Feeding habits of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) during early summer and autumn in the northern Barents Sea

The feeding habits of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) in the Barents Sea were examined in studies conducted during June 1991, September 1990 and 1991, and October 1992. Analyses of stomach and intestinal contents were carried out and concurrent estimates of prey abundance were made using trawl gear. Harp seals appeared to feed at low intensity in the pack ice belt during the first half of June. There was little potential prey in the water column, but prawns (Pandalus borealis), capelin (Mallotus villosus) and polar cod (Boreogadus saida) were abundant close to the bottom. In September, the seals sampled in the northern pack ice areas of the Barents Sea fed on the pelagic amphipod Parathemisto libellula, krill (Thysanoessa spp.), prawns and, to a lesser extent, on fish species such as polar cod, sculpins (Cottidae) and snailfish (Liparidae). Trawling revealed that large quantities of Parathemisto libellala were present in the upper layers of the water column. Fish, mainly capelin and polar cod, were less abundant and occurred in deeper waters. In mid-October, the diet of seals in the northern Barents Sea consisted mainly of amphipods (Parathemisto sp.). Later in October, when increasing pack ice cover forced the harp seals to move south, the diet seemed to change from amphipods to fish prey, predominantly capelin and polar cod.     

Biological activity in the antarctic zooplankton community

Summary Zooplankton biomass and respiratory ETS activity were studied along a transect at 49°W, running from open Scotia Sea water (57°S) into the Weddell Sea pack ice (62°S) in November–December 1988. Zooplankton biomass and respiratory activity were relatively high in the ice edge region and in the frontal zone separating the Scotia Sea from waters in the south; low biomasses and activities were encountered under the pack ice. The higher activities in the frontal zone were mainly attributed to locally higher water temperatures, while in the ice edge region they were probably related to changes of the Zooplankton population into more active developmental stages. This development in life stages is possibly a response to ice edge generated phytoplankton blooms. A comparison of the most abundant Zooplankton taxa indicated that amphipods and euphausiids had relatively the highest weight specific ETS activities. The developmental stages of Euphausia superba, from juvenile to sexually mature adults, showed a large variability in ETS activity; only the most inactive stages were found under the pack ice. The difference in respiration between the most active and inactive stages was at least a factor of 6 and is of importance to the overwintering of the species in the under ice habitat.Data presented here were collected during the European Polarstern Study (EPOS) sponsored by the European Science Foundation     

Ice amphipod distribution relative to ice density and under-ice topography in the northern Barents Sea

Arctic ice amphipods are part of the sympagic macrofauna in the Marginal Ice Zone of the northern Barents Sea and represent an important link from lower to higher trophic levels in some Arctic marine food chains. The species diversity in this area (1995/1996) consisted of four species: Gammarus wilkitzkii, Apherusa glacialis, Onisimus nanseni and Onisimus glacialis. The larger ice amphipod, G. wilkitzkii, was the most abundant with the highest biomass (>90%), whereas A. glacialis was abundant, but contributed little to the total biomass (<4%). The other two species were found only in small numbers. Both abundance and biomass of ice amphipods decreased along a latitudinal gradient from north to south across the Marginal Ice Zone. Their distribution was also related to the under-ice topography with regard to mesoscale structures (edge, flat area, dome and ridge). Overall, the abundance and biomass on ridges were much higher in comparison to other mesoscale structures, although edges also showed high abundance, but low biomass. The large G. wilkitzkii was consistently abundant on ridges. The small A. glacialis was predominately associated with edges, but also showed high numbers in dome-shaped areas. The Onisimus species were present in low numbers at all structures, and their biomass contributed <10% on any one structure. The reasons for different distribution patterns of the dominant amphipod species under Arctic sea ice are probably related to different requirements of the species, especially for food, shelter and physiological conditions. Accepted: 27 November 1999     

Effects of the ice-edge bloom and season on the metabolism of copepods in the Weddell Sea,Antarctica

The metabolic responses of several species of Antarctic copepods to primary productivity and changes between seasons were investigated. To examine the influence of the spring ice-edge bloom on the metabolism of copepods, oxygen consumption rates were determined on specimens from three zones of widely different ice coverage and chlorophyll biomass: pack ice (pre-bloom), ice edge (bloom) and open water (post-bloom). Summer metabolic rates were compared with published winter rates. Field work was done in the Weddell Sea in the region of 60 °S, 36°W in late November and December 1993. Oxygen consumption rates were determined by placing individuals in syringe respirometers and monitoring the oxygen partial pressure for 10–20 hours. Higher metabolic rates were observed in the primarily herbivorous copepods, Calanoides acutus, Rhincalanus gigas and Calanus propinquus in regions of higher primary production: ice edge and open water. The carnivorous Paraeuchaeta antarctica showed a similar pattern. The omnivorous copepods Metridia gerlachei and Gaetanus tenuispinus showed no changes in metabolism between zones. Data on routine rates of copepods from the winter were available for C. propinquus and P. antarctica. In P. antarctica, rates were higher in the summer. Calanus propinquus showed a higher metabolic rate in the summer than in the winter, but the difference was not significant at the 0.05 level. It was concluded that copepods near the ice zone in the ice zone in the Antarctic rely on the spring ice-edge bloom for growth and completion of their life cycle.     

Top predators as indicators for ecosystem events in the confluence zone and marginal ice zone of the Weddell and Scotia Seas,Antarctica, November 1988 to January 1989 (EPOS Leg 2)

Summary The pelagic summer distribution of Antarctic seabirds, seals and whales was studied in the marginal ice zone of the northwestern Weddell Sea from November 1988 to January 1989. In order to relate top predators to other components of the ecosystem studied simultaneously, their distribution is mainly described in terms of energy flow. Bird, seal, and probably also whale requirements were highest in ice-covered areas. There was no evidence of higher numbers of top predators along the ice edge: densities generally increased further into the ice. In the pack ice, combined energy requirements of top predators often amounted to about 200.000 kJ/day/km², or about 45 kg fresh food, indicating high abundance and availability of prey under the ice. There was a lack of conformity between top predator abundance on the ice and abundance of other life in the water column below. In open water, bird requirements were generally less than 25.000 kJ/day/km², seals were virtually absent and whales were distributed unevenly. Tubenosed birds concentrated along the outer ice edge in early summer but they moved north to open water during December, leaving the area of maximum phytoplankton biomass associated with the retreating ice edge. This pattern matched northward movements of krill swarms that may be related to changes in quality rather than quantity of phytoplankton stocks.Data presented here were collected during the European Polarstern Study (EPOS) sponsored by the European Science Foundation     

Oceanic micronektonic/macrozooplanktonic community structure and feeding in ice covered Antarctic waters during the winter (AMERIEZ 1988)

Summary Fifty-seven species of oceanic micronekton and macrozooplankton were collected under pack ice during the winter in the vicinity of the Weddell-Scotia Confluence with a modified opening-closing Tucker trawl. The majority of the 57 species did not vertically migrate and lived deeper during the winter than during the spring or fall. However, despite the short day length, several of the most common mesopelagic fish and crustaceans did migrate. Fish moved into shallower depths at night but apparently most did not continue into the near-freezing upper mixed layer, leaving that zone to the migratory crustaceans. In the upper 1000 m, the dominant species were, in order of decreasing biomass, Euphausia superba, the cnidarian Atolla wyvillei, the ctenophore Beroe sp., and the mesopelagic fish Electrona antarctica, Bathylagus antarcticus and Gymnoscopelus braueri. Thysanoessa macrura and Salpa thompsoni were biomass subdominants. The majority of the dominant species showed little seasonal differences in biomass. However, the biomass of gelatinous species varied considerably with A. wyvillei and Beroe sp. being most abundant and S. thompsoni least abundant during the winter. Incidence of food in the stomachs in several important species was low, suggesting a low impact on their Zooplankton prey. Specimens of S. thompsoni had high quantities of food in their guts but this species was uncommon so its net impact would also have been low. Euphausia superba and the three common mesopelagic fish had significantly lower stomach fullness ratings during the winter than during the fall, suggesting an overall decrease in feeding activity of dominant species during the winter.     

Phytoplankton associations in a small hypertrophic fishpond in East Hungary during a change from bottom-up to top-down control

Phytoplankton species composition and abundance of a shallow hypertrophic fishpond (Mézeshegyi-tó, East Hungary) was studied for the period 1992–1995. The pond showed a pronounced algal periodicity. High-diversity phytoplankton assemblages occurred in spring and autumn. During the winter period, low diversity values were related either to stable community states, when K-strategist species dominated the plankton, or to a large bloom of r-strategist species. In summer, the stable environment led to low-diversity, high-biomass phytoplankton assemblages, dominated by Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. At this time, the growth conditions for Cylindrospermopsiswere akin to those prevailing in a continuous fermentor. The overwhelming dominance of this species lasted for more than four months, during which time, the phytoplankton resembled that of one in the tropics. In August, 1993, an unsuccessful chemical treatment for reducing the algal bloom succeeded in killing the pond's entire population of fish. The large fish-stock comprised the planktivorous silver carp. Although the summer of 1994 was one of the warmest summers of this century, the expected Cylindrospermopsis bloom failed to develop probably because of a higher grazing pressure by large zooplankton. In spite of the fact that the temporal and spatial pattern of the phytoplankton is influenced principally by bottom-up effects, changes in cascading trophic interactions may also considerably influence the species composition and biomass.     

Effects of a rapidly receding ice edge on the abundance,age structure and feeding of three dominant calanoid copepods in the Weddell Sea,Antarctica

Open-water, marginal-ice and in-ice zones were sampled in the Weddell Sea during November and December, 1993 in an effort to examine the influence of the early spring bloom on the diet and population structure of the three biomass dominant copepods: Metridia gerlachei, Calanus propinquus, and Calanoides acutus. The abundance of all three species in the upper 200 m was highest at stations in the open water, but individually, each species displayed a unique trend. M. gerlachei, which showed the least variability, was significantly more abundant in open water than in the marginal-ice zone. The abundance of Calanus propinquus was higher in open water than in the marginal-ice zone or in the ice. Calanoides acutus displayed the highest variability, with significant differences between all three ice-cover zones. Diet analysis revealed no significant differences in the number of food items within each ice-cover zone and diatoms were the most numerous item identified in the guts of all three species. However, M. gerlachei and Calanus propinquus also contained metazoan material, while Calanoides acutus did not. There were dramatic differences in the age composition of the species between the zones. Early copepodite stages of all three species predominated at the ice edge and in open water. Numbers of M. gerlachei adult females were roughly equivalent in all three zones while Calanoides acutus and Calanus propinquus adult females composed a higher fraction of the total population within the ice. These results compare well with life-history data compiled by other authors and reinforce the importance of the ice edge to bloom-dependent Antarctic zooplankton. Accepted: 5 April 1999     

Abundance,population structure and vertical distribution of dominant calanoid copepods on the eastern Weddell Sea shelf during a spring phytoplankton bloom

The main emphasis of this study was to analyse the short-term development of abundance, population structure and vertical distribution of the dominant calanoid copepods during a phytoplankton bloom in the coastal area of the eastern Weddell Sea in December 2003. Microcalanus pygmaeus was by far the most abundant calanoid species. Metridia gerlachei, Ctenocalanus citer, Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus and the ice-associated Stephos longipes were also present in considerable proportions. The observed changes in the population characteristics and parameters of these species are described in detail and discussed in the context of the spring phytoplankton bloom. A conspicuous event occurring during the final stage of the study was the development of a strong storm. While the results suggest that this storm did not have any considerable influence on the populations of all other investigated copepod species, it very likely caused pronounced changes in the S. longipes population present in the water column. Before the storm, S. longipes was found primarily in the upper 100 m of the water column, and its population was dominated by adults (mean proportion = 41%) and the copepodite stage I (mean proportion = 30%). After the storm, the abundance increased considerably, and the copepodite stage I contributed by far the largest proportion (53%) of the total population indicating that the early copepodite stages probably had been released from the sea ice into the under ice water layer due to ice break-up and ice melt processes caused by the storm.     

Lipids of Antarctic salps and their commensal hyperiid amphipods

Antarctic salps (Salpa thompsoni and Ihlea racovitzai) and their commensal hyperiid amphipods (Vibilia antarctica, Cyllopus lucasii and C. magellanicus) were collected near Elephant Island, in the South Shetland Islands, during 1997 and the salp-rich year 1998. The sterol composition of aggregate S. thompsoni and I. racovitzai (mostly 24-methyl-5,22E-dien-3β-ol, 24-nordehydrocholesterol, cholesterol and trans-dehydrocholesterol) was reflected in the sterol composition of the commensal amphipods and was consistent with a herbivorous planktonic diet. This was not the case for solitary S. thompsoni, with 24-methylenecholesterol as the major sterol. There was a greater abundance of aggregate salp stanols in 1997 (11.7% total sterols) than 1998 (5.2%) and these different stanol levels were reflected in the commensal amphipods. Eicosapentaenoic acid [20:5(n-3)] and docosahexaenoic acid [22:6(n-3)] were the major polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in all organisms. Octadecapentaenoic acid [18:5(n-3)] comprised 0.4–5.8% (of total fatty acids) in all 1998 salps and amphipods, but was absent in 1997 samples. This suggests a greater presence of dinoflagellates or other species rich in 18:5(n-3) in the “salp year” 1998. Very long chain PUFA (C₂₄, C₂₆, C₂₈) were also only detected in 1998 samples (up to 5.3%), reflecting commensalism and greater presence of dinoflagellates or species containing very long chain PUFA. Examination of the biomarker lipids has provided an indication of trophic interactions for these Antarctic salps and their commensal hyperiid amphipods. Accepted: 8 November 1999     

The effect of the receding ice edge on the condition of copepods in the northwestern Weddell Sea: results from biochemical assays

We compared six biochemical measures of nutritional condition: citrate synthase activity (CS), malate and lactate dehydrogenase activity (MDH and LDH), RNA:DNA ratio, and percent body protein and lipid. Adult females of five species of calanoid copepod (Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, Metridia gerlachei, Rhincalanus gigas and Paraeuchaeta antarctica) were collected in the marginal ice zone of the northwestern Weddell Sea at the time of the annual phytoplankton bloom that occurs in association with the receding ice edge during austral spring. Three zones within the marginal ice zone were sampled: heavy-ice-cover pre-bloom, ice-edge bloom and low-ice-cover post-bloom. Lipid generally increased greatly from ice-covered to open water zones, and its importance in the life of polar copepods cannot be overstated. Increases in protein from ice-covered to open water were also observed, but were of less significance. Each species exhibited significant changes in at least one enzyme activity level. Citrate synthase activity in C. acutus, C. propinquus and R. gigas, all herbivores, increased between pre- and post-bloom stations. C. propinquus and M. gerlachei, which feed during winter, had large increases in LDH activity between pre- and post-bloom stations. Rhincalanus gigas and P. antarctica, the two largest species studied, showed variations in MDH activity, with peak enzyme activity occurring in post-bloom stations. RNA:DNA ratio did not change in any species. The effects of size, shipboard handling and freezer storage were easily corrected statistically, and did not alter any conclusions. The patterns observed in copepod nutrition at the Antarctic ice edge were consistent with existing models of life history for each species. The observations reported here, in conjunction with previously reported data, suggested that measurement of metabolic enzyme activity, especially in concert with lipid, enables estimation of nutritional condition in adult copepods. Additional studies comparing metabolic activity and ecology of common species should yield more information on the ecology of rarer species.     

Marine phytoplankton at the Weddell Sea ice edge: Seasonal changes at the specific level

Summary The Antarctic ice edge acts as a dynamic frontal system on the phytoplankton in the water column. Austral spring and autumn cruises to the Weddell Sea ice edge provided the opportunity to compare phytoplankton at the beginning of biological spring and at the end of biological autumn. The USCGC icebreakers Westwind (1983) and Glacier (1986) went into the sea ice, and the RV Melville (1983 and 1986) completed the transects in the adjacent open ocean. Field samples were observed alive on board ship to record different lifestages near the ice edge. In both seasons cell numbers were low under the ice, and single cells or short chains were the common growth habit. In spring in the open ocean, long chains of vegetative cells with large vacuoles and gelatinous colonies of diatoms and of prymnesiophytes dominated; in autumn in the open ocean close to the accreting ice edge, short chains, single cells, and resting spores were mostly packed with storage products. Enlarged cell diameters and auxospores also occurred near the ice cover in the autumn. Species from the following genera are included: the diatoms Leptocylindrus, Stellarima, Thalassiosira, Eucampia, Corethron, and Chaetoceros, the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis, and the chrysophyte Distephanus.     

Protozooplankton in the Weddell Sea,Antarctica: Abundance and distribution in the ice-edge zone

Summary Protozooplankton were sampled in the iceedge zone of the Weddell Sea during the austral spring of 1983 and the austral autumn of 1986. Protozooplankton biomass was dominated by flagellates and ciliates. Other protozoa and micrometazoa contributed a relatively small fraction to the heterotrophic biomass. During both cruises protozoan biomass, chlorophyll a concentrations, phytoplankton production and bacterial biomass and production were low at ice covered stations. During the spring cruise, protozooplankton, phytoplankton, and bacterioplankton reached high concentrations in a welldeveloped ice edge bloom 100 km north of the receding ice edge. During the autumn cruise, the highest concentrations of biomass were in open water well-separated from the ice edge. Integrated protozoan biomass was <12% of the biomass of phytoplankton during the spring cruise and in the autumn the percentages at some stations were >20%. Bacterial biomass exceeded protozooplankton biomass at ice covered stations but in open water stations during the fall cruise, protozooplankton biomass reached twice that of bacteria in the upper 100m of the water column. The biomass of different protozoan groups was positively correlated with primary production, chlorophyll a concentrations and bacterial production and biomass, suggesting that the protozoan abundances were largely controlled by prey availability and productivity. Population grazing rates calculated from clearance rates in the literature indicated that protozooplankton were capable of consuming significant portions of the daily phyto- and bacterioplankton production.     

Spatial distribution and life-cycle timing of zooplankton in the marginal ice zone of the Barents Sea during the summer melt season in 1995

The marginal ice zone (MIZ) in the northern Barents Sea is ecologically important because it represents a highly productive area in Arctic water masses north of the Polar Front. During a multi-disciplinary cruise in 1995, ecological and oceanographic processes were investigated at four stations located in a north-south transect in the MIZ. This study was carried out in Arctic water masses north of the Polar Front where ice conditions varied from dense first-year pack ice to open water. Also, the phytoplankton development varied along the transect from a pre-bloom situation at the northern-most station to a post-bloom situation in the open water. This paper includes a study of the zooplankton community and population structure of some of the dominant copepod species. Numerically, the most important mesozooplankton components were the copepods Calanus glacialis, Pseudocalanus minutus and Oithona similis. Copepods of Atlantic origin, such as Calanus finmarchicus and Oithona atlantica, gave evidence of an advection of Atlantic water masses into the area. It is concluded that the occurrence of new cohorts of Arctic copepods coincides with the onset of the phytoplankton bloom in the MIZ, and, that therefore, the spawning relies on stored energy.      

Sedimentation in Arctic Canada: Species composition and biomass of phytoplankton contributed to the marine sediments in Frobisher Bay

Summary Sedimentation of phytoplankton provides food and energy for zoobenthic communities. In this study the rates, species composition and biomass of phytoplankton input to Frobisher Bay sediments were examined during ice (late November to July) and open water (late July to October) periods from 1982 to 1985. The rates were higher on the sea bed than at 20 m. The minimum rate (3x10⁵ cells·m^-2·day^-1) of sedimentation occurred during the early part of the ice period. It increased as the ice thickened and reached a maximum of 2.8x10⁸ cells·m^-2·day^-1 after the phytoplankton bloom at the beginning of the open water period in the first two weeks of August. The sedimented phytoplankton was dominated by diatoms, with a great majority of pennate species during the spring (April to June) and centric forms during the summer (July to August). Green flagellates, dinoflagellates and chrysophytes occurred as a low percentage of the total population in all seasons. Other indicators (chlorophyll a and phaeopigments) showed highest biomass levels in the deepest traps. They were consistently low during the winter (December to March) and reached their maxima during the open-water period of summer. Their abundance was correlated with the seasonal cycle of the phytoplankton in the water column.     

Polychaete invader enhances resource utilization in a species-poor system

Ecosystem consequences of biodiversity change are often studied from a species loss perspective, while the effects of invasive species on ecosystem functions are rarely quantified. In this experimental study, we used isotope tracers to measure the incorporation and burial of carbon and nitrogen from a simulated spring phytoplankton bloom by communities of one to four species of deposit-feeding macrofauna found in the species-poor Baltic Sea. The recently invading polychaete Marenzelleria arctia, which has spread throughout the Baltic Sea, grows more rapidly than the native species Monoporeia affinis, Pontoporeia femorata (both amphipods) and Macoma balthica (a bivalve), resulting in higher biomass increase (biomass production) in treatments including the polychaete. Marenzelleria incorporated and buried bloom material at rates similar to the native species. Multi-species treatments generally had higher isotope incorporation, indicative of utilization of bloom material, than expected from monoculture yields of the respective species. The mechanism behind this observed over-yielding was mainly niche complementarity in utilization of the bloom input, and was more evident in communities including the invader. In contrast, multi-species treatments had generally lower biomass increase than expected. This contrasting pattern suggests that there is little overlap in resource use of freshly deposited bloom material between Marenzelleria and the native species but it is likely that interference competition acts to dampen resulting community biomass. In conclusion, an invasive species can enhance incorporation and burial of organic matter from settled phytoplankton blooms, two processes fundamental for marine productivity.     

Spring bloom dynamics in Kongsfjorden,Svalbard: nutrients,phytoplankton, protozoans and primary production

The marine ecosystem in Kongsfjorden (79°N), a glacial fjord in Svalbard, is to a large extent well known with regard to hydrography, mesozooplankton and higher trophic levels. Research on primary production and lower trophic levels is still scare and especially investigations from winter and spring periods. The spring bloom dynamics in Kongsfjorden were investigated in 2002. The development in nutrient conditions, phytoplankton, protozoans and primary production were followed from 15 April until 22 May. The winter/spring in 2002 was categorized as a cold year with sea ice cover and water masses dominated by local winter-cooled water. The spring bloom started around 18 April and lasted until the middle of May. The bloom probably peaked in late April, but break-up of sea ice made it impossible to sample frequently in this period. Diatoms dominated the phytoplankton assemblage. We estimated the total primary production during the spring bloom in 2002 to range 27–35 g C m⁻². There was a mismatch situation between the mesozooplankton and the phytoplankton spring bloom in 2002.     

珠江口南沙河涌浮游植物群落结构时空变化及其与环境因子的关系

随着城市生态健康理念的提出,城市河涌生态健康也受到了前所未有的关注。为更好的了解河涌的水环境和浮游植物现状,于2015年3月至2016年2月对珠江口南沙河涌8个站位水环境和浮游植物群落结构进行调查。结果显示:共发现浮游植物164种(属),隶属7门73属,其中以绿藻种类最多,达33属79种,占48.17%;硅藻次之,17属41种,占25%。优势种为梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)、假鱼腥藻属(Pseudanabaena sp.)和小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)。浮游植物细胞密度在0.19×10~6—101.34×10~6个/L内变动,呈现单峰型,在4月发生拟菱形弓形藻(Schroederia nitzschioides)水华,14涌密度高达87.38×10~6个/L,随后因强降雨细胞密度骤降。浮游植物群落的季节演替基本符合PEG(Plankton Ecology Group)模型,从冬季的硅藻,到春夏季的绿藻,再到秋季的蓝藻。One-way ANOVA分析显示,各月份浮游植物细胞密度差异显著(P0.01)。Pearson相关性分析表明绿藻细胞丰度变化主导着浮游植物总丰度的变化(r=0.454,P0.01)。运用Margalef物种丰富度指数、Shannon物种多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数对水体进行评价表明,调查水体呈中度污染。相关加权营养状态指数表明,河涌全年处于富营养化状态。浮游植物聚类分析表明,时间异质性较高,总体相似性较低;空间上相似性较高,人为活动可能是导致空间差异的关键因子。冗余分析显示,叶绿素a、溶解氧、盐度、水温、总氮和p H与浮游植物群落结构关系最为密切。p H对硅藻门浮游植物影响较大,碱性条件适宜直链藻生长,春季水华形成的驱动因子是盐度、温度和总氮。     

Habitat used by common and king eiders in spring in the southeast Beaufort Sea and overlap with resource exploration

The southeast Beaufort Sea is a critical spring staging area for common and king eiders (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum, S. spectabilis), and is for many the final stop before they reach their breeding grounds throughout the western Canadian Arctic. The region also has significant oil and gas potential, and the recent approval of a pipeline through the Mackenzie Valley may make development of these resources economically viable. We used satellite telemetry to determine the distribution and habitat use of eiders staging in the southeast Beaufort Sea in spring, and the overlap of eiders with oil and gas exploration. From 2004 to 2009, we monitored 51 eiders equipped with platform terminal transmitters (PTTs) throughout spring migration (May–June). We compared the marine habitats used by each species, and evaluated habitat preferences using resource selection functions. The location and extent of the flaw lead (open water along the interface between mobile pack ice and stationary landfast ice) at the time when eiders were staging varied among years, but both species showed a strong preference for use of flaw lead habitats. This preference was stronger for common eiders than for king eiders, which also used pack ice extensively. Common eiders generally occurred near the landfast ice edge, whereas king eiders were just as often nearer to the pack ice edge of the flaw lead. Average water depth (±SE) for common eiders was 22 ± 2 m compared to 30 ± 1 m for king eiders. Kernel density estimators showed that eiders generally occurred in lower densities in areas of otherwise suitable habitat off the Mackenzie River delta. We suggest that this is a result of the highly turbid water discharged by the Mackenzie River, which limits visibility. Oil and gas exploration overlapped significantly with the areas used by eiders. The high density of birds using the restricted and ice-rich flaw lead habitats indicates that an accidental spill in the region could be catastrophic for Canada's western Arctic eider populations. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.     

Influence of sea ice on the composition of the spring phytoplankton bloom in the northern Baltic Sea

During the late winter and spring of 1994, the influence of sea ice on phytoplankton succession in the water was studied at a coastal station in the northern Baltic Sea. Ice cores were taken together with water samples from the underlying water and analysed for algal composition, chlorophyll a and nutrients. Sediment traps were placed under the ice and near the bottom, and the sedimented material was analysed for algal composition. The highest concentration of ice algae (4.1 mmol C m⁻²) was found shortly before ice break-up in the middle of April, coincidental with the onset of an under-ice phytoplankton bloom. The ice algae were dominated by the diatoms Chaetoceros wighamii Brightwell, Melosira arctica (Ehrenberg) Dickie and Nitzschia frigida Grunow. Under the ice the diatom Achnanthes taeniata Grunow and the dinoflagellate Peridiniella catenata (Levander) Balech were dominant. Calculations of sinking rates and residence times of the dominant ice algal species in the photic water column indicated that only one ice algal species (Chaetoceros wighamii) had a seeding effect on the water column: this diatom dominated the spring phytoplankton bloom in the water together with Achnanthes taeniata and Peridiniella catenata. Received: 9 May 1997 / Accepted: 15 February 1998