Norwegian fisheries in the Svalbard zone since 1980. Regulations, profitability and warming waters affect landings

-The Svalbard archipelago in the High Arctic is influenced by cold Arctic water masses from the north-east and the warm West Spitsbergen Current flowing northwards along its western coast. The eastern waters and the fjords are normally frozen during the winter months, while the coastal waters west of the archipelago remain open. Norwegian fishers have been harvesting from Svalbard waters for decades and detailed records of catches exists from 1980 onwards. We analyze the catch records from the Svalbard zone (approximately ICES area IIb). The large fishery for capelin in summer yielding annual catches up to 737 000 tons was closed by a Norwegian fishery regulation in the mid nineteen nineties. Demersal fisheries have been continuous, and the results clearly indicate a northward trend in landings of Northeast Arctic cod, haddock, ling and Atlantic halibut. Fisheries of Northern shrimp have been more variable and shown no clear geographic trends. A “gold rush” fishery for scallops north of Svalbard lasted for about 10 years (1986–1995) only, and ended due to low profitably. These results are discussed in relation to the possibility of further northward extension of fisheries subjected to climate change

MAREANO startet på Tromsøflaket

I slutten av oktober startet MAREANOprogrammet kartleggingen av havbunnen i nord. Rundt 1000 km2 på Tromsøflaket ble kartlagt med høy kvalitet. Tidligere i år bevilget Regjeringen fem millioner kroner til oppstarten av det tverrfaglige programmet, og i statsbudsjettet for 2006 er det lagt inn 23,6 millioner kroner

A diver-operated electric suction sampler for sympagic (= under-ice) invertebrates

The construction and operation of a diver-operated suction sampler for sympagic fauna are described. An interchangeable sampling cylinder with a 0.5 mm sieve connected to a battery driven turbine pump makes it possible to‘vacuum’predetermined areas of the ice under-surface, even if the surface is rugged and perforated by brine channels. Several samples can be obtained during one dive by using different sampling cylinders

Taking the consequences of international conventions, national policy and our own arguments: developing the way of working at the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, to deliver according to the ecosystem approach.

Over the years The Institute of Marine Research, has been developed to become the leading body for monitoring and exploration of marine ecosystems, development of the aquaculture industry, and science based advices on harvesting of living marine resources in Norway. The institute developed with a steadily growing classical hierarchical organization with departments according to scientific disciplines or ecosystem categories. During the nineties the institute operated with scientific centres on aquaculture, living resources, and marine environment, and received a rather favourable evaluation by an international panel in 2001. Instead of continuing on a recognized way of functioning, a process was started to develop the organization of the institute to be better able to deliver science based advices according to the ecosystem approach. A matrix organization with four research and advisory programmes, 19 research groups, a research technical department with eight sub-units, a central administration and a research vessel department was implemented in 2004. Recently, the organizations is adjusted and developed even further so that we now have 10 programs, five of them a research and advisory profile, the others a clear thematic profile. The research and technical groups have been integrated to get a better cooperation and social interaction between the scientific and technical employees. We analyse how these structural changes have influenced the scientific production, the advisory activity, the “working environment” and the well being of the employees of the institute

Ecosystem approach to Barents Sea Ecology : spatial and trophic relationships

Presented at Arctic Frontiers, Tromsø, 22-26 January 200

First Records of Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) from the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, with Possible Explanations for the Extension of Its Distribution

Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) were recorded in Isfjorden, Svalbard (78˚15ʹ N, 15˚11ʹ E) in late September 2013. This record is the northernmost known occurrence of mackerel in the Arctic and represents a possible northward expansion (of ca. 5˚ latitude) of its distributional range. The examined specimens of mackerel were between 7 and 11 years old, with a mean size of 39 cm and a mean weight of 0.5 kg. Examination of stomach contents indicated that the mackerel were feeding mainly on juvenile herring (Clupea harengus). The occurrence of mackerel in the Arctic is discussed in relation to the recent increase in mackerel population size in the North Atlantic and the expansion of other North Atlantic fishes into the Svalbard region during the last decade. Using a decadal record of water temperature, we conclude that the occurrence of Atlantic mackerel in Svalbard waters is a result of a continued warming of the ocean in the region and that it follows a general trend of species’ extending their distributional ranges northward into the Arctic

Fatty acid composition of the postlarval daubed shanny (Leptoclinus maculatus) during the polar night

Recent discoveries of high levels of biological activity in the Arctic marine ecosystems during the polar night raise questions regarding the ecophysiology of the pelagic postlarval daubed shanny Leptoclinus maculatus. Of special interest is the composition of the lipid sac—a unique feature not found in other Arctic fishes. Analysis of the fatty acid content of major classes of lipids as membrane—total phospholipids (PL) and storage—triacylglycerols (TAG) in the different postlarvae stages during the polar night is presented in this work for the first time. A high level of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) (71–74% of the total fatty acids (FA) of TAG) was found in the TAG of the L3-L4* postlarvae stages, among which 20:1(n-9) (28%) and 22:1(n-11) (27–29%) FAs are trophic biomarkers of the zooplankton Calanus spp. Among the polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), the FAs of (n-3) class were dominated (22:6(n-3)—in the PL, and 18:4(n-3)—in the TAG). A decrease in the content of the saturated FA (SFA) and an increase in the MUFA in the structural PL during the transition from the postlarval to the demersal stage were observed. Our analyses of the FA composition of the lipid sac suggest that the fish continues to actively hunt for its preferred prey item Calanus spp. during the polar night