Marine zooplanktonic and benthic community respiration rates at Resolute, Canadian high Arctic

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Authors: Welch, H E, Siferd, T D, Bruecker, P
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1997
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Arctic; Resolute Bay; Midwinter
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f97-006; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f97-006

Benthic community respiration rates and macrozooplankton (>202 µm) biomass and respiration rates were measured throughout a calender year at Resolute (74°42 prime N, 94°50 prime W). The plankton averaged 7.2 g dry weight · m -2 with no seasonal pattern and respired 82 g O 2 · m -2 · yr -1 . Gelatinous and chaetognath predators made up 10% of macrozooplankton biomass and respired 6.4% of planktonic respiration. The lipid content of the nongelatinous fraction fluctuated seasonaly from 64% of dry weight in midwinter to 46% in early summer. The benthic soft-bottom community inside Resolute Bay respired about 125 g O 2 · m -2 · yr -1 , with a twofold rate increase in late summer. Offshore on hard bottom the few measurements we obtained suggested a respiration rate of about 75 g O 2 · m -2 · yr -1 . The macrozooplankton and benthos were therefore approximately equal in energy flow. The total ecosystem respiration of 157 g O 2 · m -2 · yr -1 corroborated a previous independent estimate of photosynthesis of 60 g C · m -2 · yr -1 for the region. Microplankton respiration appeared to be relatively low. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the proporion of primary production exported to the benthos increases with decreasing water temperature and depth, increasing latitude, and increasing cell size.