Takuvik Joint International Laboratory

The variability in particle attenuation (cp) and in chlorophyll in situ fluorescence (Fis) was examined in November 1994 along 150°W in the Pacific Ocean. Two main sources of variation in cp and Fis profiles are identified by analyzing data from a 16°S–1°N transect, and from two 5 day stations (5°S and 16°S). The first source reflects changes in the trophic status resulting from prevailing hydrodynamical regimes at large scales. By using flow cytometric data and some assumptions about the size distribution of the different biological stocks, a decomposition of cp into its vegetal (cveg) and nonvegetal (cnveg) components is attempted. Within the euphotic layer, cveg accounts for 43% of the total cp signal at the equator and for only 20% in the South Pacific gyre. The nonvegetal component is then subdivided into heterotrophic organisms and detritus contributions. The detrital material is an important contributor with 43% of cp at 5°S and 55% at 16°S. A further decomposition of Fis and cveg into the three dominant phytoplanktonic groups (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and picoeucaryotes) confirms that picoeucaryotes are important contributors of the vegetal biomass, especially within and below the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) (>50% of the algal stock) at 16°S. The second, and essentially local, source of variation is related to specific rhythms in biological and physiological processes. The prominent signals detected during the time series occur at the daily scale: besides the pronounced fluorescence depression at noon in upper layers, particle attenuation in all the layers examined and fluorescence in the DCM display conspicuous daily oscillations. They result from the balance between daytime accumulation and night removal of particles, of algal cells in particular. Finally, the estimation of cp‐based growth rates points out the surprisingly rapid turnover time of the whole particulate matter stock in oligotrophic waters (16°S), not only in the euphotic zone (0.63 d−1) but also within the dimly lit layers of the DCM (0.36 d−1). The corresponding growth rate at 5°S, within a quasi‐mesotrophic regime, is 0.47 d−1 within the euphotic zone.

The organic carbon produced in the ocean's surface by phytoplankton is either passed through the food web or exported to the ocean interior as marine snow. The rate and efficiency of such vertical export strongly depend on the size, structure and shape of individual particles, but apart from size, other morphological properties are still not quantitatively monitored. With the growing number of in situ imaging technologies, there is now a great possibility to analyze the morphology of individual marine snow. Thus, automated methods for their classification are urgently needed. Consequently, here we present a simple, objective categorization method of marine snow into a few ecologically meaningful functional morphotypes using field data from successive phases of the Arctic phytoplankton bloom. The proposed approach is a promising tool for future studies aiming to integrate the diversity, composition and morphology of marine snow into our understanding of the biological carbon pump.

The role of the Arctic Ocean ecosystem in climate regulation may depend on the responses of marine microorganisms to environmental change. We applied genome-resolved metagenomics to 41 Arctic seawater samples, collected at various depths in different seasons during the Tara Oceans Polar Circle expedition, to evaluate the ecology, metabolic potential and activity of resident bacteria and archaea. We assembled 530 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) to form the Arctic MAGs catalogue comprising 526 species. A total of 441 MAGs belonged to species that have not previously been reported and 299 genomes showed an exclusively polar distribution. Most Arctic MAGs have large genomes and the potential for fast generation times, both of which may enable adaptation to a copiotrophic lifestyle in nutrient-rich waters. We identified 38 habitat generalists and 111 specialists in the Arctic Ocean. We also found a general prevalence of 14 mixotrophs, while chemolithoautotrophs were mostly present in the mesopelagic layer during spring and autumn. We revealed 62 MAGs classified as key Arctic species, found only in the Arctic Ocean, showing the highest gene expression values and predicted to have habitat-specific traits. The Artic MAGs catalogue will inform our understanding of polar microorganisms that drive global biogeochemical cycles. Using genome-resolved metagenomics for 41 Arctic seawater samples, this ecogenomic analysis of 530 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from the polar Arctic Ocean reveals uncultured Arctic bacterial and archaeal MAGs, their gene expression patterns, habitat preferences and metabolic potential.

Abstract. Climate change significantly impacts Arctic shelf regions in terms of air temperature, ultraviolet radiation, melting of sea ice, precipitation, thawing of permafrost and coastal erosion. Direct consequences have been observed on the increasing Arctic river flow and a large amount of organic carbon sequestered in soils at high latitudes since the last glacial maximum can be expected to be delivered to the Arctic Ocean during the coming decade. Monitoring the fluxes and fate of this terrigenous organic carbon is problematic in such sparsely populated regions unless remote sensing techniques can be developed and proved to be operational. The main objective of this study is to develop an ocean colour algorithm to operationally monitor dynamics of suspended particulate matter (SPM) on the Mackenzie River continental shelf (Canadian Arctic Ocean) using satellite imagery. The water optical properties are documented across the study area and related to concentrations of SPM and particulate organic carbon (POC). Robust SPM and POC : SPM proxies are identified, such as the light backscattering and attenuation coefficients, and relationships are established between these optical and biogeochemical parameters. Following a semi-analytical approach, a regional SPM quantification relationship is obtained for the inversion of the water reflectance signal into SPM concentration. This relationship is reproduced based on independent field optical measurements. It is successfully applied to a selection of MODIS satellite data which allow estimating fluxes at the river mouth and monitoring the extension and dynamics of the Mackenzie River surface plume in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Good agreement is obtained with field observations representative of the whole water column in the river delta zone where terrigenous SPM is mainly constrained (out of short periods of maximum river outflow). Most of the seaward export of SPM is observed to occur within the west side of the river mouth. Future work will require the validation of the developed SPM regional algorithm based on match-ups with field measurements, then the routine application to ocean colour satellite data in order to better estimate the fluxes and fate of SPM and POC delivered by the Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean.

Diatoms are phytoplanktonic organisms that grow successfully in the ocean where light conditions are highly variable. Studies of the molecular mechanisms of light acclimation in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum show that carotenoid de-epoxidation enzymes and LHCX1, a member of the light-harvesting protein family, both contribute to dissipate excess light energy through non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). In this study, we investigate the role of the other members of the LHCX family in diatom stress responses. Our analysis of available genomic data shows that the presence of multiple LHCX genes is a conserved feature of diatom species living in different ecological niches. Moreover, an analysis of the levels of four P. tricornutum LHCX transcripts in relation to protein expression and photosynthetic activity indicates that LHCXs are differentially regulated under different light intensities and nutrient starvation, mostly modulating NPQ capacity. We conclude that multiple abiotic stress signals converge to regulate the LHCX content of cells, providing a way to fine-tune light harvesting and photoprotection. Moreover, our data indicate that the expansion of the LHCX gene family reflects functional diversification of its members which could benefit cells responding to highly variable ocean environments.

sequestration. The latter services are partly governed by variations in plankton community composition and the expression of traits such as body size at community-level. While community assembly has been thoroughly studied for the smaller end of the plankton size spectrum, the larger end comprises ectotherms that are often studied at the species, or group-level, rather than as communities. The body size of marine ectotherms decreases with temperature, but controls on community-level traits remain elusive, hindering the predictability of marine services provision. Here, we leverage Tara Oceans datasets to determine how zooplankton community composition and size structure varies with latitude, temperature and productivity-related covariates in the global surface ocean. Zooplankton abundance and median size decreased towards warmer and less productive environments, as a result of changes in copepod composition. However, some clades displayed the opposite relationships, which may be ascribed to alternative feeding strategies. Given that climate models predict increasingly warmed and stratified oceans, our findings suggest that zooplankton communities will shift towards smaller organisms which might weaken their contribution to the biological carbon pump.

Abstract. One of the main purposes of the BOUM experiment was to find evidence of the possible impact of submesoscale dynamics on biogeochemical cycles. To this aim physical as well as biogeochemical data were collected along a zonal transect through the western and eastern basins of the Mediterranean Sea. Along this transect 3-day fixed point stations were performed within anticyclonic eddies during which microstructure measurements of the temperature gradient were collected over the top 100 m of the water column. We focus here on the characterization of turbulent mixing. The analysis of microstructure measurements revealed a high level of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rate in the seasonal pycnocline and a moderate level below with mean values of the order of 10−6 W kg−1 and 10−8 W kg−1, respectively. The Gregg Henyey (Gregg, 1989) fine-scale parameterization of TKE dissipation rate produced by internal wave breaking, and adapted here following Polzin et al. (1995) to take into account the strain to shear ratio, was first compared to these direct measurements with favorable results. The parameterization was then applied to the whole data set. Within the eddies, a significant increase of dissipation at the top and base of eddies associated with strong near-inertial waves is observed. Vertical turbulent diffusivity is increased both in these regions and in the weakly stratified eddy core. The stations collected along the East–West transect provide an overview of parameterized TKE dissipation rates and vertical turbulent diffusivity over a latitudinal section of the Mediterranean Sea. Strong TKE dissipation rates are found within the first 500 m and up to 1500 m above the bottom. Close to the bottom where the stratification is weak, the inferred vertical turbulent diffusivity can reach Kz≃10−3 m2 s−1 and may therefore have a strong impact on the upward diffusive transport of deep waters masses.

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Abstract. Ice melting in the Arctic Ocean exposes the surface water to more radiative energy with poorly understood effects on photo-biogeochemical processes and heat deposition in the upper ocean. In August 2009, we documented the vertical variability of light absorbing components at 37 stations located in the southeastern Beaufort Sea including both Mackenzie River-influenced waters and polar mixed layer waters. We found that melting multiyear ice released significant amount of non-algal particulates (NAP) near the sea surface relative to subsurface waters. NAP absorption coefficients at 440 nm (aNAP(440)) immediately below the sea surface were on average 3-fold (up to 10-fold) higher compared to subsurface values measured at 2–3 m depth. The impact of this unusual feature on the light transmission and remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) was further examined using a radiative transfer model. A 10-fold particle enrichment homogeneously distributed in the first meter of the water column slightly reduced photosynthetically available and usable radiation (PAR and PUR) by ∼6 and ∼8%, respectively, relative to a fully homogenous water column with low particle concentration. In terms of Rrs, the particle enrichment significantly flattered the spectrum by reducing the Rrs by up to 20% in the blue-green spectral region (400–550 nm). These results highlight the impact of meltwater on the concentration of particles at sea surface, and the need for considering non-uniform vertical distribution of particles in such systems when interpreting remotely sensed ocean color. Spectral slope of aNAP spectra calculated in the UV (ultraviolet) domain decreased with depth suggesting that this parameter is sensitive to detritus composition and/or diagenesis state (e.g., POM (particulate organic matter) photobleaching).

Thalassiosira gravida is a major Arctic diatom responsible for the under-ice spring bloom. We investigated T. gravida physiological plasticity growing it at two temperatures (0°C and 5°C) and under different light intensities typically found in its natural environment. T. gravida showed remarkable thermal- and photo-acclimatory plasticity including: low light saturation parameter for growth (KE) and photosynthesis (EK), low μmax but relatively high Chl a/C, low C/N and decreasing light-saturated carbon fixation rate (PCm) with increasing growth irradiance. T. gravida also showed remarkable photoprotective features, namely a strong sustained non photochemical quenching (NPQs, hour kinetics relaxation) supported by a high amount of xanthophyll cycle pigments. T. gravida growth remained possible under a wide range of irradiances but photosynthetic plasticity was higher at moderately low light (up to ~50 µmol photon m-2 s-1), nevertheless corresponding to the mean in situ conditions under which it predominates, i.e. underneath the spring thin-ice punctuated with melting ponds. The potential role of NPQs in the photophysiological plasticity of T. gravida is discussed.

Abstract Polar microalgae live under extreme environmental conditions: permanently low temperatures (−1.7°C to +5°C) and extreme variations in irradiance and day length. These conditions may have led to various specific adaptations allowing Arctic phytoplankton to become specialists under these conditions. The goal of this study is to derive, for polar microalgae, empirical relationships between key physiological parameters (growth rate, photosynthesis–irradiance curve parameters, Chl a : C, and N : C ratios) and growth temperature and irradiance in nutrient replete cultures. Ecophysiological characteristics of polar and temperate microalgae were also compared in order to highlight some strategies that are specific to the polar environment. Most of the polar species are psychrophilic. Polar microalgae have low light‐saturated growth rates (μm) and very low light saturation parameters for growth (KE) but similar initial slopes of their growth–irradiance curve (αµ = μm/KE). Low temperatures probably account for low μm and KE in polar species. The C : Chl a ratios (θ) of polar species are similar to those of temperate species although they have much lower growth rates, which implies major differences in energy allocation. Polar microalgae also exhibit very unique photosynthetic properties [low light saturation parameters for photosynthesis (EK), low maximum photosynthetic rates ( ), decreasing and decreasing initial slope of the photosynthesis vs. irradiance curve (α*) with increasing irradiance] and have lower C : N ratios than their temperate cousins, which may be related to a much higher protein content. Some of the implications of these findings in terms of adaptation/acclimation to the environment in which polar species evolve are discussed.

Abstract. The concentrations and elemental stoichiometry of particulate and dissolved pools of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and silicon (Si) on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf during summer 2009 (MALINA program) were assessed and compared with those of surface waters provided by the Mackenzie river as well as by winter mixing and upwelling of upper halocline waters at the shelf break. Neritic surface waters showed a clear enrichment in dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC, respectively), nitrate, total particulate nitrogen (TPN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) originating from the river. Silicate as well as bulk DON and DOC declined in a near-conservative manner away from the delta's outlet, whereas nitrate dropped non-conservatively to very low background concentrations inside the brackish zone. By contrast, the excess of soluble reactive P (SRP) present in oceanic waters declined in a non-conservative manner toward the river outlet, where concentrations were very low and consistent with P shortage in the Mackenzie River. These opposite gradients imply that the admixture of Pacific-derived, SRP-rich water is necessary to allow phytoplankton to use river-derived nitrate and to a lesser extent DON. A coarse budget based on concurrent estimates of primary production shows that river N deliveries support a modest fraction of primary production when considering the entire shelf, due to the ability of phytoplankton to thrive in the subsurface chlorophyll maximum beneath the thin, nitrate-depleted river plume. Away from shallow coastal bays, local elevations in the concentration of primary production and dissolved organic constituents were consistent with upwelling at the shelf break. By contrast with shallow winter mixing, nutrient deliveries by North American rivers and upwelling relax surface communities from N limitation and permit a more extant utilization of the excess SRP entering through the Bering Strait. In this context, increased nitrogen supply by rivers and upwelling potentially alters the vertical distribution of the excess P exported into the North Atlantic.

Abstract. In addition to scattering coefficients, the light absorption coefficients of particulate and dissolved materials are the main factors determining the light propagation of the visible part of the spectrum and are, thus, important for developing ocean color algorithms. While these absorption properties have recently been documented by a few studies for the Arctic Ocean (e.g., Matsuoka et al., 2007, 2011; Ben Mustapha et al., 2012), the data sets used in the literature were sparse and individually insufficient to draw a general view of the basin-wide spatial and temporal variations in absorption. To achieve such a task, we built a large absorption database of the Arctic Ocean by pooling the majority of published data sets and merging new data sets. Our results show that the total nonwater absorption coefficients measured in the eastern Arctic Ocean (EAO; Siberian side) are significantly higher than in the western Arctic Ocean (WAO; North American side). This higher absorption is explained by higher concentration of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in watersheds on the Siberian side, which contains a large amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) compared to waters off North America. In contrast, the relationship between the phytoplankton absorption (aϕ(λ)) and chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration in the EAO was not significantly different from that in the WAO. Because our semianalytical CDOM absorption algorithm is based on chl a-specific aϕ(λ) values (Matsuoka et al., 2013), this result indirectly suggests that CDOM absorption can be appropriately derived not only for the WAO but also for the EAO using ocean color data. Based on statistics, derived CDOM absorption values were reasonable compared to in situ measurements. By combining this algorithm with empirical DOC versus CDOM relationships, a semianalytical algorithm for estimating DOC concentrations for river-influenced coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean is presented and applied to satellite ocean color data.

Abstract. During August 2009, measurements of bacterial abundance and nucleic acid content were made along with production and respiration in coastal waters of the Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean), an area influenced by the Mackenzie River inflow. The main purpose was to evaluate bacterial organic carbon processing with respect to local sources, mainly primary production and river inputs. Bacterial production and abundance generally decreased from river to offshore waters and from surface to deep waters. In contrast, the percentage of high nucleic acid bacteria was higher in deep waters rather than in surface or river waters. Statistical analyses indicated that bacterial production was primarily controlled by temperature and the availability of labile organic matter, as indicated by total dissolved amino acid concentrations. Direct comparisons of bacterial carbon demand and primary production indicated net heterotrophy was common in shelf waters. Net autotrophy was observed at stations in the Mackenzie River plume, suggesting that the carbon fixed in plume waters helped fuel net heterotrophy in the Beaufort Sea margin.

Arctic sea ice is shifting from a year-round to a seasonal sea ice cover. This substantial transformation, via a reduction in Arctic sea ice extent and a thinning of its thickness, influences the amount of light entering the upper ocean. This in turn impacts under-ice algal growth and associated ecosystem dynamics. Field campaigns have provided valuable insights as to how snow and ice properties impact light penetration at fixed locations in the Arctic, but to understand the spatial variability in the under-ice light field there is a need to scale up to the pan-Arctic level. Combining information from satellites with state-of-the-art parameterizations is one means to achieve this. This study combines satellite and modeled data products to map under-ice light on a monthly time-scale from 2011 through 2018. Key limitations pertain to the availability of satellite-derived sea ice thickness, which for radar altimetry, is only available during the sea ice growth season. We clearly show that year-to-year variability in snow depth, along with the fraction of thin ice, plays a key role in how much light enters the Arctic Ocean. This is particularly significant in April, which in some regions, coincides with the beginning of the under-ice algal bloom, whereas we find that ice thickness is the main driver of under-ice light availability at the end of the melt season in October. The extension to the melt season due to a warmer Arctic means that snow accumulation has reduced, which is leading to positive trends in light transmission through snow. This, combined with a thinner ice cover, should lead to increased under-ice PAR also in the summer months.

Abstract. A radiocarbon-dated marine sediment core retrieved in Kane Basin, central Nares Strait, was analysed to constrain the timing of the postglacial opening of this Arctic gateway and its Holocene evolution. This study is based on a set of sedimentological and geochemical proxies of changing sedimentary processes and sources that provide new insight into the evolution of ice sheet configuration in Nares Strait. Proglacial marine sedimentation at the core site initiated ca. 9.0 cal ka BP following the retreat of grounded ice. Varying contributions of sand and clasts suggest unstable sea ice conditions and glacial activity, which subsisted until ca. 7.5 cal ka BP under the combined influence of warm atmospheric temperatures and proglacial cooling induced by the nearby Innuitian (IIS) and Greenland (GIS) ice sheets. An interval rich in ice-rafted debris (IRD) is interpreted as the collapse of the ice saddle in Kennedy Channel ca. 8.3 cal ka BP that marks the complete opening of Nares Strait and the initial connection between the Lincoln Sea and northernmost Baffin Bay. Delivery of sediment by icebergs was strengthened between ca. 8.3 and ca. 7.5 cal ka BP following the collapse of the buttress of glacial ice in Kennedy Channel that triggered the acceleration of GIS and IIS fluxes toward Nares Strait. The destabilisation in glacial ice eventually led to the rapid retreat of the GIS in eastern Kane Basin at about 8.1 cal ka BP as evidenced by a noticeable change in sediment geochemistry in our core. The gradual decrease in carbonate inputs to Kane Basin between ∼8.1 and ∼4.1 cal ka BP reflects the late deglaciation of Washington Land. The shoaling of Kane Basin can be observed in our record by the increased winnowing of lighter particles as the glacio-isostatic rebound brought the seabed closer to subsurface currents. Reduced iceberg delivery from 7.5 to 1.9 cal ka BP inferred by our dataset may be linked to the retreat of the bordering ice sheets on land that decreased their number of marine termini.

Abstract In the Arctic, sea-ice plays a central role in the functioning of marine food webs and its rapid shrinking has large effects on the biota. It is thus crucial to assess the importance of sea-ice and ice-derived resources to Arctic marine species. Here, we used a multi-biomarker approach combining Highly Branched Isoprenoids (HBIs) with δ 13 C and δ 15 N to evaluate how much Arctic seabirds rely on sea-ice derived resources during the pre-laying period, and if changes in sea-ice extent and duration affect their investment in reproduction. Eggs of thick-billed murres ( Uria lomvia ) and northern fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialis ) were collected in the Canadian Arctic during four years of highly contrasting ice conditions, and analysed for HBIs, isotopic (carbon and nitrogen) and energetic composition. Murres heavily relied on ice-associated prey, and sea-ice was beneficial for this species which produced larger and more energy-dense eggs during icier years. In contrast, fulmars did not exhibit any clear association with sympagic communities and were not impacted by changes in sea ice. Murres, like other species more constrained in their response to sea-ice variations, therefore appear more sensitive to changes and may become the losers of future climate shifts in the Arctic, unlike more resilient species such as fulmars.

Abstract. The concentrations and elemental stoichiometry of particulate and dissolved pools of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and silicon (Si) in the southeast Beaufort Sea during summer 2009 were assessed and compared with those of surface waters provided by the Mackenzie river as well as by winter mixing and upwelling of upper halocline waters at the shelf break. Neritic surface waters showed a clear enrichment in dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC, respectively), nitrate, total particulate nitrogen (TPN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) originating from the river. Silicate as well as bulk DON and DOC declined in a conservative manner away from the delta's outlet, whereas nitrate dropped non-conservatively to very low background concentrations inside the brackish zone. By contrast, the excess of soluble reactive P (SRP) present in oceanic waters declined in a non-conservative manner toward the river outlet, where concentrations were very low and consistent with P shortage in the Mackenzie River. These opposite gradients imply that the admixture of Pacific-derived, SRP-rich water is necessary to allow phytoplankton to use river-derived nitrate and to a lesser extent DON. A coarse budget based on concurrent estimates of primary production shows that river N deliveries support a small fraction of primary production when considering the entire shelf, due to the ability of phytoplankton to thrive in the subsurface chlorophyll maximum beneath the thin, nitrate-depleted river plume. Away from shallow coastal bays, local elevations in the concentration of primary production and dissolved organic constituents were consistent with upwelling at the shelf break. By contrast with shallow winter mixing, nutrient deliveries by North American rivers and upwelling relax surface communities from N limitation and permit a more extant utilization of the excess SRP entering through Bering Strait. In this context, increased nitrogen supply by rivers and upwelling potentially alter the vertical distribution of the excess P exported into the North Atlantic.

Abstract. The ubiquity of heterotrophic flagellates (HFL) in marine waters has been recognized for several decades, but the phylogenetic diversity of these small (ca. 0.8–20 μm cell diameter), mostly phagotrophic protists in the upper pelagic zone of the ocean is underappreciated. Community composition of microbes, including HFL, is the result of past and current environmental selection, and different taxa may be indicative of food webs that cycle carbon and energy very differently. While all oceanic water columns can be density stratified due to the temperature and salinity characteristics of different water masses, the Arctic Ocean is particularly well stratified, with nutrients often limiting in surface waters and most photosynthetic biomass confined to a subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer, where light and nutrients are both available. This physically well-characterized system provided an opportunity to explore the community diversity of HFL from different water masses within the water column. We used high-throughput DNA sequencing techniques as a rapid means of surveying the diversity of HFL communities in the southern Beaufort Sea (Canada), targeting the surface, the subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer (SCM) and just below the SCM. In addition to identifying major clades and their distribution, we explored the micro-diversity within the globally significant but uncultivated clade of marine stramenopiles (MAST-1) to examine the possibility of niche differentiation within the stratified water column. Our results strongly suggested that HFL community composition was determined by water mass rather than geographical location across the Beaufort Sea. Future work should focus on the biogeochemical and ecological repercussions of different HFL communities in the face of climate-driven changes to the physical structure of the Arctic Ocean.

Climate warming is accelerating erosion along permafrost-dominated Arctic coasts. This results in the additional supply of organic matter (OM) and nutrients into the coastal zone. In this study we investigate the impact of coastal erosion on the marine microbial community composition and growth rates in the coastal Beaufort Sea. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from three representative glacial deposit types (fluvial, lacustrine, and moraine) along the Yukon coastal plain, Canada, were used as substrate to cultivate marine bacteria using a chemostat setup. Our results show that DOM composition (inferred from UV-Visible spectroscopy) and biodegradability (inferred from DOC concentration, bacterial production and respiration) significantly differ between the three glacial deposit types. DOM derived from fluvial and moraine types show clear terrestrial characteristics with low aromaticity (Sr: 0.63 ± 0.02 and SUVA254: 1.65 ± 0.06 L mg C−1 m−1 & Sr: 0.68 ± 0.01 and SUVA254: 1.17 ± 0.06 L mg C−1 m−1, respectively) compared to the lacustrine soil type (Sr: 0.71 ± 0.02 and SUVA254: 2.15 ± 0.05 L mg C−1 m−1). The difference in composition of DOM leads to the development of three different microbial communities. Whereas Alphaproteobacteria dominate in fluvial and lacustrine deposit types (67 and 87% relative abundance, respectively), Gammaproteobacteria is the most abundant class for moraine deposit type (88% relative abundance). Bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) is 66% for DOM from moraine deposit type, while 13 and 28% for DOM from fluvial and lacustrine deposit types, respectively. The three microbial communities therefore differ strongly in their net effect on DOM utilization depending on the eroded landscape type. The high BGE value for moraine-derived DOM is probably caused by a larger proportion of labile colorless DOM. These results indicate that the substrate controls marine microbial community composition and activities in coastal waters. This suggests that biogeochemical changes in the Arctic coastal zone will depend on the DOM character of adjacent deposit types, which determine the speed and extent of DOM mineralization and thereby carbon channeling into the microbial food web. We conclude that marine microbes strongly respond to the input of terrestrial DOM released by coastal erosion and that the landscape type differently influence marine microbes.