Environmental surveys of the Nordic, North, and Barents Seas

- by the Institute of Marine Research, Norway

Webjørn Melle

▶ Research for better management advice

• on AQUACULTURE• on THE ECOSYSTEMS of

- the Barents Sea- the Norwegian Sea- the North Sea- the Norwegian coastal zone

HÅKON MOSBY

BUILT: 1980

701 GRT., L.o.a.: 47,2 M

OWNER: UNIVERSITY

OF BERGEN

DR. FRIDTJOF NANSEN

BUILT: 1993

1444 GRT.

L.o.a.: 56,8 M

OWNER : NORAD

G.M. DANNEVIG

BUILT: 1979

171 GRT.

L.o.a.: 27,9 M

JOHAN HJORT

BUILT: 1990

1828 GRT.

L.o.a.: 64,4 M

G.O. SARS

BUILT: 2003

4067 GRT.

L.o.a.: 77,5 M

CRUISE ACTIVITY

Vessel Days at Sea

G.O. Sars 317

Johan Hjort 300

Håkon Mosby 309

G.M. Dannevig 174

Dr. Fridtjof Nansen 349

Fangst 162

Chartered vessels 1048

Total 2659

▶ The research vessels

Our most important tools for collecting data on the ecosystems

CTD (plankton) stations, fixed stations and standard section sampled by IMR

Total zooplankton biomass (dry weight g m-2)

planktonMay 2006

62°

65°

70°

75°

30° 0°10° 10° 20°20° 40°30°

25

5

Nordic and Barents Sea in MayBarents Sea in August-September

Access to zooplankton data from IMR

• Archive of zooplankton samples on formalin, since ~1980– Majority of samples are near surface samples– Also some depth stratified and deep ocean samples

• IMR Zooplankton taxonomic database (~1985-present)

• Collection of samples on future cruises specified by CmarZ members

• Participation on IMR cruises by CMarZ members

Icelandic large scale surveys on zooplankton

• Annual spring survey (1961-present)• Ecolocy of the Iceland Sea (ISEP) (New

in 2006)• Studies on environmental conditions

and plankton productivity on the herring feeding areas east of Iceland (Since 1994)

Annual spring survey – standard sections

Zooplankton communities in spring

C. finmarchicus

C. hyperboreus

AcartiaTemoraCladoceraC. finmarchicus

OncaeaOithonaCalanus

Gislason and Astthorsson (2004)

ISEP – Stns occupied in July 2006

34° 32° 30° 28° 26° 24° 22° 20° 18° 16° 14° 12° 10° 8° 6°61°

62°

63°

64°

65°

66°

67°

68°

69°

70°

71°

72°

0 to 5

5 to 10

10 to 20

20 to 40

40 to 70

bs062006: Áæ tlaður lífm assi dýrasvifs (g þurrvigt m -2, 0-50m )

Biomass (g dry weight m-2, 0-50 m)

Zooplankton in the western Norwegian Sea

• Icelandic part of coordianted surveys aimed at elucidating hering migrations in relation to physical and biological environment

• Since in 1994• WP2, 0-50 og 0-200m

1 8 ° 1 6 ° 1 4 ° 1 2 ° 1 0 ° 8 ° 6 ° 4 ° 2 °6 1 °

6 2 °

6 3 °

6 4 °

6 5 °

6 6 °

6 7 °

6 8 °

6 9 °

1 0 0

1 0 2

4 0

4 1 5 05 25 3

5 4 5 5 5 6

5 96 06 16 2

6 3 6 4 6 6

7 2

7 37 4

7 7 7 98 2

8 7

8 9 9 1 9 3

9 49 69 8

Stns occupied in 2005

Zooplankton collection by the Faroese Fisheries Laboratory

• Faroe shelf and surrounding oceanic water in April. 50-60 stations. 200 um net. Upper 50 m.

• Faroe shelf, Faroe Bank and surrounding oceanic water in June-July. Ca. 70. stations. 100 and 200 um nets. (Upper 50 m)

• Oceanic samples to the south of the Faroe Islands and in the southern Norwegian Sea in May. 200 um net. Upper 50 and 200 m.

• Four standard sections radiating from the Faroes 4-5 times annually.

Standard hydrographic and plankton sectionsFaroese Fisheries Laboratory

W yville T h o m s o n Rid g e

Faroe-

Shetla

nd Channel

Faroe Bank Channel

Faroe Islands

Iceland

S hetland

Four-five times annually

IMR activities in the Antarctic 2007 –2008 (Atlantic sector)

• The IMR AKES project (Antarctic Krill and Ecosystem Studies) probably funded by NCR– Objectives

• Krill abundance estimation• Krill acoustic classification and TS estimation• Behaviour and vital rates of krill based on full year

sampling (cooperation with commercial krill fishing vessel)

• Additional key zooplankton and phytoplankton studies• Studies of krill predator• Modelling (primarily physics)

Norwegian Antarctic cruise 2007-2008 – 4 months (probably funded)• Vessel G.O.Sars

– Deep water sampling– Traditional zooplankton nets– MOCNESS– Macro-plankton trawl with depth stratified sampling facilities– Multi-frequency acoustics– Continuous observation of surface of T, S, F– CTD with water bottles

• November 2007 to March 2008• Open for 2 ? CMarZ members

– Transit (probably along Mid-Atlantic Ridge)• Norway-South America • South Africa-Norway

– Two 4 weeks surveys of Southern Ocean

• CMarZ members can ask for specific samples to be taken during transit or Southern Ocean cruises

Norwegian Antarctic cruise 2007-2008 – 4 months