A review on the biodiversity, distribution and trophic role of cephalopods in the Arctic and Antarctic marine ecosystems under a changing ocean

• Published in: Marine Biology
• Main Authors: Xavier, José, Cherel, Yves, Allcock, Louise, Rosa, Rui, Sabirov, Rushan, Blicher, Martin, Golikov, Alexey
• Other Authors: MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre Portugal, Departamento das Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Zoology Galway, Martin Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway (NUI Galway)-National University of Ireland Galway (NUI Galway), Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade de Lisboa, Department of Zoology Russia, Kazan (Volga region) Federal University, Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2018
• Subjects: [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Arctic; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Pacific; Antarc*; Climate change; Ocean acidification; Sea ice; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01844527; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-018-3352-9

International audience Cephalopods play an important role in polar marine ecosystems. In this review, we compare the biodiversity, distribution and trophic role of cephalopods in the Arctic and in the Antarctic. Thirty-two species have been reported from the Arctic, 62 if the Pacific Subarctic is included, with only two species distributed across both these Arctic areas. In comparison, 54 species are known from the Antarctic. These polar regions share 15 families and 13 genera of cephalopods, with the giant squid Architeuthis dux the only species confirmed to occur in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Polar cephalopods prey on crustaceans, fish, and other cephalopods (including cannibalism), whereas predators include fish, other cephalopods, seabirds, seals and whales. In terms of differences between the cephalopod predators in the polar regions, more Antarctic seabird species feed on cephalopods than Arctic seabirds species, whereas more Arctic mammal species feed on cephalopods than Antarctic mam-mal species. Cephalopods from these regions are likely to be more influenced by climate change than those from the rest of the World: Arctic fauna is more subjected to increasing temperatures per se, with these changes leading to increased species ranges and probably abundance. Antarctic species are likely to be influenced by changes in (1) mesoscale oceanography (2) the position of oceanic fronts (3) sea ice extent, and (4) ocean acidification. Polar cephalopods may have the capacity to adapt to changes in their environment, but more studies are required on taxonomy, distribution, ocean acidification and ecology.