Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Some macrofaunal effects of local pollution and glacier-induced sedimentation, with indicative chemical analyses, in the sediments of two Arctic fjords

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

Abstract

Macrofaunal (>1 mm) and chemical sediment sampling was carried out in August 1992 close to the garbage dumping sites of the coal-mining industrialised settlements Longyearbyen (Adventfjord) and Barentsburg (Grønfjord), located in the Isfjord system, Svalbard. Six stations were sampled with respect to chemical parameters and fauna, while three stations were sampled with respect to only chemical parameters that comprised total organic carbon, total nitrogen, heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and chlorinated hydrocarbons (5-CB, HCB, γ-HCH, DDT, PCB7). The concentrations of PCB7, PAH and HCB were, respectively, up to 5, 16 and 30 times higher than assumed background concentrations, presumably as a result of terrestrial water drainage of coal particles originating from local coal-stores and industrial activities in general. The faunal diversities across the sampled areas were relatively low (e.g. Shannon-Wiener indices between 2.0 and 3.2), probably mainly as a result of glacier-induced fine-particulated inorganic impacts. A relatively high faunal abundance, and a quantitative dominance of the opportunistic polychaete taxaCapitella capitata and Chaetozone/Tharyx sp. in the Adventfjord indicated an additional source of perturbation, which was related to the untreated local sewage effluents and/or drainage water from the garbage dumping sites.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aschan MM, Skullerud AM (1990) Effects of changes in sewage pollution on the soft-bottom macrofauna communities on the inner Oslofjord, Norway. Sarsia 75:169–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Brevik EM (1978) Gas chromatographic methods for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in human milk. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 19:281–286

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carlberg GE, Boeler JB (1985) Determination of persistent chlorinated hydrocarbons and inorganic elements on samples from Svalbard. Norwegian Centre for Industrial Research (SI), Trondheim, report no GEC-HST83 11:01–1

    Google Scholar 

  • Elverhøy A, Liestøl O, Nagy J (1980) Glacial erosion, sedimentation and microfauna in the inner part of Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen. Nor Polarinst Skr 172:33–61

    Google Scholar 

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

  • Farrow GE, Syvitski JPM, Tunnicliffe V (1983) Suspended paniculate loading on the macrobenthos in a highly turbid fjord: Knight Inlet, British Columbia. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 40 [Suppl 1]:273–288

    Google Scholar 

  • Fauchald K, Jumars PA (1979) The diet of worms: a study of polychaete feeding guilds. Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 17:193–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray JS, Clarke KR, Warwick RM, Hobbs G (1990) Detection of initial effects of pollution on marine benthos: an example from the Ekofisk and Eldfisk oilfields, North Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 66:285–299

    Google Scholar 

  • Gromisz S (1992) Occurrence and species composition of Polychaeta (Annelida) in Hornsund fjord (South Spitsbergen). In: Klekowski RZ, Opalinski KW (eds) Landscape, life world and man in high Arctic. Institute of Ecology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, pp 199–206

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

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

  • Holte B, Gulliksen B (1987) Benthic communities and their physical environment in relation to urban pollution from the city of Tromsø, Norway. 2. Soft-bottom communities. Sarsia 72:133–141

    Google Scholar 

  • ICES(International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) (1990) Export on the results of the ICES/IOC/OSPARCOM intercomparison exercise on the analysis of chlorobiphenyl congeners in marine media-step 1. ICES Copenhagen Cooperative Res Rep No. 183

  • Josefson AB (1987) Large scale patterns of dynamics in subtidal macrozoobenthic assemblages in the Skagerrak: effects of a production related factor? Mar Ecol Prog Ser 38:13–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall MA, Aschan M (1993) Latitudinal gradients in the structure of macrobenthic communities: a comparison of Arctic, temperate and tropical sites. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 172:157–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kingston PF (1987) Field effects of platform discharge on benthic macrofauna. Philos Trans R Soc London B 316:545–565

    Google Scholar 

  • Konieczny RN, Juliussen A (1994) Sonderende undersøkelser inorske havner og kystområder. Fase 1: Miljøgifter i sedimenter på strekningen Narvik-Kragerø (in Norwegian). Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, rep no 587/94:1–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Loring DH, Rantala RTT (1992) Manual for the geochemical analyses of marine sediments and suspended particulate matter. Earth Sci Rev 32:235–283

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lützen JB (1967) Sækdyr. Dan Fauna 75:1–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore PG (1977) Inorganic particulate suspensions in the sea and their effects on marine animals. Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 15:225–363

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Norheim G, Skaare JU, Wiig Ø (1992) Some heavy metals, essential elements, and chlorinated hydrocarbons in polar bear at Svalbard. Environ Pollut 77:51–57

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Normann U, Pettersen F (1984) Hydrografiske observasjoner (havmiljødata) fra Svalbard 1979–1983 (in Norwegian). Tromura, Univ Tromsø 40:1–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Norwegian Ministry of Environment (1995) Om miljøvern på Svalbard (in Norwegain). Stortingsmelding no. 22-1994-95

  • Pearson TH (1992) The benthos of soft sublittoral habitats. Proc F Soc Edinburgh 100B:113–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearson TH, Rosenberg R (1978) Macrobenthic succession in relation to organic enrichment and pollution of the marine environment. Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 16:229–311

    Google Scholar 

  • Prahl FG, Ertel JR, Goni MA, Sparrow MA, Erersmeyer B (1994) Terrestrial organic carbon contributions to sediment on the Washington margin. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 58: 3035–3048

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rantala RTT, Loring DH (1989) Teflon bomb decomposition of silicate materials in a microwave oven. Anal Chim Acta 220:263–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoads DC, Young DK (1970) The influence of deposit-feeding organisms in sediment stability and community trophic structure. J Mar Res 28:150–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Rohlf FJ (1989) NTSYS-pc. Numerical Taxonomy and Multivariate Analysis System. Exeter, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Rygg B (1984) Bløtbunnsfauna som indikatorsystem på miljøkvalitet i fjorder. Bruk av diversitetskurver til å beskrive faunasamfunn og anslå forurensningspåvirkning (in Norwegian). Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, rep no OF-80612

    Google Scholar 

  • Rygg B (1985) Distribution of species along pollution-induced diversity gradients in benthic communities in Norwegian fjords. Mar Pollut Bull 16:467–474

    Google Scholar 

  • Rygg B, Thélin I (1993) Classification of environmental quality in fjords and coastal waters. Short version (in Norwegian with English summary) Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT), Oslo, rep no TA-922/1993

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders HL (1968) Marine benthic diversity: a comparative study. Am Nat 102:243–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savinova TN, Polder A, Gabrielsen GW, Skaare JU (1995) Chlorinated hydrocarbons in seabirds from the Barents Sea area. Sci Total Environ 160/161:497–504

    Google Scholar 

  • Skaare JU, Tuveng JM, Sande HA (1988) Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in maternal adipose tissue, blood, milk, and cord blood from mothers and their infants living in Norway. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 17:55–63

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swerpel S (1992) Water transport in the coastal bays of the Hornsund. In: Klekowski RZ, Opalinski KW (eds) Landscape, life world and man in high Arctic, Institute of Ecology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, pp 75–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Syvitski JPM (1989) On the deposition of sediment within glacierinfluenced fjords: oceanographic controls. Mar Geol 85:301–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tapp JF, Shillabeer N, Ashman CM (1993) Continued observation of the benthic fauna of the industrialised Tees estuary, 1979–1990. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 172:67–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weslawski JM, Kwasniewski S, Swerpel S, Wiktor J, Zajaczkowski M,Ostrowski M, Siwecki R (1990) Summer environmental survey of Gipsvika, Svalbard. Nor Polarinst Rapp, Oslo, rep no 62, pp 111–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodham A, Chambers S (1994) Some taxonomic problems of bitentacular cirratulids. Polychaete Res 16:14–15

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Akvapan-niva, P.O. Box 735, N-9001, Tromsø, Norway

    B. Holte & S. Dahle

  2. The Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, N-9038, Tromsø, Norway

    B. Gulliksen

  3. Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Televeien 1, N-4890, Grimstad, Norway

    K. Næs

Authors
  1. B. Holte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Dahle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. Gulliksen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. Næs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Holte, B., Dahle, S., Gulliksen, B. et al. 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 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02329051

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02329051

Keywords

Search

Navigation