Olin, A. B., Banas, N. S., Johns, D. G., Heath, M. R., Wright, P. J. and Nager, R. G. (2022) Spatio-temporal variation in the zooplankton prey of lesser sandeels: species and community trait patterns from the Continuous Plankton Recorder. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 79(5), pp. 1649-1661. (doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsac101)
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Abstract
The phenology, distribution, and size composition of plankton communities are changing rapidly in response to warming. This may lead to shifts in the prey fields of planktivorous fish, which play a key role in transferring energy up marine food chains. Here, we use 60 + years of Continuous Plankton Recorder data to explore temporal trends in key taxa and community traits in the prey field of planktivorous lesser sandeels (Ammodytes marinus) in the North Sea, the Faroes and southern Iceland. We found marked spatial variation in the prey field, with Calanus copepods generally being much more common in the northern part of the study area. In the western North Sea, the estimated amount of available energy in the prey field has decreased by more than 50% since the 1960s. This decrease was accompanied by declining abundances of small copepods, and shifts in the timing of peak annual prey abundances. Further, the estimated average prey community body size has increased in several of the locations considered. Overall, our results point to the importance of regional studies of prey fields, and caution against inferring ecological consequences based only on large-scale trends in key taxa or mean community traits.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Funding: A.B.O. was funded by a doctoral fellowship from the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology Scotland (MASTS), in partnership with the University of Strathclyde and the University of Glasgow. N.S.B. was supported in part by the Atlantic Salmon Trust on behalf of the Missing Salmon Alliance. R.G.N. was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Grant Number NE/L003090/1, Marine Ecosystems Research Programme). The MSS Scottish Coastal Observatory data and analyses, from which the Stonehaven dataset was sourced, are funded and maintained by the Scottish Government Schedules of Service ST05a. The Western Channel Observatory is funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council through its National Capability Long-term Single Centre Science Programme, Climate Linked Atlantic Sector Science, grant number NE/R015953/1. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Olin, Ms Agnes and Banas, Dr Neil and Nager, Dr Ruedi |
| Authors: | Olin, A. B., Banas, N. S., Johns, D. G., Heath, M. R., Wright, P. J., and Nager, R. G. |
| College/School: | College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine |
| Journal Name: | ICES Journal of Marine Science |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
| ISSN: | 1054-3139 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1095-9289 |
| Published Online: | 11 June 2022 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2022 The Author(s) |
| First Published: | First published in ICES Journal of Marine Science 79(5): 1649-1661 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons License |
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