Barents Sea Coast Research Articles

Classification of vegetation of the Barents Sea coast at the mouth of the Indiga River

Classification of coastal vegetation from the standpoint of the ecological-phytocoenotic approach at the estuary of the Indiga River, flowing into the southeastern part of the Barents Sea, is presented. On the base of 131 relevés of coastal vegetation, 23 associations in 18 formations were identified. The coastal vegetation in different biotopes differs in the structure and features of the phytocoenoses floristic composition. Based on the signs of vegetation cover, mesorelief, and hydrological features of the shores, the following biotopes were identified: saline and brackish marshes, beaches and dunes, tidal flats at the mouths of estuaries, saline and brackish lagoon lakes on marshes. The marches with 14 described associations have the highest phytocoenotic diversity. A phytocoenotic diversity of the beaches is noticeably less, 4 associations are described there. The vegetation background of the beaches is formed by the communities of the Leymeta arenarii formation, the vegetation background of the salty marshes is formed by the communities of the Cariceta subspathaceae, Cariceta glareosae, and Cariceta mackenziei formations. In saline lakes, large areas are occupied by communities of the Hippurideta tetraphyllae formation, and the communities of the Triglochineta maritimi and Plantagineta subpolaris formations are rare, the northern limit of their range runs approximately along the Indiga mouth. The vegetation of brackish marshes is mainly formed by the Cariceta salinae herbosum, Junceta gerardii, and Cariceta rariflorae communities. At the mouth of Indiga estuary, large areas are occupied by communities of the Magnocariceta formation. In the mouth of the Indiga, a little north of the range limit, communities of Eleocharis uniglumis, a rare species in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, are described for the first time at the rank of association Eleocharitetum uniglumis. The aquatic vegetation of desalinated lagoon lakes is represented by the Myriophylleta sibirici formation. The halophyte vegetation of the Indiga River estuary is compared with the estuaries of the rivers of the Kanin Peninsula and the Pechora Bay. The ordination of geobotanical relevés shows a greater similarity of the coastal vegetation of the Indiga estuary with the estuaries of the rivers flowing on the Kanin Peninsula of the White and Barents Seas basins and with the vegetation of the rivers estuaries of the Pechora Bay coast. The article has an electronic appendix (https://journals.rcsi.science/0006-8136/issue/archive).

Natural conditions of Varandey coastal tundra. Anthropogenic transformation of natural landscapes

The author aims to characterize natural conditions in the coastal area of the Barents Sea, from the settlement of Varandey to the Perevoznoye field. The research covered an area of 20 km2, 40 km long. An integrated climatic characteristic of the studied area is given, including the direction and speed of natural processes forming its shape, cryogenic processes, flora and fauna conditions, soil cover formation. The geomorphological, geological, and hydrological features of the area are outlined. The heterogeneity of the water–salt regime of the coastal area, typical of the northern seas of the Arctic, including the Barents Sea, is noted. In the laidas, the prevalence of accumulation of easily soluble salts over their removal is established, which allows the soils to be distinguished in terms of their salinity. Here, halophytic species are identified. The vegetation cover of the studied area is characterized according to the habitat of flora representatives. The research identified 100 species of vascular plants, 51 species of lichens, and 65 species of mosses. A soil survey found 27 soil varieties, which form the structure of the soil cover; their morphological and physicochemical characterization are given. The data obtained during field studies and remote sensing data were used to determine the structure of landscapes to the level of terrain types and units, as well as to propose their description. Their ecological and geochemical typification is carried out. The fauna composition was assessed based on state registration data and open sources; field observations with reference to biotopes were used. The dynamics of fauna population on the Barents Sea coast was assessed retrospectively. Field survey and remote sensing data made it possible to identify areas with anthropogenic disturbance of tundra landscapes. A typification of the identified anthropogenic disturbances of the natural environment and their areas within the survey area is proposed. The data obtained can be used as signs when assessing the state of natural environments in the coastal part of the northern seas of the Arctic, similar in terms of natural and climatic conditions.

A new European Shag Gulosus aristotelis colony discovered near Ura-Guba in the Barents Sea, Russia

Breeding European Shag Gulosus aristotelis in in the Russian part of the Barents Sea was first noted in 1932, but the population has remained small. Currently, breeding sites are known from the Seven Islands, the Gavrilovsky Islands, the Ainovy Islands, the Bazarnaya Guba, and the Pechenga Guba. Here we report the breeding of this species near Ura-Guba and in parts of the Barents Sea coast where it has not been found before.

On the prospects of fishery of the Barents Sea red king crab within the coastal waters of Russia

Objective: to review the current state of the red king crab stocks in the Barents Sea off the coast of the Kola Peninsula and propose options for optimizing their use.Method: the work is a review of the state of stocks, biology and fishing regime of the red king crab in the Barents Sea coast, based on previously published research results. In addition, unpublished survey data with appropriate explanations were used.Novelty: the review contains information relevant for the summer of 2023 on the fishing regime of the red king crab in coastal waters, examines the prospects for the exploitation of stock of king crab in connection with changes in legislation that occurred in 2023.Results: the coast of the southern part of the Barents Sea is of high importance for the reproduction of the red king crab population and can be considered as a reserve for its fishing in the EEZ of Russia. Among all the sections of the Barents Sea coast, Varanger-Fjord, as the most remote from the area of modern fishing area, is promising for the resumption of crab production in it. In addition, fishery the red king crab in the western part of coast of the Barents Sea will provide additional data on the impact of fishing on the stock, which will be used in fisheries management. In the near future, it is advisable to consider the possibility of changing the by-catch limit for non-commercial individuals when mining in the coastal area, as well as the possibility of allocating the Varanger-Fjord the red king crab as a separate management unit within a single reserve. Prior to receiving new data, it is possible to recommend that no more than 0.6 thousand tons of the red king crab in the Varanger-Fjord area.

Reconstruction of changes in sedimentation conditions of lakes of the Barents Sea coast during their isolation from the sea in the Holocene (Mustatunturi Ridge, Kola region)

In this short communication presented a reconstruction of the isolation process of 4 lakes located on the coast of the Barents Sea (Musta-Tunturi ridge). The reconstruction was carried out on the basis of a lithological description of lakes’ bottom sediments, interpreted as transition zone sediments from marine to lake sedimentation conditions. The lithological description was compiled based on the results of grain-size and LOI (losses on ignition) analyses of 4 lakes’ bottom sediments and its radiocarbon dating. An assumption about the role of tectonic and climatic factors in the isolation of lake basins was made.

Rapid and synchronous response of outlet glaciers to ocean warming on the Barents Sea coast, Novaya Zemlya

Abstract The Arctic is a hotspot for climate warming, making it crucial to quantify the sea level rise contribution from its ice masses. Novaya Zemlya's ice caps are the largest glacier complex in Europe and are a major contributor to contemporary sea level rise. Here we show that Novaya Zemlya outlet glaciers on the Barents Sea coast respond rapidly and consistently to oceanic forcing at annual timescales, likely due to their exposure to Atlantic Water variability. Glaciers on the Kara Sea show more variable response, likely reflecting their reduced exposure to Atlantic Water. Data demonstrate that the pause in glacier retreat previously observed on Novaya Zemlya between 2013 and 2015 has not persisted and that these changes correspond to ocean temperature variability on the Barents Sea coast. We document a marked shift to warmer air and ocean temperatures, and reduced sea ice concentrations from 2005 onwards. Although we identify ocean warming as the primary trigger for glacier retreat, we suggest that multi-year thinning, driven by the shift towards warmer air temperatures since 2005, pre-conditioned Novaya Zemlya's glaciers to retreat. Despite commonality in the timing of outlet glacier retreat, the magnitude is highly variable during rapid retreat phases, which we attribute to glacier-specific factors.

HYDROCARBONS IN LITTORAL SEDIMENTS AND MARCH SOILS OF THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST OF THE BARENTS SEA

According to the results of GC-MS study of the composition and distribution of hydrocarbons (n-alkanes, isoprenoids, steranes, hopanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their alkyl homologues), the genesis, facies conditions of sedimentation, the degree of transformation of organic matter of bottom sediments and marching soils of the southwestern coast of the Barents Sea are characterized. The assessment of the toxicity levels of polyarenes on the biota inhabiting the tidal zones of the coast was carried out. Areas with increased anthropogenic load have been identified (littoral of the eastern Tana Fjord, the village of Kiberg, Abram Cape, the village of Mishukovo, the mouth of the Kulonga River, the apex part of the Yarnyshnaya Bay, Oscar Bay), indicating the unfavorable ecological state of the tidal zones of the Barents Sea coast.

The Number and Species Diversity of Cultured Microfungi on the Barents Sea Coast

The number and diversity of cultivated microscopic fungi isolated from seawater, littoral and supralittoral soil on the coast of the Barents Sea were studied. Communities of microfungi are mainly represented by facultative marine fungi of terrigenous origin. The isolates mainly belonged to anamorphic fungi of the department Ascomycota and are represented by the genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, Talaromyces, Trichoderma, Acremonium etc., characteristic of the cold northern seas. The frequently found species in the study area were Aspergillus brasiliensis, Penicillium hirsutum, P. glabrum, P. spinulosum, P. janczewskii, Trichoderma koningii, T. viride, Talaromyces purpureogenus. The number of fungi in the supralittoral soil is two to three orders of magnitude higher than in the soils of the littoral zone and averaged from 4 to 13 thousand CFU/g. In sea water, the number of fungi was only a few units per ml. The maximum number of saccharolytic fungi was noted in the soils of the supralittoral zone. In the soils of the littoral and sea water, the number of hydrocarbon-oxidizing fungi varied from 52.5 to 143.3 CFU/g and from 0 to 4 CFU/ml, respectively. The number of saccharolytics varied from 0 to 113 CFU/g in the littoral soil and from 0 to 3 CFU/mL in sea water in all the studied areas, except for the most polluted ones, where it reached values of 200 CFU/g. An increase in the proportion of saccharolytic fungi in sea water and littoral may indicate anthropogenic pollution of the area, including hydrocarbons and other organic compounds. The urbanized areas of the Kola Bay with a high anthropogenic load were characterized by a richer species diversity and an increase in the proportion of pathogenic and opportunistic forms of microscopic fungi. A high level of hydrocarbon pollution negatively affected the number of saccharolytic fungi, while lower values of hydrocarbon content did not affect the number of saccharolytics. The number of fungi grown on Czapek’s mineral medium decreased as the amount of hydrocarbons both in sea water and in the littoral zone increased, which may indicate a high vulnerability of marine microfungi to pollution.

Isolation basin stratigraphy and Holocene relative sea-level change on the Barents Sea coast at Teriberka, Kola Peninsula, northwestern Russia

The paper presents isolation basin stratigraphy in bottom sediments from nine lakes in the Teriberka area on the Kola Peninsula, northwestern Russia. Isolation contacts in these basins, identified from lithological and diatom analysis, were used together with 25 radiocarbon dates, to construct a relative sea-level (RSL) curve for the Holocene. Records of marine water re-influx were found in the sediment sequence from one lake, located at c. 17 m a.s.l. The re-influx of marine water seems to be caused by the mid-Holocene (Tapes) transgression and tsunami event. The RSL curve indicates several phases in the postglacial evolution of the Kola coast. An early phase of rapid sea-level fall of c. 32 m around 11,500 cal yr BP, at a rate of c. 40 mm per year, corresponds to glacio-isostatically induced emergence following deglaciation at the Younger Dryas and beginning of the Holocene. In the time interval between c. 11,000 and 7600 cal yr BP, either a stillstand or a slight rise in relative sea level, cresting at about 21 m a.s.l., is suggested in the Teriberka area. This is followed, after c. 7300 cal yr BP to the present day, by a slow glacioisostatic emergence with an average rate of about 2–3 mm per year.

Glacier area changes in Novaya Zemlya from 1986–89 to 2019–21 using object-based image analysis in Google Earth Engine

AbstractClimate change has had a significant impact on glacier recession, particularly in the Arctic, where glacier meltwater is an important contributor to global sea-level rise. Therefore, it is important to accurately quantify glacier recession within this sensitive region, using multiple observations of glacier extent. In this study, we mapped 480 glaciers in Novaya Zemlya, Russian Arctic, using object-based image analysis applied to multispectral Landsat satellite imagery in Google Earth Engine and quantify the area changes between 1986–89 and 2019–21. The results show that in 1986–89, the total glacierized area was 22 990 ± 301 km2, in 2000–01 the area was 22 525 ± 308 km2 and by 2019–21 the glacier area reduced to 21 670 ± 292 km2, representing a total of 5.8% reduction in glacier area between 1986–89 and 2019–21. Higher glacier area loss was observed on the Barents Sea coast (7.3%) compared to the Kara (4.2%), reflecting previously observed differences in warming trends. The accuracy of the automatically generated outlines of each layer (1986–89, 2000–01 and 2019–21) was evaluated by comparing with manually corrected outlines (reference data) using random sampling, resulting in an overall accuracy estimate of between 96 and 97% compared to the reference data. This automated approach in Google Earth Engine is a promising tool for rapidly mapping glacier change that reduces the amount of time required to generate accurate glacier outlines.

DESTRUCTION OF GUILLEMOT COLONIES IN THE SOUTHERN BARENTS SEA AND THE FACTORS THAT DETERMINE IT

Features of Common guillemot (Uria aalge) and Brünnich’s guillemot (U. lomvia) numbers dynamics have been analyzed based on long-term monitoring data obtained from colonies from the southern Barents Sea coast. Since the 2000s, the numbers of guillemots in colonies have been shown to gradually decrease. In 2019–2021, most of the guillemot colonies of the southern Barents Sea coast disappeared. Two factors have been found to affect the guillemot colonies’ dynamics in the last decades: fishing industry and change in oceanographic conditions. These two factors indirectly influence the guillemot populations in the winter-spring area, changing the availability of the birds’ food resources. The former affects only the birds from southwestern Barents Sea colonies, but the second is relevant within the whole winter-spring area from the Barents Sea to the western areas of the North Atlantic. They affect the guillemots’ living conditions in the most critical periods of their life. In future this may cause significant changes in the location of guillemot colonies in the southern Barents Sea.

Demography of a nearshore gadid navaga, Eleginus nawaga, from the Barents Sea coast during the last glacial period

Demography of a nearshore gadid navaga, Eleginus nawaga, from the Barents Sea coast during the last glacial period

OF THE MOSS FLORA OF THE TERIBERKA AREA (KOLA PENINSULA, RUSSIA)

An annotated list of mosses was compiled for the Teriberka area in the tundra zone on the Kola Peninsula (Barents Sea coast, Murmansk Region, North-West Russia). The study area includes the environs of Teriberskaya Bay, lower reaches of the Teriberka and Orlovka Rivers, the Teriberka village and the Dolgiy Brook valley. We used the results of our two expeditions, data from the literature, and moss specimens collected in previous years by other researchers and deposited in KPABG herbarium. The list is made up of 164 moss species, of wich 74 are indicated for this area for the first time. The relatively low diversity can be explained by the geological features of the region, which is composed of granites and granitoids. Therefore, the complex of basiphyllic (calciphilous) species on the rocks is poor and many eutrophic mire mosses are absent. The halotolerant species complex includes Schistidium maritimum, Amblystegium serpens, Ptychostomum elegans, Tortula hoppeana, Sanionia uncinata, but such mosses as Hennediella heimii and Distichium hagenii were not detected in Teriberka, although they are known in more eastern coastal floras of the Kola Peninsula. Currently, 7 mosses of the Teriberka surroundings are listed in the regional Red Data Book (2014): Andreaea alpina, A. blyttii, Buxbaumia aphylla, Dicranum leioneuron, A. crassinervia, Cynodontium suecicum, Rhabdoweisia fugax. For the latter three species new locations have been found. A. blyttii and B. aphylla are novel for this area. The Teriberka Nature Park was found to harbor 113 moss species. The Park, however, does not fully protect rare mossеs because most of their locations are situated outside of it.

Biogeographic patterns of distribution of the molluscZelentia ninel(Nudibranchia, Trinchesiidae)

AbstractIn the present contribution we report, for the first time, records of the nudibranchZelentia ninelfrom Norway. The species is previously known only from the Barents Sea coast in northern Russia where it was described for the first time in 2017. Records ofZ. ninelfrom six different localities in northern Norway from 2019–2023 are presented and discussed. The identity of the specimens was determined by investigation of external and internal morphology as well as molecular analysis of preserved specimens. Photographs of live specimens and radulae of preserved specimens are presented, and species delimitation is confirmed by molecular phylogenetic analysis. In order to assess the biogeographic distribution ofZ. ninelbased on all available information, recent unanticipated genetic data supporting a putative occurrence ofZ. ninelat the Aleutian Islands, Alaska is also discussed where we provide arguments in support of occasional anthropogenic transportation outside its natural range. The present records significantly expand the known natural range of distribution forZ. nineland demonstrate that the species is not restricted to the Russian Barents Sea coast but that the range encompasses also at least northern Norway. These data can provide important insights to the understanding of natural ranges of marine invertebrates across biogeographical regions affected by rapid ongoing climatic change.

Russian Federation, Novaya Zemlya, Barents Sea Coast

Russian Federation, Novaya Zemlya, Barents Sea Coast

Differences in Trophic Level, Contaminant Load, and DNA Damage in an Urban and a Remote Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Breeding Colony in Coastal Norway.

Herring gulls (Larus argentatus) are opportunistic feeders, resulting in contaminant exposure depending on area and habitat. We compared contaminant concentrations and dietary markers between two herring gull breeding colonies with different distances to extensive human activity and presumed contaminant exposure from the local marine diet. Furthermore, we investigated the integrity of DNA in white blood cells and sensitivity to oxidative stress. We analyzed blood from 15 herring gulls from each colony-the urban Oslofjord near the Norwegian capital Oslo in the temperate region and the remote Hornøya island in northern Norway, on the Barents Sea coast. Based on d13 C and d34 S, the dietary sources of urban gulls differed, with some individuals having a marine and others a more terrestrial dietary signal. All remote gulls had a marine dietary signal and higher relative trophic level than the urban marine feeding gulls. Concentrations (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) of most persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyl ethers (PCBs) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), were higher in urban marine (PCB153 17 ± 17 ng/g wet weight, PFOS 25 ± 21 ng/g wet wt) than urban terrestrial feeders (PCB153 3.7 ± 2.4 ng/g wet wt, PFOS 6.7 ± 10 ng/g wet wt). Despite feeding at a higher trophic level (d15 N), the remote gulls (PCB153 17 ± 1221 ng/g wet wt, PFOS 19 ± 1421 ng/g wet wt) were similar to the urban marine feeders. Cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes were detected in only a few gulls, except for decamethylcyclopentasiloxane in the urban colony, which was found in 12 of 13 gulls. Only hexachlorobenzene was present in higher concentrations in the remote (2.6 ± 0.42 ng/g wet wt) compared with the urban colony (0.34 ± 0.33 ng/g wet wt). Baseline and induced DNA damage (doublestreak breaks) was higher in urban than in remote gulls for both terrestrial and marine feeders. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2466-2478. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Позднеледниково-голоценовая стратиграфия донных отложений из котловин малых изолированных озер баренцевоморского побережья (Кольский регион)

Lithological study and diatom analysis of the bottom sediments from small lakes belonging to the category of isolated basins located on the Barents Sea coast of the Kola region was carried out. Stratigraphic subdivision of depositional sequences was performed based on the new data obtained from the Settlement Teriberka area, as well as on the published data from other areas; lithostratigraphic units (LSU), which are stratogens, were identified in them. We found out that the proglacial reservoir was marine during deglaciation on the Barents Sea coast, freshwater (LSU 1) sediments of the ice-marginal basins were not found here (LSU 1). In the lake basins isolated from the sea, the depositional sequences in deep parts of isolated basins is represented by: brackishwater sediments of the proglacial basin (LSU 2), Lateglacial brackishwater sediments (LSU 3), marine sediments (LSU 4), sediments of an isolating lagoon (LSU 5), sediments accumulated in a meromictic lake (LSU 6), sediments of an onshore freshwater lake (LSU 7), sediments of a freshwater lake with slightly increased water mineralization deposited during Early-Mid Holocene Tapes transgression (LSU 8) and lacustrine sediments (LSU 9) are represent in the sedimentary sequences from small isolated lakes in the Barents Sea coast.

Efficiency Estimation of Constructing of Wind Power Plant for the Heat Supply Needs

As in the whole world, there are regions in Russia that experience heat supply difficulties, mainly due to the high cost of fossil fuel as well as to growth of energy resources cost and polluting emissions. In this regard, search for solutions which would provide energy saving with an increase of energy, commercial and ecological efficiency of modern heat supply systems is becoming vitally important today. One of them is the development and use of special types of energy including renewable energy sources, wind energy in particular. Accordingly, the paper presents one of the possible solutions to the heat supply problem which are directed at meeting the whole region’s heat demand through the joint use of wind power plants with a boiler room operating on fuel oil. The study assessed the efficiency of constructing of wind power plants with a total capacity of 1.7 MW for the heat supply needs of a settlement, which is located on the Barents Sea coast in Russia. The selected area is characterized by an average annual wind speed of 7.0 m/s and a long heating period (9–10 months a year). The assessment showed that the wind power plant construction is financially reasonable, as additional profit can be generated by the end of the wind power plants scheduled service life that make up the half of primary investments. The results obtained in the paper are expected to make up for the lack of information on the feasibility of wind power plants construction for the heat supply needs, which is very useful for other countries that have similar areas experiencing various heat supply difficulties.

Morphotectonics, Seismicity, and Exogenous Processes of the Kola Peninsula

Abstract—The purpose of this study is to determine a morphologically pronounced fault–block structure identified with the neotectonic stage and compare it with sites with manifested exogenous processes, as well as modern and historical paleoseismicity in order to establish faults activated in the postglacial time. Based on the analysis of space images (Landsat-ETM+) and a digital elevation model (GTOPO-30), the territory of the Kola Peninsula and the adjacent part of North Karelia is subjected to morphostructural interpretation with identifying morpholineaments and an elementary block structure. It is shown by the analyzing the directions and extent of elementary, single (simple), and complex (echeloned, parallel conjugated, and imbricated) linear structures and their zones that both linear (fault) and areal (block) structures are characterized by a predominance of a single system of northwestern and northeastern differences with a clear dominance of the former and unimodal distribution of the extent of faults and the area of blocks, depending on their number. This indicates a single (recent) stage in the formation of the morphotectonic appearance of the territory and no discrete hierarchy of the morphostructures. The degree of fragmentation of the territory at different depths is calculated depending on the number and extent of morpholineaments. It is determined that morpholineaments have a high degree of inheritance from Archean–Proterozoic structures (≈50%). Elementary morphotectonic blocks are grouped into composite blocks bounded by linear zones of great extent (100–600 km) having individual physiognomic features determined by fault patterns, which indicates the nature of the neotectonic dynamics and the degree of inheritance or reformation of the structural plan. The localization of manifestations of exogenous processes, epicenters of paleo-, historical, and modern earthquakes is determined on the basis of the analysis of topographic maps scaled at 1:100,000, catalogs of historical and paleoearthquakes, and the consolidated literature (including the data obtained by the authors of this study) on paleoseismic deformations. A geoinformation base is compiled, which is used to simulate the spatial distribution of endo- and exogenous signs of tectonic activity and compare it with the neotectonic fault–block structure. The spatial similarity of endogenous and exogenous activation zones and their confinement to faults, defined as activated in the postglacial time, are revealed. It is revealed that the following elements are most active in the postglacial–Holocene. First, flank elements on the Kola Peninsula along the Barents Sea coast, the Kandalaksha Bay shores, and the Gorlo Strait of the White Sea. Second, the central (nodal) part with the Khibiny and Lovozero massifs. Third, submeridional (transverse) secant structures separating the eastern part of the peninsula from the western part (Khibiny–Kola and Khibiny–Niva). The spatial parameters of the activated zones indicate a range of earthquake magnitudes M ≈ 6.5–7.5 generated by these structures both in the postglacial period and in the Neopleistocene as a whole.

Evolution of Organic Matter in Hummocky Bogs on the Barents Sea Coast in a Changing Climate

Evolution of Organic Matter in Hummocky Bogs on the Barents Sea Coast in a Changing Climate