Subarctic Species Research Articles

Fatty acid carbon isotopes as tracers of trophic structure and contaminant biomagnification in Arctic marine food webs.

Mercury (Hg) and persistent organic pollutant (POP) accumulation among species and biomagnification through food webs is typically assessed using stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) in bulk (whole) tissues. Yet, bulk isotopic approaches have limitations, notably from the potential overlap of isotope values from different dietary sources and from spatial variation in source (baseline) signals. Here, we explore the potential of fatty acid carbon isotopes (FA δ13C) to (1) evaluate the trophic structure of a marine food web, (2) distinguish feeding patterns among four marine mammal consumers, (3) trace contaminant biomagnification through a food web, and (4) explain interspecific variation in contaminants among high-trophic position predators. In the Cumberland Sound (CS) food web of Nunavut, Canada, ranging from zooplankton to Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), FA δ13C values for the monounsaturated FAs, 20:1 and 22:1 isomers, did not vary across the food web, while the long-chain polyunsaturated FA, 22:6n3 showed δ13C values that were enriched by ~1.5‰ with each trophic position. Values of δ13C for shorter-chain and saturated FAs varied widely across this food web. In East Greenland (EG) marine mammals, FA δ13C values were significantly higher in migratory sub-Arctic species relative to Arctic residents. Linear models using FA δ13C as explanatory variables for contaminant concentrations demonstrated that baseline-corrected δ13C values of certain dietary FAs explained more variation in POP concentrations than did bulk stable isotopes in EG marine mammals. However, bulk δ15N better explained Hg variation in the CS food web. This study details the FA δ13C instrumental methods, such that other researchers can test this novel approach on other species, locations, and food webs to further evaluate whether the δ13C values of certain diet-derived FAs consistently show limited or predictable trophic fractionation and may therefore be useful for assessing the accumulation and biomagnification of lipophilic contaminants.

Linking PVA models into metamodels to explore impacts of declining sea ice on ice-dependent species in the Arctic: the ringed seal, bearded seal, polar bear complex

Arctic ecosystems are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change because of the limit to possible northward shifts for species dependent on land or continental shelf and because the rate of warming of the region has been 2-4 x the global average in recent decades. The decline in sea ice in the Arctic has both direct and indirect impacts on the species that live in association with ice, breeding on it, traveling over it, feeding on other ice-dependent species or avoiding competition with subarctic species that cannot exploit resources in ice-covered areas. Herein, we present a metamodel of a top-level predator, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), and two of its key prey species, ringed seals (Pusa hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus), which are important in maintaining current polar bear densities and in turn are strongly influenced by bear predation. We used a metamodel that links Population Viability Analyses of the three species in order to examine how the impacts of declining spring land-fast sea ice on the fjords of Svalbard (Norway) and Frans Josef Land (Russia) can cascade through this predator-prey system. As the ice conditions that allow ringed seals to raise pups in snow-covered lairs on the frozen fjords diminish, or even disappear, ringed seal populations using the land-fast sea ice will collapse due to lack of successful recruitment. Consequently, the polar bear population, which relies heavily on hunting ringed seals in the land-fast sea ice to be able to raise their own offspring is also likely to decline. Our models suggest time-lags of decades, with the polar bear population not entering into decline until the lack of recruitment of ringed seals results in the depletion of breeding age ringed seals – starting in the third decade from the start point of the model and dropping below the initial population size only some decades later. Although lags between climate change and impacts on the ice-associated fauna are expected, the sea ice conditions have already changed dramatically in the northern Barents Sea region, including the Svalbard Archipelago, and the collapse of this Arctic species assemblage might already be underway.

Brachiopods of the northern North Atlantic and Arctic, with a focus on Norwegian fauna

Ten species of Brachiopoda have been found living around Norway, including the Arctic Svalbard and Jan Mayen, while 26 are recorded here for the region extending from the Arctic Ocean in the North to the northernmost North Atlantic and Celtic Sea in the South. This paper provides an identification key and short descriptions for all species, including the new species Xenobrochus islandicus n. sp. from southwest of Iceland and the new East Atlantic species Dallina lusitanica n. sp. The distributions of all species have been reviewed and were generally found to follow the oceanic temperature, salinity and depth gradients of the region. Also organic enrichment had some influence on distribution. Some species have shown a possible ongoing northward shift of their biogeographic boundaries over the last two centuries, including the Arctic to subarctic species Hemithiris psittacea.

Climate change introduces threatened killer whale populations and conservation challenges to the Arctic.

The Arctic is the fastest-warming region on the planet, and the lengthening ice-free season is opening Arctic waters to sub-Arctic species such as the killer whale (Orcinus orca). As apex predators, killer whales can cause significant ecosystem-scale changes. Setting conservation priorities for killer whales and their Arctic prey species requires knowledge of their evolutionary history and demographic trajectory. Using whole-genome resequencing of 24 killer whales sampled in the northwest Atlantic, we first explored the population structure and demographic history of Arctic killer whales. To better understand the broader geographic relationship of these Arctic killer whales to other populations, we compared them to a globally sampled dataset. Finally, we assessed threats to Arctic killer whales due to anthropogenic harvest by reviewing the peer-reviewed and gray literature. We found that there are two highly genetically distinct, non-interbreeding populations of killer whales using the eastern Canadian Arctic. These populations appear to be as genetically different from each other as are ecotypes described elsewhere in the killer whale range; however, our data cannot speak to ecological differences between these populations. One population is newly identified as globally genetically distinct, and the second is genetically similar to individuals sampled from Greenland. The effective sizes of both populations recently declined, and both appear vulnerable to inbreeding and reduced adaptive potential. Our survey of human-caused mortalities suggests that harvest poses an ongoing threat to both populations. The dynamic Arctic environment complicates conservation and management efforts, with killer whales adding top-down pressure on Arctic food webs crucial to northern communities' social and economic well-being. While killer whales represent a conservation priority, they also complicate decisions surrounding wildlife conservation and resource management in the Arctic amid the effects of climate change.

Short-term responses of temperate and subarctic marine diatoms to Irgarol 1051 and UV radiation: Insights into temperature interactions.

Phytoplankton face numerous pressures resulting from chemical and physical stressors, primarily induced by human activities. This study focuses on investigating the interactive effects of widely used antifouling agent Irgarol 1051 and UV radiation on the photo-physiology of marine diatoms from diverse latitudes, within the context of global warming. Our findings clearly shown that both Irgarol and UV radiation have a significant inhibitory impact on the photochemical performance of the three diatoms examined, with Irgarol treatment exhibiting more pronounced effects. In the case of the two temperate zone diatoms, we observed a decrease in the inhibition induced by Irgarol 1051 and UVR as the temperature increased up to 25°C. Similarly, for the subarctic species, an increase in temperature resulted in a reduction in the inhibition caused by Irgarol and UVR. These results suggest that elevated temperatures can mitigate the short-term inhibitory effects of both Irgarol and UVR on diatoms. Furthermore, our data indicate that increased temperature could significantly interact with UVR or Irgarol for temperate diatoms, while this was not the case for cold water diatoms, indicating temperate and subarctic diatoms may respond differentially under global warming.

Comparison of feeding niches between Arctic and northward-moving sub-Arctic marine mammals in Greenland

The climate change-induced northward movement of sub-Arctic marine mammals increases their range overlap and interactions with native Arctic species. We compared feeding patterns of 11 marine mammal species (4 Arctic and 7 sub-Arctic) in Greenland using stable isotope ratios and fatty acid signatures, and also assessed the effects of lipid extraction on stable isotope ratios. Lipid extraction showed limited increases in δ13C, intermediate effects on δ15N, and significant depletion of δ34S in muscle of some marine mammals. Arctic and sub-Arctic species differed in stable isotope ratios, indicating some use of separate food resources, while likely also reflecting baseline isotopic variation. Proportions of some of the most abundant fatty acids (20:1n9, 22:1n11, 20:5n3, 22:6n3) varied between Arctic and sub-Arctic species, indicating that sub-Arctic species rely mostly on a pelagic food web, while Arctic species exploit an ice-associated and benthic food web, although the sub-Arctic harp and hooded seals and Arctic narwhal showed opposite patterns. Sub-Arctic species had the largest niche breadths, implying diet flexibility and potential to adapt to further changes. Overall patterns in dietary tracers demonstrate separation of feeding niches between most Arctic and sub-Arctic marine mammals, but potential niche overlap and shared food resources for some species. Sub-Arctic seal species overlap the feeding niches of native Arctic species the most of all range-shifters, and of Arctic species, narwhal appear to be the most vulnerable to niche overlap and potential food competition with northward-shifting species.

Adding fish waste to the diet of Iceland scallop Chlamys islandica: effects on feeding and reproductive ability

Organic enrichment from fish farming may impact benthic species and habitats in adjacent areas. Norwegian salmon farming is continuously growing, but, due to area conflicts and severe sea-lice problems in the western areas, growth of the industry is focused in the northern areas. Knowledge is scarce on how an increase in fish farming will impact Arctic and subarctic species and habitats. One such species is the Iceland scallop Chlamys islandica, distributed from the Lofoten Islands in Nordland County to the Varangerfjord in Troms and Finnmark County. To study the impact of fine-particle fish faeces on feeding and reproductive ability in adult Iceland scallop, particles <41 µm of finfish waste were added to the diet. Effects were tested via short-term (weeks) feeding studies using 2 diets, 100% cultured algal species and a 50% mix of algae and fish waste. In addition, a 100% fish waste diet was used to study longer-term effects on reproductive ability (months). Feeding (% particle clearance and feeding rate) on the microalgae diet tended to be higher than that on the diet containing fish waste, but the difference was significant only in 2 out of 4 cases. We did not find any effect of diets on reproductive ability (gonad development and fatty acid profiles) of scallops. Lack of knowledge on sufficient food levels for gonad maturation in this species may have affected the results. We suggest that future work includes the transplant of scallops from a reference site to fish production sites and that investigations begin immediately after spawning early in scallop gonad development.

Evolution of an extreme hemoglobin phenotype contributed to the sub-Arctic specialization of extinct Steller's sea cows.

The extinct Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas; †1768) was a whale-sized marine mammal that manifested profound morphological specializations to exploit the harsh coastal climate of the North Pacific. Yet despite first-hand accounts of their biology, little is known regarding the physiological adjustments underlying their evolution to this environment. Here, the adult-expressed hemoglobin (Hb; a2β/δ2) of this sirenian is shown to harbor a fixed amino acid replacement at an otherwise invariant position (β/δ82Lys→Asn) that alters multiple aspects of Hb function. First, our functional characterization of recombinant sirenian Hb proteins demonstrate that the Hb-O2 affinity of this sub-Arctic species was less affected by temperature than those of living (sub)tropical sea cows. This phenotype presumably safeguarded O2 delivery to cool peripheral tissues and largely arises from a reduced intrinsic temperature sensitivity of the H. gigas protein. Additional experiments on H. gigas β/δ82Asn→Lys mutant Hb further reveal this exchange renders Steller's sea cow Hb unresponsive to the potent intraerythrocytic allosteric effector 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, a radical modification that is the first documented example of this phenotype among mammals. Notably, β/δ82Lys→Asn moreover underlies the secondary evolution of a reduced blood-O2 affinity phenotype that would have promoted heightened tissue and maternal/fetal O2 delivery. This conclusion is bolstered by analyses of two Steller's sea cow prenatal Hb proteins (Hb Gower I; z2e2 and HbF; a2g2) that suggest an exclusive embryonic stage expression pattern, and reveal uncommon replacements in H. gigas HbF (g38Thr→Ile and g101Glu→Asp) that increased Hb-O2 affinity relative to dugong HbF. Finally, the β/δ82Lys→Asn replacement of the adult/fetal protein is shown to increase protein solubility, which may have elevated red blood cell Hb content within both the adult and fetal circulations and contributed to meeting the elevated metabolic (thermoregulatory) requirements and fetal growth rates associated with this species cold adaptation.

<i>Markevitchielinus anchoratus</i> Titar, 1975 (Copepoda: Chondracanthidae) parasitic on sea raven <i>Hemitripterus villosus</i> (Pallas, 1814) (Actinopterygii: Hemitripteridae), with the range extension of the copepod in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean

Markevitchielinus anchoratus Titar, 1975 is reported based on an adult female from the floor of the buccal cavity of a sea raven Hemitripterus villosus (Pallas, 1814) caught in Onagawa Bay, an inlet of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan. The female specimen is briefly described. The female inserted its head with a pair of large, lateral processes and the anterior part of an elongate neck into the tissues of the buccal cavity floor. The present collection of M. anchoratus represents the third occurrence record of the species and extends its distributional range from Kunashiri and Shikotan islands, east of Hokkaido, to Onagawa Bay off Honshu, the largest main island of Japan. The species is specific to the sea raven and may be a subarctic species.

LARGE WHALE OCCURRENCE IN NORTHEASTERN CHUKCHI AND SOUTHERN BEAUFORT SEAS FROM VESSEL SURVEYS, 2008–2014

With global climate change and increasing ocean-based human activities, large whales face novel challenges in the Arctic seas. Understanding and assessing large whale occurrence and the links between occurrence and environmental variables in this region is a key issue in current management and conservation strategies for Arctic marine mammal species. During the Chukchi Sea Environmental Studies Program, large whale occurrence data were collected from vessel surveys during >56,909 km of observation effort in summer and autumn, 2008 to 2014, in the northeastern Chukchi, southern Beaufort, and Bering Seas. The most-recorded species were the Bowhead (Balaena mysticetus) and Gray (Eschrichtius robustus) Whales. Subarctic species recorded included the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus), and Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). Sightings data were analyzed with respect to environmental variables: sea-surface temperature (SST), depth (m), and distance from shore (km), by month and year. Investigating occurrence associations with environmental parameters is a key element for predicting large whale trends in these Arctic seas and for understanding marine mammals as sentinels of oceanic shifts.

Climate change and mercury in the Arctic: Biotic interactions

Global climate change has led to profound alterations of the Arctic environment and ecosystems, with potential secondary effects on mercury (Hg) within Arctic biota. This review presents the current scientific evidence for impacts of direct physical climate change and indirect ecosystem change on Hg exposure and accumulation in Arctic terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms. As the marine environment is elevated in Hg compared to the terrestrial environment, terrestrial herbivores that now exploit coastal/marine foods when terrestrial plants are iced over may be exposed to higher Hg concentrations. Conversely, certain populations of predators, including Arctic foxes and polar bears, have shown lower Hg concentrations related to reduced sea ice-based foraging and increased land-based foraging. How climate change influences Hg in Arctic freshwater fishes is not clear, but for lacustrine populations it may depend on lake-specific conditions, including interrelated alterations in lake ice duration, turbidity, food web length and energy sources (benthic to pelagic), and growth dilution. In several marine mammal and seabird species, tissue Hg concentrations have shown correlations with climate and weather variables, including climate oscillation indices and sea ice trends; these findings suggest that wind, precipitation, and cryosphere changes that alter Hg transport and deposition are impacting Hg concentrations in Arctic marine organisms. Ecological changes, including northward range shifts of sub-Arctic species and altered body condition, have also been shown to affect Hg levels in some populations of Arctic marine species. Given the limited number of populations and species studied to date, especially within Arctic terrestrial and freshwater systems, further research is needed on climate-driven processes influencing Hg concentrations in Arctic ecosystems and their net effects. Long-term pan-Arctic monitoring programs should consider ancillary datasets on climate, weather, organism ecology and physiology to improve interpretation of spatial variation and time trends of Hg in Arctic biota.

Universality of Torpor Expression in Bats.

AbstractAlthough heterothermy is employed by species at a global level within the order of Chiroptera (bats), the possibility of torpor being expressed in bat species inhabiting warmer climate zones has been explored only in the past couple decades. Recent studies suggest that the benefit of expressing torpor is not limited to saving energy during cold exposure or food shortage but may be just as important for saving water during heat waves. Thus, even if the physiological challenges faced by bats may depend on the habitat they live in, species expressing torpor should be found in any climate zone where employing torpor may yield benefits and increase their survival probability. Here, we summarize available data on torpor metabolic rates and daily skin temperature patterns of bats across climate zones, emphasizing similarities found in the data. We also present data that we have collected from a southern subtropical species (Nyctophilus bifax) and a northern subarctic species (Plecotus auritus) to illustrate specific examples of torpor expressions in two bat species living in highly different environments. Our findings highlight that torpor metabolic rates and skin temperature patterns of bats outside of the hibernation season can be universal across vastly different habitats, although arid environments indicate potential divergence in mean minimum torpor metabolic rates compared with measurements of populations inhabiting other climate zones.

On the variability of the Bering Sea Cold Pool and implications for the biophysical environment.

The Bering Sea experiences a seasonal sea ice cover, which is important to the biophysical environment found there. A pool of cold bottom water (<2°C) is formed on the shelf each winter as a result of cooling and vertical mixing due to brine rejection during the predominately local sea ice growth. The extent and distribution of this Cold Pool (CP) is largely controlled by the winter extent of sea ice in the Bering Sea, which can vary considerably and recently has been much lower than average. The cold bottom water of the CP is important for food security because it delineates the boundary between arctic and subarctic demersal fish species. A northward retreat of the CP will likely be associated with migration of subarctic species toward the Chukchi Sea. We use the fully-coupled Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) to examine variability of the extent and distribution of the CP and its relation to change in the sea ice cover in the Bering Sea during the period 1980-2018. RASM results confirm the direct correlation between the extent of sea ice and the CP and show a smaller CP as a consequence of realistically simulated recent declines of the sea ice cover in the Bering Sea. In fact, the area of the CP was found to be only 31% of the long-term mean in July of 2018. In addition, we also find that a low ice year is followed by a later diatom bloom, while a heavy ice year is followed by an early diatom bloom. Finally, the RASM probabilistic intra-annual forecast capability is reviewed, based on 31-member ensembles for 2019-2021, for its potential use for prediction of the winter sea ice cover and the subsequent summer CP area in the Bering Sea.

Northward Range Expansion of Subarctic Upper Trophic Level Animals into the Pacific Arctic Region

Studies of the impacts of climate change on Arctic marine ecosystems have largely centered on endemic species and ecosystems, and the people who rely on them. Fewer studies have focused on the northward expansion of upper trophic level (UTL) subarctic species. We provide an overview of changes in the temporal and spatial distributions of subarctic fish, birds, and cetaceans, with a focus on the Pacific Arctic Region. Increasing water temperatures throughout the Arctic have increased “thermal habitat” for subarctic fish species, resulting in northward shifts of species including walleye pollock and pink salmon. Ecosystem changes are altering the community composition and species richness of seabirds in the Arctic, as water temperatures change the available prey field, which dictates the presence of planktivorous versus piscivorous seabird species. Finally, subarctic whales, among them killer and humpback whales, are arriving earlier, staying later, and moving consistently farther north, as evidenced by aerial survey and acoustic detections. Increasing ice-free habitat and changes in water mass distributions in the Arctic are altering the underlying prey structure, drawing UTL species northwards by increasing their spatial and temporal habitat. A large-scale shuffling of subarctic and Arctic communities is reorganizing high-latitude marine ecosystems.

Forecasted Shifts in Thermal Habitat for Cod Species in the Northwest Atlantic and Eastern Canadian Arctic

Climate change will alter ecosystems and impose hardships on marine resource users as fish assemblages redistribute to habitats that meet their physiological requirements. Marine gadids represent some of the most ecologically and socio-economically important species in the North Atlantic, but face an uncertain future in the wake of rising ocean temperatures. We applied CMIP5 ocean temperature projections to egg survival and juvenile growth models of three northwest Atlantic coastal species of gadids (Atlantic cod, Polar cod, and Greenland cod), each with different thermal affinities and life histories. We illustrate how physiologically based species distribution models (SDMs) can be used to predict habitat distribution shifts and compare vulnerabilities of species and life stages with changing ocean conditions. We also derived an integrated habitat suitability index from the combined surfaces of each metric to predict areas and periods where thermal conditions were suitable for both life stages. Suitable thermal habitat shifted poleward for the juvenile life stages of all three species, but the area remaining differed across species and life stages through time. Arctic specialists like Polar cod are predicted to experience reductions in suitable juvenile habitat based on metrics of egg survival and growth potential. In contrast, habitat loss in boreal and subarctic species like Atlantic cod and Greenland cod may be dampened due to increases in suitable egg survival habitats as suitable juvenile growth potential habitats decrease. These results emphasize the need for mechanistic SDMs that can account for the combined effects of changing seasonal thermal requirements under varying climate change scenarios.

Modelling the biogeographic boundary shift of Calanus finmarchicus reveals drivers of Arctic Atlantification by subarctic zooplankton.

Biological communities in the Arctic are changing through the climate-driven encroachment of subarctic species. This "Atlantification" extends to keystone Calanoid copepods, as the small-bodied Calanus finmarchicus increases in abundance in areas where it overlaps with larger Arctic congeners. The environmental factors that are facilitating this shift, whether related to optimal conditions in temperature or seasonality, remain unclear. Assessing these drivers at an Arctic-wide scale is necessary to predict future ecosystem change and impacts. Here we have compiled range-wide occurrences of C.finmarchicus and a suite of seasonal biophysical climatologies to build a boreo-Arctic ecological niche model. The data set was divided into two eras, 1955-1984 and 1985-2017, and an optimized MaxEnt model was used to predict the seasonal distribution of the abiotic niche of C.finmarchicus in both eras. Comparing outputs between eras reveals an increase in habitat suitability at the Arctic range edge. Large and significant increases in suitability are predicted in the regions of the Greenland, Labrador, and Southern Barents Seas that have experienced reduced sea-ice cover. With the exception of the Barents Sea, these areas also show a seasonal shift in the timing of peak habitat suitability toward an earlier season. Our findings suggest that the Atlantification of Arctic zooplankton communities is accompanied by climate-driven phenology changes. Although seasonality is a critical constraint to the establishment of C.finmarchicus at Arctic latitudes, earlier sea-ice retreat and associated productivity is making these environments increasingly favorable for this subarctic species.

Climate impacts on the Gulf of Maine ecosystem

The Gulf of Maine has recently experienced its warmest 5-year period (2015–2020) in the instrumental record. This warming was associated with a decline in the signature subarctic zooplankton species, Calanus finmarchicus. The temperature changes have also led to impacts on commercial species such as Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and American lobster (Homarus americanus) and protected species including Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) and northern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis). The recent period also saw a decline in Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) recruitment and an increase in novel harmful algal species, although these have not been attributed to the recent warming. Here, we use an ensemble of numerical ocean models to characterize expected ocean conditions in the middle of this century. Under the high CO2 emissions scenario (RCP8.5), the average temperature in the Gulf of Maine is expected to increase 1.1°C to 2.4°C relative to the 1976–2005 average. Surface salinity is expected to decrease, leading to enhanced water column stratification. These physical changes are likely to lead to additional declines in subarctic species including C. finmarchicus, American lobster, and Atlantic cod and an increase in temperate species. The ecosystem changes have already impacted human communities through altered delivery of ecosystem services derived from the marine environment. Continued warming is expected to lead to a loss of heritage, changes in culture, and the necessity for adaptation.

Ringed Seal Diet and Body Condition in the Amundsen Gulf region, Eastern Beaufort Sea

Diet from stomach contents and body condition from morphometric measurements were obtained for 169 (108 stomachs analysed) ringed seals (Pusa hispida) for the Amundsen Gulf region in the western Canadian Arctic from 2015 to 2018. Sampling was from subsistence-harvested seals from the three communities of Paulatuk (spring, summer, and autumn), Sachs Harbour (summer), and Ulukhaktok (winter), Northwest Territories. Stomach contents were separated through sieves and by hand, and taxa identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible and weighed. Stomachs were fullest (by weight and prey count) in the autumn, which suggests that foraging was most intense and successful at that time. A total of 93 prey taxa, including 17 fish and 76 invertebrate species were identified. Several fish and invertebrate species were regularly found together, the most common being Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus), capelin (Mallotus villosus), and hyperiid amphipods (Themisto spp.). Condition measurements inferred from blubber thickness, although showing considerable variation among sites and years, had a seasonal relationship with maximal depth during the autumn and winter. Overall, the diet of ringed seals in Amundsen Gulf was broadly similar to those reported from other areas while also indicating some degree of regional specificity. When compared to the diet of ringed seals in the same area in the 1980s, the results presented here were more diverse, with new or increased numbers of subarctic species (e.g., saffron cod, Eleginus gracilis) found in the samples. This finding is a likely consequence of climate warming, as increasing numbers of subarctic species move north with warming ocean temperatures in the Arctic.

Stable oxygen isotopes in shallow marine ostracodes from the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas

Stable oxygen isotope measurements on calcitic valves of benthic ostracodes (δ18Oost) from the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas were used to examine ecological and hydrographic processes governing ostracode and associated seawater δ18O values. Five cryophilic taxa were analyzed for δ18Oost values: Sarsicytheridea bradii; Paracyprideis pseudopunctillata; Heterocyprideis sorbyana; Heterocyprideis fascis; and the subarctic species Normanicythere leioderma. Controls on the stable oxygen isotope composition of ostracode calcite were investigated by first establishing species' vital effects and then comparing δ18Oost to seawater δ18O values (that ranged from −2.7 to −0.5‰), CTD temperature (−1.7 to 8.7 °C) and salinity (30–34) measured at sampling stations in the Bering and Chukchi Seas during the six summers of 2013–2018. Results from 297 δ18Oost measurements from 53 sites on the Bering and Chukchi Sea continental shelves are consistent with the temporal and spatial variation in δ18O values of continental shelf bottom water, as impacted by seasonality, regional hydrography, and physical processes (i.e., sea-ice melt and extent, vertical mixing, precipitation/evaporation). Regression statistics for δ18Oost values of two species, N. leioderma and P. pseudopunctillata, showed correlations to temperature and salinity that may facilitate prediction of water-mass characteristics when applied to sediment core records. Specifically, a significant linear regression relationship was found between δ18Oost values of N. leioderma and P. pseudopunctillata and temperature (R2 = 0.67 and 0.52, respectively). A principal component analysis confirmed temperature as the main controlling factor in the δ18Oost values of all species except S. bradii, with samples of distinct water masses grouping together. The δ18Oost values of S. bradii exhibited a narrow range of values (~3 to 4.5‰) across a temperature range of 10 °C. Due to strong vital effects and possibly other undetermined factors, the incorporation of δ18Oost in S. bradii was not driven by any obvious predominant environmental factors.

Seasonal variation of growth and reproduction of the subarctic krill species, Thysanoessa raschii, driven by environmental conditions in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence

Abstract The aim of this study was to quantify somatic growth and reproduction of Thysanoessa raschii in response to environmental conditions in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. We sampled between 2010 and 2016 from spring to late summer and incubated individuals. Fresh molts were collected daily and measured to calculate the growth increment following the instantaneous growth rate method while eggs were counted daily. Our results showed a seasonal pattern of somatic growth and reproduction driven by temperature and chl. a concentration with a decrease in somatic growth in August when egg production was maximal, suggesting a trade-off. Functional relationship analyses revealed a narrow optimal temperature window for somatic growth with maximum temperatures observed between 1.2 and 2.0°C in the cold intermediate layer (50–150 m). Maximum egg production was observed at temperatures between 3.8 and 5.7°C in the surface layer (0–50 m). A required minimum concentration of chl. a of 9 mg.m−3 for somatic growth was observed. For egg production, the minimum observed was integrated chl. a (0–50 m) of 80 mg.m−2. We also observed the importance of optimal conditions lasting for one to 3 weeks to support biological processes in T. raschii.