Marine migration, thermal habitat use and feeding habits of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L. 1758)) in SW Greenland

Climate change is altering northern coastal aquatic habitats, especially in fjords. Data on current ecosystem structure and biodiversity in many northern fjord and coastal ecosystems, especially for Greenland, are lacking. We used acoustic telemetry combined with stable isotope analyses in a southwest Greenland fjord to investigate marine migrations, marine and freshwater thermal habitat use, and the marine feeding habits of 80 acoustically tagged Arctic charr over one year. During summer, most Arctic charr occupied the inner fjord. Models of Arctic charr thermal habitat use suggested higher experienced water temperatures in the inner compared to outer fjord (estimated 1.59ºC difference) during tagged charr mean 70-day (S.D.=14 days) residencies. During February and March, non-migratory individuals used warmer waters (+ 0.56ºC higher) than fish that ultimately migrated to sea, suggesting that over-wintering habitat use patterns influenced migration tactics. Stable isotope mixing model analysis indicated that Arctic charr fed mainly on capelin, marine gammarids and three-spine sticklebacks. The results provide a contemporary baseline for assessing predictions of potential changes in the ecology of Arctic charr in SW Greenland fjords.