Regional variation in distribution pattern, population structure and growth rates of Meganyctiphanes norvegica and Thysanoessa longicaudata in the Irminger Sea, North Atlantic

2007 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.A. Saunders ◽  
A. Ingvarsdóttir ◽  
J. Rasmussen ◽  
S.J. Hay ◽  
A.S. Brierley
2012 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 1287-1301 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.A. Saunders ◽  
J. Rasmussen ◽  
G.A. Tarling ◽  
A.S. Brierley

Euphausiids are an important component of the northern North Atlantic ecosystem and several species are found in the Irminger Sea. However, data on euphausiids in this region are few, particularly for Thysanopoda acutifrons, Thysanoessa inermis and Nematobranchion boöpis. In this paper, we present the first data since the 1930s on the seasonal distribution and population dynamics of these species from net haul data collected in the Irminger Sea during winter, spring and summer 2001–2002. Thysanoessa inermis was the most numerically abundant (0.63–26.62 ind. 1000 m−3) of the three species in the region and comprised a biomass of 3.92–41.74 mg 1000 m−3. The species was largely found in the upper regions of the water column (0–400 m) and was distributed in the more on-shelf/shelf-break regions around East Greenland and Iceland. Growth rates were around 0.03 mm d−1for T. inermis and there was some evidence that either the timing of spawning was delayed, or larval development was prolonged in the region. Thysanopoda acutifrons was predominantly distributed below 400 m in more oceanic regions and had a low abundance (1.23–1.64 ind. 1000 m−3) throughout the Irminger Sea. However, the species comprised a relatively high proportion of biomass (19.39–31.33 mg 1000 m−3) due to its large body size. Our data showed that the species had low rates of growth (0.04 mm d−1) and development throughout the year, and that the reproductive season occurred during the overwintering period (November/December) once individuals had reached two years of age. Nematobranchion boöpis mainly occurred below 400 m at low abundance (0.06–0.18 ind.1000 m−3) levels throughout the region. The species was largely found where Atlantic waters prevailed in the Irminger Current and its growth rates were variable (0.02–0.06 mm d−1). Nematobranchion boöpis was a year-round spawner and the species had fairly rapid rates of post-larval development, with the newly spawned 0-group reaching sexual maturity within the first 6 months. Data presented in this paper provide useful baselines for understanding the possible impacts of long-term, broad-scale environmental change on the ecology of euphausiid communities in the Irminger Sea.


2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 1051-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Castellani ◽  
X. Irigoien ◽  
R. P. Harris ◽  
N. P. Holliday

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-441
Author(s):  
Arsalan ◽  
Muhammad Faheem Siddiqui ◽  
Moinuddin Ahmed ◽  
Syed Shahid Shaukat ◽  
Alamdar Hussain

Author(s):  
Courtney Quinn ◽  
Dylan Harries ◽  
Terence J. O’Kane

AbstractThe dynamics of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are analyzed through a data-driven model obtained from atmospheric reanalysis data. We apply a regularized vector autoregressive clustering technique to identify recurrent and persistent states of atmospheric circulation patterns in the North Atlantic sector (110°W-0°E, 20°N-90°N). In order to analyze the dynamics associated with the resulting cluster-based models, we define a time-dependent linear delayed map with a switching sequence set a priori by the cluster affiliations at each time step. Using a method for computing the covariant Lyapunov vectors (CLVs) over various time windows, we produce sets of mixed singular vectors (for short windows) and approximate the asymptotic CLVs (for longer windows). The growth rates and alignment of the resulting time-dependent vectors are then analyzed. We find that the window chosen to compute the vectors acts as a filter on the dynamics. For short windows, the alignment and changes in growth rates are indicative of individual transitions between persistent states. For long windows, we observe an emergent annual signal manifest in the alignment of the CLVs characteristic of the observed seasonality in the NAO index. Analysis of the average finite-time dimension reveals the NAO− as the most unstable state relative to the NAO+, with persistent AR states largely stable. Our results agree with other recent theoretical and empirical studies that have shown blocking events to have less predictability than periods of enhanced zonal flow.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manon Tonnard ◽  
Hélène Planquette ◽  
Andrew R. Bowie ◽  
Pier van der Merwe ◽  
Morgane Gallinari ◽  
...  

Abstract. Dissolved Fe (DFe) samples from the GEOVIDE voyage (GEOTRACES GA01, May–June 2014) in the North Atlantic Ocean were analysed using a SeaFAST-picoTM coupled to an Element XR HR-ICP-MS and provided interesting insights on the Fe sources in this area. Overall, DFe concentrations ranged from 0.09 ± 0.01 nmol L−1 to 7.8 ± 0.5 nmol L−1. Elevated DFe concentrations were observed above the Iberian, Greenland and Newfoundland Margins likely due to riverine inputs from the Tagus River, meteoric water inputs and sedimentary inputs. Air-sea interactions were suspected to be responsible for the increase in DFe concentrations within subsurface waters of the Irminger Sea due to deep convection occurring the previous winter, that provided iron-to-nitrate ratios sufficient to sustain phytoplankton growth. Increasing DFe concentrations along the flow path of the Labrador Sea Water were attributed to sedimentary inputs from the Newfoundland Margin. Bottom waters from the Irminger Sea displayed high DFe concentrations likely due to the dissolution of Fe-rich particles from the Denmark Strait Overflow Water and the Polar Intermediate Water. Finally, the nepheloid layers were found to act as either a source or a sink of DFe depending on the nature of particles.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3001-3013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga A. Lastovetsky ◽  
Ezekiel Ahn ◽  
Stephen J. Mondo ◽  
Kevin H. Toomer ◽  
Aolin Zhang ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 3865-3881 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. García ◽  
S. Rodríguez ◽  
Y. González ◽  
R. D. García

Abstract. A climatology of new particle formation (NPF) events at high altitude in the subtropical North Atlantic is presented. A 4-year data set (June 2008–June 2012), which includes number size distributions (10–600 nm), reactive gases (SO2, NOx, and O3), several components of solar radiation and meteorological parameters, measured at Izaña Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) observatory (2373 m above sea level; Tenerife, Canary Islands) was analysed. NPF is associated with the transport of gaseous precursors from the boundary layer by orographic buoyant upward flows that perturb the low free troposphere during daytime. On average, 30% of the days contained an NPF event. Mean values of the formation and growth rates during the study period were 0.46 cm−3 s−1 and 0.42 nm h−1, correspondingly. There is a clearly marked NPF season (May–August), when these events account for 50–60% of the days per month. Monthly mean values of the formation and growth rates exhibit higher values in this season, 0.49–0.92 cm−3 s−1 and 0.48–0.58 nm h−1, respectively. During NPF events, SO2, UV radiation and upslope winds showed higher values than during non-events. The overall data set indicates that SO2 plays a key role as precursor, although other species seem to contribute during some periods. Condensation of sulfuric acid vapour accounts for most of the measured particle growth during most of the year (~70%), except for some periods. In May, the highest mean growth rates (~0.6 nm h−1) and the lowest contribution of sulfuric acid (~13%) were measured, suggesting a significant involvement of other condensing vapours. The SO2 availability seems also to be the most influencing parameter in the year-to-year variability in the frequency of NPF events. The condensation sink showed similar features to other mountain sites, showing high values during NPF events. Summertime observations, when Izaña is within the Saharan Air Layer, suggest that dust particles may play a significant role acting as coagulation sink of freshly formed nucleation particles. The contribution of dust particles to the condensation sink of sulfuric acid vapours seems to be modest (~8% as average). Finally, we identified a set of NPF events in which two nucleation modes, which may evolve at different rates, occur simultaneously and for which further investigations are necessary.


2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 1581-1590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke W J Cameron ◽  
William K Roche ◽  
Jonathan D R Houghton ◽  
Paul J Mensink

Abstract Porbeagles throughout the North Atlantic have experienced severe population decline through overfishing, with the northeastern population listed as critically endangered. Management of this population is constrained by the paucity of data on porbeagle population structure, distribution and behaviour in this region. Here we use a long-term (47 year) Irish capture-mark-recapture dataset to investigate the population structure, spatial distribution and seasonal movements of this species. From 1970–2017, a total of 268 sharks (9 recaptures) were ID tagged, with most individuals likely being juvenile based on length at maturity estimates (mean total length = 143.9 cm, SD = 35.4). Almost all captures were recorded at three distinct locations near angling hubs along the south, west and north coasts with catches peaking in August. Long-term trends in capture date indicated a shift towards earlier capture dates in the northern site (n = 153). Our findings suggest Irish waters may act as a persistent summer aggregation site for juveniles, which show evidence for seasonal site fidelity, returning to nearby locations between years. These findings demonstrate the utility of such programmes, which can be implemented, with minimal expense by engaging with the angling sector, to elucidate the population structure and distribution of wide-ranging fish species.


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