The Biochemical Composition and Caloric Content of the Macrozoobenthos of the Western Kamchatka Shelf

Abstract

Data on the biochemical composition and caloric content of common species of the zoobenthos of the western Kamchatka shelf were estimated for the entire body of an organism together with the integument and separately for muscle tissue. Estimates of the gross biomass of zoobenthos at different trophic levels calculated from bottom trawl and dredge sampling data, taking the isotope composition of benthic invertebrates into account, showed that the proportion of zoobenthos at the second trophic level was approximately 87%, while at the subsequent trophic levels it only slightly exceeded 13%. More than 70% of the energy was concentrated in valuable forage species. The total amount of energy at the second trophic level was 77.8%, while at the third and fourth levels it was 22.2%.