Olsen, E., Aanes, S., Mehl, S., Holst, J. C., Aglen, A., and Gjøsæter, H. 2010. Cod, haddock, saithe, herring, and capelin in the Barents Sea and adjacent waters: a review of the biological value of the area. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 87–101. Cod, haddock, saithe, herring, and capelin are the most important fish species in the Barents Sea and adjacent waters. Ecosystem-based management requires species-specific knowledge of the biological value and vulnerability throughout their life history and distributional range. For each of the five species and four annual quarters, the spawning (egg) areas, nursery areas for larvae and juveniles, and feeding grounds for adults are described and mapped. Areas of eggs (spawning) and larvae were the most important because these are the life stages when fish are most vulnerable to anthropogenic impact. The greatest overlap of spawning areas was from Røstbanken in the south to the Varanger Peninsula in the northeast, and overlap of larval distribution was more extensive.

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Stomach content analyses were conducted on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar post-smolt (average size, 119-154 mm fork length, L F ) caught in eight large Norwegian fjord systems along a north-south geographical axis during 1998-2001. In general, post-smolts from southern Norway showed low feeding intensity in the fjords, whereas extensive feeding was observed in fjords in the northern and middle parts of Norway. The marine diet mainly included different crustaceans and in particular marine pelagic fish larvae (sand-eels Ammodytes spp., herring Clupea harengus and gadoids), but with a substantial spatial and annual variation in prey diversity and feeding intensity. Insects were most frequently taken in the estuary, although fishes often made a large contribution in mass. In contrast, fishes, and to some extent various crustaceans (particularly Hyperiidae, Gammaridae, Euphausiacea and Copepoda) dominated the diet in the middle and outer parts of the fjords, where post-smolts also fed more extensively than in the inner part. The results indicate that extensive feeding immediately after sea entrance may be more common for post-smolts in the northern and middle parts of Norway, than in the southern fjords. The observed differences in post-smolt feeding may be due to spatial and temporal differences in prey availability within and between the different types of fjord systems, and this might influence post-smolt growth and survival. # 2004 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

Our objectives were to investigate the seasonal occurrence of photoidentified killer whale pods in relation to the distribution of Norwegian spring-spawning herring and whether or not pod-specific differences in the occurrence or diet of killer whales could be demonstrated. In a 4-year study, the killer whales occurred in different areas during the summer and the fall-winter, and these areas coincided with the distribution areas of herring. Killer whales were encountered most frequently during October-January when the whole adult and part of the adolescent stock of spring-spawning herring wintered in the study area. Thirty-nine killer whale pods were identified, and generally the same pods were encountered each year of the study. Differences in the timing and areas of occurrence of pods could be demonstrated. Adult and adolescent herring seemed to be the main prey of the killer whales during both fall-winter and summer. Six new species were added to the list of known prey species of Norwegian killer whales. The present pattern of seasonal occurrence of killer whales in the coastal waters of northern Norway is expected to change as a result of growth in the Norwegian spring-spawning herring stock. Résumé : Nous avions comme objectifs d'étudier l'apparition saisonnière de groupes d'épaulards photo-identifiés relativement à la distribution des harengs norvégiens se reproduisant au printemps, et de déterminer s'il y avait des différences spécifiques aux groupes dans le nombre ou le régime alimentaire des épaulards. Lors d'une étude de 4 ans, les épaulards ont été observés à différents endroits à l'été et pendant la période automne-hiver, et ces endroits correspondaient à l'aire de distribution des harengs. On observait surtout des épaulards durant la période allant d'octobre à janvier lorsque la totalité du stock d'adultes et qu'une partie du stock des adolescents de harengs se reproduisant au printemps passaient l'hiver dans l'aire d'étude. Trente-neuf groupes d'épaulards ont été dénombrés, et ce sont surtout les mêmes groupes qui étaient observés chaque année de l'étude. On a fait état de différences dans les moments et les endroits où les groupes étaient observés. Les harengs adultes et adolescents semblaient constituer la principale proie des épaulards, tant pendant la période automne-hiver qu'à l'été. Six nouvelles espèces ont été ajoutées à la liste des proies connues des épaulards norvégiens. La distribution actuelle des épaulards dans les eaux côtières du nord de la Norvège changera, prévoit-on, à la suite de la croissance du stock de harengs norvégiens se reproduisant au printemps. [Traduit par la Rédaction]

Abstract:We evaluated the costs and benefits of long-distance horizontal migration by pelagic planktivores, Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), mackerel (Scomber scombrus), and capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the Norwegian and Barents seas using a numerical model and tested model predictions against field observations. Specifically, we considered (i) energetic costs as a function of body size, water currents, swimming speed, and distance, (ii) time costs as a function of speed and distance, and (iii) energetic gain in terms of differences in food intake between areas. The model demonstrates how body size restricts large-scale horizontal migration patterns. Model and field results suggest that the extent of migration will increase with increasing body length. The model predicts that long-distance migration costs may exceed energy intake for fish <20 cm, due to increased hydrodynamical drag with decreasing fish size. Field results suggest that migration distance is a function of length, weight, and age. Food abundance and distribution, current speed and direction, and differences in day length at boreal latitudes are believed to be the major driving forces influencing large-scale migration distance, direction, and timing in pelagic planktivores. Northwards latitudinal rather than longitudinal feeding migrations are explained by the improved feeding opportunities with increased day lengths.Résumé : Nous avons évalué les coûts et les avantages de la migration horizontale à longue distance de poissons pélagiques planctivores, à savoir le hareng (Clupea harengus), le merlan bleu (Micromesistius poutassou), le maquereau (Scomber scombrus) et le capelan (Mallotus villosus), dans la mer de Norvège et la mer de Barents. Nous avons comparé les prévisions obtenues d'un modèle numérique et d'un modèle fondé sur les observations aux valeurs observées sur le terrain. Plus précisément, nous avons examiné (i) les dépenses énergétiques en fonction de la taille, du courant, de la vitesse de nage et de la distance, (ii) les dépenses de temps en fonction de la vitesse et de la distance et (iii) le gain énergétique en fonction des écarts de la consommation alimentaire entre les zones. Le modèle montre comment la taille limite la migration horizontale à grande échelle. Le modèle et les résultats obtenus sur le terrain portent à croire que l'importance de la migration s'accroît avec la longueur du poisson. Selon le modèle, les coûts d'une migration sur une longue distance peuvent être supérieurs à l'énergie absorbée chez les poissons de moins de 20 cm de longueur, étant donné que la traînée hydrodynamique s'accroît à mesure que la taille du poisson décroît. Les résultats obtenus sur le terrain indiquent que la distance de migration est fonction de la longueur, du poids et de l'âge. L'abondance et la répartition de la nourriture, la vitesse et la direction du courant de même que la durée du jour, différente sous les latitudes boréales, semblent constituer les principales forces qui influent sur la...