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Novel biodiversity baselines outpace models of fish distribution in Arctic waters

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Abstract

During a recent marine biological expedition to the Northeast Greenland shelf break (latitudes 74–77 °N), we made the first discovery of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), beaked redfish (Sebastes mentella) and capelin (Mallotus villosus). Our novel observations shift the distribution range of Atlantic cod >1000 km further north in East Greenland waters. In light of climate change, we discuss physical forcing and putative connections between the faunas of the Northeast Greenland shelf and the Barents Sea. We emphasise the importance of using real data in spread scenarios for understudied Arctic seas.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Government of Greenland (FL Nielsen) and the crew on board R/V Helmer Hanssen for access to the Greenland Sea, JS Laberg and F Strand for outlining the map, RB Larsen for gear expertise, and F Boero and four anonymous referees for commenting on the manuscript. The study is part of the TUNU-Programme, UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway

    Jørgen S. Christiansen, Svein-Erik Fevolden, Arve Lynghammar, Julius Nielsen & Kim Præbel

  2. Environmental and Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, FI-20520, Åbo, Finland

    Erik Bonsdorff & Marie C. Nordström

  3. University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen, Allégt. 41, NO-5020, Bergen, Norway

    Ingvar Byrkjedal

  4. Laboratory of Ichthyology, Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Kola Science Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimirskaya 17, RU-183010, Murmansk, Russia

    Oleg V. Karamushko

  5. Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA

    Catherine W. Mecklenburg

  6. Point Stephens Research, PO Box 210307, Auke Bay, AK, 99821, USA

    Catherine W. Mecklenburg

  7. Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Peter D. R. Møller

  8. Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, DK-3000, Helsingør, Denmark

    Julius Nielsen

  9. Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Box 1870 Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway

    Rupert M. Wienerroither

Authors
  1. Jørgen S. Christiansen
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  2. Erik Bonsdorff
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  3. Ingvar Byrkjedal
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  4. Svein-Erik Fevolden
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  5. Oleg V. Karamushko
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  6. Arve Lynghammar
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  7. Catherine W. Mecklenburg
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  8. Peter D. R. Møller
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  9. Julius Nielsen
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  10. Marie C. Nordström
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  11. Kim Præbel
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  12. Rupert M. Wienerroither
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jørgen S. Christiansen.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Christiansen, J.S., Bonsdorff, E., Byrkjedal, I. et al. Novel biodiversity baselines outpace models of fish distribution in Arctic waters. Sci Nat 103, 8 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1332-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1332-9

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