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Changes in kelp forest biomass and depth distribution in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, between 1996–1998 and 2012–2014 reflect Arctic warming

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Abstract

Arctic West Spitsbergen in Svalbard is currently experiencing gradual warming due to climate change showing decreased landfast sea-ice and increased sedimentation. In order to document possible changes in 2012–2014, we partially repeated a quantitative diving study from 1996 to 1998 in the kelp forest at Hansneset, Kongsfjorden, along a depth gradient between 0 and 15 m. The seaweed biomass increased between 1996/1998 and 2012/2013 with peak in kelp biomass shifted to shallower depth, from 5 to 2.5 m. The kelp biomass at 2.5 m was 8.2-fold higher in 2012/2013 (14 kg fresh biomass m−2) than in 1996/1998 and mostly due to an increase in the kelp Laminaria digitata. This resulted in a very high density of 2- to 8-year-old kelp (70 ind. m−2) and a high leaf area index of nearly 10 at 2.5 m. The entire zonation seemed to have shifted upwards to shallower depth, since also the lower depth limit of most dominant brown algae was shallower as well as the biomass maximum of several taxa. The cumulated annual photosynthetic active radiation at 15 m depth (42 mol m−2 year−1) determined the current depth limit of kelps. Changes also resulted in an altered seaweed community pattern. The complex pattern of change was probably driven by opposing effects of co-acting environmental drivers, namely lack of ice-scouring, elongation of the open-water period and deterioration of the underwater irradiance climate. The results are interpreted as a consequence of Arctic warming probably reflecting a typical scenario for change along other Arctic shores in near future.

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Acknowledgments

This work was performed at the International Arctic Environmental Research and Monitoring Facility in Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen, Norway. We are grateful to the AWIPEV station and Kings Bay personnel in Ny-Ålesund for continuous support of our research. Scuba diving, biomass handling and determination of leaf area were only possible with the help of students (Kevin Bartl, Anke Bender, Merle Bollen, Kerstin Hübner, Sina Petrowski, Katrin Schachtl, Kai Schwalfenberg and Florian Sprung) which are gratefully acknowledged. IB thanks M. Greenacre for statistical advice and Dieter Hanelt, University of Hamburg, for help with the calibration of irradiance loggers and J. Bartsch for giving a final touch to the English. SF is thankful to AWI and Svalbard Science Forum for travel grants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Center for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany

    Inka Bartsch, Max Schwanitz, Claudia Daniel & Christian Wiencke

  2. Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Center for Polar and Marine Research, Wadden Sea Station Sylt, Hafenstrasse 43, 25992, List/Sylt, Germany

    Martin Paar

  3. Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway

    Stein Fredriksen

  4. Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296, Tromsø, Norway

    Haakon Hop

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  1. Inka Bartsch
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Correspondence to Inka Bartsch.

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This article belongs to the special issue on the “Kongsfjorden ecosystem—new views after more than a decade of research”, coordinated by Christian Wiencke and Haakon Hop.

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Bartsch, I., Paar, M., Fredriksen, S. et al. Changes in kelp forest biomass and depth distribution in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, between 1996–1998 and 2012–2014 reflect Arctic warming. Polar Biol 39, 2021–2036 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-015-1870-1

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