Spatio-temporal variability in the winter diet of larval and juvenile Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, in ice-covered waters

Marine ecology progress series

, Carmen David¹  , Martin Graeve¹  , Hauke Flores¹  *, Doreen Kohlbach¹  , Benjamin A. Lange¹  Fokje L. Schaafsma²  , Jan A. van Franeker² 

[1] Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany;Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG Den Helder, The Netherlands

关键词: Euphausia superba;    Winter;    Stomach contents;    Fatty acids;    Sea ice;    Weddell Sea;    Furcilia;    Juveniles;   

DOI  :  10.3354/meps12309

学科分类：海洋学与技术

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

Antarctic krill Euphausia superba is an ecological key species in the Southern Ocean and a major fisheries resource. The winter survival of age class 0 (AC0) krill is susceptible to changes in the sea-ice environment due to their association with sea ice and their need to feed during their first winter. However, our understanding of their overwintering diet and its variability is limited. We studied the spatio-temporal variability of the diet in 4 cohorts of AC0 krill in the Northern Weddell Sea during late winter 2013 using stomach contents, fatty acids (FAs) and bulk stable isotope analysis (BSIA). Stomach contents were dominated by diatoms in numbers and occasionally contained large volumes of copepods. Many of the prey species found in the stomachs were sea-ice-associated. Our results show that the diet of overwintering AC0 krill varies significantly in space and time. Variability in stomach content composition was related to environmental factors, including chlorophyll a concentration, copepod abundance and sea-ice cover. In contrast, FA composition mainly varied between cohorts, indicating variation in the long-term diet. The condition of the AC0 krill was reflected in FA and BSIA analysis, suggesting that the availability of sea-ice-derived food sources over a long period may impact the condition of developing AC0 krill significantly. The spatio-temporal availability of sea-ice resources is a potentially important factor for AC0 krill winter survival.

【 授权许可】

Unknown