ARCTIC Distribution of Arctic Marine Isopods of the Mesidotea ( = Saduria) Complex in Relation to Depth, Temperature, and Salinity

• Main Author: In The Southern Beaufort Sea
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Mots clts; isopodes; mer de Beaufort; Mesidotea entomon; Mesidoteu sibirica; Mesidoteau subini; Saduria; distribution; Arctic; Mer de Beaufort; Beaufort Sea
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.538.4365; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic36-4-341.pdf

ABSTRACT. Three benthic isopods of the Mesidotea ( = Saduria) complex are common in the coastal waters of the southern Beaufort Sea. Their relative distribution in relation to water depth, temperature, and salinity was studied by means of 146 trawl, grab, and trap samples. Mesidotea entomon is restricted to the warm, brackish nearshore estuarine zone, in water depths of less than 10 m. M. sibiricu is most commonly encountered at intermediate depths of 5-25 m. M. sabini is the most common marine form, occuring at depths from 10 to 441 m. This distribution pattern is similar to that reported for these species in the European Arctic. Salinity fluctuations caused by wind-induced shifts in the location of the river plume, and the occurrence of deep, high-salinity water close to shore, result in overlaps in distributions of the isopods in some areas adjacent to the delta.