Poleward distribution of mesopelagic fishes is constrained by seasonality in light
Abstract Aim Mesopelagic fishes have a near‐global distribution in the upper 1,000 m from tropical to sub‐Arctic oceans across temperature regimes. Yet, their abundance decreases poleward and viable populations seem excluded from high latitudes. Why? Location North Atlantic between 50–85°N, with imp...
Published in: | Global Ecology and Biogeography |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.13446 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/geb.13446 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/geb.13446 |
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crwiley:10.1111/geb.13446 2024-06-02T08:01:38+00:00 Poleward distribution of mesopelagic fishes is constrained by seasonality in light Langbehn, Tom J. Aksnes, Dag L. Kaartvedt, Stein Fiksen, Øyvind Ljungström, Gabriella Jørgensen, Christian Norges Forskningsråd H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Horizon 2020 Framework Programme 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.13446 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/geb.13446 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/geb.13446 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Global Ecology and Biogeography volume 31, issue 3, page 546-561 ISSN 1466-822X 1466-8238 journal-article 2021 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13446 2024-05-03T12:06:56Z Abstract Aim Mesopelagic fishes have a near‐global distribution in the upper 1,000 m from tropical to sub‐Arctic oceans across temperature regimes. Yet, their abundance decreases poleward and viable populations seem excluded from high latitudes. Why? Location North Atlantic between 50–85°N, with implications for high‐latitude oceans globally. Time period Present‐day. Major taxa studied Diel vertically migrating (DVM) mesopelagic fishes. Methods We use a mechanistic, state‐dependent life‐history model to characterize DVM mesopelagic fishes. This model links light‐dependent encounters and temperature‐dependent physiology, allowing optimal DVM strategies to emerge. We run the model along a latitudinal gradient with increasing seasonality in light and track individual fitness‐related measures, that is, survival and surplus energy, through the annual cycle to make predictions about population consequences. Results Mesopelagic fishes thrive in the oceans’ twilight zone, and many are dependent on periods of darkness for safe foraging near the surface, before migrating back to depth during daytime. When daylight lasts for 24 hr during the Arctic summer, these fish are trapped in deep waters void of prey because it is never safe to forage in the shallow waters where zooplankton prey are found. Hence, they are left with two poor options, starvation at depth or depredation while foraging. Our model predicts surplus energy, vital for reproduction and growth, to halve from 50–85°N and annual survival to drop by two‐thirds over a narrow range of 10° of latitude around the Arctic Circle. Thus, low recruitment and high predation mortality during summer make polar waters population sinks for mesopelagic fishes because of the extreme seasonality in light. Main conclusions At high latitudes, foraging mesopelagic fishes are exposed to sunlight in upper waters also at night. This makes them easy prey for visual predators, which limits their poleward distribution. Our findings highlight the importance to think beyond temperature to ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic North Atlantic Zooplankton Wiley Online Library Arctic Global Ecology and Biogeography 31 3 546 561 |
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Open Polar |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Aim Mesopelagic fishes have a near‐global distribution in the upper 1,000 m from tropical to sub‐Arctic oceans across temperature regimes. Yet, their abundance decreases poleward and viable populations seem excluded from high latitudes. Why? Location North Atlantic between 50–85°N, with implications for high‐latitude oceans globally. Time period Present‐day. Major taxa studied Diel vertically migrating (DVM) mesopelagic fishes. Methods We use a mechanistic, state‐dependent life‐history model to characterize DVM mesopelagic fishes. This model links light‐dependent encounters and temperature‐dependent physiology, allowing optimal DVM strategies to emerge. We run the model along a latitudinal gradient with increasing seasonality in light and track individual fitness‐related measures, that is, survival and surplus energy, through the annual cycle to make predictions about population consequences. Results Mesopelagic fishes thrive in the oceans’ twilight zone, and many are dependent on periods of darkness for safe foraging near the surface, before migrating back to depth during daytime. When daylight lasts for 24 hr during the Arctic summer, these fish are trapped in deep waters void of prey because it is never safe to forage in the shallow waters where zooplankton prey are found. Hence, they are left with two poor options, starvation at depth or depredation while foraging. Our model predicts surplus energy, vital for reproduction and growth, to halve from 50–85°N and annual survival to drop by two‐thirds over a narrow range of 10° of latitude around the Arctic Circle. Thus, low recruitment and high predation mortality during summer make polar waters population sinks for mesopelagic fishes because of the extreme seasonality in light. Main conclusions At high latitudes, foraging mesopelagic fishes are exposed to sunlight in upper waters also at night. This makes them easy prey for visual predators, which limits their poleward distribution. Our findings highlight the importance to think beyond temperature to ... |
author2 |
Norges Forskningsråd H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Horizon 2020 Framework Programme |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Langbehn, Tom J. Aksnes, Dag L. Kaartvedt, Stein Fiksen, Øyvind Ljungström, Gabriella Jørgensen, Christian |
spellingShingle |
Langbehn, Tom J. Aksnes, Dag L. Kaartvedt, Stein Fiksen, Øyvind Ljungström, Gabriella Jørgensen, Christian Poleward distribution of mesopelagic fishes is constrained by seasonality in light |
author_facet |
Langbehn, Tom J. Aksnes, Dag L. Kaartvedt, Stein Fiksen, Øyvind Ljungström, Gabriella Jørgensen, Christian |
author_sort |
Langbehn, Tom J. |
title |
Poleward distribution of mesopelagic fishes is constrained by seasonality in light |
title_short |
Poleward distribution of mesopelagic fishes is constrained by seasonality in light |
title_full |
Poleward distribution of mesopelagic fishes is constrained by seasonality in light |
title_fullStr |
Poleward distribution of mesopelagic fishes is constrained by seasonality in light |
title_full_unstemmed |
Poleward distribution of mesopelagic fishes is constrained by seasonality in light |
title_sort |
poleward distribution of mesopelagic fishes is constrained by seasonality in light |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.13446 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/geb.13446 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/geb.13446 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic North Atlantic Zooplankton |
genre_facet |
Arctic North Atlantic Zooplankton |
op_source |
Global Ecology and Biogeography volume 31, issue 3, page 546-561 ISSN 1466-822X 1466-8238 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13446 |
container_title |
Global Ecology and Biogeography |
container_volume |
31 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
546 |
op_container_end_page |
561 |
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1800746036687273984 |