Norwegian Fjord Research Articles

Sea temperature effects on depth use and habitat selection in a marine fish community.

Understanding the responses of aquatic animals to temperature variability is essential to predict impacts of future climate change and to inform conservation and management. Most ectotherms such as fish are expected to adjust their behaviour to avoid extreme temperatures and minimize acute changes in body temperature. In coastal Skagerrak, Norway, sea surface temperature (SST) ranges seasonally from 0 to over 20°C, representing a challenge to the fish community which includes cold-, cool- and warm-water affinity species. By acoustically tracking 111 individuals of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, pollack Pollachius pollachius and ballan wrasse Labrus bergylta in 2015-2018, we examined how coexisting species within a fish community adjusted their behaviour (i.e. vertical distribution in the water column and habitat selection) to cope with the thermal variation. Mixed-effect models showed that thermal preference was a main driver of behaviour and habitat use of the fish community in a southern Norwegian fjord. Cod used colder waters, compared with pollack and ballan wrasse. Increases in SST during summer were associated with the use of deeper, colder waters by cod, especially by larger individuals, and conversely with the occupancy of shallower areas by pollack and ballan wrasse. During winter, when SST dropped and the thermal stratification reversed, pollack and ballan wrasse moved to deeper, relatively warmer areas, while cod selected shallower, colder habitats. Although habitat selection was affected by temperature, species-specific habitat selection was observed even when temperature was similar throughout habitats. This study shows how cohabiting fish species respond to thermal heterogeneity, suggesting that (a) temperature regulates the access to the different depths and habitats and (b) behavioural plasticity may be an important factor for coping with temperature variability and potentially for adaptation to climate change.

Trophic ecology surrounding kelp and wood falls in deep Norwegian fjords

Food availability in fjords is unusual among deep-sea environments due to the increased availability of nutritional sources that are comparatively rare in the open sea, such as influxes of macrophytodetritus and terrestrial organic matter. In open waters, these deep-sea ‘organic falls’ have been shown to increase beta diversity in comparison to surrounding, unenriched sediments, and support a range of specialised fauna. There has been unprecedented loss of coastal kelp forests in Norway and this is likely to greatly reduce the transfer of an important carbon subsidy to deep-sea communities in Norwegian fjords. In contrast, progress in terrestrial land management and reforestation has resulted in a large increase in the area covered by boreal forests. With such an expansion in forests fringing deep Norwegian fjords, an increase in the transport of wood material and forest detritus to these deep-sea habitats seems inevitable. Benthic landers containing experimental substrates (wood blocks and kelp parcels) were deployed for 10 months at a depth of 530 m in Osterfjorden, and stable isotope analysis (13C, 15N) was used to investigate and compare trophic relationships between wood and kelp substrates and the macrofauna that colonised them. Trophic shift analyses showed a dependence on kelp either as a direct dietary source or a primary source of carbon in most of the fauna analysed, whereas there was little evidence of wood providing an importance dietary subsidy. Modelling analyses showed that kelp detritus comprised a large percentage of the diet of all of the taxa collected from the kelp samples, and several from the wood samples. Ontogenetic trophic changes (i.e., differences in δ13C or δ15N depending on animal size) were seen in several of the taxa analysed, revealing changes in dietary preference and increasing trophic level as a function of size/age. This study provides evidence of the importance of kelp in the trophic ecology of communities living at the Norwegian deep-sea floor. The continued loss of kelp from shallow, coastal systems may have profound effects for these communities as they face a reduction in this important subsidy.

Bioaccumulation of mercury and transcriptional responses in tusk (Brosme brosme), a deep-water fish from a Norwegian fjord

High concentrations of mercury (Hg) have been documented in deep-water fish species from some Norwegian fjords. In this study, tusk (Brosme brosme) was sampled from four locations in the innermost parts of Sognefjorden in Western Norway. Total Hg and methylmercury (MeHg) levels were measured in liver tissue. To search for potential sublethal effects of Hg, we characterized the hepatic transcriptome in tusk with high and low levels of Hg bioaccumulation using global transcriptomics analysis (RNA-seq). The results showed that there was a significant correlation between fish weight and accumulated concentrations of MeHg but not total Hg. MeHg accounted for 30–40% of total Hg in liver of most of the fish, although at concentrations above 2–3 mg Hg/kg wet weight the percentage of MeHg dropped considerably. Transcriptome analysis resulted in hundreds of differentially expressed genes in the liver of tusk with high Hg levels. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that the top affected pathways are associated with protein folding, adipogenesis, notch signaling, and lipid metabolism (beta-oxidation and phospholipids). Based on transcriptional responses pointing to well-known effects of Hg compounds in fish, the study suggests that tusk in Sognefjorden could be negatively impacted by Hg bioaccumulation.

Flexible behaviour in a mesopelagic fish (Maurolicus muelleri)

Abstract Variability of mesopelagic scattering layers is often attributed to environmental conditions or multi-species layer composition. Yet, little is known about variation in behaviour among the individuals forming scattering layers. Based on a 10 months high-resolution dataset from stationary echosounders in a Norwegian fjord, we here assess short-term and long-term behaviour of a single mesopelagic fish species, the pearlside Maurolicus muelleri. The daytime vertical extension of the monospecific pearlside scattering layers spanned four orders of magnitude ambient light in the autumn and winter and less than one order of magnitude in summer. While the main layers tracked relatively stable light levels over daytime, some individuals actively crossed light gradients of up to 1.5 orders of magnitude. This included individuals that moved between scattering layers, and apparently bold individuals that made regular upward excursions beyond the main population distribution. During the daytime, M. muelleri mitigated the risk of predation by forming tight groups in the upper scattering layer and, at light levels >10−6 µmol m−2 s−1, by instantly diving into deeper waters upon encounters with predators. Our observations suggest that individual, and probably state-dependent, decisions may extend the pearlsides’ vertical distribution, with implications for predator–prey interactions.

Potential and challenges of wind measurements using met-masts in complex topography for bridge design: Part II – Spectral flow characteristics

This study quantifies the influence of the local topography on sonic anemometer measurements mounted on tall met-masts deployed in Norwegian fjords. This assessment is done by analysing the second-order structure of turbulence in the frequency space. The objective is to evaluate how the data collected by these masts can help with the design of future fjord-crossing bridges. Using measurements from eight masts deployed in three different fjords, spectral characteristics common to the different locations were identified. Among the characteristics investigated, the one-point velocity spectra and the vertical coherence of turbulence are of special interest for bridge design. Using only situations with a mean wind speed of 12 ​m ​s−1 and above and rather stationary flow conditions, the remaining wind direction sectors could be classified into two main groups: those with a long fetch over smooth topography and those with a rough heterogeneous terrain upstream of the masts. It was found that if the velocity spectra are normalized by an appropriate estimate of the friction velocity, surface-layer scaling may be applicable in Norwegian fjords, at least under near-neutral conditions. The velocity spectra, estimated with long upstream fjord fetches have characteristics consistent with those collected in coastal and offshore environments. The Davenport model showed limited capabilities in describing the co-coherence of turbulence on vertical separations. The dependency of the Davenport decay coefficient with the height and spatial separation is highlighted and may be substantial in mountainous terrain. Although the spectral flow characteristics estimated on the shore of fjords are relevant for the design of fjord-crossing bridge towers, they may not easily be extrapolated for the modelling of the turbulent flow in the middle of the fjord. Nevertheless, they are still valuable to complement computational fluid dynamic simulations, wind tunnel tests, or remote sensing of wind across the fjord.

Does the Invasive Predator Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz, 1868 Control Copepod Abundances in the Seine Estuary?

The indigenous ctenophore Pleurobrachia pileus (O.F. Müller, 1776) was common in the coastal waters of the English Channel in the early 1990s and showed very abundant populations in the downstream part of the Seine estuary. In 2005, the non-indigenous ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz, 1868, a species native to the Western Atlantic, was reported for the first time in Europe in Norwegian fjords and in Le Havre harbour (Seine estuary, France). More recently, in 2017, both Pleurobrachia pileus and Mnemiopsis leidyi were recorded during suprabenthos and zooplankton sampling in the Seine estuary along a downstream-upstream transect. Both species show more abundant populations in May than in September. Conversely, copepods show a spatial distribution depending on the ctenophore distribution, with low copepod abundances in the downstream part of the estuary being associated with high ctenophore abundances, while high copepod abundances are recorded where ctenophores are absent or display low abundances. We propose that the intense predation of ctenophores on copepods is related to changes in hydrological conditions over the two last decades. This may explain the dramatic decline of copepod abundance in the Seine estuary, which could have a negative effect on its nursery role.

Applying object detection to marine data and exploring explainability of a fully convolutional neural network using principal component analysis

With the rise of focus on man made changes to our planet and wildlife therein, more and more emphasis is put on sustainable and responsible gathering of resources. In an effort to preserve maritime wildlife the Norwegian government decided to create an overview of the presence and abundance of various species of marine lives in the Norwegian fjords and oceans. The current work evaluates the possibility of utilizing machine learning methods in particular the You Only Look Once version 3 algorithm to detect fish in challenging conditions characterized by low light, undesirable algae growth and high noise. It was found that the algorithm trained on images collected during the day time under natural light could detect fish successfully in images collected during night under artificial lighting. The overall average precision score of 88% was achieved. Later principal component analysis was used to analyze the features learned in different layers of the network. It is concluded that for the purpose of object detection in specific application areas, the network can be considerably simplified since many of the feature detector turns our to be redundant.

Synchrony and multimodality in the timing of Atlantic salmon smolt migration in two Norwegian fjords

The timing of the smolt migration of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a phenological trait increasingly important to the fitness of this species. Understanding when and how smolts migrate to the sea is crucial to understanding how salmon populations will be affected by both climate change and the elevated salmon lice concentrations produced by salmon farms. Here, acoustic telemetry was used to monitor the fjord migration of wild post-smolts from four rivers across two fjord systems in western Norway. Smolts began their migration throughout the month of May in all populations. Within-population, the timing of migration was multimodal with peaks in migration determined by the timing of spring floods. As a result, migrations were synchronized across populations with similar hydrology. There was little indication that the timing of migration had an impact on survival from the river mouth to the outer fjord. However, populations with longer fjord migrations experienced lower survival rates and had higher variance in fjord residency times. Explicit consideration of the multimodality inherent to the timing of smolt migration in these populations may help predict when smolts are in the fjord, as these modes seem predictable from available environmental data.

Potential and challenges of wind measurements using met-masts in complex topography for bridge design: Part I – Integral flow characteristics

The paper investigates the local topographic effect on the mean and integral flow characteristics recorded by sonic anemometers mounted on tall masts near the shoreline of three different Norwegian fjords. Two years of measurements are analysed, using data from 25 three-dimensional sonic anemometers mounted at heights from 12 ​m to 95 ​m above the ground. The goal is to explore the potential and challenges of using wind measurements from the masts located on the shores of the fjords in the design of planned bridge crossings. Therefore, the study explores the deviations of the mean and turbulent flow characteristics from the traditional case of flat and homogeneous terrain. Only records with mean wind speeds of 12 ​m ​s−1 and above at all elevations above the ground are considered due to their relevance in buffeting response, which led to the identification of a limited number of sectors representative of strong wind conditions. Mean incidence angles with absolute values above 6° and low mean wind shear are measured in several of the selected sectors. This highlights the major influence of the local terrain and vegetation around the masts on the wind conditions at the mast locations. Nevertheless, non-dimensional variance and covariance estimates of the velocity components are found to be consistent with values previously measured from bridge decks crossing narrow fjords. The paper explores also an alternative approach to compute the friction velocity, the estimation of which is challenging in a fjord-like topography. This first part of the paper focuses on integral flow characteristics, a second follow-on part will investigate in details which eddy wave-numbers are most affected by the local terrain, based on the analysis of the spectra of the velocity fluctuations.

Genetic response to human-induced habitat changes in the marine environment: A century of evolution of European sprat in Landvikvannet, Norway.

Habitat changes represent one of the five most pervasive threats to biodiversity. However, anthropogenic activities also have the capacity to create novel niche spaces to which species respond differently. In 1880, one such habitat alterations occurred in Landvikvannet, a freshwater lake on the Norwegian coast of Skagerrak, which became brackish after being artificially connected to the sea. This lake is now home to the European sprat, a pelagic marine fish that managed to develop a self‐recruiting population in barely few decades. Landvikvannet sprat proved to be genetically isolated from the three main populations described for this species; that is, Norwegian fjords, Baltic Sea, and the combination of North Sea, Kattegat, and Skagerrak. This distinctness was depicted by an accuracy self‐assignment of 89% and a highly significant F ST between the lake sprat and each of the remaining samples (average of ≈0.105). The correlation between genetic and environmental variation indicated that salinity could be an important environmental driver of selection (3.3% of the 91 SNPs showed strong associations). Likewise, Isolation by Environment was detected for salinity, although not for temperature, in samples not adhering to an Isolation by Distance pattern. Neighbor‐joining tree analysis suggested that the source of the lake sprat is in the Norwegian fjords, rather than in the Baltic Sea despite a similar salinity profile. Strongly drifted allele frequencies and lower genetic diversity in Landvikvannet compared with the Norwegian fjords concur with a founder effect potentially associated with local adaptation to low salinity. Genetic differentiation (F ST) between marine and brackish sprat is larger in the comparison Norway‐Landvikvannet than in Norway‐Baltic, which suggests that the observed divergence was achieved in Landvikvannet in some 65 generations, that is, 132 years, rather than gradually over thousands of years (the age of the Baltic Sea), thus highlighting the pace at which human‐driven evolution can happen.

Unexpected diversity of Endozoicomonas in deep-sea corals

The deep ocean hosts a large diversity of azooxanthellate cold-water corals whose associated microbiomes remain to be described. While the bacterial genus Endozoicomonas has been widely identified as a dominant associate of tropical and temperate corals, it has rarely been detected in deep-sea corals. Determining microbial baselines for these cold-water corals is a critical first step to understanding the ecosystem services their microbiomes contribute, while providing a benchmark against which to measure responses to environmental change or anthropogenic effects. Samples of Acanthogorgia aspera, A. spissa, Desmophyllum dianthus, and D. pertusum (Lophelia pertusa) were collected from western Atlantic sites off the US east coast and from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Microbiomes were characterized by 16S rRNA gene amplicon surveys. Although D. dianthus and D. pertusum have recently been combined into a single genus due to their genetic similarity, their microbiomes were significantly different. The Acanthogorgia spp. were collected from submarine canyons in different regions, but their microbiomes were extremely similar and dominated by Endozoicomonas. This is the first report of coral microbiomes dominated by Endozoicomonas occurring below 1000 m, at temperatures near 4°C. D. pertusum from 2 Atlantic sites were also dominated by distinct Endozoicomonas, unlike D. pertusum from other sites described in previous studies, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean Sea and a Norwegian fjord.

Meteorological observations in tall masts for the mapping of atmospheric flow in Norwegian fjords

Abstract. Since 2014, 11 tall meteorological masts have been erected in coastal areas of mid-Norway in order to provide observational data for a detailed description of the wind conditions at several potential fjord crossing sites. The planned fjord crossings are part of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) Coastal Highway E39 project. The meteorological masts are 50–100 m high and located in complex terrain near the shoreline in Halsafjorden, Julsundet and Storfjorden in the Møre og Romsdal county of Norway. Observations of the three-dimensional wind vector are made at 2–4 levels of each mast with a temporal frequency of 10 Hz. The dataset is corroborated with observed profiles of temperature at two masts, as well as observations of precipitation, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity and dew point at one site. The first masts were erected in 2014, and the measurement campaign will continue until at least 2024. The current paper describes the observational setup, and observations of key atmospheric parameters are presented and put in context with observations and climatological data from a nearby reference weather station. The 10 min and 10 Hz wind data, as well as other meteorological parameters, are publicly available through the Arctic Data Centre (https://doi.org/10.21343/z9n1-qw63; Furevik et al., 2019).

LANDSCAPE-ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CONSERVATION VALUE OF FORESTS IN THE KOSTOMUKSHSKY STRICT NATURE RESERVE AND KALEVALSKY NATIONAL PARK (A SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS)

This paper recapitulates very briefly on the results on many years of landscape-based research into the structure and change of forests in the Kostomukshsky Strict Nature Reserve (Zapovednik) and the Kalevalsky National Park, which has been administratively merged with the former (occupying nearly 1240 km2 in total). Forests cover, respectively, 90 and 80 % of land in these protected areas. They are the key biotic component that shapes and maintains the environment of these ecosystems. The studies were based on an original classification and map of landscapes designed according to the zonal-typological principle. Both areas lie within a tectonic-denudation, hilly-ridge (with a complex of glacial landforms) moderately paludified landscape, with a prevalence of pine habitats. Within this landscape we have distinguished, mapped and described geographical localities (or local landscapes) – its largest morphological units (several thousands of hectares on average). As opposed to geographical landscape, geographical locality features not just a prevalence but a predominance (> 90 % of the area) of certain landforms, of the same genesis, with very narrow variation in open mire and paludal forest percentage, as well as an obvious prevalence of pine or spruce stands. Three and four types of localities have been identified and described for the strict nature reserve and the national park, respectively. Their descriptions are roughly structured as follows: 1) general landscape characteristics of the area (geological-geomorphological features, paludification, soil cover); 2) forest massif structure (dominant composition and types of forest, their ratios and spatial arrangement); 3) genesis and natural dynamics of forests. We specifically highlight the conservation significance of the zapovednik’s and park’s forests inside the protected areas network. Overall, the structural dynamic organization of the massifs constituting the forest cover has been demonstrated to vary substantially, and in some types of localities even strikingly. Almost all the forests have emerged in the sites burnt by forest fires of varying intensities at different times in the past. We argue that the forest cover can only continue to develop in a natural way if the natural fire regime is maintained or lightning-ignited fires are allowed to propagate. This way, the forest cover can exist in a steady dynamic equilibrium, governed only by global climate fluctuations. The zapovednik and the park have preserved within their territories pristine, chiefly pine, forests, which constitute the largest massif in the west of the Eurasian boreal zone. Hardy any of such forest has survived in the extensive land span west of this area and to Norwegian fjords. These forests have formed in Fennoscandia’s most common and widespread type of geographical landscape. The significance of these areas as components of the protected areas network and a key element of the Green Belt of Fennoscandia is demonstrated.

Assessment of inhomogeneity in environmental conditions in a Norwegian fjord for design of floating bridges

Environmental conditions along a very large floating bridge are inhomogeneous due to complex topography and hydrography. Evaluating the inhomogeneity in environment conditions is important for safety design of floating bridges but challenging because of their large size. This study addresses the assessment of long-term spatial inhomogeneity in wind and wave parameters for environmental conditions in a Norwegian fjord for design of floating bridges based on 16-year hindcast data. The wind and wave data are numerically simulated by using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) model, respectively. The accuracy of hindcast wave data is validated by comparison against field measurements. Inhomogeneity in wind and wave parameters are revealed by contour maps by considering two dominant wave directions. Significant wave height and peak period are fairly close in the south part and decrease gradually towards the north end. Mean wave direction decreases from south end to north end. Mean wind speed has a relatively small variation in the south part and a great variation in the north part, so do the mean wind direction. Correlation of wind and wave parameters along a potential bridge route is analyzed. Wind parameters are less correlated than the wave parameters.

Benthic scavenger community composition and carrion removal in Arctic and Subarctic fjords

In high latitude coastal regions, benthic scavenger communities are largely composed of invertebrates that play a key role in the cycling of organic matter. Factors including temperature and depth can structure Arctic and Subarctic fjord benthic communities, but the response of scavenging communities to these factors is poorly known. To address this, we compared scavenging fauna in eight fjords with different physical characteristics in Svalbard and northern Norway using time-lapse imagery of scavengers consuming Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) bait. Fjords influenced by relatively warm Atlantic waters, both in Norway and Svalbard, had high scavenger richness. However, Svalbard fjords with negative bottom temperatures had the lowest species richness and were dominated by lysianassoid amphipods and ophiuroids. In these cold Svalbard fjords, the mean carrion removal rates were almost 20 times higher than mean values noted elsewhere, except in the warm Norwegian fjord Kaldfjorden. Amphipods and ophiuroids quickly reduced the bait to bones (207.6–304.7 g removed per hour (g h−1); mean 290.6 ± 7.3 g h−1, n = 4) in cold Svalbard fjords. In the warmer Svalbard fjords, carrion removal rates were low (0–51.5 g h−1; mean 14.6 ± 9.0 g h−1, n = 5). Carrion removal rates in Kaldfjorden were higher than other Atlantic Water influenced fjords (132.1 and 372.5 g h−1, n = 2) owing to the scavenging activity of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). The results demonstrate potential ecosystem responses to warming in Arctic and Subarctic fjords, particularly effects related to range expansion of boreal species.

Metabolomics-derived marker metabolites to characterize Phaeocystis pouchetii physiology in natural plankton communities

Phaeocystis pouchetii (Hariot) Lagerheim, 1893 regularly dominates phytoplankton blooms in higher latitudes spanning from the English Channel to the Arctic. Through zooplankton grazing and microbial activity, it is considered to be a key resource for the entire marine food web, but the actual relevance of biomass transfer to higher trophic levels is still under discussion. Cell physiology and algal nutritional state are suggested to be major factors controlling the observed variability in zooplankton grazing. However, no data have so far yielded insights into the metabolic state of Phaeocystis populations that would allow testing this hypothesis. Therefore, endometabolic markers of different growth phases were determined in laboratory batch cultures using comparative metabolomics and quantified in different phytoplankton blooms in the field. Metabolites, produced during exponential, early and late stationary growth of P. pouchetii, were profiled using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Then, metabolites were characterized that correlate with the growth phases using multivariate statistical analysis. Free amino acids characterized the exponential growth, whereas the early stationary phase was correlated with sugar alcohols, mono- and disaccharides. In the late stationary phase, free fatty acids, sterols and terpenes increased. These marker metabolites were then traced in Phaeocystis blooms during a cruise in the Barents Sea and North Norwegian fjords. About 50 endometabolites of P. pouchetii were detected in natural phytoplankton communities. Mannitol, scyllo-inositol, 24-methylcholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol, and several free fatty acids were characteristic for Phaeocystis-dominated blooms but showed variability between them. Distinct metabolic profiles were detected in the nutrient-depleted community in the inner Porsangerfjord (< 0.5 µM NO3−, < 0.1 µM PO43−), with high relative amounts of free mono- and disaccharides indicative for a limited culture. This study thereby shows how the variable physiology of phytoplankton can alter the metabolic landscape of entire plankton communities.

Mercury bioaccumulation pathways in tusk (Brosme brosme) from Sognefjord, Norway: Insights from C and N isotopes.

Seafood is the main source of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure for humans and elevated total mercury (Hg) concentrations have been reported in marine fish from Norwegian fjords compared with offshore areas. Hg in tusk fillets (n=201) and liver samples (n=177) were measured in individuals from different habitats including offshore, coastal area, outer and inner Sognefjord. Specifically, the effects of habitat, energy sources and trophic complexity on Hg bioaccumulation pathways in tusk (Brosme brosme) were investigated using stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). The concentrations of Hg in tusk increased from offshore towards inner Sognefjord. While Hg concentrations in sediment were at background levels, tusk fillet samples from 7 of 8 sites in Sognefjord had higher Hg levels than the maximum level set by European Union. Based on these findings, human consumption advice for tusk from Sognefjord was issued by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. δ13C values in tusk successfully discriminated individuals from different habitats and were positively correlated to Hg concentrations in tusk across individuals, sites and habitats, outlining the potential importance of terrestrial carbon and most likely the atmospheric deposition of Hg from the catchment to the overall Hg bioaccumulation and exposure regime in tusk. Additionally, we postulate that the effects of terrestrial carbon sources increased towards inner Sognefjord and likely influenced Hg bioavailability throughout the food web. In contrast, δ15N values were patchy throughout the fjord system and although trophic position explained some of the Hg variation between individual fish, it was not correlated with Hg variation across sites and habitats. Our results suggest that tusk can accumulate high levels of Hg in fjord ecosystems and that catchment runoff is likely an important driver of Hg bioaccumulation in this species.

Variable predator–prey relations in zooplankton overwintering in Subarctic fjords

Zooplankton predator–prey relations in northern Norwegian fjords are highly variable in time and space, and the mechanisms driving this variability are still poorly understood. Replicate Juday net sampling in October and February from 1983 to 2005, which included five repeated tows from bottom to surface, was conducted in Saltfjord and Mistfjord, northern Norway. The time-series provided evidence of in situ variability in species abundance, as well as seasonal and interannual changes in standing stock abundance. The shallow sill of one fjord caused accumulation of coastal water in the fjord’s basin, while the other fjord’s deeper sill selected denser water of Atlantic origin from the same open shelf habitat. The selective advection caused differences in the immigration of species recruiting to the fjords’ specific overwintering communities of zooplankton. Statistical analyses of the cumulated replicate data indicated significant in situ variability in the spatial density of species. Cases with an abundance of carnivores relating positively to other species probably resulted from the carnivores’ attraction to patches with concentrations of prey. Interspecific negative density relations likely indicated either predator avoidance or substantial trophic activity during the sampling. During years of high abundance, some wintering stocks of carnivores evidently reduced the local stocks of overwintering prey. We conclude that predator–prey interactions and stock variability in Subarctic fjords result from complex bio-geophysical interactions that occur on the scales of local habitats and basin-scale population systems.

Biodiversity, community structure and ecosystem function on kelp and wood falls in the Norwegian deep sea

Fjordic systems in temperate and Arctic regions often feature extensive kelp forests at their shallow coastal margins as well as extensive terrestrial forests. Detrital export from these shallow-water and terrestrial ecosystems is an important source of carbon for deep-sea communities in the form of kelp and wood falls. Benthic landers with experimental substrates (wood blocks and kelp parcels) were deployed for 10 mo at a depth of 530 m in a deep Norwegian fjord to investigate and compare macro- and megabenthic community structure, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning on kelp and wood falls. Results revealed that while wood and kelp falls can support a similar number of species and abundance of fauna, they support significantly different faunal communities. Biomass and secondary production on both wood and kelp substrates were significantly greater than in the control samples. Secondary production estimates were similar or higher than those reported from soft-sediment ecosystems at shallower European marine sites. Biological trait analysis showed that macrofaunal assemblages were distinct between the kelp and wood, providing evidence for differences in ecosystem function between the substrates. This case study from a deep-sea fjord in Norway provides clear evidence that while wood and kelp organic falls can support similar abundances of fauna, the associated benthic biodiversity, community structure and ecosystem functioning can be dramatically different between these substrates. The work presented here aims to provide information that is useful in assessing the extent of anthropogenic impacts on deep fjord ecosystems with respect to informing future conservation and management strategies.

Undesirables in Mesopelagic Species and Implications for Food and Feed Safety-Insights from Norwegian Fjords.

The increase in the global population demands more biomass from the ocean as future food and feed, and the mesopelagic species might contribute significantly. In the present study, we evaluated the food and feed safety of six of the most abundant mesopelagic species in Norwegian fjords. Trace elements (i.e., arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead), organic pollutants (i.e., dioxins, furans, dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, and polybrominated flame-retardants), and potentially problematic lipid compounds (i.e., wax esters and erucic acid) were analyzed and compared to existing food and feed maximum levels and intake recommendations. Furthermore, contaminant loads in processed mesopelagic biomass (protein, oil, and fish meal) was estimated using worst-case scenarios to identify possible food and feed safety issues. While most undesirables were low considering European food legislation, we identified a few potential food safety issues regarding high levels of fluoride in Northern krill, wax esters in glacier lanternfish, and long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids in silvery lightfish. Our estimates in processed biomass indicated high levels of undesirable trace elements in the protein fraction, frequently exceeding the maximum levels for feed ingredients. However, in fish meal, almost no exceedances were seen. In the oil fraction, dioxins and furans were above the maximum levels, given for food and feed ingredients. The present study is crucial to enable an evaluation of the value of these species; however, more data is needed before proceeding with large-scale harvesting of mesopelagic biomass.