Demersal fish assemblages and spatial diversity patterns in the Arctic-Atlantic transition zone in the Barents Sea.

ABSTRACT: Direct and indirect effects of global warming are expected to be pronounced and fast in the Arctic, impacting terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. The Barents Sea is a high latitude shelf Sea and a boundary area between arctic and boreal faunas. These faunas are likely to respond differently to changes in climate. In addition, the Barents Sea is highly impacted by fisheries and other human activities. This strong human presence places great demands on scientific investigation and advisory capacity. In order to identify basic community structures against which future climate related or other human induced changes could be evaluated, we analyzed species composition and diversity of demersal fish in the Barents Sea. We found six main assemblages that were separated along depth and t

SUBMITTER: Johannesen E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3328492 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature