Abstract
Objectives
Methods
Working plan
Work packages
References
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WP 4 Marine Benthic Fauna
Leader: dr hab. Maria Włodarska-Kowalczuk
The research questions:
- How does the community size structure change along a gradient of thermal regimes observed off the Norwegian coasts?
- What are the environmental controls of benthic species size structure?
- Are changes in size structure documented at community level driven by shifts in species composition (e.g. a shift in dominants towards species of smaller size) or by changes in sizes of individuals of dominant species?
- What are implications of change in size structure on the functioning of benthic communities (bioturbation, secondary production)?
SOFT-BOTTOM - infauna
Community size spectra will encompass both meio- and macrofaunal components of benthic communities and will be based on materials collected at three sites located along a gradient of changing thermal regimes: asubArctic site (Norwegian Sea, off northern Norway), a 'warm' Atlantic water influenced Arctic site (west Spitsbergen) and a 'cold' High Arctic site (north Spitsbergen). Biological samples will be analyzed in terms of taxonomic composition and Benthic Biomass Size Spectra. Secondary production will be estimated from individual weights (AFDM) based on the allometric relationship between weight and P/B. Spatial variability of size structure and functioning of benthic species and communities will be related to environmental factors.
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HARD BOTTOM - Bryozoa
Patterns of zooid size in Bryozoan species and assemblages will be studied based on samples collected during this project along the latitude/thermal regimes gradient spanning the geographical area ranging from southern Norway to Northwest Spitsbergen. The existing collections of specimens collected during large expeditions to Svalbard waters at the beginning of the XXth century (before the warming observed in the 1930ies) will be visited (Natural History Museums in London, Stockholm and Berlin) and zooid size in these historical collections compared to present day collected materials.
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