Benthic community response to ice algae and phytoplankton in Ny Ålesund, Svalbard

A multiple biomarker approach to tracking the fate of an ice algal bloom to the sea floor

“…Enhanced benthic activity (SOD) in April/ May may have contributed to higher bioturbation as many benthic organisms increase burrowing activities. Previous studies have shown that the benthos can use rapidly ice algae as food source (McMahon et al 2006;Sun et al 2009). The lack of an increase in sedimentary chl a concentration in the present study may, then, be a result of the rapid use of phytodetrital inputs due to a higher benthic activity, as suggested in Renaud et al (2007), combined with a reworking and burial of the sedimented organic material.…”

“…Thus, Carroll and Carroll (2003) suggested a mismatch scenario in ice-covered seas, resulting in strong vertical Xuxes of undegraded particulate organic matter (POM) from the sea ice to the benthos. Moreover, recent studies have indicated that benthic organisms can derive energy directly from ice algae (Hobson et al 1995;McMahon et al 2006).…”

Trophic relationships and pelagic–benthic coupling during summer in the Barents Sea Marginal Ice Zone, revealed by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements

“…Previous isotope studies have shown that in some regions of the Arctic, benthic communities may receive a substantial amount of ungrazed POM from the overlying water column (Hobson & Welch 1992, Hobson et al 1995, whereas other regions are characterised by weaker pelagic-benthic coupling (McConnaughey & McRoy 1979, Dunton et al 1989, Hobson et al 2002. Some recent studies also suggest that ice algae may comprise a significant proportion of the diets of some benthic organisms (Hobson et al 2002, McMahon et al 2006.…”

Influence of terrestrial organic matter in marine food webs of the Beaufort Sea shelf and slope

“…Sea ice algae can be an important food source in Arctic systems (McMahon et al 2006, Roy et al 2015; however, this study sampled during the ice-free summer period. To include a sea ice algal end member reference value in the trophic mixing models, ice POM (iPOM) was collected off the northwest coast of Barrow, AK at 71.3815°N, 156.5243°W on 8 April 2014.…”