New Data on the Distribution of Lamprey <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petromyzon marinus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lethenteron camtschaticum</Emphasis> (Petromyzontidae) in Barents and White Seas

Information about the sites of catches of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus in the western Barents Sea and Arctic lamprey Lethenteron camtschaticum in the Barents and White seas is presented based on the data of trawl surveys performed in 2004?2016. It is demonstrated that sea lamprey is occasionally encountered in the western Barents Sea; nine specimens have been recorded during the entire period of surveys. The northernmost point of a capture of sea lamprey is located near 76° N and the easternmost point is at 31°15′ E. Arctic lamprey is not numerous in the Barents and White seas; a total of 66 and 17 specimens have been caught, respectively. Its local aggregations are found in the southeastern part of the Barents Sea and in Dvina Bay in the White Sea. Arctic lamprey penetrates to the north to 76° N and into the central part of the Barents Sea.     

Assessment of primary production in the White Sea

The literature and original data on the primary production of phytoplankton in the White Sea are analyzed. By this parameter, the White Sea is significantly inferior only to the Chukchi Sea; it is similar to the Barents Sea, and exceeds other Russian Arctic seas by two to three times (the Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, and East Siberian Sea).     

Patterns of formation of island fauna of butterflies (Lepidoptera, Diurna) at the northern forest boundary in the region of pleistocene continental glaciation (by the example of White Sea islands)

Patterns of formation of island butterfly fauna at the northern forest boundary in the region of Valdai inland ice were analyzed by the example of White Sea islands. The ecotone effect, typical for northernmost taiga and forest-tundra and introducing the transitional butterfly fauna in near-tundra forest between the boreal and hypoarctic zones, was not observed on the White Sea islands. Island isolation provided for the absence of some Arctic species, entering near-tundra forest from the North, in the island fauna. Island butterfly faunas represent poor variants of the northern taiga fauna lacking some polyzonal and temperate species and having a reduced set of Arctic boreal species.     

Population structure and variability of Pacific herring (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Clupea pallasii</Emphasis>) in the White Sea,Barents and Kara Seas revealed by microsatellite DNA analyses

Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii, have recently colonised the northeast Atlantic and Arctic Oceans in the early Holocene. In a relatively short evolutionary time, the herring formed a community with a complex population structure. Previous genetic studies based on morphological, allozyme and mitochondrial DNA data have supported the existence of two herring subspecies from the White Sea and eastern Barents and Kara Seas (C. p. marisalbi and C. p. suworowi, respectively). However, the population structure of the White Sea herring has long been debated and remains controversial. The analyses of morphological and allozyme data have previously identified local spawning groups of herring in the White Sea, whereas mtDNA markers have not revealed any differentiation. We conducted one of the first studies of microsatellite variation for the purpose of investigating the genetic structure and relationship of Pacific herring among ten localities in the White Sea, the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea. Using classical genetic variance-based methods (hierarchical AMOVA, overall and pairwise F _ST comparisons), as well as the Bayesian clustering, we infer considerable genetic diversity and population structure in herring at ten microsatellite loci. Genetic differentiation was the most pronounced between the White Sea (C. p. marisalbi) versus the Barents and Kara seas (Chesha–Pechora herring, C. p. suworowi). While microsatellite variation in all C. pallasii was considerable, genetic diversity was significantly lower in C. p. suworowi, than in C. p. marisalbi. Also, tests of genetic differentiation were indicating significant differentiation within the White Sea herring between sympatric summer- and spring-spawning groups, in comparison with genetic homogeneity of the Chesha–Pechora herring.     

An Arctic teleost fish with a noticeably high body fluid osmolality: a note on the navaga,Eleginus navaga (Pallas 1811), from the White Sea

Navaga (Eleginus navaga), an Arctic gadoid fish, were sampled in the White Sea in spring and body fluid osmolality analysed. At the time of capture the water in the White Sea was close to freezing ( -1°C) and salinity was about 20 ppt. Navaga serum was found to be isosmotic (approximately 590 mosmol/l) with that of the surrounding water. Thus, the osmotic concentration in the body fluids of navaga is one of the highest reported for teleost fish and is comparable to that of the strictly marine Nototheniids from the Antarctic     

New data on the longevity of coastal cod Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758 in the White Sea

The cod, Gadus morhua, is a common and abundant demersal fish in the White Sea coastal zone. The published data on the maximum age of White Sea cod still requires additional documentation, because some authors have noted difficulties in age determination by otoliths of large specimens. To obtain accurate data on the longevity of this species in the White Sea, an image analysis of thin‐sections of otoliths was made for age estimation. Research surveys in the Chupa Inlet and adjacent waters of the Kandalaksha Bay were conducted in June to August from 2007 to 2013. The five largest specimens of a total of 3564 captured fish were selected for age determination. Age of these largest individuals ranged between 7 and 12 years, total length and weight varied from 60.2 to 77.0 cm and from 2.4 to 6.1 kg, respectively. According to the data, maximal White Sea cod longevity is greater than in previously published data, and demonstrates similar longevity to conspecifics from the Baltic and North seas, whereas its life cycle is much shorter than cod from the Northeast Arctic, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador stocks.     

Mitochondrial DNA polymorphism of atlantic cod of the Barents and White seas

High level of intraspecific polymorphism of the mtDNA cytochrome b gene in the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L. from the northeastern part of the species range (Barents and White seas) is detected. The absence of genetic differentiation between the samples from different areas of the Norwegian and Barents seas is shown, and the fact that these samples belong to the same population of Northeast Arctic cod is confirmed. Significant differences in the frequences of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes between the cod from the Barents and White seas, as well as from the northwestern part of the range, are found. The cod Gadus morhua kildinensis Derjugin, 1920 from Mogilnoye Lake and Gadus morhua marisalbi Derjugin, 1920 from the White Sea were revealed to have common haplotypes with the cod from the Barents Sea, confirming the recent origin of these forms from the Atlantic cod G. morhua.     

Microsatellite Variability of the Arctic Rainbow Smelt Osmerusdentex from the White Sea

Russian Journal of Genetics - We studied the genetic variability of ten microsatellite loci in Arctic rainbow smelt datasets from Kandalaksha and Mezen bays of the White Sea. Average estimates of...     

Variation in the diet of Arctic Cod (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Boreogadus saida</Emphasis>) in the Pacific Arctic and Bering Sea

Arctic cod, Boreogadus saida (Lepechin, 1774), is a nodal species in Arctic marine foodwebs as an important prey of many birds, marine mammals, and other fishes, as well as an abundant predator of zooplankton and epibenthic fauna. We examined the summer diet of Arctic cod across a latitudinal gradient extending from the southern limit of their distribution in the eastern Bering Sea to the northern margins of the eastern Chukchi Sea (ECS) continental shelf. Specimens were collected from demersal and pelagic trawls conducted between 1999 and 2012, and across a range of predator sizes (3–26 cm). Arctic cod diets vary with body size and between regions within the study area, and appear to vary between years in the eastern Bering Sea, indicating opportunistic feeding habits. Constrained Analysis of Principal Coordinates was conducted on ECS demersal samples and revealed consumption of fish and decapod crustacea were positively correlated with Arctic cod length while consumption of euphausiids and copepods had the opposite relationship. The demersal Arctic cod diet in the northern latitudes of the ECS was dominated by copepod consumption (47% by weight, %W), but copepods were less important (12–26%W) in the central and southern latitudes of the ECS and in the northern and eastern Bering Sea—areas where diets were more varied in their composition. High levels of variation in the diet of Arctic cod highlights the need to monitor Arctic cod diets to identify consistently dominant prey types and potential future changes to trophic relationships related to climate change or increasing anthropogenic activity.     

On the distribution of larvae and localization of spawning stocks of White Sea herring <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clupea pallasii marisalbi</Emphasis>

On the basis of ichthyoplankton surveys made in June 2004–2005 and 2007, June–July 2010, and July 2011 in these bays and beyond them (in open waters of the White Sea Basin and adjacent areas of the Gorlo) larvae of White Sea herring were absent. Principal aggregations of larvae are found in the Kandalaksha Bay in June 2004–2005 and 2007. In the Onega Bay and in the Dvina Bay surveyed in June 2007 abundance of larvae was ratter low and in June–July 2010 and July 2011 in these bays and beyond them (in open waters of the White Sea Basin and adjacent areas of the Gorlo) larvae of White Sea herring were absent. Within the Kandalasksha Bay, from year to year, there were two disconnected aggregations of larvae. The space between them was situated in the open part of the bay along the transect of the Chupa Estuary and the Umba Estuary. One of the aggregations of larvae occupied the tail of the bay, and the second aggregation occupied the ante-mouth and mouth areas of the Chupa Estuary. It is supposed that these aggregations result from spawning of two independent spawning groups of the White Sea herring spawning in isolated regions of the Kandalaksha Bay. Presence of the bulk of larvae of the White Sea herring within the limits of the Kandakaksha Bay and their almost complete absence at the boundary of the bay with the White Sea Basin and at the boundaries between the Onega Bay and the Dvina Bay and the Basin support the hypothesis on the absence of an exchange with larvae between stocks of the White Sea herring spawning in large bays of the White Sea. The larvae are retained within shallow waters of the Kandalaksha Bay by the system of two-layer water circulation in the areas of spawning of herring in bays and gulfs of the estuarine type. Their drift outside of the Onega Bay and the Dvina Bay may be delimited by frontal divides at their boundaries with the Basin.     

Changes in trace metal concentrations in the tissues of the White Sea mussel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mytilus edulis</Emphasis> over the reproductive cycle

Seasonal changes in the concentrations and total amounts (contents) of Cd, Zn, and Cu in the mussel Mytilus edulis cultivated in the White Sea were studied over the reproductive cycle (prespawning, spawning, and postspawning stages). The results, when compared with published data on the closely related species M. trossulus from the Sea of Japan, suggest that the seasonal dynamics of trace element contents in mussel tissues are related to specific geochemical conditions, as well as to the dynamics of changes in soft tissue weight over the reproductive cycle. The contents of Cd and Cu in the mussels before, during, and after spawning changed similarly in the mollusks from the White Sea and the Sea of Japan. Changes in the Zn content at different stages of the reproductive cycle of the White Sea mussels were similar to those in mussels from the Sea of Japan but had smaller amplitude. The concentration of Zn in the White Sea mussels was before spawning the highest, but still lower than in mussels from the Sea of Japan. After the spawning, the Zn concentration in the White Sea mussels, in contrast to the Pacific mussels, decreased because of the redistribution of this element during the prespawning period from the somatic tissue into the gonad.     

Population genetic structure and evolutionary history of North Atlantic beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from West Greenland, Svalbard and the White Sea

Population structure in many Arctic marine mammal species reflects a dynamic interplay between physical isolating mechanisms and the extent to which dispersal opportunities are met. We examined variation within mtDNA and eight microsatellite markers to investigate population structure and demographic history in beluga whales in the North Atlantic. Genetic heterogeneity was observed between Svalbard and West Greenland that reveals limited gene flow over ecological time scales. Differentiation was also recorded between Atlantic belugas and two previously studied populations in the North Pacific, the Beaufort Sea and Gulf of Alaska. However, Bayesian cluster analysis of the nDNA data identified two population clusters that did not correspond to the respective ocean basins, as predicted, but to: (1) Arctic (Svalbard–White Sea–Greenland–Beaufort Sea) and (2) Subarctic (Gulf of Alaska) regions. Similarly, the deepest phylogeographic signal was between the Arctic populations and the Gulf of Alaska. Fitting an isolation-with-migration model yielded genetic abundance estimates that match census estimates and revealed that Svalbard and the Beaufort Sea likely diverged 7,600–35,400 years ago but have experienced recurrent periods with gene flow since then, most likely via the Russian Arctic during subsequent warm periods. Considering current projections of continued sea ice losses in the Arctic, this study identified likely routes of future contact among extant beluga populations, and other mobile marine species, which have implications for genetic introgression, health, ecology and behavior.     

Reproduction of the colonial hydroid Obelia geniculata (L., 1758) (Cnidaria,Hydrozoa) in the White Sea

Populations of the colonial hydroid Obelia geniculata in the White Sea reproduce asexually by frustule formation. Young medusae appear in the plankton during July and August. The number of medusae rarely exceeds 36 per m³, and the average number varies every year from 0.4 to 10 per m³. The size of medusae is smaller than reported from other regions. The umbrella of the largest recorded medusa was only 0.57 mm in diameter and the specimen had just 35 tentacles. Only a few mature medusae were found during the study. The colonies in the White Sea are epiphytic and grow only on laminarian thalli. At the beginning of July there are no colonies on thalli from the upper subtidal zone. By the end of August, colonies of O.␣geniculata had increased in density to 30 per m². Hydroid recruitment was attributed to active frustule production by colonies living below that zone. The frustules detach from the stems of the hydroids and are found in plankton. Production of frustules on branches occurs continuously during colony growth until water temperatures climb above 0 °C. We found that water temperature in this Arctic environment is generally too low for medusa maturation and planula development in the species. Propagation by frustule formation is the principal means of reproduction in Obelia geniculata within the White Sea, and this phenomenon accounts for the species being a dominant epiphyte on laminarian thalli there.     

Intraspecific variability in the “vowel”‐like sounds of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas): Intra‐ and interpopulation comparisons

The beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) has a rich and complicated vocal repertoire. However, different populations use similar and common types of signals. We studied physical features of one of these types, “vowels,” in three Russian populations: the White Sea population (European North), the Chukotka population (the Bering Sea, Chukotka), and the Okhotsk Sea population (Russian Far East) as well as in four summer aggregations of the White Sea belugas over several years in duration. The pulse repetition rate (PRR) at half of the duration of the signal was measured. We found that the PRR of “vowels” collected in the same summer aggregation during different years is stable in time but varies between locations. The degree of variation corresponds with the geographic distance between different locations. Significant differences were discovered between populations separated by thousands of kilometers, and to a lesser extent, between summer aggregations inhabiting different bays of the White Sea. The variation in PRR between the locations can be caused by the divergence of signals owing to the accumulation of random errors during transmission of these signals from generation to generation, which progressed independently in different summer aggregations and populations.     

Nearly Identical Bacteriophage Structural Gene Sequences Are Widely Distributed in both Marine and Freshwater Environments

Primers were designed to amplify a 592-bp region within a conserved structural gene (g20) found in some cyanophages. The goal was to use this gene as a proxy to infer genetic richness in natural cyanophage communities and to determine if sequences were more similar in similar environments. Gene products were amplified from samples from the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic, Southern, and Northeast and Southeast Pacific Oceans, an Arctic cyanobacterial mat, a catfish production pond, lakes in Canada and Germany, and a depth of ca. 3,246 m in the Chuckchi Sea. Amplicons were separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and selected bands were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed four previously unknown groups of g20 clusters, two of which were entirely found in freshwater. Also, sequences with >99% identities were recovered from environments that differed greatly in temperature and salinity. For example, nearly identical sequences were recovered from the Gulf of Mexico, the Southern Pacific Ocean, an Arctic freshwater cyanobacterial mat, and Lake Constance, Germany. These results imply that closely related hosts and the viruses infecting them are distributed widely across environments or that horizontal gene exchange occurs among phage communities from very different environments. Moreover, the amplification of g20 products from deep in the cyanobacterium-sparse Chuckchi Sea suggests that this primer set targets bacteriophages other than those infecting cyanobacteria.     

Distribution of the larvae of capelin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mallotus villosus</Emphasis> and lesser sandeel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ammodytes marinus</Emphasis> in the White Sea

The early developmental stages of capelin Mallotus villosus and lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus were the major representatives of the fish larvae in the ichthyoplankton of the open waters of the White Sea in June 2007 and 2010 and in July 2010 and 2011. The larvae of these two species were widely distributed in the White Sea and have been registered in the large bays and in the other parts of the sea. The larvae of capelin and lesser sandeel were the most abundant in Onega Bay and in Dvina Bay and in Gorlo Strait of the White Sea; the larvae of lesser sandeel have also been found in the coastal waters of Kandalaksha Bay. The schooling of the larvae of these two species were characterized by a relatively permanent localization that referred to the spawning grounds; the shape and the location of the schoolings usually depend on the presence and configuration of the areas of the pronounced gradients of the hydrophysical parameters in these areas.     

Nearly identical bacteriophage structural gene sequences are widely distributed in both marine and freshwater environments

Primers were designed to amplify a 592-bp region within a conserved structural gene (g20) found in some cyanophages. The goal was to use this gene as a proxy to infer genetic richness in natural cyanophage communities and to determine if sequences were more similar in similar environments. Gene products were amplified from samples from the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic, Southern, and Northeast and Southeast Pacific Oceans, an Arctic cyanobacterial mat, a catfish production pond, lakes in Canada and Germany, and a depth of ca. 3,246 m in the Chuckchi Sea. Amplicons were separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and selected bands were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed four previously unknown groups of g20 clusters, two of which were entirely found in freshwater. Also, sequences with >99% identities were recovered from environments that differed greatly in temperature and salinity. For example, nearly identical sequences were recovered from the Gulf of Mexico, the Southern Pacific Ocean, an Arctic freshwater cyanobacterial mat, and Lake Constance, Germany. These results imply that closely related hosts and the viruses infecting them are distributed widely across environments or that horizontal gene exchange occurs among phage communities from very different environments. Moreover, the amplification of g20 products from deep in the cyanobacterium-sparse Chuckchi Sea suggests that this primer set targets bacteriophages other than those infecting cyanobacteria.     

Widespread distribution in polar oceans of a 16S rRNA gene sequence with affinity to Nitrosospira-like ammonia-oxidizing bacteria

We analyzed the phylogenetic compositions of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria of the beta subclass of Proteobacteria from 42 Southern Ocean samples. We found a Nitrosospira-like 16S rRNA gene sequence in all 20 samples that yielded PCR products (8 of 30 samples from the Ross Sea and 12 of 12 samples from the Palmer Peninsula). We also found this sequence in Arctic Ocean samples, indicating a transpolar, if not global, distribution; however, slight differences between Arctic and Antarctic sequences may be evidence of polar endemism.     

The mortality of the planktonic copepod <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oithona similis</Emphasis> Claus, 1866 (Copepoda: Cyclopoida) in the Barents and White Seas

The mortality rates of the copepodite IV-copepodite V and copepodite V-adult individuals pairs in the populations of one of the most common species of planktonic copepod, Oithona similis, were estimated for the first time in the Barents and White seas. The average parameters were 0.060 and 0.082/day, respectively, in the Barents Sea and 0.166 and 0.120/day in the White Sea. In the Barents Sea, the mortality rates of O. similis significantly increased with an increase in water temperature and in the White Sea a significant decrease occurred with an increase in salinity. It was concluded that the mortality rate of this species is determined first by abiotic factors and that biotic factors are of secondary significance.