Fish & squid found in the Norwegian spawning grounds of the Central Arctic Ocean

Published 2022년 2월 23일

Tridge summary

A study conducted by the EFICA Consortium, as part of the MOSAiC expedition, has revealed the presence of a deep scattering layer (DSL) of zooplankton and fish in the Amundsen Basis's Atlantic water layer, at depths of 200-600 meters. This finding includes large specimens such as Atlantic cod, which were unexpectedly found at these latitudes and depths. The research highlights the existence of a new trophic level in the central Arctic ecosystem, with potential food sources for mammals like seals and walrusses. However, a subsequent study published in Science Advances concludes that the Eurasian Basin does not host, and likely will not in the future, any harvestable fish stocks due to the Central Arctic Ocean's low nutrient levels and limited biological productivity. This discovery underscores the need for international protection and a ban on commercial fishing for at least the next 16 years, akin to the Antarctic's regulations, to ensure the ecosystem's preservation.

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Original content

Small fish are abundant in the 200-600 m deep Atlantic water layer of the Amundsen Basin, according to a unique hydroacoustic dataset collected by the EFICA Consortium, which revealed a "deep scattering layer" (DSL) consisting of zooplanktion and fish along the MOSAiC expedition's 3170 km long track. As a result, it came as quite a surprise when four larger fish were suddenly caught at a depth of 350-400 metres. The research team was even more surprised to discover that three of the fish were Atlantic cod, a predatory species that is not supposed to live this far north and, as a coastal fish, not in a four-kilometer-deep ocean basin more than 500 kilometres from any coastline. The scientists also discovered that Atlantic armhook squid and Atlantic lanternfish occur much further north than previously thought using a deep-sea camera deployed beneath the sea ice. The Atlantic cod came from Norwegian spawning grounds and had been living in Arctic water temperatures (-1 to 2 degree ...

Source: Krishi Jagran