Shallow sublittoral macrozoobenthos in Kongsfjord

• Main Authors: Honorata Kaczmarek, Joanna Legeżyńska, Marek Zajączkowski
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Key words; Arctic; Svalbard; Kongsfjord; macrozoobenthos; diversity; Kongsbreen; glacier; Kongsfjord*; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.520.4184; http://www.polish.polar.pan.pl/ppr26/ppr26-137.pdf

Abstract: The shallow water benthic fauna was collected in Kongsfjord, West Spitsbergen. Sampling was conducted along two main environmental gradients: vertical gradient (depth 5–50 m) and horizontal gradient (sedimentation regime) along the fjord axis. A small rect− angular dredge was used. Altogether 169 taxa were identified and four macrofaunal associa− tions were distinguished. Bottom type and distance from the tidal glaciers seem to be the main factors responsible for species distribution. The Soft Bottom I Association occupying the fine mud of the Kongsbreen glacial bay consisted mostly of Crustacea with high domi− nance of scavenging amphipod Onisimus caricus. Bivalves prevailed in the Soft Bottom II Association, located further away from the main glacier outflows. The barren rocky shelf, deprived of vegetation by a sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis was inhabited by the Rocky Shelf Association dominated by decapods. The last distinguished association (the Kelp Association) occurred on the hard bottom overgrown with macroalgae. The gastropod Margarites helicinus and amphipods Ischyrocerus spp. made up 60 % of the individuals collected there.