Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

From Fish to Jellyfish in the Eutrophicated Limfjorden (Denmark)

  • Published:
Estuaries and Coasts Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The heavily eutrophicated Limfjorden (Denmark) provides a good illustration of the value of long-term monitoring, especially if this is combined with an experimental, interdisciplinary research approach. Here, we first give a short overview of the environmental status of Limfjorden, including the historical development of nutrient overloading and subsequent oxygen depletion in near-bottom water, and how the annual landings of edible bottom-dwelling fish species (plaice, flounder, eel and others) caught in Limfjorden have decreased from about 2,500 t in the early 1920s to only about 20 t in recent years where the fish have been replaced by an increasing number of especially the moon jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, which mainly preys on zooplankton. Next, we evaluate the ecological consequences of the present high number of jellyfish, based on data from recent years’ research on the abundance of jellyfish, their population dynamics and predation impact. In Limfjorden, the benthic polyp stage of A. aurita ensures a large number of small ephyrae in the early spring and subsequently a large population of adult medusae that control the zooplankton during summer and autumn. The holopelagic invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, which was observed in Limfjorden for the first time in 2007, is a second carnivore adding additional predation pressure of the indigenous A. aurita so that copepods and other mesozooplankton organisms may be virtually absent, as observed in 2008 and 2009 where ciliates made up a substantial part of the zooplankton biomass. Marine environmental management programmes should be aware of the increasing importance of both indigenous and new invasive jellyfish species that may show mass occurrence in especially eutrophicated and over-fished areas.

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
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andersen, J.H., and D.J. Conley. 2009. Eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems: towards better understanding and management strategies. Hydrogiologia 629: 1–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arai, M.N. 2001. Pelagic coelenterates and eutrophication: a review. Hydrobiologia 451: 69–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asmus, R., and H. Asmus. 1991. Mussel beds: limiting or promoting phytoplankton? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 148: 215–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, L.D., and M.R. Reeve. 1974. Laboratory culture of the lobate ctenophore Mnemiopsis mccradyi with notes on feeding and fecundity. Marine Biology 26: 57–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Behrends, G., and G. Schneider. 1995. Impact of Aurelia aurita medusae (Cnidaria, Schyphozoa) on the standing stock and community composition of mezozooplankton in the Kiel Bight (western Baltic Sea). Marine Ecology Progress Series 127: 39–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bioconsult. 2001. Fiskelarver og gopler i Limfjorden, foråret 1996–1999. (Report in Danish produced for Limfjordssamarbejdet, v/Nordjyllandsamt, Aalborg, Denmark).

  • Boero, F., J. Bouillon, C. Gravili, M.P. Miglietta, T. Parsons, and S. Piraino. 2008. Gelatinous plankton: irregularities rule the world (sometimes). Marine Ecology Progress Series 356: 299–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carstensen, J., D.J. Conley, J.H. Andersen, and G. Ærtebjerg. 2006. Coastal eutrophication and trend reversal: a Danish case study. Limnology and Oceanography 51: 398–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christiansen, T., T. J. Christensen, S. Markager, J. K. Petersen, and L. T. Mouritsen. 2006. Limfjorden i 100 år. Klima, hydrografi, næringsstoftilførsel, bundfauna og fisk i Limfjorden fra 1897 til 2003. Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser. Faglig rapport fra DMU, nr. 578. (Report in Danish with English summary; http://faglige-rapporter.dmu.dk)

  • Conley, D.J., H. Kaas, F. Møhlenberg, B. Rasmussen, and J. Windolf. 2000. Characteristics of Danish estuaries. Estuaries and Coasts 23: 820–837.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Conley, D.J., S. Markager, J. Andersen, et al. 2002. Coastal eutrophication and the Danish national aquatic monitoring and assessment program. Estuaries and Coasts 25: 848–861.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz, R.J. 2001. Overview of hypoxia around the world. Journal of Environmental Quality 30: 275–281.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dolmer, P., and R.P. Frandsen. 2002. Evaluation of the Danish mussel fishery: suggestions for an ecosystem management approach. Helgoland Marine Research 56: 13–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dolmer, P., P.S. Kristensen, and E. Hoffmann. 1999. Dredging of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) in a Danish sound: stock sizes and fishery-effects on mussel population dynamic. Fisheries Research 40: 73–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frandsen, K.T., and H.U. Riisgård. 1997. Size dependent respiration and growth of jellyfish, Aurelia aurita. Sarsia 82: 307–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansson, L.J., O. Moeslund, T. Kiørboe, and H.U. Riisgård. 2005. Clearance rates of jellyfish and their potential predation impact on zooplankton and fish larvae in a neritic ecosystem (Limfjorden, Denmark). Marine Ecology Progress Series 304: 117–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmann, E. 2005. Fisk, fiskeri og epifauna. Limfjorden 1984–2004. Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, no. 147–05, pp. 49 (Report in Danish).

  • Hoffmann, E. 2008. Forsøgsfiskeri i Limfjorden 2008. Rapport til Limfjordsovervågningen. DTU-Aqua, December 2008, pp. 19 (Report in Danish).

  • Hofmeister, R., H. Buchard, and K. Bolding. 2009. A three-dimensional model study on processes of stratification and de-stratification in the Limfjord. Continental Shelf Research 29: 1515–1524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jørgensen, B.B. 1980. Seasonal oxygen depletion in the bottom waters of a Danish fjord and its effect on the benthic community. Oikos 34: 68–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jørgensen, B. B., and K. Richardson (eds.). 1996. Eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems. Coastal and Estuarine Studies 52. Washington, D.C.: American Geophysical Union. pp. 173

  • Limfjordsrådet. 2007. Bemærkninger og forslag til vandplan for Limfjorden (“comments and suggestions to water plan for Limfjorden”). Denmark: Nykøbing Mors Kommune.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markager, S., L. M. Storm, and C. A. Stedmon. 2006. Limfjordens miljøtilstand 1985 til 2003. Sammenhæng mellem næringsstoftilførsler, klima og hydrografi belyst ved hjælp af empiriske modeller. Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser. Faglig rapport fra DMU, nr. 577. http://faglige-rapporter.dmu.dk (Report in Danish)

  • Matsakis, S., and R.J. Conover. 1991. Abundance and feeding of medusae and their potential impact as predators on other zooplankton in Bedford Basin (Nova Scotia, Canada) during spring. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 48: 1419–1430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mills, C.E. 2001. Jellyfish blooms: are populations increasing globally in response to changing ocean conditions? Hydrobiologia 451: 55–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Møhlenberg, F. 1999. Effect of meteorology and nutrient load on oxygen depletion in a Danish micro-tidal estuary. Aquatic Ecology 33: 55–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Møhlenberg, F., S. Petersen, A.H. Petersen, and C. Gameiro. 2007. Long-term and short-term variability of water quality in Skive Fjord, Denmark—nutrient load and mussels are the primary pressures and drivers that influence water quality. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 127: 503–521.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Möller, H. 1979. Significance of coelenterates in relation to other plankton organisms. Meeresforschung 27: 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller, L.F., and H.U. Riisgård. 2007a. Population dynamics, growth and predation impact of the common jellyfish, Aurelia aurita and two hydromedusae (Sarsia tubulosa and Aequorea vitrina) in Limfjorden (Denmark). Marine Ecology Progress Series 346: 167–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Møller, L.F., and H.U. Riisgård. 2007b. Population dynamics, growth and predation impact of the common jellyfish, Aurelia aurita, and selected hydromedusae in Limfjorden (Denmark). Marine Ecology Progress Series 346: 145–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller, L.F., and H.U. Riisgård. 2007c. Impact of jellyfish and mussels on algal blooms caused by seasonal oxygen depletion and nutrient release from the sediment in a Danish fjord. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 351: 92–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NOVANA. 2005. Vandmiljø i Limfjorden 2004. Limfjordsovervågningen, Ringkøbing Amt, Viborg Amt, Nordjyllands Amt, maj 2005 http://www.limfjord.dk/rapporter/vandmiljo2004/Hovedrapport.pdf (Report in Danish)

  • Olesen, N.J. 1995. Clearance potential of jellyfish Aurelia aurita and predation impact on zooplankton in a shallow cove. Marine Ecology Progress Series 124: 63–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olesen, N.J., K. Frandsen, and H.U. Riisgård. 1994. Population dynamics, growth and energetics of jellyfish Aurelia aurita in a shallow fjord. Marine Ecology Progress Series 105: 9–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J.E., D.L. Breitburg, M.B. Decker, W.M. Graham, M.J. Youngbluth, and K.A. Raskoff. 2001a. Pelagic cnidarians and ctenophores in low dissolved oxygen environments: a review. In Coastal hypoxia: consequences for living resources and ecosystems. In Coastal and Estuarine Studies 58, ed. N.N. Rabalais and R.E. Turner, 77–100. Washington: American Geophysical Union.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J.E., T.A. Shiganova, M.B. Decker, and E.D. Houde. 2001b. The ctenophore Mnemiopsis in native and exotic habitats: U.S. estuaries versus the Black Sea basin. Hydrobiologia 451: 145–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J.E., S. Uye, and W.-T. Lo. 2007. Antropogenic causes of jellyfish blooms and their direct consequences for humans: a review. Marine Ecology Progress Series 350: 153–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rask, N., S.E. Pedersen, and M.H. Jensen. 1999. Response to lowered nutrient discharges in the coastal waters around the island of Funen, Denmark. Hydrobiologia 393: 69–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, K. 1996. Conclusion, research and eutrophication control. In Eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems. In Coastal and Estuarine Studies 52, ed. B.B. Jørgensen and K. Richardson, 243–267. Washington: American Geophysical Union.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, A.J., A. Bakun, G.C. Hays, and M.J. Gibbons. 2009. The jellyfish joyride: causes, consequences and management responses to a more gelatinous future. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 24: 312–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riisgård, H.U. 1998. Filter feeding and plankton dynamics in a Danish fjord: A review of the importance of flow, mixing, and density-driven circulation. Journal of Environmental Management 53: 195–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riisgård, H.U. 2007. Feeding behaviour of the hydromedusa Aequorea vitrina. Scientia Marina 71: 395–404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riisgård, H.U., and E. Poulsen. 1981. Growth of Mytilus edulis in net bags transferred to different localities in an eutrophicated Danish fjord. Marine Pollution Bulletin 12: 272–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riisgård, H.U., D.F. Seerup, M.H. Hjort, E. Glob, and P.S. Larsen. 2004. Grazing impact of filter-feeding zoobenthos in a Danish fjord. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 307: 261–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riisgård, H.U., L. Bøttiger, C.V. Madsen, and J.E. Purcell. 2007. Invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in Limfjorden (Denmark) in late summer 2007—assessment of abundance and predation impact. Aquatic Invasions 2: 395–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riisgård, H.U., C. Barth-Jensen, and C.V. Madsen. 2010. High abundance of the jellyfish Aurelia aurita excludes the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi to establish in a shallow cove (Kertinge Nor, Denmark). Aquatic Invasions 5: 347–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riisgård, H.U., C.V. Madsen, C. Barth, and J. Purcell. 2012. Population dynamics and zooplankton-predation impact of the indigenous scyphozoan Aurelia aurita and the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in Limfjorden (Denmark). Aquatic Invasions 7(2): in press. doi:10.3391/ai.2011.accepted.

  • Rosenberg, R., L.-O. Loo, and P. Möller. 1992. Hypoxia, salinity and temperature as structuring factors for marine benthic communities in a eutrophic area. Netherlands Journal of Sea Research 30: 121–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford, L.D., and E.V. Thuesen. 2005. Metabolic performance and survival of medusae in estuarine hypoxia. Marine Ecology Progress Series 294: 189–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sand-Jensen, K., S. L. Nielsen, J. Borum, and O. Geertz-Hansen. 1994. Fytoplankton—og makrofytudviklingen i danske kystområder (“Phytoplankton and macrophyte development in Danish coastal waters”). Havforskning fra Miljøstyrelsen nr. 30, Miljøministeriet, Copenhagen (in Danish with English summary).

  • Vahtera, E., D.J. Conley, B.G. Gustafson, H. Kuosa, H. Pitkänen, O.P. Savchuck, T. Tamminen, M. Viitasalo, M. Voss, N. Wasmund, and F. Wulff. 2007. Internal ecosystem feedbacks enhance nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria blooms and complicate management in the Baltic Sea. Ambio 36: 186–194.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiles, P., L.A. van Duren, C. Häse, J. Larsen, and J.H. Simpson. 2006. Stratification and mixing in the Limfjorden in relation to mussel culture. Journal of Marine Systems 60: 129–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zervoudaki, S., T.G. Nielsen, and J. Carstensen. 2009. Seasonal succession and composition of the zooplankton community along an eutrophication and salinity gradient exemplified by Danish waters. Journal of Plankton Research 31: 1475–1492.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to the Environment Centre Ringkøbing, Danish Ministry of the Environment, for excellent co-operation, and to an anonymous reviewer for constructive comments on the manuscript. The study was supported by a grant from FNU, the Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation (H. U. Riisgård, grant no. 09–073291).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Biological Research Centre, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, 5300, Kerteminde, Denmark

    Hans Ulrik Riisgård

  2. Orbicon A/S, Jens Juuls Vej 16, 8260, Viby J, Denmark

    Per Andersen

  3. DTU-Aqua, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, 2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark

    Erik Hoffmann

Authors
  1. Hans Ulrik Riisgård
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Per Andersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Erik Hoffmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hans Ulrik Riisgård.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Riisgård, H.U., Andersen, P. & Hoffmann, E. From Fish to Jellyfish in the Eutrophicated Limfjorden (Denmark). Estuaries and Coasts 35, 701–713 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9480-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9480-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation