Man And The Barents Sea Ecosystems

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.

The aim of this study is twofold: to provide a theoreti cal and an applied analysis of multispecies fisheries. The theoretical part will include concepts and analysis which, hopefully, will be of interest not only to economists, but also to biologists and ecologists. The application of the theoreti cal model and analysis to the Barents Sea fisheries gives empiri cal content to the analysis, which is important for the advance ment of fisheries management science. It is also my firm belief that this kind of work in the end will be beneficial to the people trying to make a living from harvesting marine resources. For thousands of years man has been whaling, sealing and fishing in these cold and harsh surroundings. The relative importance of the different species in the ecosystem has changed throughout history. In the seventeenth century the abundant, slow-swimming Greenland right whale and the Biscayan right whale in the Barents Sea area were so valuable, especially to English and Dutch whalers, that the intensive exploitation of these common property resources probably were the main reason for the extinction of these two stocks. The two species are, however, still present in other parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. Except for these two stocks of whales there is no knowledge of other stocks of sea mammals or fish in this area being extinct in historical time.

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.

This reference explores oceanographic and biological conditions involved in the transfer and accumulation of radionuclides in marine sediment and biota of the Northern European seas. Much of the content synthesizes decades of work by the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute. This forms the basis of a new methodological and theoretical framework describing radionuclide bioaccumulation by marine invertebrate and vertebrate animals, with special attention to marine food webs leading to humans.

The sustainable exploitation of the marine environment depends upon our capacity to develop systems of management with predictable outcomes. Unfortunately, marine ecosystems are highly dynamic and this property could conflict with the objective of sustainable exploitation. This book investigates the theory that the population and behavioural dynamics of predators at the upper end of marine food chains can be used to assist with management. Since these species integrate the dynamics of marine ecosystems across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, they offer new sources of information that can be formally used in setting management objectives. This book examines the current advances in the understanding of the ecology of marine predators and will investigate how information from these species could be used in management.

This volume outlines the major findings from the Norwegian research programme on whales and seals in Norwegian waters. A wide range of topics are covered, including physiological aspects, social organization, population dynamics, stock assessment and management. The book will be of great value to scientists and managers, as well as to members of the general public interested in environmental issues.

Sustainable use of aquatic ecosystems is high on regional, national and international agendas and central to the implementation of international agreements on biological diversity, fisheries and fish stock management. This book covers theoretical and applied aspects of sustainable management, with emphasis on addressing implementation issues.