Climate change and diminishing seasonality in Arctic benthic processes

The iconic picture of Arctic marine ecosystems shows an intense pulse of biological productivity around the spring bloom that is sustained while fresh organic matter (OM) is available, after which ecosystem activity declines to basal levels in autumn and winter. We investigated seasonality in benthic biogeochemical cycling at three stations in a high Arctic fjord that has recently lost much of its seasonal ice-cover. Unlike observations from other Arctic locations, we find little seasonality in sediment community respiration and bioturbation rates, although different sediment reworking modes varied through the year. Nutrient fluxes did vary, suggesting that, although OM was processed at similar rates, seasonality in its quality led to spring/summer peaks in inorganic nitrogen and silicate fluxes. These patterns correspond to published information on seasonality in vertical flux at the stations. Largely ice-free Kongsfjorden has a considerable detrital pool in soft sediments which sustain benthic communities over the year. Sources of this include macroalgae and terrestrial runoff. Climate change leading to less ice cover, higher light availability and expanded benthic habitat may lead to more detrital carbon in the system, dampening the quantitative importance of seasonal pulses of phytodetritus to seafloor communities in some areas of the Arctic. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning'

Seasonal phenology and metabolomics of the introduced red macroalga Gracilaria vermiculophylla, monitored in the Bay of Brest (France)

International audienceSeaweeds represent one of the largest groups of marine aliens in Europe and constitute a large percentage of all introduced marine species. In Brittany, the red macroalga Gracilaria vermiculophylla has invaded the bare areas of brackish waters in saltmarshes. In the Bay of Brest, the alga forms dense monospecific mats on the mud surface and occupies an empty ecological niche, in association with the invasive halophyte, Spartina alterniflora. The phenology of G. vermiculophylla was studied through seasonal monitoring of biomass, density and size of fragments, complemented by metabolomic monitoring using 1H HR-MAS NMR chemical footprinting analyses. Moreover, lipids and pigments were quantified, using high-performance thin layer chromatography for the former and high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry for the latter. This rhodophyte is present throughout the year, never fixed to a substrate on the mud, with a maximum biomass in the summertime. Phenological observations on algal populations demonstrated a high capacity for fragmentation, with a majority of fragments shorter than 3 cm. Metabolomic analyses highlighted a temporal variability of lipids, pigments and osmolytes between seasons. These results, combined with ecological data, improve our understanding of the acclimation of G. vermiculophylla in Brittany, where it is mainly present in a vegetative state throughout the year. Our study represents an important contribution to understanding the ecological strategies used by this invasive seaweed to colonize and persist in the Bay of Brest