The recent Arctic winter sea ice retreat is most pronounced in the Barents Sea. Using available observations of the Atlantic inflow to the Barents Sea and results from a regional ice–ocean model the authors assess and quantify the role of inflowing heat anomalies on sea ice variability. The interannual variability and longer-term decrease in sea ice area reflect the variability of the Atlantic inflow, both in observations and model simulations. During the last decade (1998–2008) the reduction in annual (July–June) sea ice area was 218 × 103 km2, or close to 50%. This reduction has occurred concurrent with an increase in observed Atlantic heat transport due to both strengthening and warming of the inflow. Modeled interannual variations in sea ice area between 1948 and 2007 are associated with anomalous heat transport (r = −0.63) with a 70 × 103 km2 decrease per 10 TW input of heat. Based on the simulated ocean heat budget it is found that the heat transport into the western Barents Sea sets the bou...

Quantifying the influence of Atlantic heat on Barents Sea ice variability and retreat

The Atlantic gateway to the Arctic Ocean is influenced by vigorous inflows of Atlantic Water. The high-latitude impacts of these inflows have strengthened owing to climate change, particularly since 2000, driving so-called ‘Atlantification’ — a transition of Arctic waters to a state more closely resembling that of the Atlantic. In this Review, we discuss the physical and ecological manifestations of Atlantification in a hotspot region of climate change spanning the southern Barents Sea to the Eurasian Basin. Atlantification is driven by anomalous Atlantic Water inflows and is modulated by local processes, including: reduced atmospheric cooling, which amplifies warming in the southern Barents Sea; reduced freshwater input and stronger influence of ice import in the northern Barents Sea; and enhanced upper ocean mixing and air–ice–ocean coupling in the Eurasian Basin. Ecosystem responses to Atlantification encompass increased production, northward expansion of boreal species (borealization), an increased importance of the pelagic compartment populated by new species, an increasingly connected food web and a gradual reduction of the ice-associated ecosystem compartment. Considering the complex evidence supporting Atlantification, dedicated, multidisciplinary observations and advanced modelling experiments targeting large-scale changes in the system and specific mechanisms responsible for local and remote changes are urgently needed. Since 2000, oceanographic conditions in the Barents Sea and the Eurasian Basin have transitioned from those reflecting the Arctic to a state more closely resembling that of the Atlantic. This Review examines the physical and ecological manifestations, drivers and implications of this so-called Atlantification.

Physical manifestations and ecological implications of Arctic Atlantification

Species are redistributing globally in response to climate warming, impacting ecosystem functions and services. In the Barents Sea, poleward expansion of boreal species and a decreased abundance of Arctic species are causing a rapid borealization of the Arctic communities. This borealization might have profound consequences on the Arctic food web by creating novel feeding interactions between previously non co-occurring species. An early identification of new feeding links is crucial to predict their ecological impact. However, detection by traditional approaches, including stomach content and isotope analyses, although fundamental, cannot cope with the speed of change observed in the region, nor with the urgency of understanding the consequences of species redistribution for the marine ecosystem. In this study, we used an extensive food web (metaweb) with nearly 2,500 documented feeding links between 239 taxa coupled with a trait data set to predict novel feeding interactions and to quantify their potential impact on Arctic food web structure. We found that feeding interactions are largely determined by the body size of interacting species, although species foraging habitat and metabolic type are also important predictors. Further, we found that all boreal species will have at least one potential resource in the Arctic region should they redistribute therein. During 2014-2017, 11 boreal species were observed in the Arctic region of the Barents Sea. These incoming species, which are all generalists, change the structural properties of the Arctic food web by increasing connectance and decreasing modularity. In addition, these boreal species are predicted to initiate novel feeding interactions with the Arctic residents, which might amplify their impact on Arctic food web structure affecting ecosystem functioning and vulnerability. Under the ongoing species redistribution caused by environmental change, we propose merging a trait-based approach with ecological network analysis to efficiently predict the impacts of range-shifting species on food webs.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.15196

Novel feeding interactions amplify the impact of species redistribution on an Arctic food web.

Since ancient times, seaweeds have been employed as source of highly bioactive secondary metabolites that could act as key medicinal components. Furthermore, research into the biological activity of certain seaweed compounds has progressed significantly, with an emphasis on their composition and application for human and animal nutrition. Seaweeds have many uses: they are consumed as fodder, and have been used in medicines, cosmetics, energy, fertilizers, and industrial agar and alginate biosynthesis. The beneficial effects of seaweed are mostly due to the presence of minerals, vitamins, phenols, polysaccharides, and sterols, as well as several other bioactive compounds. These compounds seem to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic activities. Recent advances and limitations for seaweed bioactive as a nutraceutical in terms of bioavailability are explored in order to better comprehend their therapeutic development. To further understand the mechanism of action of seaweed chemicals, more research is needed as is an investigation into their potential usage in pharmaceutical companies and other applications, with the ultimate objective of developing sustainable and healthier products. The objective of this review is to collect information about the role of seaweeds on nutritional, pharmacological, industrial, and biochemical applications, as well as their impact on human health.

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Phytochemical and Potential Properties of Seaweeds and Their Recent Applications: A Review

Cold-seep benthic communities in the Arctic exist at the nexus of two extreme environments; one reflecting the harsh physical extremes of the Arctic environment, and another reflecting chemical extremes and strong environmental gradients associated with seafloor seepage of methane and toxic sulfide enriched sediments. Recent ecological investigations of cold seeps at numerous locations on the margins of the Arctic Ocean basin reveal that seabed seepage of reduced gas and fluids strongly influence benthic communities and associated marine ecosystems. These Arctic seep communities are mostly different from both conventional Arctic benthic communities as well as cold-seep systems elsewhere in the world. They are characterized by a lack of large specialized chemo-obligate polychaetes and molluscs often seen at non-Arctic seeps, but nonetheless have substantially higher benthic abundance and biomass compared to adjacent Arctic areas lacking seeps. Arctic seep communities are dominated by expansive tufts or meadows of siboglinid polychaetes, which can reach densities up to >3x10^5 ind.m-2. The enhanced authochthonous chemosynthetic production, combined with reef-like structures from methane-derived authigenic carbonates, provides a rich and complex local habitat that results in aggregations of non-seep specialized fauna from multiple trophic levels, including several commercial species. Seeps are far more widespread in the Arctic than thought even a few years ago. They exhibit in situ benthic chemosynthetic production cycles that operate on different spatial and temporal cycles than the sunlight driven counterpart of photosynthetic production in the ocean’s surface. These systems can act as a spatio-temporal bridge for benthic communities and associated ecosystems that may otherwise suffer from a lack of consistency in food quality from the surface ocean during seasons of low production. As climate change impacts accelerate in Arctic marginal seas, photosynthetic primary production cycles are being modified, including in terms of changes in the timing, magnitude, and quality of photosynthetic carbon, whose delivery to the seabed fuels benthic communities. Furthermore, an increased northward expansion of species is expected as a consequence of warming seas. This may have implications for dispersal and evolution of both chemosymbiotic species as well as for background taxa in the entire realm of the Arctic and fringing seas.

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Cold seeps in a warming Arctic: Insights for benthic ecology

The Arctic Barents Sea is experiencing a record temperature increase, a poleward shift in the distributions of commercial fish stocks, and invasion by the snow crab, a new predator. To evaluate benthic community vulnerability when ex posed to seawater warming, bottom trawling, and predation from a new predator, we used a trait-based approach and applied this to an extensive dataset of >450 mega benthic taxa, from a 1.5 million km2 area. Taxon rank values were obtained after sorting the taxa by temperature median and temperature range, i.e. the temperature sensitivity trait, and by body height, mean weight, and mobility, i.e. the trawl vulnerability trait, and were given as a size-based prey classification, i.e. the predation trait. The taxon rank values were then used to calculate the mean community sensitivity. Our study showed a recent significant in crease in community mean temperature ranks, indicating an increased importance of species with affinity for warmer waters and a re duced importance of coldwater species. Commercial fish stocks and snow crabs are expanding into the western part of the Barents Sea, thereby simultaneously increasing the ex posure of large immobile species to trawling and of small prey species to crab predation. Overall, we found a high level of vulnerability to the 3 investigated stressors in the northwestern Barents Sea, which may lead to alterations in community structure and diversity. Mapping vulnerability to multiple stressors enables authorities managing human activities to identify vulnerable areas that warrant special measures, including protection from trawling and reduction of the snow crab stock.

/pdf/impact-of-multiple-stressors-on-sea-bed-fauna-in-a-warming-hqri9xpfcb.pdf

Impact of multiple stressors on sea bed fauna in a warming Arctic

Fucus vesiculosus is one of the most prominent brown algae in the shallow waters of the seas of the Arctic region (Barents (BS), White (WS), Norwegian (NS), and Irminger (IS)). The aim of this study was to determine the biochemical composition of F. vesiculosus from the Arctic at different reproductive phases, and to evaluate the antioxidant properties of F. vesiculosus extracts. The amounts of monosaccharides, phlorotannins, flavonoids, and ash and the mineral composition significantly varied in the algae. A strong correlation was established between monosaccharide, phlorotannin, and flavonoid accumulation and water salinity (Pearson’s correlation coefficients r = −0.58, 0.83, and 0.44, respectively; p < 0.05). We noted a negative correlation between the antioxidant activity and the amount of the structural monosaccharides of fucoidan (r = −0.64). A positive correlation of phlorotannins and flavonoids with antioxidant power was confirmed for all samples. The ash accumulation was relatively lower in the sterile phase for the algae from the BS and WS. The correlation between the Metal Pollution Index (MPI) and the reproductive phases was medium with high fluctuation. Meanwhile, the MPI strongly correlated with the salinity and sampling site. The gradient of the MPI values across the sea was in the following ranking order: BS < WS < NS < IS. Taken together, and based on our data on the elemental contents of F. vesiculosus, we believe that this alga does not accumulate toxic doses of elements. Therefore, the Arctic F. vesiculosus could be safely used in food and drug development as a source of active biochemical compounds and as a source of dietary elements to cover the daily nutritional requirements of humans.

/pdf/the-biochemical-composition-and-antioxidant-properties-of-3p25c6ga.pdf

The Biochemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Fucus vesiculosus from the Arctic Region

Ontogenetic changes in stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) values in squid Gonatus fabricii (Cephalopoda) reveal its important ecological role in the Arctic

\n The squid Gonatus fabricii (Lichtenstein, 1818) is the most abundant pelagic cephalopod in the Arctic and the only squid to spend all of its life cycle in this region. Despite being highly abundant, its reproductive biology remains poorly known, and data on large maturing and mature specimens are especially rare. This study, based on extensive material (51 large specimens and >35,000 specimens in all), fills major gaps in the knowledge of the reproductive biology and ecology of G. fabricii. The fecundity of females ranged from 8,862 to 16,200 oocytes, with mature and late maturing specimens having between 8,862 to c. 10,000 and 11,402 oocytes, respectively. Oogenesis was synchronous, and oocyte resorption was observed; resorbed oocytes constituted up to 23.5% of fecundity. Between two to five ripe oocytes were observed, and these were 4.0–5.5 mm in diameter (maximum dimension). Males possessed between 77 and 257 spermatophores (length = 5.8–10.8 mm). Spermatophores were characterized by a cement body with well-developed collar and discs at the oral end, an ejaculatory apparatus longer than the cement body and the lack of a tapered, sharp tip to the cement body. Spermatophore size showed a uniform increase in relation to increasing male size. In newer spermatophores, the length, width and volume of the seminal reservoir also increased. Females possessed between 62 and 84 spermatangia (length = 1.8–2.6 mm); the spermatangia were present on the buccal membranes and lacked special attachment structures. Seminal receptacles were not found on the buccal membranes of females. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis of geographically restricted spawning in G. fabricii. The study found evidence for one new breeding area in south-eastern Greenland. No differences in sizes at maturity were found between the breeding areas. Such geographically localized reproduction is relatively common in non-deep-water squids, but is much less common in deep-water squids. Localized reproduction may be especially important for G. fabricii because increased food availability in the epipelagic layers would likely increase the survival of epipelagic juveniles, with surface currents potentially aiding in their dispersal.

Reproductive biology and ecology of the boreoatlantic armhook squid Gonatus fabricii (Cephalopoda: Gonatidae)

Trophic niche and diet comparisons among closely sympatric marine species are important to understand complex food webs, particularly in regions most affected by climate change. Using stable isotope analyses, all ontogenetic stages of three sympatric species of Arctic cephalopods (genus Rossia) were studied to assess inter- and intraspecific competition with niche and diet overlap and partitioning in West Greenland and the Barents Sea. Seven traits related to resource and habitat utilization were identified in Rossia: no trait was shared by all three species. High boreal R. megaptera and Arctic endemic R. moelleri shared three traits with each other, while both R. megaptera and R. moelleri shared only two unique traits each with widespread boreal-Arctic R. palpebrosa. Thus all traits formed fully uncrossing pattern with each species having unique strategy of resource and habitat utilization. Predicted climate changes in the Arctic would have an impact on competition among Rossia with one potential 'winner' (R. megaptera in the Barents Sea) but no potential 'losers'.

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Denis V. Zakharov

Papers

Impact of multiple stressors on sea bed fauna in a warming Arctic

The Biochemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Fucus vesiculosus from the Arctic Region

Ontogenetic changes in stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) values in squid Gonatus fabricii (Cephalopoda) reveal its important ecological role in the Arctic

Reproductive biology and ecology of the boreoatlantic armhook squid Gonatus fabricii (Cephalopoda: Gonatidae)

Diet and life history reduce interspecific and intraspecific competition among three sympatric Arctic cephalopods.