Europe's biodiversity - biogeographical regions and seas: The Arctic Ocean - home of the walrus

Walday, Mats (2003) Europe's biodiversity - biogeographical regions and seas: The Arctic Ocean - home of the walrus. Technical Report. European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark.

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Summary

This is the first report to describe the condition and influences on main habitat types and species groups in the eleven biogeographical regions and the seven seas around Europe. The report covers Europe from the Arctic to the Mediterranean and from the Atlantic to the Ural Mountains. It is based on expert contributions and comments from the countries involved in the biogeographical regions and seas.

This chapter covers the Arctic Ocean. Summary of the chapter is as follows:

- The Arctic Ocean covers a large area with harsh climatic conditions.

- There are strong seasonal and geographical variations in light, temperature and ice cover.

- The European part of the Arctic Ocean covers only about 8 % of the total area of the Arctic Ocean, but due to its great depth it represents about 25 % of the total volume.

- The system of ocean currents induces an east–west temperature gradient with warmer conditions in the eastern part of the European Arctic Ocean, strongly influenced by the warm Gulf Stream. This keeps the Norwegian Sea and a large part of the Barents Sea ice-free and favourable for the growth of a wide range of open-sea (pelagic) and bottom-living (benthic) species. This biological production sustains huge stocks of pelagic fish in these areas.

- The extreme conditions in the area create unique marine ecosystems, and some species live on the border of their tolerance.

- Generally, the environmental quality of these waters is high, but there are several reasons for concern, and an urgent need for more knowledge about the biological systems in this vulnerable area.

- The main threats to biological diversity in the Arctic are:

1 Extensive fishery is probably the greatest threat to biodiversity today. A better understanding of the effects of these fisheries is needed, especially of the effects of bycatch and effects on benthic habitats.

2 Effects of climatic changes are not yet unequivocally identified, but global warming can influence hydrographical conditions in the region. The recent possibility of ship passage along the Siberian coast may be an indication of such effects.

3 Accumulation of micro-contaminants in biota is of great concern, particularly since little is known about the relation between levels of contaminants and biological effects. Discharges from industry in the Russian area of Murmansk are considerable and make up a substantial part of total industrial outputs to the Arctic. Long-distance transport of contaminants from other areas is an increasing cause for concern. Data are needed on trends in inputs of contaminants and the geographical and temporal variation of their concentrations.

4 Current and potential projects indicate that shipping probably will increase. The extreme climatic conditions heighten the risk of accidents and complicate rescue and clean-up work, thus increasing the risks of environmental damage. Oil films are frequently detected on the surface in areas of intense shipping. Other possible impacts of shipping are introduction of non-indigenous species and biological effects of antifoulants.

5 There is a great potential for oil exploration in the Barents Sea and it is therefore likely that oil will pose a serious threat to marine life in the future.

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