Contrasting copepod community composition in two Greenland fjords with different glacier types
Stuart-Lee, A.E.; Møller, E.F.; Winding, M.H.S.; van Oevelen, D.; Hendry, K.R.; Meire, L. (2024). Contrasting copepod community composition in two Greenland fjords with different glacier types. J. Plankton Res. 46(6): 619-632. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbae060 In: Journal of Plankton Research. Oxford University Press: New York,. ISSN 0142-7873; e-ISSN 1464-3774, more |   |
| Author keywords | copepod; zooplankton; glacier; Greenland; fjord |
| Authors | | Top | - Stuart-Lee, A.E., more
- Møller, E.F.
- Winding, M.H.S.
| - van Oevelen, D., more
- Hendry, K.R.
- Meire, L., more
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| Abstract | Greenland's fjord ecosystems are strongly influenced by meltwater discharge from glaciers. Marine-terminating glaciers can significantly enhance primary production during the melt season (compared to land-terminating glaciers), but their impact on secondary producers is not well understood. Here, we study seasonal changes in the zooplankton community (>50 μm) and grazing rates along two fjord transects in southwest Greenland influenced by different glacier types. Zooplankton biomass was comparable between the fjords, but community composition differed during summer. Nuup Kangerlua, a predominantly marine-terminating system, was characterized by large, herbivorous copepods and a longer summer grazing period in connection with the summer bloom. Ameralik, influenced by a land-terminating glacier, was characterized by small, omnivorous copepods, particularly Microsetella norvegica and Oncaea spp., and indicated a faster post-bloom transition towards regenerated production. Local hydrographic conditions also impact copepod biomass. A station with high biomass was found in Ameralik, potentially linked to a frontal zone where fjord water masses meet, providing favorable grazing conditions. We hypothesize that a future transformation from marine- to land-terminating glaciers could result in an increased abundance of smaller copepods, as observed in Ameralik. Such a community would constitute a less lipid-rich food source for higher trophic levels. |
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