Page 39 - living-ice

PHOTO: Bjørn Gulliksen
The North Atlantic Current has increasing impact on the Arctic
Benthic communities in the Arctic Ocean have changed. This is evident from areas that researchers have studied over long time periods. Researchers from UiT The Arctic University of Norway and collaborators have collected a Photographic time series from Svalbard over a 30-year period that documents substantial changes in the Arctic Ocean’s benthic communities. These changes may be attributed to the in- ow of warm Atlantic water, reduced ice cover and an increase in attached macro- algae. The newly established and long-living algae in shallow waters enrich the animal community.
The changes re ect a reduction of the sea ice extent in the European part of the Arctic Ocean. The benthic communities found here now more closely resemble benthic communities in the subarctic North Atlantic Ocean. This process occurs along the coast of Svalbard and other Arctic coasts as well as on the continental shelves. It serves as a good example of what could be the new normal for the Arctic Ocean. Intensive research is now underway to study what impact such changes will have on Arctic species and the productivity of the ecosystem.