Open AccessLatitudinal variations of zooplankton community structure and productivity in the Barents sea (summer 2013)
Author(s) -
В. Г. Дворецкий,
А. Г. Дворецкий
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
problemy arktiki i antarktiki
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2618-6713
pISSN - 0555-2648
DOI - 10.30758/0555-2648-2018-64-3-294-310
Subject(s) - zooplankton , oceanography , calanus finmarchicus , calanus , water mass , environmental science , pelagic zone , productivity , biomass (ecology) , community structure , arctic , fishery , ecology , copepod , biology , crustacean , geology , macroeconomics , economics
The Barents Sea is regarded as one of the world’s most unique regions with its high summer productivity. However, there were a few studies dealing with estimation of daily secondary production in the Barents Sea. The aim of the present study was to conduct an investigation of the pelagic mesozooplankton assemblage in the Barents Sea, to calculate daily production levels of mesozooplankton and to analyze the relationship between the community structure and environmental drivers. Structure of zooplankton communities was investigated within the main water masses of the Barents Sea in the summer 2013 (June–July). Calanus finmarchicus presented as copepodites IV–V dominated in terms of the total zooplankton abundance and biomass in Murmansk Coastal Water and Atlantic Water. Spring phase of zooplankton succession cycle was found in Arctic Water where Copepoda nauplii were the most abundant and Calanus glacialis dominated by zooplankton biomass. Zooplankton of the Barents Sea Water had features of spring and summer phases of zooplankton succession cycle. Spatial variations in the zooplankton distribution were associated with hydrological conditions and phytoplankton density. Maximum of the mean zooplankton biomass was registered in Atlantic Water (30,7 mg dry mass/m 3 ) while the minimum was found in Barents Sea Water (5,4 mg dry mass/m 3 ). Calculated daily production of zooplankton ranged from 0,01 to 1,57 mg dry mass/m 3 per day. Total zooplankton stock for the study area of 281 000 km 2 was estimated to be > 740 000 t of dry mass. The obtained values of zooplankton biomass and stock were considerably lower than in previous years, which are probably connected with higher predator pressure — grazing of zooplankton by capelin and other predators as well as with possible climatic influence.