Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution of meiofauna in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Polar Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Kongsfjorden, a glacial fjord, is a typical fjord in the Spitsbergen (Svalbard archipelago) in the Arctic. The study supports a hypothesis that meiofauna and macrofauna are affected by natural environmental disturbances. Therefore, meiofaunal and macrofaunal analyses can be used to assess the effects of natural environmental disturbances in similar fjords in the Spitsbergen. Inputs from tidal glaciers create steep environmental gradients in sedimentation and salinity along the fjord. The magnitude of the glacial outflow diminishes towards the outer part of the fjord. Glacial-related physical stress causes reduced abundance, biomass and diversity among the meiofaunal assemblages in the inner part of the fjord. Based on quantitative and qualitative analyses of the composition of collected samples, three groups of meiofauna have been distinguished: one outer basin association and two in the inner, glacial bay. The presented results demonstrate that both the meiofauna and the macrofauna are affected on a similar scale by natural environmental disturbances. Therefore, as for macrofauna, meiofaunal analysis can be used to assess the effect of natural environmental disturbances.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Austen MC, Warwick RM, Rosado MC (1989) Meiobenthic and macrobenthic structure along a putative pollution gradient in southern Portugal. Mar Pollut Bull 20:398–405

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beszczynska-Möller A, Weslawski JM, Walczowski W, Zajaczkowski M (1997) Estimation of glacier meltwater discharge into Svalbard coastal waters. Oceanologia 39:289–298

    Google Scholar 

  • Blott SJ, Pye K (2001) Gradistat, a grain size distribution and statistic package for the analysis of unconsolidated sediments. Earth Surf Process Landforms 26:1237–1248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bray JR, Curtis JT (1957) An ordination of the upland forest communities of southern Wisconsin. Ecol Monogr 27:325–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan JB (1984) Sediment analysis. In: Holme NA, McIntyre AD (eds) Methods of the study of marine benthos, 2nd edn. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 41–65

  • Clarke KR, Gorley RN (2001) Primer ver. 5 user manual/tutorial. Primer-E, Plymouth

  • Clarke KR, Warwick RM (1994) Change in marine communities: an approach to statistical analysis and interpretation. Natural Environmental Research Council, Plymouth

    Google Scholar 

  • Elverhøi A, Liestøl O, Nagy J (1980) Glacial erosion, sedimentation and microfauna in the inner part of Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen. Nor Polarinst Skr 172:33–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Elverhøi A, Lønne Ø, Seland R (1983) Glaciomarine sedimentation in a modern fjord environment, Spitsbergen. Polar Res 1:127–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Feller RJ, Warwick RM (1988) Energetics. In: Higgins RP, Thiel H (eds) Introduction to the study of meiofauna. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, pp 181–196

  • Fetzer I, Lønne OJ, Pearson T (2002) The distribution of juvenile benthic invertebrates in arctic glacial fjord. Polar Biol 25:303–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Folk RL, Ward WC (1957) Brazos river bar: a study of significance of grain-size parameters. J Sediment Petrol 27:3–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Giere O (1993) Meiobenthology. The microscopic fauna in aquatic sediments. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

  • Görlich K, Weslawski JM, Zajaczkowski M (1987) Suspension settling effect on macrobenthos biomass distribution in the Hornsund fjord, Spitsbergen. Polar Res 5:175–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulliksen B, Holte B, Jakola KJ (1985) The soft bottom fauna in van Mijenfjord and Raudfjord, Svalbard. In: Gray J, Christiansen ME (eds) Marine biology of polar regions and effects of stress on marine organisms. Wiley, New York, pp 199–215

  • Heip C (1992) Benthic studies: summary and conclusions. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 91:265–1992

    Google Scholar 

  • Heip C, Warwick RM, Carr MR, Herman PMJ, Huys R, Smol N, Holsbeke K van (1988) Analysis of community attributes of benthic meiofauna of Frierfjord/Langesundfjord. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 46:171–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Holte B, Gulliksen B (1998) Common macrofaunal dominant species in the sediments of some north Norwegian and Svalbard glacial fjords. Polar Biol 19:375–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holte B, Dahle S, Gulliksen B, Naes K (1996) Some macrofaunal effects of local pollution and glacier-induced sedimentation, with indicative chemical analyses, in the sediments of two Arctic fjords. Polar Biol 16:549–557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hop H, Pearson T, Hegseth EN, Kovacs KM, Weslawski JM, Wiencke C, Kwasniewski S, Eiane K, Leakey R, Cochrane S, Zajaczkowski M, Lønne OJ, Mehlum F, Lydersen C, Gulliksen B, Falk-Petersen S, Poltermann M, Wangberg SA, Kendall M, Bischof K, Voronkov A, Kovaltchouk NA, Gabrielsen GW, Wlodarska-Kowalczuk M, Wiktor J, Prisco G di, Estoppey A, Pappucci C, Gerland S (2002) The marine ecosystem of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Polar Res 21:167–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Jørgensen LL, Gulliksen B (2001) Rocky bottom fauna in arctic Kongfjord (Svalbard) studied by means of suction sampling and photography. Polar Biol 24:113–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kendall MA (1994) Polychaete assemblages along a depth gradients in a Spitsbergen Fjord. In: Dauvin JC, Laubier L, Reish DJ (eds) Acte de la 4eme Conference internationale des Polychaetes. Mem Mus Natl Hist Nat 162:463–470

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall MA, Widdicombe S, Weslawski JM (2003) A multi-scale study of the biodiversity of the benthic fauna of the high-latitude Kongsfjord, Svallbard. Polar Biol 26:383–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuklinski P (2002) Fauna of Bryozoa from Kongsfjorden, West Spitsbergen. Polar Res 23:193–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Lefauconnier B, Hagen JO, Rudant JP (1994) Flow speed and calving rate of Kongsbreen glacier, Svalbard, using SPOT images. Polar Res 10:56–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Lippert H, Iken K, Rachor E, Wiencke C (2001) Macrofauna associated with macroalgae in the Kongsfjord (Spitsbergen). Polar Biol 24:512–522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loeng H (1991) Features of the physical oceanographic conditions of the Barents Sea. Polar Res 10:5–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Ólafsson E, Modig H, Bund WJ van de (1999) Species specific uptake of radio-labelled phytodetritus by benthic meiofauna from the Baltic Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 177:63–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfannkuche O, Thiel H (1988) Sample processing. In: Higgins RP, Thiel H (eds) Introduction to the study of meiofauna. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., pp 134–145

  • Somerfield PJ, Rees HL, Warwick RM (1995) Interrelationships in community structure between shallow-water marine meiofauna and macrofauna in relation to dredgings disposal. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 127:103–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Svendsen H, Beszczynska-Möller A, Hagen JO, Lefauconnier B, Tverberg V, Gerland S, Ørbæk JB, Bischof K, Papucci C, Zajaczkowski M, Azzolini R, Bruland O, Wiencke C, Winther JG, Dallmann W (2002) The physical environment of Kongsfjorden-Krossfjorden, an Arctic fiord system in Svalbard. Polar Res 21:133–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Syvitski JPM, Farrow GE, Atkinson RJ, Moore PG, Andrews JT (1989) Baffin Island fjord macrobenthos: bottom communities and environmental significance. Arctic 42:232–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Warwick RM (1984) Species size distribution in marine benthic communities. Oecologia 61:32–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Warwick RM (1989) The role of meiofauna in the marine ecosystems: evolutionary considerations. Zool J Linn Soc 96:229–241

    Google Scholar 

  • Warwick RM, Platt HM, Clarke KR, Agard J, Gobin J (1990) Analysis of macrobenthic and meiobenthic community structure in relation to pollution and disturbance in Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 138:119–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wlodarska-Kowalczuk M, Pearson TH (2003) Soft-bottom macrobenthic faunal associations and factors affecting species distributions in Arctic glacial fjord (Kongsfjord, Spitsbergen). Polar Biol 27:155–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Wlodarska-Kowalczuk M, Weslawski JM, Gromisz S (1996) A comparison of the macrofaunal community structure and diversity in two arctic glacial bays—a ‘cold’ one of Franz Josef Land and a ‘warm’ one of Spitsbergen. Oceanologia 38:251–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Wlodarska-Kowalczuk M, Weslawski JM, Kotwicki L (1998) Spitsbergen glacial bays macrofauna—a comparative study. Polar Biol 20:66–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zajaczkowski M, Legezynska J (2001) Estimation of zooplankton mortality caused by an Arctic glacier outflow. Oceanologia 43:341–351

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Ecological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Konopnickiej 1, Dziekanow Lesny, 05-092, Lomianki, Poland

    Lech Kotwicki

  2. Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, Pilsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia, Poland

    Maria Szymelfenig

  3. Biology Department, Marine Biology Section, Gent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000, Gent, Belgium

    Marleen De Troch

  4. Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland

    Marek Zajaczkowski

Authors
  1. Lech Kotwicki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria Szymelfenig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marleen De Troch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marek Zajaczkowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lech Kotwicki.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kotwicki, L., Szymelfenig, M., De Troch, M. et al. Distribution of meiofauna in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen. Polar Biol 27, 661–669 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0625-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0625-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation