-
Decline in body condition in the Antarctic minke whale ( Balaenoptera bonaerensis ) in the Southern Ocean during the 1990s Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Céline Cunen, Lars Walløe, Kenji Konishi, Nils Lid Hjort
Changes in the body condition of Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) have been investigated in a number of studies, but remain contested. Here we provide a new analysis of body condition measurements, with particularly careful attention to the statistical model building and to model selection issues. We analyse body condition data for a large number (4704) of minke whales caught between
-
Neuromorphological disparity in deep-living sister species of the Antarctic fish genus Trematomus Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-12 Joseph T. Eastman, Mario La Mesa
Because sister species share a phenotypic axis, they hold morphological and ecological traits in common and, when sympatric, are ideal subjects for examining the extent of morphological divergence associated with the non-shared ecological parameters of the niche. Trematomus lepidorhinus and T. loennbergii have overlapping depth ranges of > 1000 m and occupy the deep shelf-upper slope niche in the waters
-
Bryozoan assemblages on gastropod shells occupied by the hermit crab Pagurus comptus Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-11 Juan López-Gappa, Diego G. Zelaya
Bryozoans are common on gastropod shells inhabited by the hermit crab Pagurus comptus in the southern southwest Atlantic. The aim of this study was to test whether bryozoan biodiversity was higher on larger and more complexly sculptured gastropod shells, as well as to analyze spatial and bathymetric changes in bryozoan assemblages. Forty-four bryozoan species were recorded on 59 gastropod (morpho)
-
Dynamics of circulating lipoproteins and lipids in Brown Skua ( Stercorarius antarcticus lonnbergi ) during the breeding cycle Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-11 A. E. Ibañez, M. Y. Pasquevich, N. Fernandez Machulsky, G. Berg, H. Heras, D. Montalti, M. Graña Grilli
In central-place foragers the breeding cycle is often the period with the highest energy cost, where dietary and stored lipids play a key role. Lipids are mobilized through blood lipoproteins providing fuel to tissues. Thus, the use of food and endogenous resources with high-energy fats is important to sustain individuals’ nutritional demands. To evaluate the physiological components associated to
-
Spatial and temporal aggregation of albatross chick mortality events in the Falklands suggests a role for an unidentified infectious disease Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-11 Francesco Ventura, José Pedro Granadeiro, Rafael Matias, Paulo Catry
In the context of environmental change, determining the causes underpinning unusual mortality events of vertebrate species is a crucial conservation goal. This is particularly true for polar and sub-polar colonial seabirds, often immunologically naïve to new and emerging diseases. Here, we investigate the patterns of black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) chick mortality events unrelated
-
Microbial diversity and dominant bacteria causing spoilage during storage and processing of the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-11 Fang Wang, Jun Sheng, Yixuan Chen, Jiakun Xu
The Antarctic region is known for its ecological conditions and the presence of some of the rarest microorganisms on earth. Antarctic krill rapidly degrades while at rest or during transport due to high-activity enzymes in its flesh or from microbes. In this study, we analyzed the microbial diversity of the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, and identified the dominant bacteria that cause spoilage
-
Ocean currents as a potential dispersal pathway for Antarctica’s most persistent non-native terrestrial insect Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-08 Jesamine C. Bartlett, P. Convey, K. A. Hughes, S. E. Thorpe, S. A. L. Hayward
The non-native midge Eretmoptera murphyi is Antarctica’s most persistent non-native insect and is known to impact the terrestrial ecosystems. It inhabits by considerably increasing litter turnover and availability of soil nutrients. The midge was introduced to Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, from its native South Georgia, and routes of dispersal to date have been aided by human activities, with
-
High diversity of planktonic prokaryotes in Arctic Kongsfjorden seawaters in summer 2015 Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Yin–Xin Zeng, Wei Luo, Hui–Rong Li, Yong Yu
Kongsfjorden is a typical glacier fjord in the European Arctic. In order to know the distribution and diversity of planktonic prokaryotes in the fjord subjected to strong physical gradient related with local glacier dynamics, prokaryote communities along a transect extending from the outer to the inner fjord was investigated in the summer of 2015 using 454 pyrosequencing of archaeal and bacterial 16S
-
Effects of iron limitation on carbon balance and photophysiology of the Antarctic diatom Chaetoceros cf. simplex Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-05 Deborah Bozzato, Torsten Jakob, Christian Wilhelm, Scarlett Trimborn
In the Southern Ocean (SO), iron (Fe) limitation strongly inhibits phytoplankton growth and generally decreases their primary productivity. Diatoms are a key component in the carbon (C) cycle, by taking up large amounts of anthropogenic CO2 through the biological carbon pump. In this study, we investigated the effects of Fe availability (no Fe and 4 nM FeCl3 addition) on the physiology of Chaetoceros
-
Community-based monitoring in the Ponoy River, Kola Peninsula (Russia): reflections on Atlantic salmon, pink salmon, Northern pike and weather/climate change Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-05 Tero Mustonen, Kaisu Mustonen, Jevgeni Kirillov, Alexander Paul, Anna Koleshnikova, Irina Kurzeneva, Denis Barudkin, Håkan Tunón, Marie Kvarnström, Johanna Roto, Brie Van Dam
This paper documents changes in three villages of the Ponoy River region, Murmansk, Russia between 2006 and 2020. Two keystone species—the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and northern pike (Esox lucius) as well as an introduced species, the pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), were studied to determine changes to fish and fisheries. Oral histories, community-based observations and literature data are
-
Cephalopods habitat and trophic ecology: historical data using snares penguin as biological sampler Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 H. R. Guímaro, D. R. Thompson, V. H. Paiva, F. R. Ceia, D. M. Cunningham, P. J. Moors, J. C. Xavier
In the Southern Ocean and adjacent waters, early stages of cephalopods play an important role in food webs as prey to top predators, but few is known regarding their biology and availability. Snares Penguin, Eudyptes robustus, is a top predator endemic to Snares Islands (New Zealand) that feed on cephalopods. As historical data on diet are rare for this species, Snares Penguins were used as biological
-
Variation among colonies in breeding success and population trajectories of wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans at South Georgia Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Carola Rackete, Sally Poncet, Stephanie D. Good, Richard A. Phillips, Ken Passfield, Philip Trathan
The wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans, is a globally threatened species breeding at a number of sites within the Southern Ocean. Across the South Georgia archipelago, there are differences in population trends even at closely located colonies. Between 1999 and 2018 the largest colony, at Bird Island, declined at 3.01% per annum, while in the Bay of Isles, the decline was 1.44% per annum. Using
-
Composition of marine nematode communities across broad longitudinal and bathymetric gradients in the Northeast Chukchi and Beaufort Seas Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Sarah L. Mincks, Tiago José Pereira, Jyotsna Sharma, Arny L. Blanchard, Holly M. Bik
Benthic communities are responding to rapid environmental change in the Arctic, yet the ecologically important meiofauna remain poorly studied, leaving little baseline information for evaluating such changes. We investigated the community structure of meiofaunal nematodes (> 63 µm) on the Northeast Chukchi Sea (NEC) continental shelf (< 50 m), and along a broad longitudinal and bathymetric gradient
-
An observation of a gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua feeding an Adélie penguin P. adeliae chick Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-03 Fabrice Genevois, Christophe Barbraud
Interspecific feeding refers to behavior where an adult of one species feeds the young of another species, with the exclusion of brood parasitism. In birds, most of observed cases concern passerines and this behavior has so far never been described among seabirds. We report on interspecific feeding provided by an adult gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua to an Adélie penguin P. adeliae chick on the Antarctic
-
Ecological determinants of avian distribution and abundance at Rankin Inlet, Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-03 Kevin A. Hawkshaw, Lee Foote, Alastair Franke
Large areas of the Arctic remain poorly surveyed, creating biological knowledge gaps as scientists and managers grapple with issues of increasing resource extraction and climate change. We modelled spatiotemporal patterns in abundance for avian species in the low Arctic ecosystem near the community of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, from 2015 to 2017. We employed six habitat covariates, including terrain ruggedness
-
Fatty acid biomarkers in three species inhabiting a high latitude Patagonian fjord (Yendegaia Fjord, Chile) Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-03 Paula A. Ruiz-Ruiz, Sergio Contreras, Ángel Urzúa, Eduardo Quiroga, Lorena Rebolledo
The study of fatty acid biomarkers in trophic structures at sub-polar latitudes is fundamental in describing energy fluxes across ecosystems characterized by complex inter-specific interactions. Due to the presence of certain essential fatty acids obtained exclusively from predator–prey interactions, fatty acid biomarkers are widely used to identify trophic interactions. This study analyzed fatty acid
-
Climatic, vegetative, and disturbance predictors of lichen species’ height in Arctic Alaska, USA Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2021-01-03 Emily A. Holt, Peter R. Nelson
Lichens cover approximately 8% of land surface, primarily in alpine and polar habitats. Lichen biomass is often correlated with cover and thallus height, but quick and effective methods of lichen biomass estimation have not been tested across large areas. We utilize a dataset of over 7800 height measurements made throughout the Arctic Network of National Parks in the US to model mat-forming macrolichen
-
A juvenile Tristan albatross ( Diomedea dabbenena ) on land at the Crozet Islands Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-12-19 Alexander L. Bond, Christopher Taylor, David Kinchin-Smith, Derren Fox, Emma Witcutt, Peter G. Ryan, Simon P. Loader, Henri Weimerskirch
Albatrosses and other seabirds are generally highly philopatric, returning to natal colonies when they achieve breeding age. This is not universal, however, and cases of extraordinary vagrancy are rare. The Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) breeds on Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, with a small population on Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, ca 380 km away. In 2015, we observed
-
Variability in nitrogen-derived trophic levels of Arctic marine biota Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-12-18 Renske P. J. Hoondert, Nico W. van den Brink, Martine J. van den Heuvel-Greve, Ad M. J. Ragas, A. Jan Hendriks
Stable isotopes are often used to provide an indication of the trophic level (TL) of species. TLs may be derived by using food-web-specific enrichment factors in combination with a representative baseline species. It is challenging to sample stable isotopes for all species, regions and seasons in Arctic ecosystems, e.g. because of practical constraints. Species-specific TLs derived from a single region
-
Ecophysiological and ultrastructural characterisation of the circumpolar orange snow alga Sanguina aurantia compared to the cosmopolitan red snow alga Sanguina nivaloides (Chlorophyta) Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-12-11 Lenka Procházková, Daniel Remias, Andreas Holzinger, Tomáš Řezanka, Linda Nedbalová
Red snow caused by spherical cysts can be found worldwide, while an orange snow phenomenon caused by spherical cells is restricted to (Sub-)Arctic climates. Both bloom types, occurring in the same localities at Svalbard, were compared ecophysiologically. Using a combination of molecular markers and light- and transmission electron microscopy, cells were identified as Sanguina nivaloides and Sanguina
-
Trophic niches of benthic crustaceans in the Pechora Sea suggest that the invasive snow crab Chionoecetes opilio could be an important competitor Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Anna Gebruk, Anna K. Zalota, Polina Dgebuadze, Yulia Ermilova, Vassily A. Spiridonov, Nikolay Shabalin, Lea-Anne Henry, Sian F. Henley, Vadim O. Mokievsky
Expanding human activities alongside climate change, the introduction of invasive species and water contamination pose multiple threats to the unique marine ecosystems of the Pechora Sea in the Russian Arctic. Baseline data on biodiversity and responses to environmental change are urgently needed. Benthic decapod crustaceans are globally distributed and play an important role in fisheries, yet their
-
Benthic scavenger community composition and carrion removal in Arctic and Subarctic fjords Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-12-05 K. Dunlop, P. E. Renaud, J. Berge, D. O. B. Jones, R. P. Harbour, A. H. S. Tandberg, A. K. Sweetman
In high latitude coastal regions, benthic scavenger communities are largely composed of invertebrates that play a key role in the cycling of organic matter. Factors including temperature and depth can structure Arctic and Subarctic fjord benthic communities, but the response of scavenging communities to these factors is poorly known. To address this, we compared scavenging fauna in eight fjords with
-
Morphological variability of cushion plant Lyallia kerguelensis (Caryophyllales) in relation to environmental conditions and geography in the Kerguelen Islands: implications for cushion necrosis and climate change Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-12-01 Lorène Julia Marchand, Michèle Tarayre, Thomas Dorey, Yann Rantier, Françoise Hennion
In recent decades, climate change has been faster in various parts of the world. Within species, to counter rapid climate changes shift of geographical area, individuals’ plastic responses or populations’ genetic adaptation might occur. The sub-Antarctic islands are subject to one of the most rapid climate changes on earth, with already visible impacts on native vegetation. Such might be the case of
-
Fifty-year change in penguin abundance on Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica: results of the 2019–20 census Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-11-26 Noah Strycker, Alex Borowicz, Michael Wethington, Steven Forrest, Vikrant Shah, Yang Liu, Hanumant Singh, Heather J. Lynch
Elephant Island sits on the front lines of ecological change in the Scotia Arc region, but most of the island has remained unsurveyed for nearly 50 years. As a result, there has been no way to establish whether changes on the island reflect those to the south along the Western Antarctic Peninsula or whether, in contrast, populations have remained stable, as on the more northerly South Sandwich Islands
-
Richness of lichens growing on Eocene fossil penguin remains from Antarctica Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-16 Renato García, Gonzalo Márquez, Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche
Antarctica presents one of the most severe environmental conditions for life. Under these circumstances, cryptogams are the dominant photosynthetic organisms, among which we find a great richness of lichens. In Antarctic environments, lichens can grow on rocks or in this case on fossil remains, among the few available substrates. In the present contribution, we examined all fossil penguins of the Antarctic
-
Genome size and chromosome number of ten plant species from Kerguelen Islands Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-16 Sonja Siljak-Yakovlev, Françoise Lamy, Najat Takvorian, Nicolas Valentin, Valérie Gouesbet, Françoise Hennion, Thierry Robert
Kerguelen Islands harbor a unique, probably very ancient flora with a high rate of endemism. However, the evolutionary history and characteristics of this flora still require investigation. This concerns in particular genome size and ploidy level variation, despite the evolutionary and ecological significance of those traits. Here we report the first assessment of genome size, using flow cytometry
-
Correction to: Genome size and chromosome number of ten plant species from Kerguelen Islands Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-11-20 Sonja Siljak-Yakovlev, Françoise Lamy, Najat Takvorian, Nicolas Valentin, Valérie Gouesbet, Françoise Hennion, Thierry Robert
The original article was published with missing information in Table 1. The complete Table 1 is now provided: this correction stands to correct the original article
-
Observations of intraspecific killing, cannibalism, and aggressive behavior among polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) in the eastern Barents Sea and the Kara Sea Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-11-18 E. A. Ivanov, I. A. Mizin, A. G. Kirilov, N. G. Platonov, I. N. Mordvintsev, S. V. Naidenko, V. V. Rozhnov
The ability of the polar bear (U. maritimus) to kill and consume conspecifics is accepted, but the reasons behind this behavior and its prevalence remain unclear. Here, we report 14 cases of intraspecific killing, cannibalism, and aggressive behaviors among polar bears observed in seven instances in the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea on Frans-Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, and Vize Island. All but one of
-
Heat accumulation in hollow Arctic flowers: possible microgreenhouse effects in syncalyces of campions ( Silene spp. (Caryophyllaceae)) and zygomorphic sympetalous corollas of louseworts ( Pedicularis spp. (Orobanchaceae)) Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-11-18 Peter G. Kevan
Near-ground temperatures strongly influence Arctic plant growth, reproduction, maturation and phenological relations with pollinators and herbivores. Those temperatures become further elevated within plant parts through passive solar heating, e.g. dish-shaped blossoms that focus insolation and heat-trapping pubescent structures. Other Arctic plants gain heat in hollow structures that possibly function
-
Do skeletal Mg/Ca ratios of Arctic rhodoliths reflect atmospheric CO 2 concentrations? Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-11-17 Sebastian Teichert, Nora Voigt, Max Wisshak
The rhodolith-forming coralline red algal species Lithothamnion glaciale is the key ecosystem engineer of rhodolith beds on the coast of Svalbard. Because it significantly increases local biodiversity in this high-Arctic environment, we investigate the potential impact of changing environmental parameters on its calcite skeleton. Using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and environmental data from
-
Diet and breeding habitat preferences of White-tailed Eagles in a northern inland environment Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-11-13 Camilla Ekblad, Hannu Tikkanen, Seppo Sulkava, Toni Laaksonen
Many apex predator populations are recolonizing old areas and dispersing to new ones, with potential consequences for their prey species and for livestock. An increasing population of the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) has settled north of the Arctic Circle in northern Finland, mainly at two big water reservoirs but also in areas with mainly terrestrial habitat. We examined nesting habitat
-
Bacterial and archaeal community structure in benthic sediments from glacial lakes at the Múlajökull Glacier, central Iceland Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-11-10 Kristaps Lamsters, Monta Ustinova, Līga Birzniece, Ivars Silamiķelis, Julia Gaidelene, Jānis Karušs, Māris Krievāns, Raimonds Kasparinskis, Dāvids Fridmanis, Olga Muter
Glacial lakes and their sediments are highly sensitive temporal markers of environmental variability. The combination of particular geographical conditions with climate changes makes the Múlajökull lakes an appropriate model for revealing some site-specific and common relationships in psychrophilic microbial ecology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the taxonomic and functional diversity of microbial
-
Comparative morphology of Southern Ocean Euphausia species: ecological significance of sexual dimorphic features Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-11-03 G. A. Tarling, C. Hobbs, M. L. Johnson, J. Färber Lorda
Species of the genus Euphausia dominate the euphausiid biomass of the Southern Ocean, the three largest being Euphausia superba, E. triacantha and E. crystallorophias. We measured a number of morphological features to identify differences between, and within, these species to obtain ecological insights. Interspecifically, the greatest difference was carapace size, with that of E. superba being by far
-
An extreme marine environment: a 14-month record of temperature in a polar tidepool Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-28 Andrew Clarke, Jennifer C. Beaumont
Tidepools are not uncommon in Antarctica, but there appear to be no data on the physical environment within polar tidepools and only anecdotal information on their biology. Here we report a high resolution record of temperature in an Antarctic tidepool made over two summers and the intervening winter. During the summer open water season the highest daily mean, and also the maximum temperatures, were
-
Extreme diving of females at the largest colony of New Zealand sea lions, Phocarctos hookeri Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-20 B. Louise Chilvers, Jacinda M. Amey, Daniel P. Costa
The diving behaviours of marine predators are thought to be coupled with species demographics. Species that forage at or close to their physiological limits will be limited in their ability to respond to natural or anthropogenic induced changes in their environment. This is the case for the New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri). A previous study from Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, the third
-
Update on the global abundance and distribution of breeding Gentoo Penguins ( Pygoscelis papua) Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-17 Rachael Herman, Alex Borowicz, Maureen Lynch, Phil Trathan, Tom Hart, Heather Lynch
Though climate change is widely known to negatively affect the distribution and abundance of many species, few studies have focused on species that may benefit. Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) populations have grown along the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), a region accounting for ~ 30% of their global population. These trends of population growth in Gentoo Penguins are in stark contrast to those
-
Myco- and photobiont associations in crustose lichens in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (Antarctica) reveal high differentiation along an elevational gradient Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-16 Monika Wagner, Arne C. Bathke, S. Craig Cary, T. G. Allan Green, Robert R. Junker, Wolfgang Trutschnig, Ulrike Ruprecht
Climatically extreme regions such as the polar deserts of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (78° S) in Continental Antarctica are key areas for a better understanding of changes in ecosystems. Therefore, it is particularly important to analyze and communicate current patterns of biodiversity in these sensitive areas, where precipitation mostly occurs in form of snow and liquid water is rare. Humidity provided
-
Presence of King penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) on Elephant Island provides further evidence of range expansion Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-15 Alex Borowicz, Steve Forrest, Michael Wethington, Noah Strycker, Heather J. Lynch
King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are a circumpolar sub-Antarctic species inhabiting most of the major sub-Antarctic island chains of the Southern Ocean, the Falkland Islands, and regions of Patagonia. Despite early suggestions to the contrary, there is no conclusive historical evidence of King penguin inhabitation of the Antarctic Peninsula or the South Shetland Islands until the past decade
-
Coprophagic behaviour of southern giant petrels ( Macronectes giganteus ) during breeding period Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-15 Denyelle Hennayra Corá, Júlia Victória Grohmann Finger, Lucas Krüger
Southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) are opportunistic generalists whose feeding strategies include hunting, scavenging and fishing. While seals are important for southern giant petrels as a source of carrion, we documented that live seals also provide feeding opportunities for southern giant petrels. We tracked breeding southern giant petrels from Harmony Point, Antarctica, during incubation
-
Estimating microbial mat biomass in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica using satellite imagery and ground surveys Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-18 Sarah N. Power, Mark R. Salvatore, Eric R. Sokol, Lee F. Stanish, J. E. Barrett
Cyanobacterial mat communities are the main drivers of primary productivity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. These microbial communities form laminar mats on desert pavement surfaces adjacent to glacial meltwater streams, ponds, and lakes. The low-density nature of these communities and their patchy distribution make assessments of distribution, biomass, and productivity challenging. We used
-
High Arctic biocrusts: characterization of the exopolysaccharidic matrix Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-23 Gianmarco Mugnai, Federico Rossi, Cristina Mascalchi, Stefano Ventura, Roberto De Philippis
Biocrusts can be found in a wide array of habitats, where they provide important ecosystem services. These microbial associations are particularly important in High Arctic environments, where biocrust colonize the newly exposed barren soil after glacier retreat and significantly contribute to soil stabilization and nutrient cycling. Starting from incipient, structurally simple biolayers, they develop
-
Anthropogenic impacts on the demographics of Arctic-breeding birds Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-13 Susan Doyle, Aimée Gray, Barry J. McMahon
The Arctic supports a diversity of breeding birds. Since the mid-twentieth century, anthropogenic-source climate change, industrial activity and harvest have impacted this ecosystem and the demographics of its breeding birds, highlighting the need to synthesise current knowledge. A scoping review was conducted to quantify recent population trends and identify impacts of anthropogenic activity on species’
-
The effect of temperature on Antarctic lichen cytochrome and alternative respiratory pathway rates Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-09 Mikhail Shelyakin, Ilya Zakhozhiy, Tamara Golovko
Respiration is a crucial process that provides all living organisms with energy and metabolites for growth and cellular maintenance. The processes that control respiration in lichens remain poorly understood. We investigated the effects of short-term temperature changes on the respiration rate, as well as the relative contributions of the cytochrome and alternative pathways of thalli from four green-algal
-
Age- and sex-specific movement, behaviour and habitat-use patterns of bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus ) in the Eastern Canadian Arctic Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-03 Sarah M. E. Fortune, Brent G. Young, Steven H. Ferguson
As an annual ice-associated species, bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) are known to move northward in mid-to-late March and southward in early winter while following the annual cycle of sea ice decay and formation. We sought to determine when and where different demographic groups of Eastern Canada-West Greenland bowhead whales foraged throughout their range and what seasonal patterns occurred in
-
Broad feeding niches of capelin and sand lance may overlap those of polar cod and other native fish in the eastern Canadian Arctic Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-10-01 Sara Pedro, Aaron T. Fisk, Steven H. Ferguson, Nigel E. Hussey, Steven T. Kessel, Melissa A. McKinney
As ocean temperatures rise, sub-Arctic capelin (Mallotus villosus) and sand lance (Ammodytes spp.) have become increasingly abundant in regions of the eastern Canadian Arctic. These fish have a similar trophic role to the keystone polar cod (Boreogadus saida), potentially competing for food resources when co-occurring. To evaluate this, we calculated feeding niche breadth and overlap based on fatty
-
Thermal sensitivity of cell metabolism of different Antarctic fish species mirrors organism temperature tolerance Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Gisela Lannig, Anette Tillmann, Sarah Howald, Laura S. Stapp
Despite cold adaptation, Antarctic fish show lower growth than expected from the van’t Hoff’s Q10 rule. Protein synthesis is one of the main energy-consuming processes, which is downregulated under energy deficiency. Considering the effect of temperature on growth performance, we tested if temperature-dependent cellular energy allocation to protein synthesis correlates with temperature-dependent whole-animal
-
Notocotylus chionis (Trematoda: Notocotylidae) and Notocotylus sp. from shorebirds in southern Patagonian wetlands of Argentina: morphological and molecular studies Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-29 Sofía Capasso, Andrea Servián, Vasyl V. Tkach, Julia I. Diaz
Southernmost South America provides significant wintering habitats for migrant shorebirds, most of which breed in the High Arctic tundra. Helminth species parasitizing these migratory birds have been well studied in North America; however, in South America they are poorly known. As part of an ongoing research on the helminth fauna from Patagonian birds in Argentina, we report Notocotylus chionis and
-
Annual survival of Arctic terns in western Iceland Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-26 Aevar Petersen, Gregory J. Robertson, Sverrir Thorstensen, Mark L. Mallory
Many seabird species in the North Atlantic region have shown considerable declines in their populations during recent decades. One such species is the Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea), a small seabird which migrates farther than any other seabird each year and whose global population is thought to be in decline. We used banding data of chicks and adults, spanning five decades (1974–2017) from a tern
-
Differences in diversity and photoprotection capability between ice algae and under-ice phytoplankton in Saroma-Ko Lagoon, Japan: a comparative taxonomic diatom analysis with microscopy and DNA barcoding Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-25 Kazuhiro Yoshida, Hiroshi Hattori, Takenobu Toyota, Andrew McMinn, Koji Suzuki
Sea ice algae, comprised mainly of diatoms, are the main primary producers in polar ecosystems, and they are generally distributed with the highest biomass at the bottom of ice. The taxonomy of ice algae has been traditionally investigated using light microscopy, but molecular techniques, including pigment analysis, have recently provided new insights into the diversity and physiology of ice algae
-
Phylogeography of split kelp Hedophyllum nigripes : northern ice-age refugia and trans-Arctic dispersal Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-24 W. Stewart Grant, Anniken Lydon, Trevor T. Bringloe
Pleistocene climate cycles greatly influenced the distributions of kelps in northern seas and gated trans-Arctic dispersals between the North (N) Pacific and N Atlantic oceans. Here, we used partial sequences of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I-5′ (COI) and plastid ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit-3′ (rbcL) to resolve the phylogeography of the kelp Hedophyllum
-
Reproductive natural history of endangered Cook Inlet Beluga whales: insights from a long-term photo-identification study Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-23 Tamara L. McGuire, Amber D. Stephens, John R. McClung, Christopher D. Garner, Kim E. W. Shelden, Gina K. Himes Boor, Bruce Wright
Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) occur broadly throughout the polar and subpolar regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and as a whole, the species is of low conservation concern. However, some populations, including Alaska’s Cook Inlet beluga whales (CIBW), are in decline for reasons that remain poorly understood. Currently, information on population-specific reproductive parameters of CIBW is non-existent
-
An update on the indigenous vascular flora of sub-Antarctic Marion Island: taxonomic changes, sequences for DNA barcode loci, and genome size data Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-21 John H. Chau, Nasipi I. S. Mtsi, Zuzana Münbergová, Michelle Greve, Peter C. le Roux, Mario Mairal, Johannes J. Le Roux, Rosemary A. Dorrington, Bettine Jansen van Vuuren
The flora of sub-Antarctic Marion Island forms part of the unique South Indian Ocean Biogeographic Province, and is under threat from climate change and invasive species. Current information on the flora is necessary to rapidly identify and manage future changes. We conducted a literature search on the taxonomy of indigenous vascular plant species on Marion Island and found nomenclatural changes following
-
Spatial genetic structure in Themisto libellula (Amphipoda: Hyperiidae) from the coastal Gulf of Alaska, Bering and Chukchi seas Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-19 Astrid Tempestini, Alexei I. Pinchuk, France Dufresne
Arctic marine ecosystems are undergoing rapid biogeographic responses to climate changes following the highest warming rates observed around the globe in recent decades. These drastic changes undoubtfully affect gene flow and genetic structure in the polar and subpolar regions. Here, we examine the genetic structure of the cold-water holozooplankton hyperiid Themisto libellula (Amphipoda: Hyperiidae)
-
Structure and distribution of fish assemblages at Burdwood Bank, the first Sub-Antarctic Marine Protected Area “Namuncurá” in Argentina (Southwestern Atlantic Ocean) Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-18 S. M. Delpiani, D. O. Bruno, D. M. Vazquez, F. Llompart, G. E. Delpiani, D. A. Fernández, J. J. Rosso, E. Mabragaña, J. M. Díaz de Astarloa
The first non-coastal Sub-Antarctic Marine Protected Area (Namuncurá) in Argentina was created in 2013, at Burdwood Bank (MPAN-BB), an undersea plateau located about 200 km south from Malvinas/Falkland Islands, SW Atlantic Ocean. The main contribution of this work was to explore fish species composition and the structure of fish assemblages in three different zones of the MPAN-BB with different conservation
-
Lagged response of Adélie penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae ) abundance to environmental variability in the Ross Sea, Antarctica Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-14 Xintong Chen, Xiao Cheng, Baogang Zhang, Hao Meng, Di Wu, Miao Zhang, Ming Ji, Xianglan Li
Environmental variability drives Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) population dynamics through its effects on vital rates (e.g., survival, dispersal, or breeding success) resulted in penguin abundance changes with time delays. The lagged effects of environmental changes on penguin abundance are still not well defined. We divided the Ross Sea region into six areas to investigate the effects of environmental
-
Recent and historic occurrences of leopard seals ( Hydrurga leptonyx ) at Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Eastern Polynesia Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-11 Brent S. Stewart, Jack S. Grove, Annette Kühlem, Marcelo Flores
Though leopard seals live and reproduce almost exclusively in fast ice and pack ice habitats surrounding the Antarctic Continent, they have been reported to range northward to South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean, South Africa, Patagonia, New Zealand and several islands in the South Atlantic, South Pacific, and southern Indian oceans. We summarize recent (2011 through 2018) sightings of leopard
-
Bowhead whale ( Balaena mysticetus ) and killer whale ( Orcinus orca ) co-occurrence in the U.S. Pacific Arctic, 2009–2018: evidence from bowhead whale carcasses Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-10 Amy L. Willoughby, Megan C. Ferguson, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Janet T. Clarke, Amelia A. Brower
Imagery and sighting data on bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) carcasses documented from 2009 to 2018 during aerial surveys in the eastern Chukchi and western Beaufort seas have provided evidence for killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation on bowhead whales of the Bering–Chukchi–Beaufort Seas stock. The Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals (ASAMM) project provides information on distribution, behavior
-
Changes in the moss (Bryophyta) flora in the vicinity of the Spanish Juan Carlos I Station (Livingston island, Antarctica) over three decades Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-08 Paulo E. A. S. Câmara, Daiane V. Valente, Leopoldo G. Sancho
There are very few long-term studies on Antarctic vegetation available, and very little is known of plant community changes over time in the Antarctic Peninsula area, an area itself subject to considerable change in recent decades. The vegetation of the South Bay area near the Spanish Station Juan Carlos I on Livingston island (South Shetland Islands) was extensively surveyed in the 1980s, and this
-
Unraveling the effects of environmental drivers and spatial structure on benthic species distribution patterns in Eurasian-Arctic seas (Barents, Kara and Laptev Seas) Polar Biol. (IF 1.728) Pub Date : 2020-09-07 Miriam L. S. Hansen, Dieter Piepenburg, Dmitrii Pantiukhin, Casper Kraan
In times of accelerating climate change, species are challenged to respond to rapidly shifting environmental settings. Yet, faunal distribution and composition are still scarcely known for remote and little explored seas, where observations are limited in number and mostly refer to local scales. Here, we present the first comprehensive study on Eurasian-Arctic macrobenthos that aims to unravel the