Dietary plasticity in the bivalve Astarte moerchi revealed by a multimarker study in two Arctic fjords

Type Article
Date 2017-03
Language English
Author(s) de Cesare Silvia1, Meziane Tarik1, Chauvaud Laurent2, Richard Joelle6, 7, Sejr Mikael K.ORCID3, 4, Thebault JulienORCID7, Winkler GescheORCID5, Olivier Frederic1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Antilles, Univ Caen Normandie,Unite Mixte Rech Biol Organis, Univ Pierre & Marie Curie,BOREA UMR 7208, Sorbonne Univ,Museum Natl Hist Nat,Inst Rech Dev, F-75005 Paris, France.
2 : Univ Bretagne Occidentale, Ctr Natl Rech Sci,Technopole Brest Iroise, Inst Rech Dev,Unite Mixte Rech, Inst Univ Europeen Mer,Lab Sci Environm Marin, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
3 : Aarhus Univ, Arctic Res Ctr, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
4 : Aarhus Univ, Dept Biosci, Vejlsovej 25, DK-8600 Silkeborg, Denmark.
5 : UQAR, ISMER, Institut Sci Mer, Rimouski, PQ G5L 3A1, Canada.
6 : Florida Gulf Coast Univ, Coastal Watershed Inst, Ft Myers, FL 33965 USA.
7 : Univ Bretagne Occidentale, Ctr Natl Rech Sci,Technopole Brest Iroise, Inst Rech Dev,Unite Mixte Rech, Inst Univ Europeen Mer,Lab Sci Environm Marin, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
Source Marine Ecology Progress Series (0171-8630) (Inter-research), 2017-03 , Vol. 567 , P. 157-172
DOI 10.3354/meps12035
WOS© Times Cited 12
Keyword(s) Arctic benthos, Climate change, Pelagic-benthic coupling, Filter-feeding bivalves, Fatty acids, Trophic markers, Compound-specific carbon stable isotopes
Abstract

Arctic coastal ecosystems are likely to be strongly affected by predicted environmental changes such as sea-ice decline and increase in freshwater input and turbidity. These changes are expected to impact primary production dynamics and consequently benthic consumers. The trophic relationship between primary producers and benthic primary consumers were compared in 2 Arctic fjords with different seasonal ice-cover: Young Sound (NE Greenland, a high-Arctic fjord) and Kongsfjorden (Svalbard Archipelago, a sub-Arctic fjord). For comparison, we selected the filter-feeding bivalve Astarte moerchi (belonging to the complex A. borealis), which has a broad geographical distribution in the Arctic. The bivalve digestive glands and food sources were characterized with fatty acids (FAs), bulk stable isotopes, and compound-specific stable isotopes of individual FAs. Our results suggest that diatoms of pelagic and/ or benthic origin are the main contributors to the A. moerchi diet in Young Sound and make up a less important fraction of the diet in the Kongsfjorden population. A contribution by sympagic diatoms is clearly excluded in the sub-Arctic fjord and needs to be further assessed in the Arctic fjord. The A. moerchi diet in sub-Arctic Kongsfjorden is more diversified, varies with season, and has contributions from dinoflagellates and macroalgal detritus. These results, together with higher concentrations of total FAs in the Young Sound population, demonstrated and characterized the trophic plasticity of this bivalve species. Based on these results, we discuss potential effects of environmental factors (shifts in trophic resources, increase in turbidity) for A. moerchi populations in changing Arctic ecosystems.

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How to cite 

de Cesare Silvia, Meziane Tarik, Chauvaud Laurent, Richard Joelle, Sejr Mikael K., Thebault Julien, Winkler Gesche, Olivier Frederic (2017). Dietary plasticity in the bivalve Astarte moerchi revealed by a multimarker study in two Arctic fjords. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 567, 157-172. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12035 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00616/72823/