Accumulation of Trace Elements by Zooplankton of Different Size Fractions in Kara Sea

Abstract— Within the framework of the program “Marine Ecosystems of the Siberian Arctic,” we investigated bioaccumulation of heavy metals and arsenic by zooplankton organisms of different size fractions in two areas of the Kara Sea (the northeastern part and Blagopoluchiya Bay). For the first time, near the southern edge of the Severnaya Zemlya ice sheet, concentrations of 11 trace elements were determined in the sized fractions of the most abundant group of copepods Calanus spp. The highest concentrations of Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, V, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd were found in the small fraction (0.5–1 mm) compared to the middle (1–5 mm) and coarse (>5 mm). The spatial distribution of trace elements in copepods, amphipods, euphausiids, and pteropods along transects in both areas was considered. The environmental factors, which in aggregate can indirectly affect the bioaccumulation of trace elements, were assessed.