Document of bibliographic reference 295150

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Benthic-pelagic trophic coupling in an Arctic marine food web along vertical water mass and organic matter gradients

Abstract

Understanding drivers of benthic−pelagic coupling in Arctic marine ecosystems is key to identifying benthic areas that may be sensitive to climatedriven changes in hydrography and surface production. We coupled algal biomass and sedimentary characteristics with stable isotope data for 113 fishes and invertebrates in the Canadian Beaufort Sea and Amundsen Gulf to examine how trophic structure was influenced by the vertical water mass structure and by organic matter input regimes, from 20 to 1000 m depths. Indices of community-level trophic diversity (isotopic niche size, ¹³C enrichment relative to a pelagic baseline, and δ¹³C isotopic range) increased from west to east, coincident with the use of more diverse dietary carbon sources among benthic functional groups. Data suggested benthic−pelagic trophic coupling was strongest in the western study region where pelagic sinking flux is relatively high, intermediate in the central region dominated by riverine inputs of terrestrial organic matter, and weakest in the east where strong pelagic grazing is known to limit sinking flux. Differences in δ¹³C between pelagic and benthic functional groups (up to 5.7‰) increased from west to east, and from the nearshore shelf to the upper slope. On the upper slope, much of the sinking organic matter may be intercepted in the water column, and dynamic hydrography likely diversifies available food sources. In waters >750 m there were no clear trends in benthic−pelagic coupling or community-level trophic diversity. This study represents the first description of fish and invertebrate food web structure >200 m in the Canadian Beaufort Sea.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000431203900001

Bibliographic citation

Stasko, A.D.; Bluhm, B.A.; Michel, C.; Archambault, P.; Majewski, A.; Reist, J.D.; Swanson, H.; Power, M. (2018). Benthic-pelagic trophic coupling in an Arctic marine food web along vertical water mass and organic matter gradients. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 594: 1-19. https://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps12582

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true