, striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and tautog (Tautoga onitis), collected from the Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA). For each of these target fish, white muscle tissue was analyzed for total mercury (Hg) and results were evaluated relative to fish age, body size, and Hg content of preferred prey. Dietary and stable isotope analysis was also used to elucidate the effect of trophic processes on Hg concentrations in fish. The Hg content of muscle tissue was positively correlated with fish age and length for both species, although striped bass accumulated Hg faster than tautog. Accelerated Hg bioaccumulation in striped bass is consistent with its high trophic level (trophic level = 4.07) and Hg-enriched prey (forage fish and macrocrustaceans; mean Hg content = 0.03 mg Hg kg wet wt^?1). In contrast, tautog maintain a lower trophic status (trophic level = 3.51) and consume prey with lower Hg levels (mussels and crabs; mean Hg content = 0.02 mg Hg kg wet wt^?1). Despite differences in Hg bioaccumulation between target fish, the mean Hg concentration of tautog exceeded levels in striped bass (0.24 and 0.16 mg Hg kg wet wt^?1, respectively) due to a disparity in age-at-catch between sampled groups (mean age of tautog and bass = 11.3 and 4.3 yr, respectively). Taking into account legal minimum catch lengths further revealed that 75.0% of legal-size striped bass (>70.2 cm TL; n = 4) and 44.8% of tautog (>40.6 cm TL; n = 29) had Hg levels beyond the US EPA regulatory threshold of 0.3 mg Hg kg wet wt^?1. Moreover, Hg-length relationships suggest that each target fish meets this threshold near their minimum legal catch length. Our findings reiterate the value of species ecology to improve predictions of fish Hg and permit better management of human contamination by this important dietary source.     

Changes in the diet and feeding of the hake Merluccius merluccius at the shelf-break of the Balearic Islands: Influence of the mesopelagic-boundary community

Short spatio–temporal variations in the feeding intensity and the diet of the European hake, Merluccius merluccius, together with the abundance of their potential prey were studied between August 2003 and June 2004 at two locations, northwest (Sóller) and south (Cabrera), off the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean) at depths between 150 and 750 m. The two areas present different oceanographic conditions. Hake was mainly distributed along the shelf-slope break and the upper slope (between 166 and 350 m) where recruits (TL<18 cm) were dominant. The hake's diet varied as a function of size. Recruits fed mainly on micronektonic prey, and the diet was influenced primarily by seasonality, with two dietary patterns (identified by MDS analyses) corresponding to August–September 2003 (summer) and to November 2003/February–April 2004 (autumn–winter). The summer pattern was consistent with a thermally stratified water column, while November and April were consistent with homogenized temperature and salinity throughout all the water column. The main prey of recruits were the euphausiid Meganyctiphanes norvegica and the midwater fish Maurolicus muelleri in autumn–winter and myctophids (mainly Ceratoscopelus maderensis) in summer. In contrast to recruits, the geographic factor (NW vs. S) was the main factor influencing the diets of post-recruits (TL between 18 and 21.9 cm) and adults (TL?22 cm). Hake recruits (and to a lesser extent post-recruits) and their preferred prey occupied different depth ranges during daylight periods. Meganyctiphanes norvegica and Ceratoscopelus maderensis were, for instance, distributed as much as 500 m deeper than hake that had eaten them. All these trends were especially obvious at NW, an area with a more abrupt slope and with a greater influence by northern winter intermediate water (WIW) inflow in early spring than the S area. These factors probably enhanced micronekton aggregation in April, when feeding intensity (stomach fullness) increased among recruits and post-recruits only at NW. All these factors may have a crucial role in the diet, distribution and probably recruitment success of small hake. Biological factors were also important in trophic shifts in the diet and feeding of hake. Multi-linear regression models pointed to a trend of higher fullness with higher hepato-somatic index (HSI). Therefore greater food consumption by hake may enhance its metabolic condition. Within the framework of shelf-break and slope ecology, we show how the ‘boundary’ mesopelagic community inhabiting the middle slope sustains the trophic requirements of hake, a species distributed at shallower depths along the shelf-slope break. Mesopelagic euphausiids and myctophids are often found in the diets of shelf-break fish. Because the boundary mesopelagic community is distributed worldwide, the high levels of fish biomass often found at shelf-slope breaks could be sustained trophically by deeper, offshore mesopelagic communities, an inverse energy transfer from deep to shallow-water marine ecosystems.     

The near surface hydrography beneath the Odden ice tongue

As part of the European Subpolar Ocean Programme (ESOP), the German research icebreaker Polarstern worked in the Greenland Sea in the late winter of 1993. Whilst on passage, the ship encountered a severe winter storm with winds consistently above 20 m s⁻¹ coupled to air temperatures of below −10°C. The underway sensors revealed heat fluxes of greater than 700 W m⁻² across most of the Nordic Basin, peaking at greater than 1200 W m⁻² when the ship crossed the cold, fresh water of the Jan Mayen Current. This large heat flux coupled to the unique hydrographic conditions present in the Jan Mayen Current allowed sea-ice generation in the form of frazil ice at a rate of 28 cm d⁻¹. This frazil ice then developed into pancake ice. Measurements also were made in the late winter beneath this pancake ice in two remnants of the Odden. In the Jan Mayen Current, hydrographic conditions are such that the ice can exist for a long period of time before eventually decaying due to short-wave radiation at the surface. Towards the centre of the Greenland Sea, hydrographic measurements reveal that the ice is more transient and decays four times more rapidly than ice in the Jan Mayen Current. We discuss the development of the Odden ice tongue in light of these results and add evidence to the argument that the eventual fate of the water stored in the ice is important and could be a relevant factor in the formation of Greenland Sea Deep Water.     

Aggregation of the Arctic copepod Calanus hyperboreus over the ocean floor of the Greenland Sea

According to combined observations from vertical plankton tows, dredging with epibenthic nets 1 m above the ocean floor, video recordings and acoustic data from a scanning sonar obtained during descent and during deployment on the ocean floor, the calanoid copepod Calanus hyperboreus was aggregated in high concentrations near the ocean floor of the Greenland Sea between 2300 and 2500 m during late July and August. Concentrations were highest very close to the ocean floor and decreased rapidly further upward. These nearly mono-specific aggregations were apparently drifting in cloud-like formations with a horizontal extension of ca. 270 m with the near-bottom currents. Maximum abundances observed were up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than in the water column. The biomass in the bottom 20 m layer was around 18% of the biomass in the rest of the water column. Stage composition, reduced metabolic rates and insensibility to mechanical stimuli indicate that these C. hyperboreus were representing the resting population. The fact that high concentrations were observed during deployments lasting >1 d and in 3 years suggests that aggregation near the ocean floor is a regular, rather than an extraordinary, pattern in the life history of C. hyperboreus in the Greenland Sea, but there is need for comparison with other seas and eventually other Calanus species.     

The daily catch: Flight altitude and diving behavior of northern gannets feeding on Atlantic mackerel

Predators utilize a variety of behavioral techniques to capture elusive prey. Behavioral flexibility is essential among generalist predators that pursue a diversity of prey types, and capture efficiency is expected to be intense during the breeding season for parents that engage in self- and offspring-provisioning. We studied the foraging behavior of parental northern gannets in the northwestern Atlantic (Gulf of St. Lawrence) when they were feeding on Atlantic mackerel almost exclusively. Data-loggers recorded short (mean duration: 6.3 s), high speed (inferred vertical speeds of up to 54.0 m*s^− 1, equivalent to 194 km*h^− 1), and shallow dives (mean depth: 4.2 m; maximum: 9.2 m). Dives tended to occur in bouts, varying between 0.3 and 4.6 per hour (mean = 1.6). During foraging, overall flight heights ranged from 0 to 70 m, with no clear preferences for height. Most plunge-dives were initiated at flight altitudes of 11–60 m (mean ± SE = 37.1 ± 2.8 m; range 3–105 m except for 1 of 162 dives that was initiated at the sea surface). Dive depth and flight altitude at plunge-dive initiation were positively and significantly correlated, though it appears that low flight altitudes were sufficient to reach dive depths at which mackerel were present. Almost all dives were V-shaped indicating that a high acceleration attack is the most effective strategy for gannets feeding on large rapid-swimming prey such as mackerel that owing to thermal preferences does not occur below the thermocline and are thus well available and essentially trapped in the water depths exploited by northern gannets.     

Organic carbon flux and remineralization in surface sediments from the northern North Atlantic derived from pore-water oxygen microprofiles

Organic carbon fluxes through the sediment/water interface in the high-latitude North Atlantic were calculated from oxygen microprofiles. A wire-operated in situ oxygen bottom profiler was deployed, and oxygen profiles were also measured onboard (ex situ). Diffusive oxygen fluxes, obtained by fitting exponential functions to the oxygen profiles, were translated into organic carbon fluxes and organic carbon degradation rates. The mean C_org input to the abyssal plain sediments of the Norwegian and Greenland Seas was found to be 1.9 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹. Typical values at the seasonally ice-covered East Greenland continental margin are between 1.3 and 10.9 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹ (mean 3.7 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹), whereas fluxes on the East Greenland shelf are considerably higher, 9.1–22.5 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹. On the Norwegian continental slope C_org fluxes of 3.3–13.9 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹ (mean 6.5 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹) were found. Fluxes are considerably higher here compared to stations on the East Greenland slope at similar water depths. By repeated occupation of three sites off southern Norway in 1997 the temporal variability of diffusive O₂ fluxes was found to be quite low. The seasonal signal of primary and export production from the upper water column appears to be strongly damped at the seafloor. Degradation rates of 0.004–1.1 mg C cm⁻³ a⁻¹ at the sediment surface were calculated from the oxygen profiles. First-order degradation constants, obtained from C_org degradation rates and sediment organic carbon content, are in the range 0.03–0.6 a⁻¹. Thus, the corresponding mean lifetime of organic carbon lies between 1.7 and 33.2 years, which also suggests that seasonal variations in C_org flux are small. The data presented here characterize the Norwegian and Greenland Seas as oligotrophic and relatively low organic carbon deep-sea environments.     

Changes in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem estimated by inverse modelling: Evidence of a fishery-induced regime shift?

Mass-balance models have been constructed using inverse methodology for the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence for the mid-1980s, the mid-1990s, and the early 2000s to describe ecosystem structure, trophic group interactions, and the effects of fishing and predation on the ecosystem for each time period. Our analyses indicate that the ecosystem structure shifted dramatically from one previously dominated by demersal (cod, redfish) and small-bodied forage (e.g., capelin, mackerel, herring, shrimp) species to one now dominated by small-bodied forage species. Overfishing removed a functional group in the late 1980s, large piscivorous fish (primarily cod and redfish), which has not recovered 14 years after the cessation of heavy fishing. This has left only marine mammals as top predators during the mid-1990s, and marine mammals and small Greenland halibut during the early 2000s. Predation by marine mammals on fish increased from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s while predation by large fish on fish decreased. Capelin and shrimp, the main prey in each period, showed an increase in biomass over the three periods. A switch in the main predators of capelin from cod to marine mammals occurred, while Greenland halibut progressively replaced cod as shrimp predators. Overfishing influenced community structure directly through preferential removal of larger-bodied fishes and indirectly through predation release because larger-bodied fishes exerted top-down control upon other community species or competed with other species for the same prey. Our modelling estimates showed that a change in predation structure or flows at the top of the trophic system led to changes in predation at all lower trophic levels in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence. These changes represent a case of fishery-induced regime shift.