The influence of lipid-extraction on theδ^(13)C of mesopelagic and demersal fish in the South China Sea:modification and application of lipid normalization models

Mesopelagic fish,the most important daily vertically migrating community in the oceans,are characterized by high lipid content which may obscure the interpretation of stable isotopes analysis.Demersal fish,which are important consumers in the food web dominated by mesopelagic fish,also have a high lipid content.Here we collected 127 fish samples from the South China Sea and evaluated the effect of lipid contents on△δ^(13)C of mesopelagic and demersal fish.In lipid-extracted mesopelagic fish,the C/N content ratio(<5.5)shows a clear correlation withΔδ^(13)C(the offset of bulk and lipid-extractedδ^(13)C values),especially in non-migratory and semi-migratory species;these values were less correlation in demersal fish.Based on our results,we suggest that mesopelagic and demersal fish in different regions of the South China Sea should be studied separately using appropriate correction models and less fit for the traditional model.Moreover,the C/N content ratio should be used cautiously for establishing the lipid normalization model,especially for the fish in migratory mesopelagic fish and demersal fish.Our results also reveal that mesopelagic fish across nearby regions could be analyzed together.The new models described here can be applied in future studies of mesopelagic and demersal fish in the South China Sea.

Improved method for measuring the δ15N compound-specific amino acids: Application on mesopelagic fishes in the South China Sea

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis of individual amino acids(CSIA-AA)has been widely used in ecological and biogeochemical studies.It has been proven to be powerful in tracing the diet sources and trophic interactions.However,assessing the N sources of mesopelagic fishes has been inconclusive because the mesopelagic fishes’unique domain(water depth ranged from 0 to 1000 m)and unresolved nitrogen isotopes of various forms.This study proposes a new method for coupling instruments(ion chromatography and PreconIRMS)and chemical method of oxidation-reduction of amino acids,and also combinedδ15N of AAs withδ13C of fatty acids(FAs)to analyze the trophic interactions of mesopelagic fishes in the South China Sea(SCS).AAs were isolated by ion chromatography with high peak resolution and collected by an automated fraction collector.The chemical method then converted the AAs into N2 O with a robust oxidation yields and suitable molar ratio of NH2 OH to.Finally,theδ15N of AAs at 20 nmol were measured with a reasonable precision(<0.6‰).With this method,this study report the first batch high precisionδ15N of AAs andδ13C of FAs of mesopelagic fishes collected from SCS.Diaphus luetkeni,Chauliodus minimus and Bathygadus antrodes showed similarδ13C values of 20:4 n-6(~-28‰),while Argyropelecus affinis and Stomias had similar values(~-32‰).These results reflect that mesopelagic fishes had complex diet sources.An increase of 4‰inδ15N of glutamic acid(Glu)was found between piscivorous and planktivorous fishes,which might suggest a trophic discrimination factor of mesopelagic fishes in the SCS.This study usedδ13C of 20:4 n-6 to reveal the diet sources of mesopelagic fishes andδ15N of Glu to clarify trophic level between piscivorous and planktivorous fishes.Thus,this combinative method could therefore ultimately be applied in a variety of deep-sea ecosystem.

Community structure of mesopelagic fauna and the length-weight relationships of three common fishes in the Cosmonaut Sea,Southern Ocean

This study used specimens of marine organisms caught by rectangular midwater trawl in the Cosmonaut Sea,Southern Ocean,in austral summer 2019/2020,to determine species composition and spatial distributions of mesopelagic fauna in this sea.The data were also used to calculate the length-weight relationships of three common fishes captured during the survey(Electrona antarctica,Bathylagus antarcticus,and Cyclothone microdon).A total of 385 individual organisms with a total weight of 15462.2 g and representing 17 species were collected across the 11 stations visited.The small-sized crown jellyfish Atolla wyvillei(order Coronatae)was the most-dominant species by number(96 individuals),and the zooplankton Cyllopus lucasii(Amphipoda)also showed high abundance(54 individuals).Among fishes,81 individuals of Notolepis coatsorum(Paralepididae)were caught,followed by 71 individuals of E.antarctica(Myctophidae),25 individuals of B.antarcticus(Bathylagidae),and 16 individuals of C.microdon(Gonostomatidae).Clustering analysis divided the mesopelagic community into“west”and“east”groups,and a greater number of individuals were collected in the western part of the sea.The length-weight relationships of the three common fishes revealed positive allometric growth for B.antarcticus(b=3.16),and negative allometric growth for E.antarctica and C.microdon(both b=2.53).Our descriptions of the mesopelagic-zone community structure and biological features of three common fishes provide basic information on the ecology of the Cosmonaut Sea,Southern Ocean,and will be useful for ecosystem-based fisheries management in this region.

Incorporating mesopelagic fish into the evaluation of conservation areas for marine living resources under climate change scenarios

Mesopelagic fish(meso-fish)are central species within the Southern Ocean(SO).However,their ecosystem role and adaptive capacity to climate change are rarely integrated into protected areas assessments.This is a pity given their importance as crucial prey and predators in food webs,coupled with the impacts of climate change.Here,we estimate the habitat distribution of nine meso-fish using an ensemble model approach(MAXENT,random forest,and boosted regression tree).Four climate model simulations were used to project their distribution under two representative concentration pathways(RCP4.5 and RCP8.5)for short-term(2006–2055)and long-term(2050–2099)periods.In addition,we assess the ecological representativeness of protected areas under climate change scenarios using meso-fish as indicator species.Our models show that all species shift poleward in the future.Lanternfishes(family Myctophidae)are predicted to migrate poleward more than other families(Paralepididae,Nototheniidae,Bathylagidae,and Gonostomatidae).In comparison,lanternfishes were projected to increase habitat area in the eastern SO but lose area in the western SO;the opposite was projected for species in other families.Important areas(IAs)of meso-fish are mainly distributed near the Antarctic Peninsula and East Antarctica.Negotiated protected area cover 23% of IAs at present and 38%of IAs in the future(RCP8.5,long-term future).Many IAs of meso-fish still need to be included in protected areas,such as the Prydz Bay and the seas around the Antarctic Peninsula.Our results provide a framework for evaluating protected areas incorporating climate change adaptation strategies for protected areas management.

The response of mesopelagic organisms to artificial lights

Though mesopelagic fish respond to natural light(e.g.,diurnal vertical migration),few studies have looked at how they respond to artificial light and if artificial lights could be used in commercial operations to improve catchability of mesopelagic fish.Here we present a preliminary study on how mesopelagic organisms respond to blue and green spotlights,as well as red and white diffuse lights in Masfjorden(Norway;max depth of 480 m).The response of organisms in each of the three sound scattering layers(SSLs)was observed when a)artificial lights were positioned in a layer or b)moved with a constant speed(generally 0.03 ms1)towards a layer.The artificial lights were attached to a rig with a self-contained echosounder,which recorded the vertical and horizontal avoidance of organisms in each SSL to different artificial lights.Net hauls(MIC-net)and video footage confirmed that Maurolicus muelleri and siphonophores were present in the upper layer(100-150 m),while Benthosema glaciale were present in the deeper layers(~200 m and~300 m to seabed).Our findings suggest that M.muelleri(SSL1)horizontally avoid blue spotlight and white diffuse light,while B.glaciale(SSL2 and SSL3)mainly avoid the same lights downwards and can be herded downwards over 250 m.Though this study should be regarded as preliminary,the observed avoidance/herding response suggests artificial lights could be applied to improve existing fish capture methods for mesopelagic fish.

Different vertical distribution of zooplankton community between North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and Western Pacific Warm Pool: its implication to carbon flux

The mesozooplankton in both epipelagic and mesopelagic zones is essentially important for the study of ecosystem and biological carbon pump. Previous studies showed that the diel vertical migration (DVM) pattern of mesozooplankton varied among ecosystems. However, that pattern was largely unknown in the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP). The vertical distribution, DVM and community structure of mesozooplankton from the surface to 1 000 m were compared at Stas JL7K (WPWP) and MA (North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, NPSG). Two sites showed similarly low biomass in both epipelagic and mesopelagic zones, which were in accordance with oligotrophic conditions of these two ecosystems. Stronger DVM (night/day ratio) was found at JL7K (1.31) than that at MA (1.09) on surface 0–100 m, and an obvious night increase of mesopelagic biomass was observed at JL7K, which was probably due to migrators from bathypelagic zone. Active carbon flux by DVM of zooplankton was estimated to be 0.23 mmol/(m2·d) at JL7K and 0.16 mmol/(m2·d) at MA. The community structure analysis showed that calanoid copepods, cnidarians and appendicularians were the main contributors to DVM of mesozooplankton at both sites. We also compared the present result with previous studies of the two ecosystems, and suggested that the DVM of mesozooplankton was more homogeneous within the WPWP and more variable within the NPSG, though both ecosystems showed typically extremely oligotrophic conditions. The different diel vertical migration strength of mesozooplankton between NPSG and WPWP implied different efficiency of carbon pump in these two ecosystems.

Dinophysoid dinoflagellates from subphotic depths:Amphisolenia sp.aff.brevicauda,Dinofurcula tricornuta sp.nov.,and Dinophysis profunda sp.nov.(Dinophysales,Dinophyceae)

Three species of dinophysoid planktonic dinoflagellates are described from the eastern Mediterranean Sea.Amphisolenia sp.aff.brevicauda was collected at 70-m depth in the Ionian Sea.This small species showed a more asymmetric midbody and a proportionally longer neck when compared to the closer relative A.brevicauda.Three individuals of Dinofurcula tricornuta sp.nov.collected at 154-m depth in the Marmara Sea are characterized by three posterior-oriented processes when compared to its congeneric species.This is the first record of the genus Dinofurcula beyond the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.Dinophysis profunda sp.nov.collected at 500-m depth in the Ionian Sea is characterized by ovate hypotheca and a serrate crest-like left sulcal list when compared to its close relative D.alata.These findings evidence an undescribed biodiversity in the under-sampled subphotic depths.

Spatial patterns and environmental associations of deep scattering layers in the northwestern subtropical Pacific Ocean

The mesopelagic communities are important for food web and carbon pump in ocean,but the large-scale studies of them are still limited until now because of the difficulties on sampling and analyzing of mesopelagic organisms.Mesopelagic organisms,especially micronekton,can form acoustic deep scattering layers(DSLs)and DSLs are widely observed.To explore the spatial patterns of DSLs and their possible influencing factors,the DSLs during daytime(10:00–14:00)were investigated in the subtropical northwestern Pacific Ocean(13°–23.5°N,153°–163°E)using a shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler at 38 kHz.The study area was divided into three parts using k-means cluster analysis:the northern part(NP,22°–24°N),the central part(CP,17°–22°N),and the southern part(SP,12°–17°N).The characteristics of DSLs varied widely with latitudinal gradient.Deepest core DSLs(523.5 m±17.4 m),largest nautical area scattering coefficient(NASC)(130.8 m^(2)/n mile^(2)±41.0 m^(2)/n mile^(2)),and most concentrated DSLs(mesopelagic organisms gathering level,6.7%±0.7%)were observed in NP.The proportion of migration was also stronger in NP(39.7%)than those in other parts(18.6%in CP and 21.5%in SP)for mesopelagic organisms.The latitudinal variation of DSLs was probably caused by changes in oxygen concentration and light intensity of mesopelagic zones.A positive relationship between NASC and primary productivity was identified.A four-months lag was seemed to exist.This study provides the first basin-scale baselines information of mesopelagic communities in the northwest Pacific with acoustic approach.Further researches are suggested to gain understandings of seasonal and annual variations of DSLs in the region.