CALANUS GLACIALIS, A KEY ORGANISM IN ARCTIC SHELF SEAS

Stig Falk-Petersen¹, Jnrge Berge², Ketil Eiane³, Eva Leu¹ and Janne Snreide²

¹Norwegian Polar Institute, 9296 Tromso, Norway ²The University Centre in Svalbard, P.O.

The Arctic shelf seas and the marginal Ice Zone are regions of major importance for biogenic production in high latitudes. Blooms of algae occur through the Arctic oceans during spring, summer and autumn, associated with sea ice during the ice algal bloom as early as March -April, and in open waters as a phytoplankton blooms as soon as the leads forms in the icepack and along the receding ice edge between June and September. The Arctic Calanus glacialis plays a key role in the pelagic lipid-based energy flux in Arctic shelf seas. It converts low energy carbohydrates and proteins into high energy lipids, which makes it extremely lipid-rich (>70% lipids), and a high- energy food item for higher trophic levels. C. glacialis optimally time its reproduction, growth and seasonal migration to the two algae blooms, the ice algae peak production in March -April and the phytoplankton peak during mid-summer.