Benthic lower trophic level food webs in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas
Project Description
Warming trends in the Arctic and increasing loss of sea ice and its associated primary production are thought to have profound effects on the energy flow on Arctic shelves. In this project we establish a baseline of the benthic lower trophic food web structure across the poorly investigated Beaufort Sea shelf, against which future changes in food web structure can be assessed. We also measure the contribution of sea ice algae to the diet of several benthic invertebrate feeding guilds using fatty-acid specific stable isotope analysis. These measurements will allow predictions about how energy flow through various benthic feeding types might be affected by future changes in sea ice conditions.
Project Funding
NPRB
Amount: $169,000
Start Date: 2012-08-00
End Date: 2016-01-00
Divine, L.M., K. Iken, and B.A. Bluhm. (2015). "Regional benthic food web structure on the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Beaufort Sea shelf". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 531:15–32. doi:
Research Team
Katrin Iken
Principal Investigator
Professor
Specialties:
- Trophic interactions and food web analysis
- Benthic diversity and communities
- Stable isotope analysis
- Phycology and invertebrate ecology
- Shallow water ecology and deep-sea biology
- Polar marine biology
Bodil Bluhm
Co-Principal Investigator
Affiliate Faculty
Specialties:
- Benthic and sea ice community ecology and biodiversity
- Trophic interactions and population dynamics of polar marine invertebrates
- Arctic ecosystem synthesis
- Arctic shelf and deep sea habitats
Alexandra Oliveira
Co-Principal Investigator
Affiliate Faculty
Specialties:
- Utilization of seafood byproducts
- Analytical methods in food chemistry
- Nutritional value of seafood products
- Seafood HACCP
- Fish oils and marine lipids
- Seafood processing and preservation
- Development of Novel Seafood Products
Lauren Divine
PhD Marine Biology, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ
Tanja Schollmeier
PhD Marine Biology, ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ