Ecosystem maturation follows the warming of the Arctic fjords
Two fjords in West Spitsbergen (Hornsund 77°N and Kongsfjorden 79°N) differ with regard to their exposure towards increasingly warm Atlantic water inflow. Hornsund remains in many respects cooler than Kongsfjorden (on average 2°C SST in summer) and is less influenced by warmer and more saline Atlant...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences
2017-10-01
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| Series: | Oceanologia |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0078323417300507 |
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| author | Jan Marcin Węsławski Friedrich Buchholz Marta Głuchowska Agata Weydmann |
| author_facet | Jan Marcin Węsławski Friedrich Buchholz Marta Głuchowska Agata Weydmann |
| author_sort | Jan Marcin Węsławski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Two fjords in West Spitsbergen (Hornsund 77°N and Kongsfjorden 79°N) differ with regard to their exposure towards increasingly warm Atlantic water inflow. Hornsund remains in many respects cooler than Kongsfjorden (on average 2°C SST in summer) and is less influenced by warmer and more saline Atlantic waters. Reported changes in the physical environment (temperature rise, freshwater inflow, salinity drop, turbidity, fast-ice reduction, coastal change) are discussed in the context of biological observations in the pelagic and benthic realms with special reference to krill (Euphausiacea). We conclude that well-documented changes in the physical environment have had little effect on the fjord biota and that both organisms and their ecological functions in the fjords are well adapted to the scale of ongoing change. The observed changes fit the definition of ecosystem maturation, with greater diversity, a more complex food web and dispersed energy flow at the warmer site. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1b1ba042e4d0431db5a88278fcd6f5b0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0078-3234 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oceanologia |
| spelling | doaj-art-1b1ba042e4d0431db5a88278fcd6f5b02025-08-20T03:52:07ZengInstitute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of SciencesOceanologia0078-32342017-10-0159459260210.1016/j.oceano.2017.02.002Ecosystem maturation follows the warming of the Arctic fjordsJan Marcin Węsławski0Friedrich Buchholz1Marta Głuchowska2Agata Weydmann3Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, PolandAlfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, GermanyInstitute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, PolandInstitute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, PolandTwo fjords in West Spitsbergen (Hornsund 77°N and Kongsfjorden 79°N) differ with regard to their exposure towards increasingly warm Atlantic water inflow. Hornsund remains in many respects cooler than Kongsfjorden (on average 2°C SST in summer) and is less influenced by warmer and more saline Atlantic waters. Reported changes in the physical environment (temperature rise, freshwater inflow, salinity drop, turbidity, fast-ice reduction, coastal change) are discussed in the context of biological observations in the pelagic and benthic realms with special reference to krill (Euphausiacea). We conclude that well-documented changes in the physical environment have had little effect on the fjord biota and that both organisms and their ecological functions in the fjords are well adapted to the scale of ongoing change. The observed changes fit the definition of ecosystem maturation, with greater diversity, a more complex food web and dispersed energy flow at the warmer site.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0078323417300507Climate changeRegime shiftBiodiversityArcticSvalbardFjords |
| spellingShingle | Jan Marcin Węsławski Friedrich Buchholz Marta Głuchowska Agata Weydmann Ecosystem maturation follows the warming of the Arctic fjords Oceanologia Climate change Regime shift Biodiversity Arctic Svalbard Fjords |
| title | Ecosystem maturation follows the warming of the Arctic fjords |
| title_full | Ecosystem maturation follows the warming of the Arctic fjords |
| title_fullStr | Ecosystem maturation follows the warming of the Arctic fjords |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecosystem maturation follows the warming of the Arctic fjords |
| title_short | Ecosystem maturation follows the warming of the Arctic fjords |
| title_sort | ecosystem maturation follows the warming of the arctic fjords |
| topic | Climate change Regime shift Biodiversity Arctic Svalbard Fjords |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0078323417300507 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT janmarcinwesławski ecosystemmaturationfollowsthewarmingofthearcticfjords AT friedrichbuchholz ecosystemmaturationfollowsthewarmingofthearcticfjords AT martagłuchowska ecosystemmaturationfollowsthewarmingofthearcticfjords AT agataweydmann ecosystemmaturationfollowsthewarmingofthearcticfjords |