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Intertidal community composition along rocky shores in South-west Greenland: a quantitative approach

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Abstract

The intertidal communities on rocky shores are directly subjected to climatic changes in air and water temperatures and to derived effects of climate change, such as changes in freshwater run-off and ice dynamics. Global warming occurs at elevated rates in Greenland and results in changing species distributions with range expansions to the north and new species entering terrestrial habitats from the south. There is, however, no quantitative knowledge of past or present species distribution in the littoral zone of Southern Greenland, an area which represents an important gateway for northern range expansions of temperate species. This study provides baseline information on abundances of macroorganisms in the eulittoral Southern Greenland. This knowledge will pave the way for future studies on the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on these communities. Nine sites, situated at different exposure levels, were investigated. A total of 22 taxa were recorded, suggesting low species richness. Patellid limpets and predators such as dogwhelks, starfish and crabs were absent. Total standing stock ranged from 0 to 31,898 g m−2. Species composition and biomasses were related to locally generated wave exposure, oceanic swells and ice scouring. The high standing stock at sheltered sites indicated that neither light, temperature nor nutrients, constrained buildup of biomass in this environment. Inshore seasonal measurements of water and air temperatures were recorded for the first time in the region, displaying low water temperatures and high variation in air temperatures, indicating lack of insulating stable sea ice in the area. Possible impacts of ongoing temperature changes are discussed based on recorded temperatures and meteorological data from the past 30 years.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Jens Deding, Poul Møller Pedersen and Tom Djurhuus for skillful assistance with fieldwork and logistics. We thank Palle Bo Nielsen from the Danish Meterological Institute (DMI) for providing tide model data. The study was funded by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (grant no. 112-00115), the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum, Greenland Government, the Greenland Climate Research Center, the Danish Ministry of the Environment (DANCEA), the Ministry of Education, Research and Nordic Cooperation (IIN), Aage V. Jensens Charity Foundation, and is a part of the Arctic Science Partnership (http://asp-net.org).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé 8, bldg. 1110, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Signe Høgslund, Mikael K. Sejr & Susse Wegeberg

  2. Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstanców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland

    Jozef Wiktor Jr.

  3. Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, Box 570, 3900, Nuuk, Greenland

    Mikael K. Sejr & Martin E. Blicher

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  1. Signe Høgslund
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Correspondence to Signe Høgslund.

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Høgslund, S., Sejr, M.K., Wiktor, J. et al. Intertidal community composition along rocky shores in South-west Greenland: a quantitative approach. Polar Biol 37, 1549–1561 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-014-1541-7

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