Peracarid Crustaceans (Malacostraca) From a "Time-Series Station" in the Westwind Trough of the New-Polynya (Greenland): a Benthic Response To Productivity?

• Published in: Crustaceana
• Main Author: Brandt, Angelika
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Brill 1996
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Aquatic Science; Greenland; Sever; ice algae
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156854096x00420; https://brill.com/view/journals/cr/69/8/article-p985_5.xml; https://brill.com/downloadpdf/journals/cr/69/8/article-p985_5.xml

Abstract During the expedition ARK IX-2/3 with RV "Polarstern" to the Northeast Water Polynya (NEW-Polynya), off Greenland, a station in the Westwind Trough was revisited sever times. Successful samples were taken by means of a box corer seven times over 2 months (May-July 1993) and by an epibenthic sledge (EBS) five times over a period of six weeks. One-hundred-and-thirty-one species from 78 genera and 40 families comprising a total of 13 280 individuals were collected with the EBS. The most abundant taxon at this station were the Cumacea. Amphipoda were most diverse. A change in peracarid composition and abundance occurred between the stations sampled over the two months, especially in the box corer samples. For seven isopod species developmental stages were determined and compared. Although no clear difference in stage composition of the species investigated was observed between stations, within some species the number of immature, preparatory, and ovigerous females was high. This might indicate an active period of reproduction during early summer, during times of favourable food supply. High abundance of Peracarida was found shortly after a sedimentation event of chlorophyll (phytoplankton and ice algae), observed in the upper sediment layer, possibly reflecting a benthic response to productivity.