Royal Society Open Science
Published October 2, 2018
During a 22-year period (1990–2012) of increasing sea temperature (1.0°C) and decreasing sea ice extent (12%) in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, researchers examined how the feeding relationships between beluga whales, ringed seals, Greenland halibut and Arctic char have changed with the prevalence of capelin, a forage fish associated with the Atlantic. All four predators now consume more forage fish and play similar roles in the food web than before capelin became highly available in the Arctic – evidence of climate change-related food web shifts.
Canadian co-authors: David Yurkowski, University of Manitoba – dyurkowski1@gmail.com; Nigel Hussey, University of Windsor – nehussey@uwindsor.ca