Spatial pattern of macrobenthic communities along a shelf-slope-basin transect across the Bering Sea

LIN Heshan; LIU Kun; WANG Jianjun; HUANG Yaqin; LI Zhong; LIN Junhui; HE Xuebao; ZHANG Shuyi; MOU Jianfeng; WANG Yu; XING Bingpeng

doi:10.1007/s13131-018-1192-6

Volume 37 Issue 6

Turn off MathJax

Article Contents

Abstract

References

Article Navigation > Acta Oceanologica Sinica > 2018 > 37(6): 72-81

LIN Heshan, LIU Kun, WANG Jianjun, HUANG Yaqin, LI Zhong, LIN Junhui, HE Xuebao, ZHANG Shuyi, MOU Jianfeng, WANG Yu, XING Bingpeng. Spatial pattern of macrobenthic communities along a shelf-slope-basin transect across the Bering Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2018, 37(6): 72-81. doi: 10.1007/s13131-018-1192-6

Citation:

LIN Heshan, LIU Kun, WANG Jianjun, HUANG Yaqin, LI Zhong, LIN Junhui, HE Xuebao, ZHANG Shuyi, MOU Jianfeng, WANG Yu, XING Bingpeng. Spatial pattern of macrobenthic communities along a shelf-slope-basin transect across the Bering Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2018, 37(6): 72-81. doi: 10.1007/s13131-018-1192-6

Citation:

LIN Heshan, LIU Kun, WANG Jianjun, HUANG Yaqin, LI Zhong, LIN Junhui, HE Xuebao, ZHANG Shuyi, MOU Jianfeng, WANG Yu, XING Bingpeng. Spatial pattern of macrobenthic communities along a shelf-slope-basin transect across the Bering Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2018, 37(6): 72-81. doi: 10.1007/s13131-018-1192-6

PDF( 891 KB)

Spatial pattern of macrobenthic communities along a shelf-slope-basin transect across the Bering Sea

doi: 10.1007/s13131-018-1192-6

1.
Laboratory of Marine Biology and Ecology, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen 361005, China
2.
Laboratory of Marine Biology and Ecology, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen 361005, China;College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
3.
Laboratory of Marine Biology and Ecology, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen 361005, China;Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China

Received Date: 2017-11-25
Rev Recd Date: 2017-12-11

Abstract

Abstract

Due to its unique geological location, the Bering Sea is an ideal place to investigate the water exchange and ecosystem connectivity of the Pacific Ocean-Arctic Ocean and subarctic-Arctic region. Based on a number of summer surveys (July to September, 2010, 2012 and 2014), macrobenthic communities and their spatial-temporal patterns are exhibited for the majority of the Bering Sea (53°59'-64°36'N). The results show that the macrobenthic communities were dominated by northern cold-water species and immigrant eurythermic species, and the communities assumed a dispersed and patchy distribution pattern. Polychaetes (Scoloplos armiger), crustaceans (Ceradocus capensis) and sea urchins (Echinarachnius parma) were the main dominant groups in the shallow shelves; the sea star (Ctenodiscus crispatus) and the brittle star (Ophiura sarsii) were the main dominant groups in the continental slope; whereas small polychaetes (Prionospio malmgreni) dominated the basin area. Sediment type, water depth, and currents were the major factors affecting the structure and spatial distribution of the macrobenthic communities. Compared with other seas, the shallow areas of the Bering Sea showed an extremely high-standing biomass. In particular, the northern shelf area (north of St. Lawrence Islands and west of 170°W), which is primarily controlled by Anadyr Water, is an undersea oasis. In contrast, a deficiency in the downward transport of particulate organic carbon has resulted in a desert-like seabed in the basin area. By comparing our results to previous studies, we found that macrobenthic communities of the Bering Sea have undergone significant structural changes in recent decades, resulting in a decrease in abundance and an increase in biomass. In addition, populations of amphipods and bivalves in the northern shelves have decreased significantly and have been gradually replaced by other species. These changes might be associated with advanced seasonal ice melting, changes in organic carbon input, and global warming, indicating that large-scale ecosystem changes have been occurring in the Bering Sea.
- macrobenthos,
- community structure,
- Arctic,
- Bering Sea,
- environmental drivers

FullText(HTML)

References(53)

References

ACIA. 2004. Impacts of a Warming Arctic:Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge, UK:Cambridge University Press

Banse K, English D C. 1999. Comparing phytoplankton seasonality in the eastern and western subarctic Pacific and the western Bering Sea. Progress in Oceanography, 43(2-4):235-288

Berger W H, Fischer K, Lai C, et al. 1987. Ocean productivity and organic carbon flux, Part I:Overview and maps of primary production and export production. In:SIO Reference Series. San Diego:University of California, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 67

Siddon E, Zador S. 2017. Ecosystem Considerations 2017, Status of the Eastern Bering Sea Marine Ecosystem. Anchorage AK, USA:North Pacific Fishery Management Council

Blanchard A L, Parris C L, Knowlton A L, et al. 2013a. Benthic ecology of the northeastern Chukchi Sea:Part I. Environmental characteristics and macrofaunal community structure, 2008-2010. Continental Shelf Research, 67:52-66

Blanchard A L, Parris C L, Knowlton A L, et al. 2013b. Benthic ecology of the northeastern Chukchi Sea:Part Ⅱ. Spatial variation of megafaunal community structure, 2009-2010. Continental Shelf Research, 67:67-76

Blanchet F G, Legendre P, Borcard D. 2008. Forward selection of explanatory variables. Ecology, 89(9):2623-2632

Bolam S G, Barrio-Frojan C R S, Eggleton J D. 2010. Macrofaunal production along the UK continental shelf. Journal of Sea Research, 64(3):166-179

Bolam S G, Eggleton J D. 2014. Macrofaunal production and biological traits:spatial relationships along the UK continental shelf. Journal of Sea Research, 88:47-58

Borcard D, Gillet F, Legendre P. 2011. Numerical Ecology with R. New York:Springer Science + Business Media

Brey T, Gerdes D. 1998. High Antarctic macrobenthic community production. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 231(2):191-200

Carey A G Jr. 1991. Ecology of North American Arctic continental shelf benthos:a review. Continental Shelf Research, 11(8-10):865-883

Clement J L, Maslowski W, Cooper L W, et al. 2005. Ocean circulation and exchanges through the northern Bering Sea-1979-2001 model results. Deep Sea Research Part Ⅱ:Topical Studies in Oceanography, 52(24-26):3509-3540

Cooper K M, Barrio Froján C R S, Defew E, et al. 2008. Assessment of ecosystem function following marine aggregate dredging. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 366(1-2):82-91

Cusson M, Bourget E. 2005. Global patterns of macroinvertebrate production in marine benthic habitats. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 297:1-14

Dehn L A, Sheffield G G, Follmann E H, et al. 2007. Feeding ecology of phocid seals and some walrus in the Alaskan and Canadian Arctic as determined by stomach contents and stable isotope analysis. Polar Biology, 30(2):167-181

Dunton K H, Goodall J L, Schonberg S V, et al. 2005. Multi-decadal synthesis of benthic-pelagic coupling in the western arctic:role of cross-shelf advective processes. Deep Sea Research Part Ⅱ:Topical Studies in Oceanography, 52(24-26):3462-3477

Fuhrmann M M, Pedersen T, Ramasco V, et al. 2015. Macrobenthic biomass and production in a heterogenic subarctic fjord after invasion by the red king crab. Journal of Sea Research, 106:1-13

GBIF Secretariat. 2017. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. https://doi. org/10.15468/39omei[2017-09-06/2017-11-11]

Grebmeier J M, Cooper L W. 1995. Influence of the St. Lawrence Island polynya upon the Bering Sea benthos. Journal of Geophysical Research, 100(C3):4439-4460

Grebmeier J M, Cooper L W, Feder H M, et al. 2006a. Ecosystem dynamics of the Pacific-influenced Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas in the Amerasian Arctic. Progress in Oceanography, 71(2-4):331-361

Grebmeier J M, Dunton K H. 2000. Benthic processes in the northern Bering/Chukchi seas:status and global change. In:Huntington H P, ed. Impacts of Changes in Sea Ice and Other Environmental Parameters in the Arctic. Bethesda, MD:Marine Mammal Commission Workshop, 80-93

Grebmeier J M, McRoy C P. 1989. Pelagic-benthic coupling on the shelf of the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas:Ⅲ. Benthic food supply and carbon cycling. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 53:79-91

Grebmeier J M, McRoy C P, Feder H M. 1988. Pelagic-benthic coupling on the shelf of the northern Bering and Chukchi seas:I. Food supply source and benthic biomass. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 48:57-67

Grebmeier J M, Overland J E, Moore S E, et al. 2006b. A major ecosystem shift in the northern Bering Sea. Science, 311(5766):1461-1464

Highsmith R C, Coyle K O. 1990. High productivity of northern Bering Sea benthic amphipods. Nature, 344(6269):862-864

Hopcroft R, Bluhm B, Gradinger R. 2008. Arctic Ocean synthesis:analysis of climate change impacts in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas with strategies for future research. Anchorage, Alaska:North Pacific Research Board

Huang Zongguo, Lin Mao. 2012a. The Living Species and Their Illustrations in China's Seas (Part I) (in Chinese). Beijing:China Ocean Press

Huang Zongguo, Lin Mao. 2012b. The Living Species and Their Illustrations in China's Seas (Part Ⅱ) (in Chinese). Beijing:China Ocean Press

Huang Jianbin, Zhang Xiangdong, Zhang Qiyi, et al. 2017. Recently amplified arctic warming has contributed to a continual global warming trend. Nature Climate Change, 7:875-879,, doi: 10.1038/s41558-017-0009-5

Kędra M, Renaud P E, Andrade H, et al. 2013. Benthic community structure, diversity, and productivity in the shallow Barents Sea bank (Svalbard Bank). Marine Biology, 160(4):805-819

Lepš J, Šmilauer P. 2003. Multivariate Analysis of Ecological Data Using CANOCO. New York:Cambridge University Press

Lin Heshan, Wang Jianjun, Liu Kun, et al. 2016. Benthic macrofaunal production for a typical shelf-slope-basin region in the western Arctic Ocean. Continental Shelf Research, 113:30-37

Lovvorn J R, Richman S E, Grebmeier J M, et al. 2003. Diet and body condition of spectacled eiders wintering in pack ice of the Bering Sea. Polar Biology, 26(4):259-267

McCormick-Ray J, Warwick R M, Ray G C. 2011. Benthic macrofaunal compositional variations in the northern Bering Sea. Marine Biology, 158(6):1365-1376

Moore S E, Grebmeier J M, Davis J R. 2003. Gray whale distribution relative to forage habitat in the northern Bering Sea:current conditions and retrospective summary. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 81(4):734-742

Moore S E, Stafford K M, Mellinger D K, et al. 2006. Listening for large whales in the offshore waters of Alaska. Bioscience, 56(1):49-55

Okkonen S R, Schmidt G M, Cokelet E D, et al. 2004. Satellite and hydrographic observations of the Bering Sea ‘Green Belt’. Deep Sea Research Part Ⅱ:Topical Studies in Oceanography, 51(10-11):1033-1051

Oksanen J. 2017. Vegan:an introduction to ordination. http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/vegan/vignettes/intro-vegan.pdf[2017-08-04/2017-11-12]

Perovich D K, Gerland S, Hendricks S, et al. 2015. The Arctic:Sea Ice Cover. Boston:American Meteorological Society

Petersen G H, Curtis M A. 1980. Differences in energy flow through major components of subarctic, temperate and tropical marine shelf ecosystems. Dana, 1:53-64

Piepenburg D. 2005. Recent research on Arctic benthos:common notions need to be revised. Polar Biology, 28(10):733-755

Pitcher K W. 1990. Major decline in number of harbor seals, Phoca vitulina richardsi, on Tugidak Island, Gulf of Alaska. Marine Mammal Science, 6(2):121-134

Qiao Shuqing, Shi Xuefa, Saito Y, et al. 2011. Sedimentary records of natural and artificial Huanghe (Yellow River) channel shifts during the Holocene in the southern Bohai Sea. Continental Shelf Research, 31(13):1336-1342

Ray G C, McCormick-Ray J, Berg P, et al. 2006. Pacific Walrus:benthic bioturbator of Beringia. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 330(1):403-419

Robertson A I. 1979. The relationship between annual production:biomass ratios and lifespans for marine macrobenthos. Oecologia, 38(2):193-202

Springer A M, Mcroy C P, Flint M V. 1996. The Bering Sea Green Belt:shelf-edge processes and ecosystem production. Fisheries Oceanography, 5(3-4):205-223

Wang Jianjun, He Xuebao, Lin Heshan, et al. 2014a. Community structure and spatial distribution of macrobenthos in the shelf area of the Bering Sea. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 33(6):74-81

Wang Jianjun, Lin Heshan, He Xuebao, et al. 2014b. Biodiversity and community structural characteristics of macrobenthos in the Chukchi Sea. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 33(6):82-89

Wlodarska-Kowalczuk M, Weslawski J M. 2001. Impact of climate warming on Arctic benthic biodiversity:a case study of two Arctic glacial bays. Climate Research, 18(1-2):127-132

Woodgate R A, Aagaard K. 2005. Revising the Bering Strait freshwater flux into the Arctic Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters, 32(2):L02602

WoRMS. 2017. World register of marine species. http://www.marinespecies.org/[2017-09-05/2017-11-01]

Yao Zhengquan, Shi Xuefa, Liu Qingsong, et al. 2014. Paleomagnetic and astronomical dating of sediment core BH08 from the Bohai Sea, China:implications for glacial-interglacial sedimentation. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 393:90-101

Relative Articles

Supplements(0)

Cited By

Proportional views