Distribution of pelagic Ostracoda (Crustacea) inhabiting the waters around Svalbard (Arctic Ocean: 76°36–81°50N)

Baczewska, Anna, Blachowiak-Samolyk, Katarzyna and Angel, Martin V. (2012) Distribution of pelagic Ostracoda (Crustacea) inhabiting the waters around Svalbard (Arctic Ocean: 76°36–81°50N). Hydrobiologia, 688 (1), 75-92. (doi:10.1007/s10750-011-0808-z).

Abstract

Although, pelagic Ostracoda are locally abundant component of the mesozooplankton in the waters around Svalbard, the group remains poorly characterised both taxonomically and ecologically. Herein, the spatial and vertical variations in abundances and species composition of the pelagic osstracoda assemblages are examined and related to the water masses. The study is based on a series of zooplankton samples collected with a multinet plankton sampler (MPS; HydroBios, Kiel), consisting of five nets fitted with a 180- m mesh net. Samples were collected from deep stations (i.e., with bottom depths [300 m) around Svalbard and included localities influenced by the West Spitsbergen Current and the East Spitsbergen Current and to the north of Svalbard, between years 2001 and 2006. Throughout all the samples studied Discoconchoecia elegans was the numerically dominant species. The other species found were Boroecia maxima, Boroecia borealis, Obtusoecia obtusata, and a rare novel Boroecia species. Analyses of the pelagic Ostracoda assemblages showed that their variability was predominantly influenced by four factors: water temperature, geographical position, bottom depth and season. The highest densities of D. elegans were correlated with salinities[35 PSU whereas B. maxima distribution was dependent on latitude. Highest concentrations of B. borealis were determined by longitude. Abundances of O. obtusata were positively correlated with warmer water temperatures. Thus this work suggests that halocyprids have the potential to be good indicators of environmental changes associated with shifts in climate at high latitudes in the North Atlantic.

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