European Ocean Biodiversity Information System

[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Intertidal zone of Svalbard: 1. Macroorganism distribution and biomass
Weslawski, J.M.; Wiktor, J.; Zajaczkowski, M.; Swerpel, S. (1993). Intertidal zone of Svalbard: 1. Macroorganism distribution and biomass. Polar Biol. 13(2): 73-79
In: Polar Biology. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg. ISSN 0722-4060; e-ISSN 1432-2056
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors | Dataset 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Non-open access 127895 [ request ]

Keywords
    Distribution
    Macrobenthos
    Population characteristics > Biomass
    ANE, Norway, Svalbard [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top | Dataset 
  • Weslawski, J.M.
  • Wiktor, J.
  • Zajaczkowski, M.
  • Swerpel, S.

Abstract
    In summer 1985-1991, the intertidal zone of the Svalbard archipelago was sampled in 242 localities. Thirty seven laxa of macrofauna and 22 of macrophytes were considered as littoral zone inhabitants. Four major littoral assemblages are described: Fucus-Balanus, Gammarus, Onisimus and Oligochaeta communities. More than 80% of the investigated coast is occupied by the Oligochaeta assemblage with mean biomass values less than 1 kJ/m². The richest benthos was found at Fucus-Balanus sites (8% of the coast line) with biomass values exceeding 2000 kJ/m². The southern tip of Spitsbergen is part of a major zoogeographical border in the littoral fauna distribution. Subarctic species like barnacles, periwinkles and Gammarus oceanieus predominate on the western coast whereas, on the Arctic East coast barren beaches, G. setosus predomination was found.

Dataset
  • Svalbard Tidal Zone data

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors | Dataset