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Tremblay-Gagnon F, Brown-Vuillemin S, Skanes K, Polaczek H, Walkusz W, Robert D, Deslauriers D. Spatiotemporal variability in diet composition of Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) from the eastern Canadian Arctic. J Fish Biol 2023; 103:1430-1444. [PMID: 37563757 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) sustain one of the most lucrative fisheries in the eastern Canadian Arctic and Labrador Sea. This species also plays an important role in food web connectivity and benthic-pelagic coupling. Despite the relatively rich knowledge of this species, R. hippoglossoides ecology in these specific areas remains poorly understood. The main aim of this study was to characterize the diet of this deepwater fish in the Labrador Sea and Davis and Hudson Straits and characterize the predator-prey relationship with northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), another commercially important species in the region. Stomach contents analyses were conducted on 1199 fish captured from 2018 to 2020. Small specimens (<20 cm) fed on invertebrates, whereas larger individuals (>60 cm) fed primarily on fish, indicative of size-related changes in diet composition. The relative abundance of Pandalus shrimp species in the environment was reflected in the diet. Location appeared to be the most influential variable on feeding patterns. Distinct oceanographic conditions among areas, resulting in differences in prey availability, could explain these results. Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and redfish (Sebastes sp.) were selected in locations where fish prey were the most abundant. These results shed light on the opportunistic nature of R. hippoglossoides and its preference for fish at large size. With the rapidly changing oceanographic conditions of Arctic waters, a distributional change in the biomass of shrimp is expected. Results suggest that an increase in abundance of predatory groundfish species in the system (e.g., Sebastes sp.) could lead to acute predation on shrimp and competition with R. hippoglossoides. By revealing key trophic links within the demersal ecosystem, this work provides valuable information on the development of ecosystem approaches to fisheries management for the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix Tremblay-Gagnon
- Institut des Sciences de la Mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarah Brown-Vuillemin
- Institut des Sciences de la Mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Katherine Skanes
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Hannah Polaczek
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Wojciech Walkusz
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Dominique Robert
- Institut des Sciences de la Mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - David Deslauriers
- Institut des Sciences de la Mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
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Ehrman A, Hoover C, Giraldo C, MacPhee SA, Brewster J, Michel C, Reist JD, Power M, Swanson H, Niemi A, Walkusz W, Loseto L. A meta-collection of nitrogen stable isotope data measured in Arctic marine organisms from the Canadian Beaufort Sea, 1983-2013. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:347. [PMID: 34488867 PMCID: PMC8420039 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05743-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Existing information on Arctic marine food web structure is fragmented. Integrating data across research programs is an important strategy for building a baseline understanding of food web structure and function in many Arctic regions. Naturally-occurring stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) measured directly in the tissues of organisms are a commonly-employed method for estimating food web structure. The objective of the current dataset was to synthesize disparate δ15N, and secondarily δ13C, data in the Canadian Beaufort continental shelf region relevant to trophic and ecological studies at the local and pan-Arctic scales. DATA DESCRIPTION The dataset presented here contains nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios (δ15N, δ13C) measured in marine organisms from the Canadian Beaufort continental shelf region between 1983 and 2013, gathered from 27 published and unpublished sources with associated sampling metadata. A total of 1077 entries were collected, summarizing 8859 individual organisms/samples representing 333 taxa across the Arctic food web, from top marine mammal predators to primary producers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Ehrman
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
| | - Carie Hoover
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, 125 Dysart Rd., Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
| | - Carolina Giraldo
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
- Centre Manche—Mer du Nord, Ifremer, HMMN, BP 669, F-62 321 Boulogne sur Mer, France
| | - Shannon A. MacPhee
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
| | - Jasmine Brewster
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, 125 Dysart Rd., Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
| | - Christine Michel
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
| | - James D. Reist
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
| | - Michael Power
- Biology Department, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - Heidi Swanson
- Biology Department, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - Andrea Niemi
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
| | - Wojciech Walkusz
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
| | - Lisa Loseto
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
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Morato T, González-Irusta JM, Dominguez-Carrió C, Wei CL, Davies A, Sweetman AK, Taranto GH, Beazley L, García-Alegre A, Grehan A, Laffargue P, Murillo FJ, Sacau M, Vaz S, Kenchington E, Arnaud-Haond S, Callery O, Chimienti G, Cordes E, Egilsdottir H, Freiwald A, Gasbarro R, Gutiérrez-Zárate C, Gianni M, Gilkinson K, Wareham Hayes VE, Hebbeln D, Hedges K, Henry LA, Johnson D, Koen-Alonso M, Lirette C, Mastrototaro F, Menot L, Molodtsova T, Durán Muñoz P, Orejas C, Pennino MG, Puerta P, Ragnarsson SÁ, Ramiro-Sánchez B, Rice J, Rivera J, Roberts JM, Ross SW, Rueda JL, Sampaio Í, Snelgrove P, Stirling D, Treble MA, Urra J, Vad J, van Oevelen D, Watling L, Walkusz W, Wienberg C, Woillez M, Levin LA, Carreiro-Silva M. Climate-induced changes in the suitable habitat of cold-water corals and commercially important deep-sea fishes in the North Atlantic. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:2181-2202. [PMID: 32077217 PMCID: PMC7154791 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The deep sea plays a critical role in global climate regulation through uptake and storage of heat and carbon dioxide. However, this regulating service causes warming, acidification and deoxygenation of deep waters, leading to decreased food availability at the seafloor. These changes and their projections are likely to affect productivity, biodiversity and distributions of deep-sea fauna, thereby compromising key ecosystem services. Understanding how climate change can lead to shifts in deep-sea species distributions is critically important in developing management measures. We used environmental niche modelling along with the best available species occurrence data and environmental parameters to model habitat suitability for key cold-water coral and commercially important deep-sea fish species under present-day (1951-2000) environmental conditions and to project changes under severe, high emissions future (2081-2100) climate projections (RCP8.5 scenario) for the North Atlantic Ocean. Our models projected a decrease of 28%-100% in suitable habitat for cold-water corals and a shift in suitable habitat for deep-sea fishes of 2.0°-9.9° towards higher latitudes. The largest reductions in suitable habitat were projected for the scleractinian coral Lophelia pertusa and the octocoral Paragorgia arborea, with declines of at least 79% and 99% respectively. We projected the expansion of suitable habitat by 2100 only for the fishes Helicolenus dactylopterus and Sebastes mentella (20%-30%), mostly through northern latitudinal range expansion. Our results projected limited climate refugia locations in the North Atlantic by 2100 for scleractinian corals (30%-42% of present-day suitable habitat), even smaller refugia locations for the octocorals Acanella arbuscula and Acanthogorgia armata (6%-14%), and almost no refugia for P. arborea. Our results emphasize the need to understand how anticipated climate change will affect the distribution of deep-sea species including commercially important fishes and foundation species, and highlight the importance of identifying and preserving climate refugia for a range of area-based planning and management tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Telmo Morato
- Okeanos Research Centre, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
- IMAR Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
| | - José-Manuel González-Irusta
- Okeanos Research Centre, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
- IMAR Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Carlos Dominguez-Carrió
- Okeanos Research Centre, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
- IMAR Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Chih-Lin Wei
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Andrew Davies
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Andrew K Sweetman
- Marine Benthic Ecology, Biogeochemistry and In situ Technology Research Group, The Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Science and Technology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gerald H Taranto
- Okeanos Research Centre, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
- IMAR Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Lindsay Beazley
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | - Ana García-Alegre
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Mar Sacau
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Sandrine Vaz
- MARBEC, University of Montpellier, IFREMER, CNRS, IRD, Sète, France
| | - Ellen Kenchington
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | | | - Oisín Callery
- Earth and Ocean Sciences, NUI Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Giovanni Chimienti
- Department of Biology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- CoNISMa, Rome, Italy
| | - Erik Cordes
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - André Freiwald
- Marine Research Department, Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Ryan Gasbarro
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cristina Gutiérrez-Zárate
- Okeanos Research Centre, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
- IMAR Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
| | | | - Kent Gilkinson
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Ocean Canada, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Vonda E Wareham Hayes
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Ocean Canada, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Dierk Hebbeln
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Kevin Hedges
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Lea-Anne Henry
- Changing Oceans Group, School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Mariano Koen-Alonso
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Ocean Canada, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Cam Lirette
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Pablo Durán Muñoz
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Covadonga Orejas
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Palma, Spain
| | - Maria Grazia Pennino
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Patricia Puerta
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Palma, Spain
| | | | - Berta Ramiro-Sánchez
- Changing Oceans Group, School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jake Rice
- Fisheries and Ocean Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jesús Rivera
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Murray Roberts
- Changing Oceans Group, School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Steve W Ross
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA
| | - José L Rueda
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Íris Sampaio
- IMAR Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
- Marine Research Department, Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Paul Snelgrove
- Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - David Stirling
- Marine Laboratory, Marine Scotland Science, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - Javier Urra
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Johanne Vad
- Changing Oceans Group, School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Dick van Oevelen
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Utrecht University, Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Les Watling
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | | | - Claudia Wienberg
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Lisa A Levin
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marina Carreiro-Silva
- Okeanos Research Centre, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
- IMAR Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pesca, Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal
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Amélineau F, Grémillet D, Harding AMA, Walkusz W, Choquet R, Fort J. Arctic climate change and pollution impact little auk foraging and fitness across a decade. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1014. [PMID: 30705325 PMCID: PMC6355795 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38042-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ongoing global changes apply drastic environmental forcing onto Arctic marine ecosystems, particularly through ocean warming, sea-ice shrinkage and enhanced pollution. To test impacts on arctic marine ecological functioning, we used a 12-year integrative study of little auks (Alle alle), the most abundant seabird in the Atlantic Arctic. We monitored the foraging ecology, reproduction, survival and body condition of breeding birds, and we tested linkages between these biological variables and a set of environmental parameters including sea-ice concentration (SIC) and mercury contamination. Little auks showed substantial plasticity in response to SIC, with deeper and longer dives but less time spent underwater and more time flying when SIC decreased. Their diet also contained less lipid-rich ice-associated prey when SIC decreased. Further, in contrast to former studies conducted at the annual scale, little auk fitness proxies were impacted by environmental changes: Adult body condition and chick growth rate were negatively linked to SIC and mercury contamination. However, no trend was found for adult survival despite high inter-annual variability. Our results suggest that potential benefits of milder climatic conditions in East Greenland may be offset by increasing pollution in the Arctic. Overall, our study stresses the importance of long-term studies integrating ecology and ecotoxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise Amélineau
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France.
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France.
| | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute and DST/NRF Excellence Centre at the University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Ann M A Harding
- Environmental Science Department, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Wojciech Walkusz
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
| | - Rémi Choquet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
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Delaforge A, Suárez-Morales E, Walkusz W, Karley Campbell, Mundy CJ. A new species of Monstrillopsis (Crustacea, Copepoda, Monstrilloida) from the lower Northwest Passage of the Canadian Arctic. Zookeys 2017:1-16. [PMID: 29118635 PMCID: PMC5674165 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.709.20181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A new species of monstrilloid copepod, Monstrillopsis planifronssp. n., is described from an adult female that was collected beneath snow-covered sea ice during the 2014 Ice Covered Ecosystem - CAMbridge bay Process Study (ICE-CAMPS) in Dease Strait of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Currently, up to six species of this order are known to occur in polar latitudes. The new species described herein shares similarities with Monstrillopsis dubia (Scott, 1904) but differs in its body proportions and cephalothorax ornamentation; the cephalothorax is covered by minute scattered papillae on dorsal and ventral surfaces; this species has a reduced fifth leg endopod, fifth leg exopod armed with three setae, antennule with fused segments 3-4, and the genital double-somite bears unique posterolateral processes. This is the second species of this genus recorded in the Arctic, after Monstrillopsis ferrarii (Suárez-Morales & Ivanenko, 2004), described from the White Sea, and is the first record of Monstrillopsis in Canadian waters. With the addition of this new species and the recognition of Monstrillopsis bernardensis comb. nov. as a member of this genus, the number of nominal species is now 15. Overall, this genus has a tendency to be distributed in temperate and cold waters, while only three species have been found in tropical and subtropical latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Delaforge
- Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS), Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2
| | - Eduardo Suárez-Morales
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Unidad Chetumal. P.O. Box 424. Chetumal, Quintana Roo 77014. Mexico
| | - Wojciech Walkusz
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N6
| | - Karley Campbell
- Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS), Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2
| | - C J Mundy
- Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS), Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2
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Amélineau F, Bonnet D, Heitz O, Mortreux V, Harding AMA, Karnovsky N, Walkusz W, Fort J, Grémillet D. Microplastic pollution in the Greenland Sea: Background levels and selective contamination of planktivorous diving seabirds. Environ Pollut 2016; 219:1131-1139. [PMID: 27616650 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics have been reported everywhere around the globe. With very limited human activities, the Arctic is distant from major sources of microplastics. However, microplastic ingestions have been found in several Arctic marine predators, confirming their presence in this region. Nonetheless, existing information for this area remains scarce, thus there is an urgent need to quantify the contamination of Arctic marine waters. In this context, we studied microplastic abundance and composition within the zooplankton community off East Greenland. For the same area, we concurrently evaluated microplastic contamination of little auks (Alle alle), an Arctic seabird feeding on zooplankton while diving between 0 and 50 m. The study took place off East Greenland in July 2005 and 2014, under strongly contrasted sea-ice conditions. Among all samples, 97.2% of the debris found were filaments. Despite the remoteness of our study area, microplastic abundances were comparable to those of other oceans, with 0.99 ± 0.62 m-3 in the presence of sea-ice (2005), and 2.38 ± 1.11 m-3 in the nearby absence of sea-ice (2014). Microplastic rise between 2005 and 2014 might be linked to an increase in plastic production worldwide or to lower sea-ice extents in 2014, as sea-ice can represent a sink for microplastic particles, which are subsequently released to the water column upon melting. Crucially, all birds had eaten plastic filaments, and they collected high levels of microplastics compared to background levels with 9.99 and 8.99 pieces per chick meal in 2005 and 2014, respectively. Importantly, we also demonstrated that little auks took more often light colored microplastics, rather than darker ones, strongly suggesting an active contamination with birds mistaking microplastics for their natural prey. Overall, our study stresses the great vulnerability of Arctic marine species to microplastic pollution in a warming Arctic, where sea-ice melting is expected to release vast volumes of trapped debris.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Amélineau
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France.
| | - D Bonnet
- Laboratoire MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - O Heitz
- Département de Chimie, Institut Universitaire de Technologie de Montpellier-Sète, Université de Montpellier, Sète, France
| | - V Mortreux
- Laboratoire MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - A M A Harding
- Environmental Science Department, Alaska Pacific University, 4101 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - N Karnovsky
- Department of Biology, Pomona College, 175 W 6th St., Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - W Walkusz
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada; Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - J Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
| | - D Grémillet
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France; FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Excellence Centre at the University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
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McNicholl DG, Walkusz W, Davoren GK, Majewski AR, Reist JD. Dietary characteristics of co-occurring polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the Canadian Arctic, Darnley Bay. Polar Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-015-1834-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Boehnke R, Gluchowska M, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Jakubas D, Karnovsky NJ, Walkusz W, Kwasniewski S, Błachowiak-Samołyk K. Supplementary diet components of little auk chicks in two contrasting regions on the West Spitsbergen coast. Polar Biol 2015; 38:261-267. [PMID: 26069395 PMCID: PMC4459656 DOI: 10.1007/s00300-014-1568-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The complete diet composition structure of the most numerous planktivorous sea bird, little auk (Alle alle), in the European Arctic, is still not fully recognized. Although regular constituents of little auk chick diets, the copepods, Calanus glacialis and C. finmarchicus have been previously relatively well described, more taxa were frequent ingredients of the bird’s meals. Therefore, the role of the little auks supplementary diet components (SDCs) at two colonies in the Svalbard Archipelago, Hornsund and Magdalenefjorden, in 2007–2009, is a main subject of this comparative study. Because the SDCs often consisted of scarce but large zooplankters, this investigation was focused on biomass as a proxy of the SDCs’ energy input. Although the total biomass of the food delivered to chicks in both colonies was similar, in Magdalenefjorden, the proportion of SDCs was twice that found in Hornsund. The main SDCs in Hornsund were Decapoda larvae (with predominating Pagurus pubescens) and Thysanoessa inermis, whereas the main SDCs in Magdalenefjorden were C. hyperboreus and Apherusa glacialis. Previous investigations, which indicated lipid richness of SDCs, together with our ecological results from the colonies, suggest that this category might play a compensatory role in little auk chick diets. The ability to forage on diverse taxa may help the birds to adapt to ongoing Arctic ecosystem changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Boehnke
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Marta Gluchowska
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | | | - Dariusz Jakubas
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Nina J Karnovsky
- Department of Biology, Pomona College, 175 W. 6th St., Claremont, CA 91711 USA
| | - Wojciech Walkusz
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland ; Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada
| | - Slawomir Kwasniewski
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
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Pućko M, Burt A, Walkusz W, Wang F, Macdonald RW, Rysgaard S, Barber DG, Tremblay JÉ, Stern GA. Transformation of mercury at the bottom of the Arctic food web: an overlooked puzzle in the mercury exposure narrative. Environ Sci Technol 2014; 48:7280-7288. [PMID: 24901673 DOI: 10.1021/es404851b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We show 2008 seasonal trends of total and monomethyl mercury (THg and MeHg, respectively) in herbivorous (Calanus hyperboreus) and predatory (Chaetognaths, Paraeuchaeta glacialis, and Themisto abyssorum) zooplankton species from the Canadian High Arctic (Amundsen Gulf and the Canadian Beaufort Sea) in relation to ambient seawater and diet. It has recently been postulated that the Arctic marine environment may be exceptionally vulnerable to toxic MeHg contamination through postdepositional processes leading to mercury transformation and methylation. Here, we show that C. hyperboreus plays a hitherto unrecognized central role in mercury transformation while, itself, not manifesting inordinately high levels of THg compared to its prey (pelagic particulate organic matter (POM)). Calanus hyperboreus shifts Hg from mainly inorganic forms in pelagic POM (>99.5%) or ambient seawater (>90%) to primarily organic forms (>50%) in their tissue. We calculate that annual dietary intake of MeHg could supply only ∼30% of the MeHg body burden in C. hyperboreus and, thus, transformation within the species, perhaps mediated by gut microbial communities, or bioconcentration from ambient seawater likely play overriding roles. Seasonal THg trends in C. hyperboreus are variable and directly controlled by species-specific physiology, e.g., egg laying and grazing. Zooplankton that prey on species such as C. hyperboreus provide a further biomagnification of MeHg and reflect seasonal trends observed in their prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Pućko
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba , 460 Wallace Building, 125 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, R3T 2N2, Canada
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Pućko M, Walkusz W, Macdonald RW, Barber DG, Fuchs C, Stern GA. Importance of Arctic zooplankton seasonal migrations for α-hexachlorocyclohexane bioaccumulation dynamics. Environ Sci Technol 2013; 47:4155-4163. [PMID: 23570325 DOI: 10.1021/es304472d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Like most zooplankton, Calanus hyperboreus undergoes seasonal migration spending late spring and summer grazing at the surface and the rest of the year in diapause at depth. As a result, in the Arctic Ocean this copepod resides for part of the year in the hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) enriched surface water and for part of the year at depth where HCH undergoes significant microbial degradation resulting in far lower concentrations (~3 times for α-HCH). We collected C. hyperboreus from summer and winter from the Amundsen Gulf and measured their α-HCH concentrations, enantiomeric compositions, and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) to investigate how this copepod responds to the change in exposure to α-HCH. C. hyperboreus collected in winter were also cultured for 5 weeks under surface water conditions without feeding to investigate bioconcentration dynamics following spring ascent. Concentration of α-HCH was 2-3 times higher in individuals from the summer than those from the winter. Log BAF from the summer (feeding period) does not exceed log BCF (bioconcentration factor) from the culturing experiment (no feeding) suggesting that α-HCH concentration in C. hyperboreus is maintained through equilibration rather than feeding. After the spring ascent from deep waters, C. hyperboreus approach equilibrium partitioning with the higher surface water concentrations of α-HCH within 3-4 weeks with about 60% of bioconcentration taking place in the first week. The C. hyperboreus α-HCH chiral signature also reflects ambient seawater and can therefore be used as a determinant of residence depth. Even though a single cycle of seasonal migration does not result in a significant redistribution of α-HCH in the water column, this process could have a significant cumulative effect over longer time scales with particular local importance where the zooplankton biomass is high and the ocean depth is great enough to provide substantial vertical concentration gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Pućko
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, 460 Wallace Building, 125 Dysart Road, Winnipeg R3T 2N2, Canada.
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Foster KL, Stern GA, Pazerniuk MA, Hickie B, Walkusz W, Wang F, Macdonald RW. Mercury biomagnification in marine zooplankton food webs in Hudson Bay. Environ Sci Technol 2012; 46:12952-12959. [PMID: 23157666 DOI: 10.1021/es303434p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
While much research has been carried out on mercury in large marine mammals and associated food webs in northern regions, comparatively less has been conducted on lower trophic levels including zooplankton and the subsequent transfer to predators, which marks the entry of mercury into northern marine food webs. We present here the first database for mercury uptake and transfer exclusively within zooplankton food webs in northern marine waters. We have investigated both total (THg) and monomethylmercury (MMHg) concentrations, and isotopic signatures (δ(15)N and δ(13)C) in individual zooplankton taxa collected over a period of eight years (2003-2010) from across Hudson Bay (including Hudson Strait and Foxe Basin) as part of research icebreaker cruises. δ(15)N values ranged from 3.4 to 14.0‰, implying trophic levels ranging from 1 to 4, and THg concentrations ranged from 5 to 242 ng g(-1) dw. Food web linkages were identified within the data set, and mercury biomagnification was evident both with THg and MMHg concentrations increasing from prey to predator, and with trophic magnification factors (TMFs). Total mercury and MMHg transfer in a unique prey-predator linkage (Limacina helicina-Clione limacina) are investigated and discussed with regard to known physiological and biochemical characteristics. The results suggest that exposure to mercury at higher trophic levels including humans can be affected by processes at the bottom of Arctic marine food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Foster
- Centre for Earth Observation Sciences (CEOS), Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada R3T 2N2.
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Walkusz W, Paulić JE, Kwaśniewski S, Williams WJ, Wong S, Papst MH. Distribution, diversity and biomass of summer zooplankton from the coastal Canadian Beaufort Sea. Polar Biol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-009-0708-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Harding AMA, Egevang C, Walkusz W, Merkel F, Blanc S, Grémillet D. Estimating prey capture rates of a planktivorous seabird, the little auk (Alle alle), using diet, diving behaviour, and energy consumption. Polar Biol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-009-0581-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Piwosz K, Walkusz W, Hapter R, Wieczorek P, Hop H, Wiktor J. Comparison of productivity and phytoplankton in a warm (Kongsfjorden) and a cold (Hornsund) Spitsbergen fjord in mid-summer 2002. Polar Biol 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-008-0549-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Harding AMA, Hobson KA, Walkusz W, Dmoch K, Karnovsky NJ, Van Pelt TI, Lifjeld JT. Can stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) measurements of little auk (Alle alle) adults and chicks be used to track changes in high-Arctic marine foodwebs? Polar Biol 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-008-0413-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Pempkowiak J, Walkusz-Miotk J, Bełdowski J, Walkusz W. Heavy metals in zooplankton from the Southern Baltic. Chemosphere 2006; 62:1697-708. [PMID: 16139327 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.06.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2005] [Revised: 06/13/2005] [Accepted: 06/13/2005] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Samples of zooplankton and suspended matter were collected using a Bongo net (0.33/0.50 mm mesh net), and Nucleopore filters, respectively, from the Southern Baltic off Poland. Major classes of zooplankton, and selected heavy metals (Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr) were determined in the collected samples. Concentrations of heavy metals in zooplankton were corrected for metals contributed by particulate matter adhering to zooplankton organisms. Heavy metals levels measured in nearshore samples (Bay of Gdańsk, Pomeranian Bay) were higher than those in the samples from the open sea. The only exception was cadmium exhibiting larger concentrations in the offshore as compared to the nearshore samples (0.8 vs. 1.3 microg/g d.w.). This was attributed to decreased concentrations, of both dissolved and particulate cadmium, caused by algal bloom. Larger concentrations of heavy metals in the Bay of Gdańsk in comparison with the Pomeranian Bay (e.g. Cd-1.3 vs. 0.8 microg/g, Cu-20.5 vs. 8.3 microg/g, Pb-12.9 vs. 1.2 microg/g, Cr-12.4 vs. 1.4 microg/g) were attributed to the direct discharge of the Vistula river to the Bay of Gdańsk, while the Pomeranian Bay receives the Odra river runoff indirectly, via the Szczecin Lagoon. The nonlinear estimation of the data set was used to evaluate concentrations of heavy metals in Copepoda and Cladocera. Copepoda proved to be enriched with heavy metals in comparison with Cladocera.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Pempkowiak
- Marine Chemistry Department, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstancow Warszawy 55, P.O. Box 197, 81-712 Sopot, Poland.
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