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Dischereit A, Throm JK, Werner KM, Neuhaus S, Havermans C. A belly full of jelly? DNA metabarcoding shows evidence for gelatinous zooplankton predation by several fish species in Greenland waters. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240797. [PMID: 39144497 PMCID: PMC11321860 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
The waters of Greenland harbour a high species richness and biomass of gelatinous zooplankton (GZP); however, their role in the diet of the many fish species, including commercially exploited species, has not yet been verified. Traditionally, GZP was considered to be a trophic dead end, i.e. with a limited contribution as prey for higher trophic levels. We applied DNA metabarcoding of two gene fragments (COI, 18S V1-V2) to the stomach contents of seven pelagic and demersal fish species in Greenland waters, to identify their prey composition as well as the occurrence of GZP predation. We detected GZP DNA reads in the stomachs of all investigated fish species, with frequency of occurrences ranging from 12.5% (for Melanogrammus aeglefinus) to 50% (for Argentina silus). GZP predation had not yet been reported for several of these species. GZP were found to majorly contribute to the diet of A. silus and Anarhichas denticulatus, particularly, the siphonophore Nanomia cara and the scyphozoan Atolla were of a high importance as prey, respectively. The use of multiple genetic markers enabled us to detect a total of 59 GZP taxa in the fish stomachs with several GZP species being detected only by one of the markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annkathrin Dischereit
- HYIG ARJEL, Benthic Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Marine Zoology, BreMarE—Bremen Marine Ecology, Fachbereich 2, Universität Bremen, Bremen28334, Germany
| | - Julia Katharina Throm
- HYIG ARJEL, Benthic Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Neuhaus
- Data Division, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Charlotte Havermans
- HYIG ARJEL, Benthic Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Marine Zoology, BreMarE—Bremen Marine Ecology, Fachbereich 2, Universität Bremen, Bremen28334, Germany
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Garroway CJ, de Greef E, Lefort KJ, Thorstensen MJ, Foote AD, Matthews CJD, Higdon JW, Kucheravy CE, Petersen SD, Rosing-Asvid A, Ugarte F, Dietz R, Ferguson SH. Climate change introduces threatened killer whale populations and conservation challenges to the Arctic. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17352. [PMID: 38822670 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
The Arctic is the fastest-warming region on the planet, and the lengthening ice-free season is opening Arctic waters to sub-Arctic species such as the killer whale (Orcinus orca). As apex predators, killer whales can cause significant ecosystem-scale changes. Setting conservation priorities for killer whales and their Arctic prey species requires knowledge of their evolutionary history and demographic trajectory. Using whole-genome resequencing of 24 killer whales sampled in the northwest Atlantic, we first explored the population structure and demographic history of Arctic killer whales. To better understand the broader geographic relationship of these Arctic killer whales to other populations, we compared them to a globally sampled dataset. Finally, we assessed threats to Arctic killer whales due to anthropogenic harvest by reviewing the peer-reviewed and gray literature. We found that there are two highly genetically distinct, non-interbreeding populations of killer whales using the eastern Canadian Arctic. These populations appear to be as genetically different from each other as are ecotypes described elsewhere in the killer whale range; however, our data cannot speak to ecological differences between these populations. One population is newly identified as globally genetically distinct, and the second is genetically similar to individuals sampled from Greenland. The effective sizes of both populations recently declined, and both appear vulnerable to inbreeding and reduced adaptive potential. Our survey of human-caused mortalities suggests that harvest poses an ongoing threat to both populations. The dynamic Arctic environment complicates conservation and management efforts, with killer whales adding top-down pressure on Arctic food webs crucial to northern communities' social and economic well-being. While killer whales represent a conservation priority, they also complicate decisions surrounding wildlife conservation and resource management in the Arctic amid the effects of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Garroway
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Evelien de Greef
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Kyle J Lefort
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Matt J Thorstensen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Andrew D Foote
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cory J D Matthews
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jeff W Higdon
- Higdon Wildlife Consulting, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Caila E Kucheravy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Stephen D Petersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Conservation and Research Department, Assiniboine Park Zoo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | | | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Steven H Ferguson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Vacquié-Garcia J, Spitz J, Hammill M, Stenson GB, Kovacs KM, Lydersen C, Chimienti M, Renaud M, Méndez Fernandez P, Jeanniard du Dot T. Foraging habits of Northwest Atlantic hooded seals over the past 30 years: Future habitat suitability under global warming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17186. [PMID: 38450925 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The Arctic is a global warming 'hot-spot' that is experiencing rapid increases in air and ocean temperatures and concomitant decreases in sea ice cover. These environmental changes are having major consequences on Arctic ecosystems. All Arctic endemic marine mammals are highly dependent on ice-associated ecosystems for at least part of their life cycle and thus are sensitive to the changes occurring in their habitats. Understanding the biological consequences of changes in these environments is essential for ecosystem management and conservation. However, our ability to study climate change impacts on Arctic marine mammals is generally limited by the lack of sufficiently long data time series. In this study, we took advantage of a unique dataset on hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) movements (and serum samples) that spans more than 30 years in the Northwest Atlantic to (i) investigate foraging (distribution and habitat use) and dietary (trophic level of prey and location) habits over the last three decades and (ii) predict future locations of suitable habitat given a projected global warming scenario. We found that, despite a change in isotopic signatures that might suggest prey changes over the 30-year period, hooded seals from the Northwest Atlantic appeared to target similar oceanographic characteristics throughout the study period. However, over decades, they have moved northward to find food. Somewhat surprisingly, foraging habits differed between seals breeding in the Gulf of St Lawrence vs those breeding at the "Front" (off Newfoundland). Seals from the Gulf favoured colder waters while Front seals favoured warmer waters. We predict that foraging habitats for hooded seals will continue to shift northwards and that Front seals are likely to have the greatest resilience. This study shows how hooded seals are responding to rapid environmental change and provides an indication of future trends for the species-information essential for effective ecosystem management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Vacquié-Garcia
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Jérôme Spitz
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
- Observatoire Pelagis, UAR 3462 La Rochelle Université - CNRS, La Rochelle, France
| | - Mike Hammill
- Institut Maurice Lamontagne, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada
| | - Garry B Stenson
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Kit M Kovacs
- Fram Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Marianna Chimienti
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Mathylde Renaud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | | | - Tiphaine Jeanniard du Dot
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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Jensen MR, Høgslund S, Knudsen SW, Nielsen J, Møller PR, Rysgaard S, Thomsen PF. Distinct latitudinal community patterns of Arctic marine vertebrates along the East Greenlandic coast detected by environmental
DNA. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Signe Høgslund
- Department of Ecoscience Aarhus University Silkeborg Denmark
| | - Steen Wilhelm Knudsen
- NIVA Denmark Water Research Copenhagen Denmark
- Natural History Museum of Denmark University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Julius Nielsen
- Department of Fish and Shellfish Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Nuuk Greenland
| | - Peter Rask Møller
- Natural History Museum of Denmark University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
- Norwegian College of Fishery Science UiT – The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Søren Rysgaard
- Department of Biology, Arctic Research Centre Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, CHR Faculty of Environment Earth and Resources University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
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