Pelagic-benthic coupling on the shelf of the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. I. Food supply source and benthic bio-mass
Year: 1988
Type: article
Abstract: The shelf waters of the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas are ice-covered for 7 mo of the year, but despite thls harsh environment, they are characterized by high benthic biomass.Coupling between water column primary production and the benthos was investigated in summers 1984 to 1986 by measurements of sediment characteristics in relation to those of the water column.Low surface sediment C/N ratios (5.8 to 7.6) suggested a higher quality, nitrogen-rich marine carbon supply to the benthos in the highly productive (ca 250 to 300 g C m-' yr-') Bering Shelf-Anadyr Water (BSAW) compared to lower quality, higher C/N ratios (7 7 to 14 0) in sediment under the less productive (ca 50 g C m-' yr-l) Alaska Coastal Water (ACW).Stable carbon isotope ratios suggested a manne origin for organic matter in BSAW compared to a mixture of manne and terrestrial input in ACW.Mean benthic biomass was significantly different between water locations, with mean benthic biomass decreasing from 20.2 g C m-* under BSAW to 6.3 g C m-2 under ACW Summer benthic biomass remained seasonally constant for the 3 yr.Benthic communities underlying BSAW received a high quality marine food supply on a regular basis interannually, while those in ACW received an interannually variable amount of temgenous organic matter in addition to marine organic matter.We conclude that the quality and quantity of organic carbon deposited to the benthos directly influence benthic biomass.
Source: Marine Ecology Progress Series
DOI: 10.3354/meps048057
Authors: JM Grebmeier, CP McRoy, HM Feder
Language: English
Subfield: Oceanography
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2009537923