Contrasting copepod community composition in two Greenland fjords with different glacier types

Stuart-Lee, Alice; Møller, Eva Friis; Winding, Mie; van Oevelen, Dick; Hendry, Katharine R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0790-5895; Meire, Lorenz. 2024 Contrasting copepod community composition in two Greenland fjords with different glacier types. Journal of Plankton Research, fbae060. 14, pp. https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbae060

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Abstract/Summary

Greenland's fjord ecosystems are strongly influenced by meltwater discharge from glaciers. Marine-terminating glaciers can significantly enhance primary production during the melt season (compared to land-terminating glaciers), but their impact on secondary producers is not well understood. Here, we study seasonal changes in the zooplankton community (>50 µm) and grazing rates along two fjord transects in southwest Greenland influenced by different glacier types. Zooplankton biomass was comparable between the fjords, but community composition differed during summer. Nuup Kangerlua, a predominantly marine-terminating system, was characterised by large, herbivorous copepods and a longer summer grazing period in connection with the summer bloom. Ameralik, influenced by a land-terminating glacier, was characterised by small, omnivorous copepods, particularly Microsetella norvegica and Oncaea spp., and indicated a faster post-bloom transition towards regenerated production. Local hydrographic conditions also impact copepod biomass. A station with high biomass was found in Ameralik, potentially linked to a frontal zone where fjord water masses meet, providing favourable grazing conditions. We hypothesise that a future transformation from marine- to land-terminating glaciers could result in an increased abundance of smaller copepods, as observed in Ameralik. Such a community would constitute a less lipid-rich food source for higher trophic levels.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbae060
ISSN:	0142-7873
Additional Keywords:	copepod; zooplankton; glacier; Greenland; fjord
Date made live:	18 Nov 2024 11:31 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/534841

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