Range extension of a boreal amphipod Gammarus oceanicus in the warming Arctic. Issue 15 (9th July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Węsławski, Jan Marcin; Dragańska‐Deja, Katarzyna; Legeżyńska, Joanna; Walczowski, Waldemar
• Is Part Of: Ecology and evolution. Volume 8:Issue 15(2018)
• Page Start: 7624
• Page End: 7632
• Publication Date: 2018-07-09
• Subjects: Amphipoda -- Arctic -- distribution shift -- Gammarus -- global change -- intertidal -- Svalbard; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4281
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7758

Abstract

Abstract: The recent (2008–2016) occurrence of a boreal intertidal amphipod Gammarus oceanicus along the Spitsbergen coast is compared with corresponding data from 1980 to 1994. We aimed to compare the pace of environmental changes in the area (ice retreat, temperature increase) with distribution change of G. oceanicus . Material for the study was collected from intertidal, at low water level from over 100 locations on Spitsbergen, the main island of Svalbard archipelago (expanding from 76 to 80°N). The west coast of the island has been exposed to a steady increase in sea surface and air temperature (2°C in 20 years), as well as a significant decrease in fast ice duration (from over 5 months to less than 1 per year). A total length of more than 3, 600 km of the island's coastline has been recently impacted by warming. Of the two sibling Gammarus species that dwell in the Spitsbergen littoral, G. setosus, the local cold water species remains generally where it was observed about 20–30 years ago. By contrast, boreal G. oceanicus has expanded its distribution range by over 1, 300 km along the west and north coasts of Spitsbergen and gained dominating position on the number of sites, where it was previously just an occasional species. Abstract : Two ecologically similar Gammarus species co‐occur in the littoral waters of the West Spitsbergen (Arctic). This area is expriencing strong environmental changes induced by on‐going regional warming. Along with the change of physical conditions we document an increase of the geographic range and population size of a boreal species Gammarus oceanicus occuring at the expense of a native Arctic species Gammarus setosus .