Krill (Euphausia superba) distribution contracts southward during rapid regional warming

Atkinson, Angus; Hill, Simeon L.; Pakhomov, Evgeny A.; Siegel, Volker; Reiss, Christian S.; Loeb, Valerie J.; Steinberg, Deborah K.; Schmidt, Katrin; Tarling, Geraint A.; Gerrish, Laura; Sailley, Sévrine F.

doi:10.1038/s41558-018-0370-z

Cited by 263 publications

(311 citation statements)

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“…Other studies, using net data from multiple sources, report significant declines in numerical density over the same period (Loeb et al, 1997;Atkinson et al, 2004), but no significant trend in data sourced solely from the more common large nets (mouth opening >3 m 2 ) (Atkinson et al, 2004;Cox et al, 2018). The most recent net data study, which examined spatial and temporal changes, found large scale, spatially coherent change in the krill stock, including southward contraction of its distribution, a strong decline in numerical density north of 60 • S and a decline in recruitment which was linked to fluctuations in the Southern Annular Mode of climate variability (Atkinson et al, 2019).…”

Section: Impact Of Ocean-warming On Food Web Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More recently, and Saunders et al (2015a) reported on the trophodynamics of myctophids at larger temporal and spatial scales in the Scotia Sea, providing information more conducive to determining the role that krill play in the feeding ecology of myctophids, and their wider role in regional food webs (Murphy et al, 2007b(Murphy et al, , 2013. The need to understand the function of myctophids in the operation of the Southern Ocean food web has been brought sharply into focus by the rapid environmental change in the region and the need to understand the impact this change will have on the structure and resilience of the local marine ecosystem (Atkinson et al, 2004(Atkinson et al, , 2019Whitehouse et al, 2008;Flores et al, 2012;Murphy et al, 2013). With the realistic possibility of reductions in krill stocks in the coming decades, or a southward retreat in its distribution pattern, the importance of alternative trophic pathways in maintaining ecosystem stability is likely to increase in the region (Murphy et al, 2007a).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Historically, the region is where the majority of harvesting of seals, whales and fishes in the Southern Ocean occurred (Everson, 1977). Furthermore, it is an area where ecological change associated with rapid regional warming is particularly marked (de la Mare, 1997;Curran et al, 2003;Atkinson et al, 2004Atkinson et al, , 2019Murphy et al, 2007a;Whitehouse et al, 2008), which may be a useful model system with which to identify the changes in food web dynamics manifested by climate change to compare with elsewhere.…”

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Myctophid Fish (Family Myctophidae) Are Central Consumers in the Food Web of the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)

et al. 2019

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Myctophids are the most abundant and diverse mesopelagic fishes in the Southern Ocean. They are a conduit of energy between primary consumers and higher marine predators, and between the surface layers and the mesopelagic depths. However, there remain major uncertainties about their ecology, particularly regarding their role in Southern Ocean food webs in waters south of the Antarctic Polar Front, which are often regarded as dominated by Antarctic krill. Limited data on the feeding ecology of myctophids has made it difficult to assess the importance of myctophids as consumers of krill and how they fit in the traditional view of a krill-dominated system (diatom-krillhigher predator). We provide a new assessment of the role of myctophids in Southern Ocean food webs using information from recent trophodynamic studies of myctophids conducted in the Scotia Sea, one of the most productive regions of the Southern Ocean and a region that sustains both major populations of higher predators (sea birds, seals, whales) and important commercial fisheries (krill, toothfish, and mackerel icefish). Collectively, these data show that myctophids have a central role in Southern Ocean food webs as both predators and prey. Large myctophid species are prevalent consumers of krill throughout their distributional range and in different seasons in the Scotia Sea. Moreover, best estimates of both myctophid and higher predator consumption of krill to date indicate that large myctophids are the greatest predators of krill in this region, consuming almost as much krill as do all other vertebrates. Nevertheless, there are several smaller myctophid species that do not eat krill, instead consuming copepods and other small euphausiids. Myctophids therefore link primary producers to higher predators through both krill-dependent and krill-independent trophic pathways, emphasizing their importance in regional food webs. Consequently, trophic pathways involving large myctophids are unlikely to be exempt from the direct consequences of projected redistribution and/or reduction in krill population biomass under scenarios of ocean-warming, whilst trophic pathways involving small myctophids may be more resilient to such effects and become increasingly important to higher trophic levels. Further studies are required to determine the extent to which myctophids can maintain food web stability and sustain higher predator populations Frontiers in Marine Science | www.frontiersin.org 1 September 2019 | Volume 6 | Article 530 Saunders et al. Trophodynamics of Scotia Sea Myctophidsduring periods of prolonged reductions in krill abundance. Including knowledge of the role of myctophids in Southern Ocean food webs will be important for developing robust projections of the impacts of future change to inform decision making for conservation and management.

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Section: Impact Of Ocean-warming On Food Web Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Myctophid Fish (Family Myctophidae) Are Central Consumers in the Food Web of the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)

et al. 2019

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“…These zooplankton support regionally distinct upper trophic levels (Murphy et al, ; Sailley et al, ) such as Adélie penguins (Ainley, ; Fraser & Hofmann, ), crabeater and fur seals (Chapman et al, ; Costa et al, ; Costa & Crocker, ; Siniff et al, ), and humpback and minke whales, which in turn support leopard seals and orcas (Steinberg et al, ). As climate change continues to alter the environment, the abundance and location of these populations are in flux (Atkinson et al, , ; Sailley et al, ; Steinberg et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light Is the Primary Driver of Early Season Phytoplankton Production Along the Western Antarctic Peninsula

et al. 2019

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Light and dissolved iron (dFe) availability control net primary production (NPP) in much of the Southern Ocean, but the primary controller during spring in the western Antarctic Peninsula has never been assessed. Underwater light and dFe availability are sensitive to climate‐induced changes in upper ocean circulation, stratification, and sea ice cover, which can affect NPP and phytoplankton community composition, both of which can alter carbon drawdown and food web structure. We estimated in situ NPP, net community production, and heterotrophic respiration and contextualized our field measurements with satellite‐based historical NPP estimates. Average light exposure mainly controlled NPP, while low dFe was associated with greatest NPP, indicating that spring phytoplankton growth is light‐limited and not dFe‐limited. Using experiments that simulated varying mixed layer depths by exposing phytoplankton to a short period of in situ surface light (up to 150× the mean light in the mixed layer, comparable to the difference in light experienced by phytoplankton mixed from 50 m to the surface), we assessed the effect of phytoplankton photoacclimation on NPP and relative success of individual taxa. At moderate light exposure (<30×), phytoplankton experienced little photodamage or changes in NPP, and Phaeocystis antarctica grew more than diatoms. Conversely, phytoplankton exposed to high light (>60×) experienced significant photodamage, declines in NPP, and declines in P. antarctica, with no consistent changes in diatoms. These results support the idea that P. antarctica is better adapted to variable light than diatoms and suggest that deeper mixed layers with variable light will favor P. antarctica.

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“…Die Region nahe der Antarktischen Halbinsel ist besonders stark von der Klimaerwärmung betroffen. In diesem Gebiet hat sich der Krill südwärts zurückgezogen und seine Häufigkeit hat signifikant abgenommen . Gleichzeitig expandieren Salpen südwärts.…”

Section: Klimabedingte Verschiebungen Des Zooplanktons Im Südpolarmeerunclassified

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et al. 2020

Biologie in unserer Zeit

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Zusammenfassung Der Klimawandel mit Temperaturerhöhung und Ozeanversauerung wird dramatische Auswirkungen auf das planktische Leben im Südpolarmeer haben. Unsere Studien zeigen, dass das Plankton im Südozean bereits im Wandel ist. Während heutzutage größere Diatomeen (Kieselalgen) die wichtigsten Primärproduzenten im Südpolarmeer sind, könnte es in Zukunft zu einem verstärkten Vorkommen kleinerer Flagellaten kommen. Auch das Zooplankton ist betroffen. Hier wurde eine Verschiebung von einem Krill‐ zu einem Salpen‐dominierten Nahrungsnetz im Südpolarmeer sowie die Verdrängung polarer Kaltwasserarten durch wärmetolerantere Arten aus angrenzenden Regionen beobachtet.

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Krill (Euphausia superba) distribution contracts southward during rapid regional warming

Cited by 263 publications

References 43 publications

Myctophid Fish (Family Myctophidae) Are Central Consumers in the Food Web of the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)

Myctophid Fish (Family Myctophidae) Are Central Consumers in the Food Web of the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)

Light Is the Primary Driver of Early Season Phytoplankton Production Along the Western Antarctic Peninsula

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