Journal article
The functional biology and trophic role of krill (Thysanoessa raschii) in a Greenlandic fjord
Despite being a key zooplankton group, knowledge on krill biology from the Arctic is inadequate. The present study examine the functional biology and evaluate the trophic role of krill in the Godthåbsfjord (64°N, 51°W) SW Greenland, through a combination of fieldwork and laboratory experiments. Krill biomass was highest in the middle fjord and inner fjord, whereas no krill was found offshore.
The dominating species Thysanoessa raschii revealed a type III functional response when fed with the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. At food saturation, T. raschii exhibited a daily ration of 1% body C d−1. Furthermore, T. raschii was capable of exploiting plankton cells from 5 to 400 μm, covering several trophic levels of the pelagic food web.
The calculated grazing impact by T. raschii on the fjord plankton community was negligible. However, the schooling and migratory behaviour of krill will concentrate and elevate the grazing in specific areas of the euphotic zone.
| Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Springer Berlin Heidelberg |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Pages: | 1387-1402 |
| Journal subtitle: | International Journal on Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters |
| ISSN: | 14321793 and 00253162 |
| Types: | Journal article |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00227-011-1657-z |
| ORCIDs: | 0000-0002-3613-6511 , Nielsen, Torkel Gissel and Munk, Peter |
ANTARCTIC KRILL BODY-SIZE COASTAL WATERS COPEPOD ACARTIA-TONSA Clearance Rate EUPHAUSIA-SUPERBA DANA FECAL MATERIAL FEEDING-BEHAVIOR Freshwater & Marine Ecology Functional Response Life Sciences MARGINAL ICE-ZONE MEGANYCTIPHANES-NORVEGICA Marine & Freshwater Sciences Microbiology Oceanography Oxygen Consumption Rate Phytoplankton Prey Size VERTICAL-DISTRIBUTION Zoology
