This study examines the performance of pelagic and benthic Malacostraca in two glacial fjords of west Spitsbergen: Kongsfjorden, strongly influenced by warm Atlantic waters, and Hornsund which, because of the strong impact of the cold Sørkapp Current, has more of an Arctic character. The material was collected during 12 summer expeditions organized from 1997 to 2013. In all, 24 pelagic and 116 benthic taxa were recorded, most of them widely distributed Arctic-boreal species. The advection of different water masses from the shelf had a direct impact on the structure of the pelagic Malacostraca communities, resulting in the clear dominance of the sub-arctic hyperiid amphipod Themisto abyssorum in Kongsfjorden and the great abundance of Decapoda larvae in Hornsund. The taxonomic, functional and size compositions of the benthic malacostracan assemblages varied between the two fjords, and also between the glacier-proximate inner bays and the main fjord basins, as a result of the varying dominance patterns of the same assemblage of species. There was a significant drop in species richness in the strongly disturbed glacial bays of both fjords, but only in Hornsund was this accompanied by a significant decrease in density and diversity, probably due to greater isolation and poorer quality of sediment organic matter in its innermost basin. Our results suggest that the diversity and distribution of benthic malacostracans in these two fjords are only distantly related to the different hydrological regimes; rather, they are governed by locally acting factors, such as depth, sediment type, the variety of microhabitats and the availability and quality of food.
The Arctic Ocean is currently in transition towards a new, warmer state. Understanding the regional variability of oceanographic conditions is important, since they have a direct impact on local ecosystems. This work discusses the implementation of a hydrodynamic model for Hornsund, the southernmost fjord of western Svalbard. Despite its location, Hornsund has a stronger Arctic signature than other Svalbard fjords. The model was validated against available data, and the seasonal mean circulation was obtained from numerical simulations. Two main general circulation regimes have been detected in the fjord. The winter circulation represents a typical closed fjord system, while in summer the fresh water discharge from the catchment area generates a surface layer with a net flow out of Hornsund. Also described are the local hydrographic front and its seasonal variability, as well as the heat and salt content in Hornsund. The integration of salt and heat anomalies provides additional information about the salt flux into the innermost basin of the fjord - Brepollen during the summer. Extensive in situ observations have been collected in Hornsund for the last two decades but our hydrodynamic model is the first ever implemented for this area. While at the moment in situ observations better represent the state of this fjord's environment and the location of measurements, a numerical model, despite its flaws, can provide a more comprehensive image of the entire fjord's physical state. In situ observations and numerical simulations should therefore be regarded as complementary tools, with models enabling a better interpretation and understanding of experimental data.
We present the results of species distribution modeling conducted on macrobenthic occurrence data collected between 2002 and 2014 in Arctic fjord – Hornsund. We focus on species from Mollusca and Crustacea taxa. This study investigates the importance of individual environmental factors for benthic species distribution, with a special emphasis on bottom water temperature. It aims to verify the hypothesis that the distribution of species is controlled by low water temperatures in the fjord and that the inner basins of the fjord serve as potential refugia for Arctic species threatened by the climate change-related intensification of warmer water inflows. Our results confirm the importance of bottom water temperature in regulating the presence of benthic fauna in the Hornsund fjord. The distribution of studied species is clearly related to specific water mass – colder (<1°C) or warmer (>1°C); and the preferred temperature regimes seem to be species specific and unrelated to analyzed groups. This study supports the notion that inner basins of the Hornsund fjord are potential refugia for cold water Arctic fauna, while the outer and central basins provide suitable habitats for fauna that prefer warmer waters.
Zooplankton inhabiting the Hornsund and Kongsfjorden fjords on Spitsbergen (Svalbard) were investigated in summer 2013. The goal of the study was to determine how the zooplankton communities vary in environments functioning under different oceanographic regimes. Sampling was conducted with nets of different mesh size and selectivity (56 μm WP-2, 180 μm MultiNet, and 1000 μm Tucker Trawl), which permitted comparing a wide size spectrum of zooplankton components. Species composition did not differ substantially between the fjords, but the zooplankton in Hornsund was almost two times less numerous, and it had lower biomass per unit volume. The highest abundance at both sites was in the smallest zooplankton size fraction found only in samples taken with 56 μm mesh WP-2 net. These comprised as much as 71% and 58% of the total zooplankton abundance in Hornsund and Kongsfjorden, respectively. The communities in both fjords had comparable contributions of Arctic and boreo-Arctic species biomass in the year of the study. However, the comparison of zooplankton characteristics over several years showed changes in abundance and biogeographic structure that corresponded with variations in the physical environments of the fjords. The results of the study permit predicting the possible effects of the increasing influence of Atlantic waters on zooplankton communities inhabiting Arctic marine pelagic ecosystems.
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