225
plankton variability the Arctic waters, are scare and highly
fragmented in space and time. Here we present observations
on the zooplankton taxonomical and functional structure at
the border to the Arctic Ocean, in relation to physical properties of the water masses. The presented data were collected
within zooplankton long term research programs, conducted
since 2001 in cooperation between IOPAN, NPI, IMR and
UG. Spatially the data include information from shelf areas
of Spitsbergen and the Barents Sea, and the Greenland Sea
with Fram Strait. During the study period, the AW temperature in the main pathways of the flow showed a noticeable
increase, however in an oscillating manner. This gradual
change was manifested in increasing proportion of the biomass contributed by boreal taxa such as Calanus finmarchicus. At the time of the warm event 2011, probably the second
generation of the C. finmarchicus was observed for the first
time in this region. Meanwhile, the zooplankton composition
in the west Spitsbergen fjords was not changing considerably, however the community structure was undergoing
noticeable modifications, especially in some fjords considered as of arctic character, most likely as a result of increased
influx of AW. Through examination of available results on
variability in zooplankton and in local and regional environmental factors, possibly influencing the zooplankton, allowed
to propose a conceptual scenario of development of the present day situation towards different climate state. The ‘warmer
Arctic’ scenario predicts a modification in Arctic marine
food webs, and consequently, foresees changes in food
resources available to the top Arctic predators, such as
seabirds.
9.2.2 Community Structure of Macrobenthos
in the Deep Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean
Melissa Käß
1,2,3*
, Andrey Vedenin
4
, Angelika Brandt
2,5
,
Thomas Soltwedel
1
1
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar
and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570
Bremerhaven, Germany
2
University of Hamburg Centre of Natural History,
Germany
3
present Address: Stuttgart State Museum of Natural
History, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
4
P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Laboratory of
Ocean Bottom Fauna, 36, Nahimovski prospect, Moscow,
Russia
5
present Address: Senckenberg, Research Institute and
Natural History Museum, Sencken-berganlage 25, 60325
Frankfurt, Germany
*corresponding author: melissa.kaess@smns-bw.de
Keywords: Macrofauna, Deep-sea, Arctic, Community
structure, HAUSGARTEN
The eastern side of the Fram Strait is significantly influenced by the northern-bound comparably warm West
Spitsbergen Current, whereas the western side of the strait is
affected by the cold and less saline East Greenland Current
flowing in a southerly direction. The current regime is the
major factor in determining patterns in ice coverage in this
area. In turn, distribution patterns of the sea-ice play an
important role in determining the flux of potential food to the
deep seafloor. The objective of this study was to compare the
macrofaunal community structure in eastern and western
parts of the Fram Strait along two bathymetrical transects
(1000–2500 m water depth) at the LTER (Long-Term
Ecological Research) observatory HAUSGARTEN. Material
was collected during RV Polarstern expedition PS99.2 in
June/July 2016 using an USNEL box corer with a sampling
area of 0.25 m
2
deployed at a total of eight stations. Samples
were processed through a 0.5-mm sieve. Results showed a
generally higher macrofaunal density at the stations located
in the eastern Fram Strait. On both sides of the strait, species
richness, biomass and biodiversity showed a trend to decrease
with increasing station depth. An exception was observed at
a station at 2500 m water depth off Greenland, which was
located in the marginal ice zone. At this site, macrofaunal
densities and species diversity were higher than at the adjacent shallower sampling sites. In general, polychaetes were
the most abundant taxon, followed by crustaceans and molluscs. Species composition along the bathymetrical transects
on both sides of the strait changed with increasing depth.
Sea-ice coverage and water depth, with the associated variables food quality and quantity at the seafloor, seem to be
crucial factors driving the macrofaunal community patterns
in the study area. However, more samples are necessary to
support these first results.
9.2.3 Arctic Cephalopods Distribution During
the Recent Climate Changes
Alexey V. Golikov
1*
, Rushan M. Sabirov
1
, Martin M. Blicher
2
,
Gudmundur Gudmundsson
3
, Lis L. Jørgensen
4
, Denis
V. Zakharov
5
, Olga L. Zimina
6
, José C. Xavier
7,8
1
Kazan Federal University, Kremlyovskaya Street 18,
420008 Kazan, Russia
2
Greenland Institute of Natural History, Kivioq Street 2,
3900 Nuuk, Greenland
3
Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Urridaholtsstraeti
6-8, 212 Gardabaer, Iceland
4
Institute of Marine Research, Sykehusveien Street 23,
9019 Tromsø, Norway
5
Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and
Oceanography, Knipovitcha Street 6, 183038 Murmansk,
Russia
6
Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Vladimirskaya
Street 17, 183010 Murmansk, Russia
7
Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE-UC),
Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004517 Coimbra, Portugal
Appendices
plankton variability the Arctic waters, are scare and highly
fragmented in space and time. Here we present observations
on the zooplankton taxonomical and functional structure at
the border to the Arctic Ocean, in relation to physical properties of the water masses. The presented data were collected
within zooplankton long term research programs, conducted
since 2001 in cooperation between IOPAN, NPI, IMR and
UG. Spatially the data include information from shelf areas
of Spitsbergen and the Barents Sea, and the Greenland Sea
with Fram Strait. During the study period, the AW temperature in the main pathways of the flow showed a noticeable
increase, however in an oscillating manner. This gradual
change was manifested in increasing proportion of the biomass contributed by boreal taxa such as Calanus finmarchicus. At the time of the warm event 2011, probably the second
generation of the C. finmarchicus was observed for the first
time in this region. Meanwhile, the zooplankton composition
in the west Spitsbergen fjords was not changing considerably, however the community structure was undergoing
noticeable modifications, especially in some fjords considered as of arctic character, most likely as a result of increased
influx of AW. Through examination of available results on
variability in zooplankton and in local and regional environmental factors, possibly influencing the zooplankton, allowed
to propose a conceptual scenario of development of the present day situation towards different climate state. The ‘warmer
Arctic’ scenario predicts a modification in Arctic marine
food webs, and consequently, foresees changes in food
resources available to the top Arctic predators, such as
seabirds.
9.2.2 Community Structure of Macrobenthos
in the Deep Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean
Melissa Käß
1,2,3*
, Andrey Vedenin
4
, Angelika Brandt
2,5
,
Thomas Soltwedel
1
1
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar
and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570
Bremerhaven, Germany
2
University of Hamburg Centre of Natural History,
Germany
3
present Address: Stuttgart State Museum of Natural
History, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
4
P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Laboratory of
Ocean Bottom Fauna, 36, Nahimovski prospect, Moscow,
Russia
5
present Address: Senckenberg, Research Institute and
Natural History Museum, Sencken-berganlage 25, 60325
Frankfurt, Germany
*corresponding author: melissa.kaess@smns-bw.de
Keywords: Macrofauna, Deep-sea, Arctic, Community
structure, HAUSGARTEN
The eastern side of the Fram Strait is significantly influenced by the northern-bound comparably warm West
Spitsbergen Current, whereas the western side of the strait is
affected by the cold and less saline East Greenland Current
flowing in a southerly direction. The current regime is the
major factor in determining patterns in ice coverage in this
area. In turn, distribution patterns of the sea-ice play an
important role in determining the flux of potential food to the
deep seafloor. The objective of this study was to compare the
macrofaunal community structure in eastern and western
parts of the Fram Strait along two bathymetrical transects
(1000–2500 m water depth) at the LTER (Long-Term
Ecological Research) observatory HAUSGARTEN. Material
was collected during RV Polarstern expedition PS99.2 in
June/July 2016 using an USNEL box corer with a sampling
area of 0.25 m
2
deployed at a total of eight stations. Samples
were processed through a 0.5-mm sieve. Results showed a
generally higher macrofaunal density at the stations located
in the eastern Fram Strait. On both sides of the strait, species
richness, biomass and biodiversity showed a trend to decrease
with increasing station depth. An exception was observed at
a station at 2500 m water depth off Greenland, which was
located in the marginal ice zone. At this site, macrofaunal
densities and species diversity were higher than at the adjacent shallower sampling sites. In general, polychaetes were
the most abundant taxon, followed by crustaceans and molluscs. Species composition along the bathymetrical transects
on both sides of the strait changed with increasing depth.
Sea-ice coverage and water depth, with the associated variables food quality and quantity at the seafloor, seem to be
crucial factors driving the macrofaunal community patterns
in the study area. However, more samples are necessary to
support these first results.
9.2.3 Arctic Cephalopods Distribution During
the Recent Climate Changes
Alexey V. Golikov
1*
, Rushan M. Sabirov
1
, Martin M. Blicher
2
,
Gudmundur Gudmundsson
3
, Lis L. Jørgensen
4
, Denis
V. Zakharov
5
, Olga L. Zimina
6
, José C. Xavier
7,8
1
Kazan Federal University, Kremlyovskaya Street 18,
420008 Kazan, Russia
2
Greenland Institute of Natural History, Kivioq Street 2,
3900 Nuuk, Greenland
3
Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Urridaholtsstraeti
6-8, 212 Gardabaer, Iceland
4
Institute of Marine Research, Sykehusveien Street 23,
9019 Tromsø, Norway
5
Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and
Oceanography, Knipovitcha Street 6, 183038 Murmansk,
Russia
6
Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Vladimirskaya
Street 17, 183010 Murmansk, Russia
7
Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE-UC),
Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004517 Coimbra, Portugal
Appendices