Regime shift in the ecosystem of the eastern Gulf of Finland caused by the invasion of the polychaete Marenzelleria arctia

Abstract

The changes in the concentrations of the mineral nitrogen (nitrates and nitrites) and phosphorus and in the state of the planktic communities in the eastern Gulf of Finland following a large-scale invasion of the polychaete Marenzelleria arctia were analyzed. The bioirrigation and bioturbation of the bottom deposits by polychaetes resulted in a dramatic increase in the nitrogen/phosphorus ratio in the waters of the gulf, thus leading to cascade changes in the plankton. As a result of the decrease in the abundance of colonial nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, which cause “blooming” in surface waters, the total biomass of the phytoplankton and chlorophyll a concentration decreased. Because of the disappearance of large colonies of cyanobacteria and the surge of small algae, the food supply for the zooplankton improved and its biomass increased. According to our calculations, the amount of phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediments as a result of the polychaete activity markedly exceeded the external phosphorus load on the Gulf of Finland from the Russian coast. We conclude that the invasion of Marenzelleria arctia resulted in the cardinal reconstruction of the entire ecosystem of the eastern Gulf of Finland.