Massive Salp Outbreaks in the Inner Sea of Chiloé Island (Southern Chile): Possible Causes and Ecological Consequences
Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Res., 42(3): 604-621, 2014 Massive salp outbreaks in the inner sea of Chiloé Island 604 1 DOI: 103856/vol42-issue3-fulltext-18 Research Article Massive salp outbreaks in the inner sea of Chiloé Island (Southern Chile): possible causes and ecological consequences Ricardo Giesecke1,2, Alejandro Clement3, José Garcés-Vargas1, Jorge I. Mardones4 Humberto E. González1,6, Luciano Caputo1,2 & Leonardo Castro5,6 1Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile P.O. Box 567, Valdivia, Chile 2Centro de Estudios en Ecología y Limnología Chile, Geolimnos, Carelmapu 1 N°540, Valdivia, Chile 3Plancton Andino, P.O. Box 823, Puerto Montt, Chile 4Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia 5Departamento de Oceanografía, Universidad de Concepción, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile 6Programa de Financiamiento Basal, COPAS Sur-Austral y Centro COPAS de Oceanografía Universidad de Concepción, P.O. Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile ABSTRACT. During 2010 several massive salp outbreaks of the Subantarctic species Ihlea magalhanica were recorded in the inner sea of Chiloé Island (ISCh, Southern Chile), affecting both phytoplankton abundance and salmon farmers by causing high fish mortality. First outbreaks were recorded during February 2010 when Ihlea magalhanica reached up to 654,000 ind m-3 close to the net pens in Maillen Island and consecutive outbreaks could be followed during March and from October to November 2010. One month prior to the first recorded salp outbreak, the adjacent oceanic region and ISCh showed a sharp decline of ca.
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