ORCID Profile
0000-0001-5986-6149
Current Organisation
Université Laval
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Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 19-10-2020
Abstract: Abstract. The MALINA oceanographic c aign was conducted during summer 2009 to investigate the carbon stocks and the processes controlling the carbon fluxes in the Mackenzie River estuary and the Beaufort Sea. During the c aign, an extensive suite of physical, chemical and biological variables was measured across seven shelf–basin transects (south-north) to capture the meridional gradient between the estuary and the open ocean. Key variables such as temperature, absolute salinity, radiance, irradiance, nutrient concentrations, chlorophyll-a concentration, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance and taxonomy, and carbon stocks and fluxes were routinely measured onboard the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen and from a barge in shallow coastal areas or for s ling within broken ice fields. Here, we present the results of a joint effort to tidy and standardize the collected data sets that will facilitate their reuse in further studies of the changing Arctic Ocean. The dataset is available at 0.17882/75345 (Massicotte2020b).
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2016.03.006
Abstract: In coastal environments, fishing and aquaculture may be important sources of disturbance to ecosystem functioning, the quantification of which must be assessed to make them more sustainable. In the Chausey Archipelago, France, recreational fishing and commercial shellfish farming are the only two evident anthropogenic activities, dominated by bivalve hand-raking and 'bouchot' mussel culture, respectively. This study evaluates the impact of both activities on bivalve recruitment dynamics by comparing primary recruitment intensity (short-term effect) and recruitment efficiency (medium-term effect) by s ling bivalves in reference (undisturbed) and disturbed (i.e. subjected to hand-raking or in 'bouchot' mussel culture areas) parcels throughout and at the end of the recruitment season, respectively. Specific hypotheses evaluated were that (H1) bivalve hand-raking negatively affects bivalve recruitment and that (H2) 'bouchot' mussel culture promotes bivalve recruitment. Patterns in bivalve community structure in reference parcels (i.e. natural pattern) differed between initial and final recruitment, underlining the great importance of early post-settlement processes, particularly secondary dispersal. Primary recruitment intensity was inhibited in hand-raking parcels whereas it was promoted in 'bouchot' mussel culture parcels, but the effect on recruitment efficiency was muted for both activities due to post-settlement processes. Nevertheless, the importance of effects that occur during the first step of recruitment should not be ignored as they may affect bivalve communities and induce immediate consequences on the trophic web through a cascade effect. Finally, it is highlighted that hand-raking damages all life stages of the common cockle Cerastoderma edule, one of the major target species, suggesting that this activity should be managed with greater caution than is currently done.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2011
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 13-03-2017
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12036
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 10-02-2015
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 23-12-2020
DOI: 10.3389/FMARS.2020.617324
Abstract: The Arctic climate is changing rapidly. The warming and resultant longer open water periods suggest a potential for expansion of marine vegetation along the vast Arctic coastline. We compiled and reviewed the scattered time series on Arctic marine vegetation and explored trends for macroalgae and eelgrass ( Zostera marina ). We identified a total of 38 sites, distributed between Arctic coastal regions in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway/Svalbard, and Russia, having time series extending into the 21st Century. The majority of these exhibited increase in abundance, productivity or species richness, and/or expansion of geographical distribution limits, several time series showed no significant trend. Only four time series displayed a negative trend, largely due to urchin grazing or increased turbidity. Overall, the observations support with medium confidence (i.e., 5–8 in 10 chance of being correct, adopting the IPCC confidence scale) the prediction that macrophytes are expanding in the Arctic. Species distribution modeling was challenged by limited observations and lack of information on substrate, but suggested a current (2000–2017) potential pan-Arctic brown macroalgal distribution area of 655,111 km 2 (140,433 km 2 intertidal, 514,679 km 2 subtidal), representing an increase of about 45% for subtidal- and 8% for intertidal macroalgae since 1940–1950, and associated polar migration rates averaging 18–23 km decade –1 . Adjusting the potential macroalgal distribution area by the fraction of shores represented by cliffs halves the estimate (340,658 km 2 ). Warming and reduced sea ice cover along the Arctic coastlines are expected to stimulate further expansion of marine vegetation from boreal latitudes. The changes likely affect the functioning of coastal Arctic ecosystems because of the vegetation’s roles as habitat, and for carbon and nutrient cycling and storage. We encourage a pan-Arctic science- and management agenda to incorporate marine vegetation into a coherent understanding of Arctic changes by quantifying distribution and status beyond the scattered studies now available to develop sustainable management strategies for these important ecosystems.
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 27-01-2020
Abstract: Abstract. The Green Edge initiative was developed to investigate the processes controlling the primary productivity and fate of organic matter produced during the Arctic phytoplankton spring bloom (PSB) and to determine its role in the ecosystem. Two field c aigns were conducted in 2015 and 2016 at an ice c located on landfast sea ice southeast of Qikiqtarjuaq Island in Baffin Bay (67.4797∘ N, 63.7895∘ W). During both expeditions, a large suite of physical, chemical and biological variables was measured beneath a consolidated sea-ice cover from the surface to the bottom (at 360 m depth) to better understand the factors driving the PSB. Key variables, such as conservative temperature, absolute salinity, radiance, irradiance, nutrient concentrations, chlorophyll a concentration, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance and taxonomy, and carbon stocks and fluxes were routinely measured at the ice c . Meteorological and snow-relevant variables were also monitored. Here, we present the results of a joint effort to tidy and standardize the collected datasets, which will facilitate their reuse in other Arctic studies. The dataset is available at 0.17882/59892 (Massicotte et al., 2019a).
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-05-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41559-019-0899-X
Abstract: Predator-prey interactions in natural ecosystems generate complex food webs that have a simple universal body-size architecture where predators are systematically larger than their prey. Food-web theory shows that the highest predator-prey body-mass ratios found in natural food webs may be especially important because they create weak interactions with slow dynamics that stabilize communities against perturbations and maintain ecosystem functioning. Identifying these vital interactions in real communities typically requires arduous identification of interactions in complex food webs. Here, we overcome this obstacle by developing predator-trait models to predict average body-mass ratios based on a database comprising 290 food webs from freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems across all continents. We analysed how species traits constrain body-size architecture by changing the slope of the predator-prey body-mass scaling. Across ecosystems, we found high body-mass ratios for predator groups with specific trait combinations including (1) small vertebrates and (2) large swimming or flying predators. Including the metabolic and movement types of predators increased the accuracy of predicting which species are engaged in high body-mass ratio interactions. We demonstrate that species traits explain striking patterns in the body-size architecture of natural food webs that underpin the stability and functioning of ecosystems, paving the way for community-level management of the most complex natural ecosystems.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13013
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 15-04-2021
DOI: 10.5194/ESSD-13-1561-2021
Abstract: Abstract. The MALINA oceanographic c aign was conducted during summer 2009 to investigate the carbon stocks and the processes controlling the carbon fluxes in the Mackenzie River estuary and the Beaufort Sea. During the c aign, an extensive suite of physical, chemical and biological variables were measured across seven shelf–basin transects (south–north) to capture the meridional gradient between the estuary and the open ocean. Key variables such as temperature, absolute salinity, radiance, irradiance, nutrient concentrations, chlorophyll a concentration, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance and taxonomy, and carbon stocks and fluxes were routinely measured onboard the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen and from a barge in shallow coastal areas or for s ling within broken ice fields. Here, we present the results of a joint effort to compile and standardize the collected data sets that will facilitate their reuse in further studies of the changing Arctic Ocean. The data set is available at 0.17882/75345 (Massicotte et al., 2020).
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2004
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.3672
Abstract: Larval settlement and recruitment are crucial phases in the benthic‐pelagic life cycle of marine benthic invertebrates that controls population dynamic and habitat connectivity. Our study investigated potential triggers driving the settlement of bivalve larvae in a highly dynamic intertidal coarse sand habitat. The early recruitment rate of five dominant bivalve families and abiotic conditions, particulate ( µm) organic matter and sediment organic matter, were monitored from May to October 2014. Pelagic particulate organic matter ( µm) was dominated by picoplankton throughout the s ling period, with a substantial diatom bloom in spring. Sediment was characterized by fresh organic matter in spring, as suggested by the dominant contribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and by a higher proportion of bacterial fatty acid markers during late summer. Different dynamics were also observed in early bivalve recruitment rates, with four different patterns observed over the s ling period. Multiple regression analysis on selected bivalve families showed species‐specific responses to trophic settlement triggers. Indeed, the larva recruitment rate of Mytilidae paralleled pelagic concentration of picoeucaryotes, with the peak early recruitment rate occurring in spring. Surprisingly, the early recruitment rate of Mactridae larvae showed a significant relation to bacterial concentration in the surficial sediment at the end of summer. While the Mytilidae results in such a eutrophic system confirmed those of a previous study in oligotrophic lagoons, therefore supporting the trophic settlement trigger hypothesis, more work is needed to understand the potential role of bacteria in the early recruitment of Mactridae. These results highlight for the first‐time inter‐specific differences in trophic cues that potentially trigger primary settlement in natural bivalve assemblages.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 31-08-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 29-09-2015
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS11424
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 07-10-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FMARS.2021.742209
Abstract: Climate change is transforming marine ecosystems through the expansion and contraction of species’ ranges. Sea ice loss and warming temperatures are expected to expand habitat availability for macroalgae along long stretches of Arctic coastlines. To better understand the current distribution of kelp forests in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, kelps were s led along the coasts for species identifications and percent cover. The s ling effort was supplemented with occurrence records from global bio ersity databases, searches in the literature, and museum records. Environmental information and occurrence records were used to develop ensemble models for predicting habitat suitability and a Random Forest model to predict kelp cover for the dominant kelp species in the region – Agarum clathratum , Alaria esculenta , and Laminariaceae species ( Laminaria solidungula and Saccharina latissima ). Ice thickness, sea temperature and salinity explained the highest percentage of kelp distribution. Both modeling approaches showed that the current extent of arctic kelps is potentially much greater than the available records suggest. These modeling approaches were projected into the future using predicted environmental data for 2050 and 2100 based on the most extreme emission scenario (RCP 8.5). The models agreed that predicted distribution of kelp in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is likely to expand to more northern locations under future emissions scenarios, with the exception of the endemic arctic kelp L. solidungula , which is more likely to lose a significant proportion of suitable habitat. However, there were differences among species regarding predicted cover for both current and future projections. Notwithstanding model-specific variation, it is evident that kelps are widespread throughout the area and likely contribute significantly to the functioning of current Arctic ecosystems. Our results emphasize the importance of kelp in Arctic ecosystems and the underestimation of their potential distribution there.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 31-03-2022
DOI: 10.3389/FMARS.2022.754074
Abstract: The coastal zone of the Canadian Arctic represents 10% of the world’s coastline and is one of the most rapidly changing marine regions on the planet. To predict the consequences of these environmental changes, a better understanding of how environmental gradients shape coastal habitat structure in this area is required. We quantified the abundance and ersity of canopy forming seaweeds throughout the nearshore zone (5–15 m) of the Eastern Canadian Arctic using ing surveys and benthic collections at 55 sites distributed over 3,000 km of coastline. Kelp forests were found throughout, covering on average 40.4% (±29.9 SD) of the seafloor across all sites and depths, despite thick sea ice and scarce hard substrata in some areas. Total standing macroalgal biomass ranged from 0 to 32 kg m –2 wet weight and averaged 3.7 kg m –2 (±0.6 SD) across all sites and depths. Kelps were less abundant at depths of 5 m compared to 10 or 15 m and distinct regional assemblages were related to sea ice cover, substratum type, and nutrient availability. The most common community configuration was a mixed assemblage of four species: Agarum clathratum (14.9% benthic cover ± 12.0 SD), Saccharina latissima (13% ± 14.7 SD), Alaria esculenta (5.4% ± 1.2 SD), and Laminaria solidungula (3.7% ± 4.9 SD). A. clathratum dominated northernmost regions and S. latissima and L. solidungula occurred at high abundance in regions with more open water days. In southeastern areas along the coast of northern Labrador, the coastal zone was mainly sea urchin barrens, with little vegetation. We found positive relationships between open water days (days without sea ice) and kelp biomass and seaweed ersity, suggesting kelp biomass could increase, and the species composition of kelp forests could shift, as sea ice diminishes in some areas of the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Our findings demonstrate the high potential productivity of this extensive coastal zone and highlight the need to better understand the ecology of this system and the services it provides.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-06-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41597-020-0551-2
Abstract: Benthic fauna refers to all fauna that live in or on the seafloor, which researchers typically ide into size classes meiobenthos (32/64 µm–0.5/1 mm), macrobenthos (250 µm–1 cm), and megabenthos ( cm). Benthic fauna play important roles in bioturbation activity, mineralization of organic matter, and in marine food webs. Evaluating their role in these ecosystem functions requires knowledge of their global distribution and biomass. We therefore established the BenBioDen database, the largest open-access database for marine benthic biomass and density data compiled so far. In total, it includes 11,792 georeferenced benthic biomass and 51,559 benthic density records from 384 and 600 studies, respectively. We selected all references following the procedure for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and report biomass records as grams of wet mass, dry mass, or ash-free dry mass, or carbon per m 2 and as abundance records as in iduals per m 2 . This database provides a point of reference for future studies on the distribution and biomass of benthic fauna.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 31-08-2020
Abstract: Climate changes in the Arctic may weaken the currently tight pelagic-benthic coupling. In response to decreasing sea ice cover, arctic marine systems are expected to shift from a ‘sea-ice algae–benthos' to a ‘phytoplankton-zooplankton’ dominance. We used mollusc shells as bioarchives and fatty acid trophic markers to estimate the effects of the reduction of sea ice cover on the food exported to the seafloor. Bathyal bivalve Astarte moerchi living at 600 m depth in northern Baffin Bay reveals a clear shift in growth variations and Ba/Ca ratios since the late 1970s, which we relate to a change in food availability. Tissue fatty acid compositions show that this species feeds mainly on microalgae exported from the euphotic zone to the seabed. We, therefore, suggest that changes in pelagic-benthic coupling are likely due either to local changes in sea ice dynamics, mediated through bottom-up regulation exerted by sea ice on phytoplankton production, or to a mismatch between phytoplankton bloom and zooplankton grazing due to phenological change. Both possibilities allow a more regular and increased transfer of food to the seabed. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning'.
No related grants have been discovered for Philippe Archambault.