Variability in Arctic pelagic amphipods derived from a 15 years time series obtained with sediment traps in eastern Fram Strait
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Amphipods are key species linking primary consumers such as copepods with higher trophic levels like marine mammals and sea birds. Studying Arctic pelagic amphipods in the Fram Strait region over a period of 15 years represents an outstanding opportunity in determining range shifts since only three species of the genus Themisto dominate the upper pelagic system of Fram Strait. Samples from sediment traps of the Long-Term-Ecological Research (LTER) observatory HAUSGARTEN in the northeastern Fram Strait (79°N, 4°C) have been used to obtain year-round abundance time series from the year 2000 until 2014. For this period range shifts in amphipods are evident:, the North-Atlantic species T. compressa was first observed in the samples in the eastern Fram Strait in 2004. It is further shown for recent years (2004 -2014) that this southern intruder got established in the Fram Strait. Also, the latest abundance development of the native species – the boreal T. abyssorum and the Arctic T. libellula – is described and related to environmental data such as marine current velocity, current direction, water temperature, and sea ice extend. Grouping patterns of yearly averaged amphipod abundances per mooring using multivariate statistics varied indicating a highly diverse system. Whether or not these dynamics are due to climate change or natural variability cannot yet be stated. A shift in the abundance pattern of Arctic amphipods will heavily impact marine food webs with implications up and down the food chain.
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AWI Organizations > Biosciences > Deep Sea Ecology and Technology
Helmholtz Research Programs > PACES II (2014-2020) > TOPIC 1: Changes and regional feedbacks in Arctic and Antarctic > WP 1.4: Arctic sea ice and its interaction with ocean and ecosystems
ARK > XVI > 2
ARK > XVII > 2
ARK > XVIII > 1
ARK > XX > 1
ARK > XXI > 1b
ARK > XXII > 1c
ARK > XXIII > 2
ARK > XXIV > 2
ARK > XXV > 2
ARK > XXVI > 2
ARK > XXVII > 2
ARK > XXVIII > 2