In the Arctic, sea-ice plays a central role in the functioning of marine food webs and its rapid shrinking has large effects on the biota. It is thus crucial to assess the importance of sea-ice and ice-derived resources to Arctic marine species. Here, we used a multi-biomarker approach combining Highly Branched Isoprenoids (HBIs) with δ13C and δ15N to evaluate how much Arctic seabirds rely on sea-ice derived resources during the pre-laying period, and if changes in sea-ice extent and duration affect their investment in reproduction. Eggs of thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) and northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) were collected in the Canadian Arctic during four years of highly contrasting ice conditions, and analysed for HBIs, isotopic (carbon and nitrogen) and energetic composition. Murres heavily relied on ice-associated prey, and sea-ice was beneficial for this species which produced larger and more energy-dense eggs during icier years. In contrast, fulmars did not exhibit any clear association with sympagic communities and were not impacted by changes in sea ice. Murres, like other species more constrained in their response to sea-ice variations, therefore appear more sensitive to changes and may become the losers of future climate shifts in the Arctic, unlike more resilient species such as fulmars.
Abstract. The Green Edge project was designed to investigate the onset, life and fate of a phytoplankton spring bloom (PSB) in the Arctic Ocean. The lengthening of the ice-free period and the warming of seawater, amongst other factors, have induced major changes in arctic ocean biology over the last decades. Because the PSB is at the base of the Arctic Ocean food chain, it is crucial to understand how changes in the arctic environment will affect it. Green Edge was a large multidisciplinary collaborative project bringing researchers and technicians from 28 different institutions in seven countries, together aiming at understanding these changes and their impacts into the future. The fieldwork for the Green Edge project took place over two years (2015 and 2016) and was carried out from both an ice-camp and a research vessel in the Baffin Bay, canadian arctic. This paper describes the sampling strategy and the data set obtained from the research cruise, which took place aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Amundsen in spring 2016. The dataset is available at https://doi.org/10.17882/59892 (Massicotte et al., 2019a).
Abstract. The Green Edge project was designed to investigate the onset,
life, and fate of a phytoplankton spring bloom (PSB) in the Arctic Ocean.
The lengthening of the ice-free period and the warming of seawater, amongst
other factors, have induced major changes in Arctic Ocean biology over the
last decades. Because the PSB is at the base of the Arctic Ocean food chain,
it is crucial to understand how changes in the Arctic environment will
affect it. Green Edge was a large multidisciplinary, collaborative project
bringing researchers and technicians from 28 different institutions in seven
countries together, aiming at understanding these changes and their impacts
on the future. The fieldwork for the Green Edge project took place over
two years (2015 and 2016) and was carried out from both an ice camp and a
research vessel in Baffin Bay, in the Canadian Arctic. This paper describes
the sampling strategy and the dataset obtained from the research cruise,
which took place aboard the Canadian Coast Guard ship (CCGS) Amundsen in late
spring and early summer 2016. The sampling strategy was designed around the
repetitive, perpendicular crossing of the marginal ice zone (MIZ), using not
only ship-based station discrete sampling but also high-resolution
measurements from autonomous platforms (Gliders, BGC-Argo
floats …) and under-way monitoring systems. The dataset is
available at https://doi.org/10.17882/86417 (Bruyant et al., 2022).
AKMA-OceanSenses Research Expedition (11-23 May 2022) aboard the research vessel Kronprins Håkon to the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean is focused on both science and education. This expedition has received endorsement from the UN Ocean Decade.
The cruise may be known as: CAGE22_2
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