ZOOPLANKTON COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION AND COMPOSITION IN RELATION TO SUBSURFACE PRODUCTIVITY IN AN ARCTIC MARGINAL SEA

The significant climate change-associated loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas is supporting increased phytoplankton primary productivity due to reduced obstruction of sunlight by sea ice cover. Subsurface phytoplankton productivity during the late open water season has been recently estimated to contribute a substantial portion of total primary productivity in the Chukchi Sea, and climate-related increases in productivity may be driving a shift in trophic dynamics in this ecosystem. The purpose of this study was to expand on prior biogeochemical profiling of the Chukchi shelf to determine if subsurface productivity plays a role in shaping the species composition, energy density, and distribution of zooplankton communities. We present the results of taxonomic classification and caloric value quantification of zooplankton communities in the Hanna Shoal and Barrow Canyon region of the NE Chukchi shelf in summer 2017. These results aid in further quantifying the contributions of subsurface productivity to the Chukchi Sea food web, with implications for better understanding this ecosystem’s response to ongoing warming.

Presentation Preference: Lightning Talk with Poster (5 Minutes)

Primary Presenter: Matoska Silva, Oregon State University (matoska.silva@gmail.com)

Authors:

Matoska Silva, Oregon State University  (silvamat@oregonstate.edu)

Kim Bernard, Oregon State University  (kim.bernard@oregonstate.edu)

Lauren Juranek, Oregon State University  (laurie.juranek@oregonstate.edu)

Julia Fontana, Oregon State University  (fontanaj@oregonstate.edu)