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.