Abstract
Abstract The Arctic Ocean is undergoing changes at an unprecedented rate because of global climate change. Especially poorly-studied in arctic waters are the gelatinous zooplankton, which are difficult to study using traditional oceanographic methods. A distinct zooplanktivore community was characterized in the surface 100 m by use of a Remotely Operated Vehicle, net collections, and SCUBA diving. The large scyphomedusa, Chrysaora melanaster , was associated with the warm Pacific water at ∼35–75 m depth. A diverse ctenophore community lived mainly above the C. melanaster layer, including Dryodora glandula , a specialized predator of larvaceans, Beroe cucumis , a predator of other ctenophores, and the extremely fragile Bolinopsis infundibulum , which was the most abundant species. Gut content analyses showed that Mertensia ovum selectively consumed the largest copepods ( Calanus spp.) and amphipods ( Parathemisto libellula ); B. infundibulum consumed smaller copepods and pteropods ( Limacina helicina ). Large copepods were digested by M. ovum in ∼12 h at −1.5 to 0 °C, but by B. infundibulum in only ∼4 h. We estimated that M. ovum consumed an average of ∼2% d −1 of the Calanus spp. copepods and that B. infundibulum consumed ∼4% d −1 of copepods Calanus spp. have life-cycles of 2 or more years and are eaten by vertebrates including bowhead whales and arctic cod.
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More From: Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
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