Strategic importance of the Bergen‐Shetland Corridor to marine biology and oceanography of the Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

The North Sea is one of the busiest and most exploited marine areas on Earth and is home to many highly migratory and economically important species. At the northern boundary, a 300‐km corridor between Norway and Shetland forms a major egress point from the North Sea to the Norwegian Sea and broader Atlantic Ocean, which is known to be used by many focal species including Atlantic salmon, European eel, European sturgeon, Atlantic bluefin tuna, basking shark, Atlantic mackerel, spiny dogfish, among others. We argue that this relatively shallow 300‐km corridor is a critical area for ecological and oceanographic research in the North Sea to understand species distribution, migratory patterns, responses to climate, fisheries, and more. Instrumentation of the Bergen‐Shetland Corridor with a line of oceanographic and biological tracking infrastructure would help capture the spatiotemporal dynamics of the ocean and its major fauna between the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, a boundary between management areas from ICES and OSPAR.