Antarctic harpacticoids exploit different trophic niches : a summer snapshot using fatty acid trophic markers (Potter Cove, King George Island)

Unraveling food webs is a first step toward understanding of ecosystem functioning and a requirement to forecast climate-induced ecosystem responses. In this study, the organisms under examination were benthic copepods (order Harpacticoida) inhabiting a fjord-like environment on the southern coastli...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine Ecology Progress Series
Main Authors: Werbrouck, Eva, Vanreusel, Ann, Deregibus, Dolores, Van Gansbeke, Dirk, De Troch, Marleen
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2017
Subjects:
Biology and Life Sciences
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Copepods
Diet
Storage lipids
Epiphytic
Polar
STABLE-ISOTOPE ANALYSIS
FOOD-WEB
PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITY
HERBIVOROUS COPEPODS
SOUTH SHETLAND
CLIMATE-CHANGE
PENINSULA
LIPIDS
DYNAMICS
ALGAE
Antarctic
The Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
King George Island
Potter Cove
Antarc*
Harpacticus
Online Access:https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8516181
http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8516181
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12047
https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8516181/file/8523368
Description
Summary:Unraveling food webs is a first step toward understanding of ecosystem functioning and a requirement to forecast climate-induced ecosystem responses. In this study, the organisms under examination were benthic copepods (order Harpacticoida) inhabiting a fjord-like environment on the southern coastline of King George Island at the northwestern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. Despite increased understanding of Antarctic food web structures, little is known about the feeding ecology of benthic copepods in these systems. A fatty acid trophic marker strategy was used to unravel the diet composition of Antarctic harpacticoid copepod species or assemblages collected from distinct habitats in summer. Their diverse storage fatty acid composition revealed the occupation of different trophic niches associated with their specific lifestyles, i. e. endobenthic or epiphytic with (Alteutha spp.) or without (Harpacticus sp.) frequent water column excursions. Moreover, the prevalence of biosynthesized.7 long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids in Harpacticus sp. and.9 fatty acids in Alteutha spp. further suggested adaptations to particular habitats in polar ecosystems, as different dietary precursors-16: 1 omega 7 (microphytobenthos, epiphytic diatoms) or 18: 1.9 (flagellates)-fuel these elongation pathways.

Similar Items