Subtidal populations of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis as key determinants of waterfowl flocks in the southeastern Barents Sea

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Subtidal populations of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis as key determinants of waterfowl flocks in the southeastern Barents Sea. / Sukhotin, A. A.; Krasnov, Yu V.; Galaktionov, K. V.

In: Polar Biology, Vol. 31, No. 11, 01.10.2008, p. 1357-1363.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

BibTeX

@article{b036f191ad15462bb7609d2a4b5ec168,

title = "Subtidal populations of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis as key determinants of waterfowl flocks in the southeastern Barents Sea",

abstract = "Ornithological surveys conducted over the Pechora Sea (the southeastern part of the Barents Sea) in the 1990 s revealed huge non-nesting flocks of marine ducks, the largest in the European North. Especially dense waterfowl aggregations are constantly observed at the shallows near Dolgij Island during molting period and migration to wintering places. All the marine ducks flocking there are specialized benthos feeders predominantly consuming mussels Mytilus edulis. At the same time, numerous previous benthic studies in the Pechora Sea did not reveal mussels near Dolgij Island where benthic biomass was somewhat lower than in the adjacent areas (Denisenko in Mar Ecol Prog Ser 258:109-123. 2003) which left the food source for these abundant bird flocks enigmatic. In the course of an expedition in summer 2007 we found subtidal populations of M. edulis in shallows to the southwest of Dolgij Island. These populations were confined to a coastal zone and were characterized by a highly disjunct distribution with the biomass reaching up to 4 kg m-2. We describe these subtidal populations as well as an intertidal mussel population on the western shore of Dolgij Island.",

keywords = "Barents Sea, Benthos, Marine ducks, Mussel distribution, Mussel population, Mytilus edulis",

author = "Sukhotin, {A. A.} and Krasnov, {Yu V.} and Galaktionov, {K. V.}",

year = "2008",

month = oct,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1007/s00300-008-0474-4",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

pages = "1357--1363",

journal = "Polar Biology",

issn = "0722-4060",

publisher = "Springer Nature",

number = "11",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Subtidal populations of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis as key determinants of waterfowl flocks in the southeastern Barents Sea

AU - Sukhotin, A. A.

AU - Krasnov, Yu V.

AU - Galaktionov, K. V.

PY - 2008/10/1

Y1 - 2008/10/1

N2 - Ornithological surveys conducted over the Pechora Sea (the southeastern part of the Barents Sea) in the 1990 s revealed huge non-nesting flocks of marine ducks, the largest in the European North. Especially dense waterfowl aggregations are constantly observed at the shallows near Dolgij Island during molting period and migration to wintering places. All the marine ducks flocking there are specialized benthos feeders predominantly consuming mussels Mytilus edulis. At the same time, numerous previous benthic studies in the Pechora Sea did not reveal mussels near Dolgij Island where benthic biomass was somewhat lower than in the adjacent areas (Denisenko in Mar Ecol Prog Ser 258:109-123. 2003) which left the food source for these abundant bird flocks enigmatic. In the course of an expedition in summer 2007 we found subtidal populations of M. edulis in shallows to the southwest of Dolgij Island. These populations were confined to a coastal zone and were characterized by a highly disjunct distribution with the biomass reaching up to 4 kg m-2. We describe these subtidal populations as well as an intertidal mussel population on the western shore of Dolgij Island.

AB - Ornithological surveys conducted over the Pechora Sea (the southeastern part of the Barents Sea) in the 1990 s revealed huge non-nesting flocks of marine ducks, the largest in the European North. Especially dense waterfowl aggregations are constantly observed at the shallows near Dolgij Island during molting period and migration to wintering places. All the marine ducks flocking there are specialized benthos feeders predominantly consuming mussels Mytilus edulis. At the same time, numerous previous benthic studies in the Pechora Sea did not reveal mussels near Dolgij Island where benthic biomass was somewhat lower than in the adjacent areas (Denisenko in Mar Ecol Prog Ser 258:109-123. 2003) which left the food source for these abundant bird flocks enigmatic. In the course of an expedition in summer 2007 we found subtidal populations of M. edulis in shallows to the southwest of Dolgij Island. These populations were confined to a coastal zone and were characterized by a highly disjunct distribution with the biomass reaching up to 4 kg m-2. We describe these subtidal populations as well as an intertidal mussel population on the western shore of Dolgij Island.

KW - Barents Sea

KW - Benthos

KW - Marine ducks

KW - Mussel distribution

KW - Mussel population

KW - Mytilus edulis

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=53249147677&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s00300-008-0474-4

DO - 10.1007/s00300-008-0474-4

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:53249147677

VL - 31

SP - 1357

EP - 1363

JO - Polar Biology

JF - Polar Biology

SN - 0722-4060

IS - 11

ER -

ID: 36107512