location

Svalbard

Also known as: Svalbard Archipelago

Facts (23)

Sources

A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine ... frontiersin.org Frontiers Oct 25, 2024 23 facts

claimIvory gull breeding colonies are located in the High Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and the archipelagos of Svalbard (Norway) and Franz Josef Land (Russia).

claimAtlantic cod (Gadus morhua) perform feeding migrations to Svalbard and the northern Barents Sea to the slopes of the Arctic Ocean, where they feed on capelin, Arctic cod, and other species.

referenceBerge et al. (2015b) recorded the first instances of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) in the Svalbard Archipelago and proposed explanations for this distribution extension.

claimThe Atlantic Water Boundary Current flows eastwards along the shelf north of Svalbard into the Nansen Basin of the Arctic Ocean, according to Renner et al. (2018).

referenceUrbanski and Litwicka (2022) documented the decline of Svalbard land-fast sea ice extent as a result of climate change.

claimThe Atlantic Arctic is influenced by mixed Atlantic Water entering the Barents Sea via two currents: one flowing eastward into the southern Barents Sea and one flowing north along the west coast of Svalbard, as described by Ingvaldsen et al. (2021).

referenceMadsen et al. (2019) predicted a negative future for light-bellied brent geese in Tusenøyane, Svalbard, due to a changing predator regime.

referenceBrand and Fischer (2016) documented the species composition and abundance of the shallow water fish community of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, as published in Polar Biology.

referenceLydersen et al. (2020) used satellite tracking to reveal the autumn movement patterns of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) from Svalbard, Norway.

claimFemale polar bears in Svalbard leave coastal sea ice in early summer to travel on shore and feed at ground nesting bird colonies along the west coast, according to Hamilton et al. (2017) and Bengtsson et al. (2021).

referenceL. Storrie, C. Lydersen, M. Andersen, R. B. Wynn, and K. M. Kovacs determined the species assemblage and habitat use of cetaceans in the Svalbard Archipelago based on observations from 2002 to 2014 in a 2018 study published in Polar Research.

claimBeluga whales on the west side of Svalbard, which previously foraged almost exclusively on Arctic cod at tidewater glacier fronts and migrated along coastlines, now spend more time away from shore in fjords and occupy different water masses, likely to feed on small boreal fish species.

claimPolar bears in Svalbard no longer migrate south to islands like Hopen Island for denning because sea ice no longer forms that far south in the late fall and early winter, as noted by Andersen et al. (2012).

claimThe influx of warm Atlantic water and associated boreal prey has altered the coastal distribution of beluga whales on the west side of Svalbard.

referenceHaddock migrate northwards to areas used by Atlantic cod, specifically the western and northern coasts of Svalbard and adjacent slopes, where they feed primarily on benthos rather than fish, according to Landa et al. (2014).

claimAdult ringed seals in coastal areas around Svalbard have restricted movement patterns and smaller home ranges compared to a few decades ago, necessitating increased foraging effort, according to Hamilton et al. (2016; 2019).

claimPolar cod egg and larval drift patterns in the Svalbard archipelago were studied by Eriksen et al. in 2020.

referenceBengtsson et al. (2021) documented the distribution and habitat characteristics of pinnipeds and polar bears in the Svalbard Archipelago between 2005 and 2018.

referenceAndersen et al. (2012) published a study titled 'Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternity den distribution in Svalbard, Norway' in Polar Biology, volume 35, pages 499–508.

referenceVacquié-Garcia et al. (2018) studied the habitats and movement patterns of white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Svalbard, Norway, in the context of a changing climate.

referenceLydersen et al. (2014) established the importance of tidewater glaciers as habitats for marine mammals and seabirds in Svalbard, Norway.

referenceBengtsson et al. (2022) analyzed cetacean spatial trends in Svalbard, Norway, from 2005 to 2019, linking these trends to climate change.

claimClimate change impacts wildlife in the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway.