Svetlana Malavenda
Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Murmansk, Russia Abstract
Grønfjorden is part of system of fjords of the Western coast of the Spitsbergen. The growth and production of kelp as the basis of plant communities is of particular interest, especially in connection with climate change. Stock assessment of Laminariales of Spitsbergen was carried out by PINRO in the beginning of the century. The aim of this work was to assess the distribution and species composition of kelp in Grønfjorden. Algae was test in Grønfjorden of the island of Spitsbergen. In the period 16.06-06.07.2013 5 sublittoral sections 9-27.07.2014 -5 treated, respectively, 30 and 30 samples of macrophytes. The classical method of vertical transects was used, stations were performed at depths of 5, 10 and 15 m. Sampling in the sublittoral was completed by diving specialist. Total stocks of algae-macrophytes in the Grønfjorden is about 20 thousand tons, mainly formed by Saccharina latissima, less – Laminaria digitata. The increase in biomass and algae stocks may be associated with an increase in coastal water temperature for 25 years.
Keywords: Spitsbergen, Grønfjorden, brown kelps, stocks Introduction
Grønfjorden is part of system of fjords of the Western coast of the Spitsbergen. The growth and production of kelp as the basis of plant communities is of particular interest, especially in connection with climate change. Stock assessment of Laminariales of the Spitsbergen was carried out by PINRO in 1987.
There is a large body of evidence on the impact of climate change on biota, including the Spitsbergen archipelago (Adey, 2008; Cheung et al., 2009; Weslawski et al., 2010, etc.). There is reason to believe that the Arctic archipelagos are most sensitive to climate change, as they are located on the border of the Arctic and Arctic-boreal zones. Data on the increase in temperature from Hornsund fjord to Is and Grønfjorden in 2003 and 2008, the increase in the flow of Atlantic waters to the Is fjord in the specified period of time, and large variations in temperature and salinity in the relatively deep-sea is fjord (Moiseev, Gromov, 2009) allow us to expect changes in biodiversity in this Bay of West Spitsbergen. Earlier in West Spitsbergen, an increase in species diversity of littoral phytocenoses was found in the southern part of the island, in the Horsund fjord and on Cape Sorkappland after a number of warm years (Weslawski et al., 2010). In general, the biota of the Spitsbergen fjords plays a role of indicator of climate change in the Arctic (Hop et al., 2012).
The aim of this work was to assess the distribution and species composition of kelp in Grønfjorden.
Material and methods
Material for research was collected in Grønfjorden of the island of Spitsbergen. In the period 16.06-06.07.2013 5 sublittoral sections 9-27.07.2014 -5 treated, respectively, 30 and 30 samples of macrophytes respectively. The classical method of vertical transects was used, stations were performed at depths of 5, 10 and 15 m. Sampling in the sublittoral was completed by diving specialist. The calculation of kelp reserves was performed by multiplying the average biomass by
the area of the site with homogeneous vegetation. Average biomass was calculated as arithmetic mean with confidence interval. The area was determined in the MapViewer 8.
Results
There are five species of Laminariacea in Grønfjorden (Ochrophyta, Phaeophyceae, Laminariales).
Saccharina latissima (L.) Lane, Mayes, Druehl et Saunder 2006. Common in boulder silty-sand with individual boulders and pebbles soils.
Laminaria digitata (Hudson) Lamouroux 1813 was identified on boulder soils at the mouth of the fjord (5 m) and in the middle part on the Eastern shore (mostly 5 m and one copy at 15 m, probably demolition).
Saccorhyza dermatodea (Bachelot de la Pylaie) J. Agardh 1868:31 there are noted isolated thalli at depths of 5 m of rubbly soils in the estuary of the West Bank and in the middle part of the Eastern shore.
Laminaria solidungula J. Agardh 1868:3 single specimens at the mouth of the fjord (5 m on the West Bank and 10 and 15 m on the East) and in the middle part of the fjord on the East Bank at 10 m. Timed to the communities of S. latissima on boulder soils.
Alaria esculenta (L.) Greville 1830 common in boulder silty-sand with individual boulders and pebbles soils.
Kelp grows at depths of 5-15 m, except for the mouth part of the East coast (Figure 1, transect 9) where kelp observed at depths of 0-3 m. S. latissima biomass at an average of 3.6 kg/m². Maximum biomass of 19.3 kg/m² is at transect 4. At the top of the fjord soils at these depths with a predominance of silt and clay, which prevents the growth of macrophytes. In the sublittoral of northern part of the fjord vegetation is developed, projective cover ranges from 5 to 100%. In the mouth of the Grønfjorden macrophytes form very dense thickets, with average biomass of 32.4 kg/m².
The main stocks of macrophytes are concentrated at depths of 0-5 m. Length consider the shallows of Cape Festningen to the plot, where the slope of the bottom 40% 6.5 km, width shoals varies from 100 to 700 m, increasing towards the mouth (selected by polygon at fig.). The shoals area is approximately 2.6 km2. Total biomass of macrophytobenthos in the shallows is about 17 900 tons.
In the top of the Grønfjorden and on littoral biomass macrofitobenthos close to zero. Determination of total biomass is difficult because of the extremely uneven and sporadic distribution of algae.
Stocks in most parts of the bottom of the fjord can be taken equal to zero.
Thus, the total stocks of algae-macrophytes in Grønfjorden is about 20 thousand tons, mainly formed by Saccharina latissima (80%), less – by Laminaria digitata. Most part of stock is on the rocky shoal of west coast (18 thousand tons).
The commercial stock biomass of snow crab in the Russian waters of the Barents Sea is currently estimated at a median level of 400 thousand tons.
Figure 1. The biomass of algae in Grønfjorden in 2013-2014. The height of the bar indicates biomass, kg/m2.
Discussion
Previously when determining the distribution of the biomass of algae-macrophytes in the study area, it was shown that only soils with large boulders and rock outcrops and boulder-pebble soils provide the necessary substrate for the attachment of seaweed (mostly S. latissima, L. digitata and Desmarestia aculeata) (Matishov et al., 2004). Boulder-pebble soils are most characteristic of the Northern part of the Gulf of Grønfjorden, and are located almost throughout it. The distribution of algae depends on the number of boulders per square meter. In the Gulf of Grønfjorden minimum quantity - 1 boulder with a diameter of 20-25 cm per 4-5 m2, which grows a Bush 1 in 15-20 or more plants. Due to the large area of the plates with a significant wave load, such a substrate can be transferred from one place to another, rubbing algae and breaking old plants due to their greater fragility (up to 10 dying stems of older plants fall on a Bush of 20 young plants). Algae in such clusters are mainly biennial. Biomass on average - 0.5-1 kg / m2, the number - 4-5 plants/m2. The maximum amount of substrate on boulder-pebble soils - 4-5 boulders per square meter. In this case, there is a more uniform projective cover of the bottom with algae - 50-80 %. Basically, there are one-year-old plants S. latissima or L. digitata at the age of 6 years (the presence of a particular type of algae depends on the depth) and the largest number of plants is observed - 50-60 plats/m2, biomass is 2.5-3 kg/m2. In the estuary of Grønfjorden and is the largest well-defined bottom cover of vegetation peculiar only to the upper sublittoral, at depths of (0)1-23(25) m (Wozzhinskaja, 1992; Matishov et al., 2004).
PINRO explored the kelp of is-fjord in 1987. According to them in Grønfjorden, dwelt Saccharina latissima, S. nigripes, Laminaria digitata and Alaria esculenta, the average biomass in the most productive North-Western sector of the bottom was 12 kg/m (PINRO, 1988). Stocks of laminariales field was estimated at 12 thousand tons. Our data is slightly higher. The increase in biomass and
algae stocks may be associated with an increase in coastal water temperature. The last decades there is a significant increase in heat inflow by the Atlantic waters to the West Spitsbergen (Pavlov et al., 2013).
Conclusions
Kelp stocks in Grønfjorden in 2013-2014 constituted up to 20 thousand tons. For the last 25 years kelp stocks increased, possibly due to climate warming.
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