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Seasonal patterns in fatty acids of Calanus hyperboreus (Copepoda, Calanoida) from Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Nunavut

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Abstract

The marine copepod Calanus hyperboreus accumulates large quantities of lipids and essential fatty acids during summer months in Northern oceans. However, few data exist regarding their winter fatty acid profiles, which could be informative regarding the use of lipids by C. hyperboreus to successfully survive and reproduce during times of ice-cover and limited food. The present study compared fatty acids of C. hyperboreus between summer (August 2007 and 2008) and winter (early April 2008 and 2009) in Cumberland Sound, Canada. Summer samples from both years had significantly higher ∑polyunsaturated fatty acids and unsaturation indices (based on μg fatty acid mg dry tissue−1) than winter samples and separated on a principal component analysis due to higher 18:2n-6, 18:4n-3, and 20:5n-3, consistent with phytoplankton consumption. Winter C. hyperboreus had significantly higher ∑monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) versus summer samples and separated on the principal component analysis due to higher proportions of 16:1n-7, 20:1n-9, and 22:1n-9, suggesting they were not actively feeding. Based on the seasonal fatty acid comparison, C. hyperboreus was catabolizing specific fatty acids (e.g. 20:5n-3), conserving others (e.g. 22:6n-3), and maintaining or increasing biosynthesis of certain MUFA (e.g. 18:1n-9) during winter. These findings provide insight into the seasonal strategy of acquisition (summer) and utilization (winter) of specific fatty acids by a key Arctic organism and could become important for monitoring changes in fatty acids associated with decreased ice-cover duration due to climate warming.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to J. Chao for his help with fatty acid quantification and identification. We also thank M. Rudy and S. Wolfaardt (Environment Canada) for their help with lipid analyses, J. Brush (University of Windsor) for assistance with field collections, the Environmental Research Division of the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and the Ocean Biology Products Group of NASA’ Goddard Space Flight Center for the satellite data, and four anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. This study was funded by a grant from the Government of Canada Program for International Polar Year 2007/2008 (ATF and MTA, grant IPY C144) and Environment Canada (MTA).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Correspondence to Bailey C. McMeans.

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Communicated by U. Sommer.

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McMeans, B.C., Arts, M.T., Rush, S.A. et al. Seasonal patterns in fatty acids of Calanus hyperboreus (Copepoda, Calanoida) from Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Nunavut. Mar Biol 159, 1095–1105 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1889-6

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