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The functional biology and trophic role of krill (Thysanoessa raschii) in a Greenlandic fjord

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An Erratum to this article was published on 03 July 2014

Abstract

Despite being a key zooplankton group, knowledge on krill biology from the Arctic is inadequate. The present study examine the functional biology and evaluate the trophic role of krill in the Godthåbsfjord (64°N, 51°W) SW Greenland, through a combination of fieldwork and laboratory experiments. Krill biomass was highest in the middle fjord and inner fjord, whereas no krill was found offshore. The dominating species Thysanoessa raschii revealed a type III functional response when fed with the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. At food saturation, T. raschii exhibited a daily ration of 1% body C d−1. Furthermore, T. raschii was capable of exploiting plankton cells from 5 to 400 μm, covering several trophic levels of the pelagic food web. The calculated grazing impact by T. raschii on the fjord plankton community was negligible. However, the schooling and migratory behaviour of krill will concentrate and elevate the grazing in specific areas of the euphotic zone.

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Acknowledgments

This study (ECOGREEN) was funded by a grant from the Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland (KVUG), the Danish Natural Sciences Research Council, and is a contribution of the Greenland Climate Research Centre. Greenland Institute of Natural Resources is thanked for excellent laboratory facilities and logistical support. Also, we would like to thank Anja Retzel (GINR) for collecting krill biomass data, Prof. Thomas Kiørboe and Dr. Steffen Oppel for statistical advice, and Dr. Kam W. Tang for providing various data on mesozooplankton biomass.

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  1. DTU Aqua, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Section for Ocean Ecology and Climate, Jægersborg Allé 1, 2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark

    Mette Dalgaard Agersted, Torkel Gissel Nielsen & Peter Munk

  2. Marine Biological Laboratory, Institute of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000, Helsingør, Denmark

    Mette Dalgaard Agersted & Bent Vismann

  3. Greenland Climate Research Centre, c/o Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, PO Box 570, Kivioq 2, 3900, Nuuk, Greenland

    Kristine Engel Arendt

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  1. Mette Dalgaard Agersted
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Correspondence to Torkel Gissel Nielsen.

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Communicated by A. Atkinson .

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-014-2487-6.

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Agersted, M.D., Nielsen, T.G., Munk, P. et al. The functional biology and trophic role of krill (Thysanoessa raschii) in a Greenlandic fjord. Mar Biol 158, 1387–1402 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1657-z

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