Energetics of Arctic Zooplankton

Zooplankton communities in the arctic may be more sensitive to the effects of climate change than more heavily studied taxa. Large components of the zooplankton communities in the Chukchi and western Beaufort Seas are believed to be advected into the region from centers of production located further south. However, most age-0 fish and many marine mammals rely on zooplankton for sustenance and so changes in the strength of ocean currents could have far reaching trophic effects. For example, changes in the timing of ice retreat influences zooplankton abundance, community structure and nutritional value. We provide baseline energy contents for Euphausiidae Mysidae, Amphipoda and Isopoda collected from coastal waters near Pt. Barrow during the summers of 2014 and 2015. We describe spatial variation in energy content including nearshore versus offshore samples and observations from within Elson Lagoon versus open water. These data inform those interested in connectivity between near and offshore environments and provide a context for understanding ecosystem change.