Contaminants In The Barents Sea Ecosystem

This book describes the marine ecosystem of the Barents Sea, located north of Norway and Russia as part of the Arctic Ocean. Basic knowledge is presented about components of the ecosystem from virus and bacteria via plankton and fish to seabirds through to marine mammals and their interactions with the physical environment. Ecosystem dynamics are given a prominent role in the book. Mathematical models of the plankton and important fish stocks are employed to help elucidate the interplay between populations and trophic levels. The situation regarding contaminants is reviewed, as is the newly established Norwegian plan for the management of the Barents Sea. The impact of global warming is also discussed. Ecosystem Barents Sea is written for all those with an interest in marine ecology in the arctic seas, including research institutes, governmental ecosystem management units, and natural resources organizations.

Changes of environmental conditions in the Arctic will result in significant alterations of the dynamics of sedimentation processes in the region. Pronounced changes are expected to occur at the sources with marked effects on biogenic elements and contaminants. The Barents Sea, a shallow sea with a complex bathymetry, is the most productive of the Arctic shelf seas. In many respects the Barents Sea can be looked upon as an indicator of changes that threaten the Arctic. Ecological processes and physical oceanography are well studied there. This book presents general knowledge on marine bottom sediments in the Barents Sea. It concentrates on recent sedimentary processes as well as the quantity and quality of deposited material. Moreover, the sediment regime for the Barents Sea, material sources and transport pathways (bio-production and terrestrial sources) are shown. The book discusses the problem of inorganic and organic contaminants in the Barents Sea since arctic marine sediments are the final sink for numerous pollutants.

This publication is one of a series of strategic impact assessments carried out as part of the Global International Waters Assessment Project (GIWA-UNEP/GEF) to evaluate the world's transboundary waters, in recognition of the links between freshwater and coastal marine environments and the effects of human activities. This report focuses on the Barents Sea region, one of the largest shallow continental shelf seas in the world and the most productive sea within the Arctic Ocean.

Contaminants in Fish and Sediments in North Atlantic Ocean

Governing Arctic Seas introduces the concept of ecopolitical regions, using in-depth analyses of the Bering Strait and Barents Sea Regions to demonstrate how integrating the natural sciences, social sciences and Indigenous knowledge can reveal patterns, trends and processes as the basis for informed decisionmaking. This book draws on international, interdisciplinary and inclusive (holistic) perspectives to analyze governance mechanisms, built infrastructure and their coupling to achieve sustainability in biophysical regions subject to shared authority. Governing Arctic Seas is the first volume in a series of books on Informed Decisionmaking for Sustainability that apply, train and refine science diplomacy to address transboundary issues at scales ranging from local to global. For nations and peoples as well as those dealing with global concerns, this holistic process operates across a ‘continuum of urgencies’ from security time scales (mitigating risks of political, economic and cultural instabilities that are immediate) to sustainability time scales (balancing economic prosperity, environmental protection and societal well-being across generations). Informed decisionmaking is the apex goal, starting with questions that generate data as stages of research, integrating decisionmaking institutions to employ evidence to reveal options (without advocacy) that contribute to informed decisions. The first volumes in the series focus on the Arctic, revealing legal, economic, environmental and societal lessons with accelerating knowledge co-production to achieve progress with sustainability in this globally-relevant region that is undergoing an environmental state change in the sea and on land. Across all volumes, there is triangulation to integrate research, education and leadership as well as science, technology and innovation to elaborate the theory, methods and skills of informed decisionmaking to build common interests for the benefit of all on Earth.