scholarly journals Monitoring a changing Arctic: Recent advancements in the study of sea ice microbial communities

AMBIO ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karley Campbell ◽  
Ilkka Matero ◽  
Christopher Bellas ◽  
Thomas Turpin-Jelfs ◽  
Philipp Anhaus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Microbial Life ◽  
New Methodologies ◽  
Healthy Functioning

AbstractSea ice continues to decline across many regions of the Arctic, with remaining ice becoming increasingly younger and more dynamic. These changes alter the habitats of microbial life that live within the sea ice, which support healthy functioning of the marine ecosystem and provision of resources for human-consumption, in addition to influencing biogeochemical cycles (e.g. air–sea CO2 exchange). With the susceptibility of sea ice ecosystems to climate change, there is a pressing need to fill knowledge gaps surrounding sea ice habitats and their microbial communities. Of fundamental importance to this goal is the development of new methodologies that permit effective study of them. Based on outcomes from the DiatomARCTIC project, this paper integrates existing knowledge with case studies to provide insight on how to best document sea ice microbial communities, which contributes to the sustainable use and protection of Arctic marine and coastal ecosystems in a time of environmental change.

scholarly journals From sea ice to seals: a moored marine ecosystem observatory in the Arctic

Ocean Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1423-1433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudine Hauri ◽  
Seth Danielson ◽  
Andrew M. P. McDonnell ◽  
Russell R. Hopcroft ◽  
Peter Winsor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Zooplankton Abundance ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Ecosystem Monitoring ◽  
Cold Temperatures

Abstract. Although Arctic marine ecosystems are changing rapidly, year-round monitoring is currently very limited and presents multiple challenges unique to this region. The Chukchi Ecosystem Observatory (CEO) described here uses new sensor technologies to meet needs for continuous, high-resolution, and year-round observations across all levels of the ecosystem in the biologically productive and seasonally ice-covered Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. This mooring array records a broad suite of variables that facilitate observations, yielding better understanding of physical, chemical, and biological couplings, phenologies, and the overall state of this Arctic shelf marine ecosystem. While cold temperatures and 8 months of sea ice cover present challenging conditions for the operation of the CEO, this extreme environment also serves as a rigorous test bed for innovative ecosystem monitoring strategies. Here, we present data from the 2015–2016 CEO deployments that provide new perspectives on the seasonal evolution of sea ice, water column structure, and physical properties, annual cycles in nitrate, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton blooms, and export, zooplankton abundance and vertical migration, the occurrence of Arctic cod, and vocalizations of marine mammals such as bearded seals. These integrated ecosystem observations are being combined with ship-based observations and modeling to produce a time series that documents biological community responses to changing seasonal sea ice and water temperatures while establishing a scientific basis for ecosystem management.

scholarly journals From sea ice to seals: A moored marine ecosystem observatory in the Arctic

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudine Hauri ◽  
Seth Danielson ◽  
Andrew M. P. McDonnell ◽  
Russell R. Hopcroft ◽  
Peter Winsor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Zooplankton Abundance ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Ecosystem Monitoring ◽  
Cold Temperatures

Abstract. Although Arctic marine ecosystems are changing rapidly, year-round monitoring is currently very limited and presents multiple challenges unique to this region. The Chukchi Ecosystem Observatory (CEO) described here uses new sensor technologies to meet needs for continuous, high resolution, and year-round observations across all levels of the ecosystem in the biologically productive and seasonally ice-covered Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. This mooring array records a broad suite of parameters that facilitate observations, yielding better understanding of physical, chemical and biological couplings, phenologies, and the overall state of this Arctic shelf marine ecosystem. While cold temperatures and eight months of sea ice cover present challenging conditions for the operation of the CEO, this extreme environment also serves as a rigorous test bed for innovative ecosystem monitoring strategies. Here, we present data from the 2015–16 CEO deployments that provide new perspectives on the seasonal evolution of sea ice, water column structure and physical properties, annual cycles in nitrate, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton blooms and export, zooplankton abundance and vertical migration, the occurrence of Arctic cod, and vocalizations of marine mammals such as bearded seals. These integrated ecosystem observations are being combined with ship-based observations and modeling to produce a time-series that documents biological community responses to changing seasonal sea ice and water temperatures while establishing a scientific basis for ecosystem management.

scholarly journals Daily transcriptomes of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus during the summer solstice at high Arctic latitudes

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Payton ◽  
Céline Noirot ◽  
Claire Hoede ◽  
Lukas Hüppe ◽  
Kim Last ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Calanus Finmarchicus ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Summer Solstice ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Ice Coverage

AbstractThe zooplankter Calanus finmarchicus is a member of the so-called “Calanus Complex”, a group of copepods that constitutes a key element of the Arctic polar marine ecosystem, providing a crucial link between primary production and higher trophic levels. Climate change induces the shift of C. finmarchicus to higher latitudes with currently unknown impacts on its endogenous timing. Here we generated a daily transcriptome of C. finmarchicus at two high Arctic stations, during the more extreme time of Midnight Sun, the summer solstice. While the southern station (74.5 °N) was sea ice-free, the northern one (82.5 °N) was sea ice-covered. The mRNAs of the 42 samples have been sequenced with an average of 126 ± 5 million reads (mean ± SE) per sample, and aligned to the reference transcriptome. We detail the quality assessment of the datasets and the complete annotation procedure, providing the possibility to investigate daily gene expression of this ecologically important species at high Arctic latitudes, and to compare gene expression according to latitude and sea ice-coverage.

scholarly journals Atlantic walrus signal latitudinal differences in the long-term decline of sea ice-derived carbon to benthic fauna in the Canadian Arctic

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1940) ◽  
pp. 20202126
Author(s):  
David J. Yurkowski ◽  
Thomas A. Brown ◽  
Paul J. Blanchfield ◽  
Steven H. Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Benthic Fauna ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Benthic Habitats ◽  
Atlantic Walrus

Climate change is altering the biogeochemical and physical characteristics of the Arctic marine environment, which impacts sea ice algal and phytoplankton bloom dynamics and the vertical transport of these carbon sources to benthic communities. Little is known about whether the contribution of sea ice-derived carbon to benthic fauna and nitrogen cycling has changed over multiple decades in concert with receding sea ice. We combined compound-specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids with highly branched isoprenoid diatom lipid biomarkers using archived (1982–2016) tissue of benthivorous Atlantic walrus to examine temporal trends of sea ice-derived carbon, nitrogen isotope baseline and trophic position of Atlantic walrus at high- and mid-latitudes in the Canadian Arctic. Associated with an 18% sea ice decline in the mid-Arctic, sea ice-derived carbon contribution to Atlantic walrus decreased by 75% suggesting a strong decoupling of sea ice-benthic habitats. By contrast, a nearly exclusive amount of sea ice-derived carbon was maintained in high-Arctic Atlantic walrus (98% in 1996 and 89% in 2006) despite a similar percentage in sea ice reduction. Nitrogen isotope baseline or the trophic position of Atlantic walrus did not change over time at either location. These findings indicate latitudinal differences in the restructuring of carbon energy sources used by Atlantic walrus and their benthic prey, and in turn a change in Arctic marine ecosystem functioning between sea ice–pelagic–benthic habitats.

Advective pathways of nutrients and key ecological substances in the Arctic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myriel Vredenborg ◽  
Benjamin Rabe ◽  
Sinhue Torres-Valdès
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Sea Ice Extent ◽  
Near Surface

<p>The Arctic Ocean is undergoing remarkable environmental changes due to global warming. The rise in the Arctic near-surface air temperature during the past decades is more than twice as high as the global average, a phenomenon known as the “Arctic Amplification”. As a consequence the Arctic summer sea ice extent has decreased by more than 40 % in recent decades, and moreover a year-round sea ice loss in extent and thickness was recorded. By opening up of large areas formerly covered by sea ice, the exchange of heat, moisture and momentum between the ocean and the atmosphere intensified. This resulted in changes in the ocean circulation and the water masses impacting the marine ecosystem. We investigate these changes by using a large set of hydrographic and biogeochemical data of the entire Arctic Ocean. To better quantify the current changes in the Arctic ecosystem we will compare our observational data analysis with high-resolution biogeochemical atmosphere-ice-ocean model simulations.</p>

scholarly journals The Nexus between Sea Ice and Polar Emissions of Marine Biogenic Aerosols

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Gabric ◽  
Patricia Matrai ◽  
Graham Jones ◽  
Julia Middleton
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Radiative Energy ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Sea Ice Extent ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Decadal Scale

AbstractAccurate estimation of the climate sensitivity requires a better understanding of the nexus between polar marine ecosystem responses to warming, changes in sea ice extent, and emissions of marine biogenic aerosol (MBA). Sea ice brine channels contain very high concentrations of MBA precursors that, once ventilated, have the potential to alter cloud microphysical properties, such as cloud droplet number, and the regional radiative energy balance. In contrast to temperate latitudes, where the pelagic phytoplankton are major sources of MBAs, the seasonal sea ice dynamic plays a key role in determining MBA concentration in both the Arctic and Antarctic. We review the current knowledge of MBA sources and the link between ice melt and emissions of aerosol precursors in the polar oceans. We illustrate the processes by examining decadal-scale time series in various satellite-derived parameters such as aerosol optical depth (AOD), sea ice extent, and phytoplankton biomass in the sea ice zones of both hemispheres. The sharpest gradients in aerosol indicators occur during the spring period of ice melt. In sea ice–covered waters, the peak in AOD occurs well before the annual maximum in biomass in both hemispheres. The results provide strong evidence that suggests seasonal changes in sea ice and ocean biology are key drivers of the polar aerosol cycle. The positive trend in annual-mean Antarctic sea ice extent is now almost one-third of the magnitude of the annual-mean decrease in Arctic sea ice, suggesting the potential for different patterns of aerosol emissions in the future.

scholarly journals Shine a light: Under-ice light and its ecological implications in a changing Arctic Ocean

AMBIO ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Castellani ◽  
Gaëlle Veyssière ◽  
Michael Karcher ◽  
Julienne Stroeve ◽  
S. Neil Banas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Light Field ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Underwater Light Field ◽  
Sea Ice Algae ◽  
Ecological Implications

AbstractThe Arctic marine ecosystem is shaped by the seasonality of the solar cycle, spanning from 24-h light at the sea surface in summer to 24-h darkness in winter. The amount of light available for under-ice ecosystems is the result of different physical and biological processes that affect its path through atmosphere, snow, sea ice and water. In this article, we review the present state of knowledge of the abiotic (clouds, sea ice, snow, suspended matter) and biotic (sea ice algae and phytoplankton) controls on the underwater light field. We focus on how the available light affects the seasonal cycle of primary production (sympagic and pelagic) and discuss the sensitivity of ecosystems to changes in the light field based on model simulations. Lastly, we discuss predicted future changes in under-ice light as a consequence of climate change and their potential ecological implications, with the aim of providing a guide for future research.

scholarly journals A fundamental shift in the melt processes of Arctic sea ice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Wilkinson ◽  
Martin Doble ◽  
Lovro Valcic ◽  
Gaelle Veyssiere ◽  
Sylvia Cole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Upper Ocean ◽  
Ocean Stratification ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Surface Melt ◽  
Basal Melting ◽  
Fundamental Shift

Abstract As the Arctic Ocean transitions into a seasonally ice-covered ocean, the processes that govern the sea ice melt cycle will undergo a fundamental shift. The summer melt cycle passes through several stages, such as snowmelt, meltpond formation and drainage, and basal melting; normally with surface melt processes occurring well before basal melt. Monitoring of atmospheric, sea ice and oceanographic properties from autonomous buoys deployed across the Beaufort Sea, combined with targeted satellite imagery, reveal a fundamental restructuring of these melt processes within the seasonal ice zone – where basal melt occurs before surface melt. We find this seemingly unremarkable change accelerates the basal melting of sea ice by ten-fold, as well as transforming the timing and flux of freshwater and heat into the upper-ocean. These processes play a pivotal role in determining upper-ocean stratification, and when combined with a modification of the under-ice light field, it could impact marine ecosystem function.

scholarly journals Is it ‘boom times’ for baleen whales in the Pacific Arctic region?

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 20160251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue E. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Baleen Whales ◽  
The Pacific

The marine ecosystem in the Pacific Arctic region has experienced dramatic transformation, most obvious by the loss of sea ice volume (75%), late-summer areal extent (50%) and change in phenology (four to six weeks longer open-water period). This alteration has resulted in an opening of habitat for subarctic species of baleen whales, many of which are recovering in number from severe depletions from commercial whaling in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Specifically, humpback, fin and minke whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae , Balaenoptera physalus and Balaenoptera acutorostrata ) are now regularly reported during summer and autumn in the southern Chukchi Sea. These predators of zooplankton and forage fishes join the seasonally resident grey whale ( Eschrichtius robustus ) and the arctic-endemic bowhead whale ( Balaena mysticetus ) in the expanding open-ocean habitat of the Pacific Arctic. Questions arising include: (i) what changes in whale-prey production and delivery mechanisms have accompanied the loss of sea ice, and (ii) how are these five baleen whale species partitioning the expanding ice-free habitat? While there has been no programme of research specifically focused on these questions, an examination of seasonal occurrence, foraging plasticity and (for bowhead whales) body condition suggests that the current state of Pacific Arctic marine ecosystem may be ‘boom times’ for baleen whales. These favourable conditions may be moderated, however, by future shifts in ecosystem structure and/or negative impacts to cetaceans related to increased commercial activities in the region.

scholarly journals Physiological consequences of Arctic sea ice loss on large marine carnivores: unique responses by polar bears and narwhals

2021 ◽  
Vol 224 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. jeb228049
Author(s):  
Anthony M. Pagano ◽  
Terrie M. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Caloric Intake ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Locomotor Costs

ABSTRACTRapid environmental changes in the Arctic are threatening the survival of marine species that rely on the predictable presence of the sea ice. Two Arctic marine mammal specialists, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and narwhal (Monodon monoceros), appear especially vulnerable to the speed and capriciousness of sea ice deterioration as a consequence of their unique hunting behaviors and diet, as well as their physiological adaptations for slow-aerobic exercise. These intrinsic characteristics limit the ability of these species to respond to extrinsic threats associated with environmental change and increased industrial activity in a warming Arctic. In assessing how sea ice loss may differentially affect polar bears that hunt on the ice surface and narwhals that hunt at extreme depths below, we found that major ice loss translated into elevated locomotor costs that range from 3- to 4-fold greater than expected for both species. For polar bears this instigates an energy imbalance from the combined effects of reduced caloric intake and increased energy expenditure. For narwhals, high locomotor costs during diving increase the risk of ice entrapment due to the unreliability of breathing holes. These species-specific physiological constraints and extreme reliance on the polar sea ice conspire to make these two marine mammal specialists sentinels of climate change within the Arctic marine ecosystem that may foreshadow rapid changes to the marine ecosystem.

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