Primary production in the Arctic ecosystem mostly comes from microalgae growing under sea ice and in the water column. These algal communities bloom successively, providing two pulses of organic matter to the ecosystem. The organic matter coming from these primary producers reaches the seafloor in different states of degradation, and therefore differs in quantity and quality.
I aim to investigate how different relative contributions of these primary producers affects benthic communities – if it shapes their structure, trophic relationships or secondary productivity – as well as looking at how much energy they contribute to benthic systems throughout the year. I will be using different methods to help me explore this, such as taxonomical investigation and community analysis as well as using multiple biomarkers (H-print, stable isotopes, fatty acids).
