ICES CM 2005/L:29 The changes of marine algae flora and phytocenosises of Barents Sea (Russian coast) as the indicator of climatic fluctuations of North Atlantic region. Vadim A.Shtrik Abstract. The three year studies of coastal ecosystem by the program of Coastal Ecosystem Monitoring of Kola peninsula of VNIRO provided new results on composition and structure of near-shore communities of Kola Peninsula (Barents Sea). The monitoring study based on biocenosis stratification of coastal area by method of diving transects and detailed description of quantitative and qualitative indicators of ecosystem. The phyto-geographical subdivision of coastal line was made based on dominant and floristic indexes of biodiversity and structure of phytocenosises. The results obtained indicate that there were appear at least 12 new species of Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta , Rhodophyta algae at the offshore ecosystem of Barents Sea, Kola Peninsula during the lust decades. Some of them were found for the first time at Barents Sea, while the others were discovered for the first time for Seas of Eurasian part of Arctic Ocean. However, these new locations were the results of expansion of species and enlargements of natural habitats. The same patterns of natural habitats extension for all those algae probably are arising from the effect of the global climatic changes at the region of North Atlantic. The paper shows the models of spatial extension of natural habitats for discovered sea algae. An attempt was made to collate long-term fluctuations of climate in offshore zone of Barents Sea with the tendency of spatial expansion of sea algae and the changes of phytocenosis composition of local offshore ecosystems. The new method of long term monitoring based on index of floristic biodiversity and phyto-geographic analyses of local areas of the coast was work out and applied. Keywords: offshore ecosystem, algae, Barents sea, new species, macrophytes, phytocenosis , North Atlantic, climate fluctuations, Gulf Stream Changes Contact author: Vadim A. Shtrik: Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), Moscow, V. Krasnoselskaya 17, 107140, [tel + 007 095 264 70 10, fax + 007 095 264 91 87 e- mail: [email protected]] Material and methodic. In 2002 VNIRO began the program on Coastal Ecosystem Monitoring of Kola peninsula, which suggest creating the system of 16 nearshore polygons (Fig 1). The monitoring study based on biocenosis stratification of coastal area by method of scuba diving transects and detailed description of quantitative and qualitative indicators of ecosystem. The parameters of monitoring base on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of structure of near shore biocenisises. One of the parameters is the index of biodiversity of algae. Fig 1. The system of eco-monitoring polygons across the Kola Peninsula coastal line (VNIRO 2002-2005). Results. According our data 12 species of sea macro algae are new-appear at the shallow water sublitoral ecosystem of Barentz and White Seas during last 50 years, when the similar investigation was occur in this region. We would like to announce below the list of new founding algae for the Kola Peninsula with the geographical notes. Chlorophyta 1. Derbesia marina (Lyngb.)Solier. The distribution of this species is from Norwegian Arctic Sea (Tromsø area) south to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands; round the British Isles, Greenland, Faroes, eastern arctic Canada south to Massachuesetts and North Carolina, west coast of North America from Alaska to Mexico; Bahamas; Brazil; Japan; South Australia. We discovered, that Derbesia marina widely presented now at the phytocenosises of Kola Peninsula, Barentz Sea. It was collected in 19 points from Motovskiy Bay (69º 20,9’N 32º 56,7’E) to Ivanovka Bay (68º 21,7’N 38º 30,5’E).(Fig 2-A). According new finding Derbesia marina can be characterized as consistent component of algoflora of Barents Sea. Though the reduced thallus and some vague of morphological features evidence that the species here is near border of its natural habitat area. 2. Codium fragile (Suringar) Hariot. Grows all round the coast of the British Isles, Norway (Tromsø area), Netherlands. Also in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Indian Ocean, American Pacific coast from Alaska to Cape Horn. We discovered reduced specimens of Codium fragile in Ura – bay (69º 20,9’N 32º 56,7’E) and Bay of Vichany (69º 28,12 2º 38,1’E) in Motovskiy Gulf. (Fig.2-B). The separately growing reduced specimens probably prove the up-to-date invasion of species to east. 3. Urospora wormskjoldii (Mert.)Rosenvinge. The distribution of alga: Spitzbergen, Jan Mayen, Northern Norway south to France; Pacific coast of North America , from Alaska south to California; American Atlantic coast from the Canadian Arctic south to New Brunswick and Maine; Greenland ; British Isles, Iceland , Faroes. Now species was discovered only ones at the Big Oleniy Island at 69º 4,3’N 36º 20,2’E. It is possible that this discovery is a result of more deleted exploration in region. Phaeophyta 4.Mikrosyphar polysiphoniae Kuckuck This alga is discovered at the Barents Sea for the first time as endophyt of Polysiphonia urceolata at the Archipelago Semiostrov’e (68º 45,6’N 37º 31,1’E) , but it known from the seas of Russian Arctic. Though it is possible to tell now about distribution Mikrosyphar polysiphoniae throw out from Spain to Chukchi Sea, through Arctic Ocean, along Europe and Asia coastal line. 5. Mikrosyphar porphyrae Kuckuck Was discovered as endophyt of Porphyra sp. at the Barents and Wight Seas for the first time at the Archipelago Semiostrov’e, (68º 45,6’N 37º 31,1’E) and near Ponoy river (67º 7,3’N 41º 23,9’E). The only another place of known habitat is the coast of North Norway, where it is grows quite rarely. 6. Climacosorus mediterraneus Sauvageau Was discovered only ones at the Wight Sea at 66º 34,8’N 40º 50,25’E. This rear species and genius known only from Mediterranean , Atlantic coast of French and Northern Norway. The enlargement of area habitat to east and north can be explained by climatic changes. 7. Ralfsia ovata Rosenvinge The species known only from coast of Greenland and Iceland. We discovered it growing with calcareous algae at the Ivanova Bay (68º 21,7’N 38º 30,0’E). It is possible that this discovery is a result of more deleted exploration of sublitoral phytocenosises. 8. Fosliea curta (Foslie) Reinke The species known only from coast of Northern Norway and Newfoundland. We discovered it as epyphyt of Laminaria digitata and in Pechenga Bay (69º 40,3’N 32º 55,1’E) ( Fig.2-C ) Fig 2. The distribution and new discovered places of habitat for: A. - Derbesia marina, B.- Codium fragile , C- Fosliea curta, D - Trailliella intricata . 9. Laminaria solidungula J. Agardh We had found this species twice at the border of White and Barents Seas at points of 66º 23,2’N 40º 29,0’E and 66º 6,7’N 39º 18,8’E . This is the first discovery of Laminaria solidungula near Kola Peninsula, though this species widely spreader in Arctic Russian seas, grows at Greenland, Spitzbergen and Arctic Canada. Rhodophyta 10. Clathromorphum circumscriptum (Stroemf.) Foslie The distribution of species : Arctic Canada, Greenland, Iceland. According to fuller information we get the Clathromorphum circumscriptum one of the prevailing calcareous algae in sublitoral below 10 m. We had found this species more than 10 times at different regions of Kola Peninsula from point 69º 23,4’N 33º 0,0’E to point 67º 7,3’N 41º 23,9’E. 11. Leptophytum laeve (Stroemf.) Adey. The distribution of species : Arctic Canada, Greenland. Leptophytum leave was discovered at the Barents and Wight Seas for the first time round the Kola peninsula from point 69º 21,6’N 32º 55,1’E to point 66º 23,25’N 40º 20,0’E at sublitoral phytocenosises below 5 m depth. 12. Trailliella intricata Batters The tetrasporangial phase of Bonnemaisonia hamifera was recognized in Britain as Trailliella intricata Batters. The Trailliella intricata grows round the British Isles, Shetlands Isles, Faroes, Iceland, Northen Norway coast and Arctic Canada. We collected the specimens of Trailliella intricata several times in Motovskiy Bay at the depth of 3 to 25 m. (69º 21,6’N 32º 55,1’E) and in Pechenga Bay (69º 40,3’N 32º 55,1’E) for the first time at the Murman coast of Barents Sea. It means that the natural habitat of this alga enlarges to east. ( Fig 2-D ). Discussion Not doubting the fact itself of over the past 50 years, annual average surface air temperature have increased by about 1ºC over East Greenland, Scandinavia, and Northwest Russia, while there has been cooling of up to 1ºC over Iceland and North Atlantic Ocean (ACIA, 2004). But the climatic fluctuation of off-shore ecosystem along Kola Peninsula can be quite different. This difference could occur due to the fact that the influence of North Cap sea currency has a great importance for this sea area. It was obtained by comparing the spatial extension of natural habitats of several new discovered algae in this region, that all of them use the same pattern of spatial enlargement. As seen from Fig 2 A–C, for all those species of algae the natural habitat area was enlarged at the east dimension, according to direction of warm-water North Cap current. We can assume that the long-term behavior of this sea current determine the changing of climate conditions at the near shore zone of Barents Sea. Invasion of new algae, which grew before only at the more warm- water western areas, evidence with certainty about one way changes of life-conditions at the coastal zone of Murman.