There is evidence of a negative population trend for the two neighbouring eider colonies of Håkøya and Grindøya in Troms county, northern Norway. Casual observations suggest that nest predation may be an important factor, and that the hooded crow in particular could be the main egg predator. On this basis, a two year pilot study was conducted to investigate the role of the hooded crow in the nest ...

Based on earlier migration studies of lake-dwelling anadromous Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) and sea trout Salmo trutta L. in northern Norway, both species are believed to solely overwinter in fresh water and spend only one to three months in the sea during summer. This is an assumption upon which all current management of the species in the area is based, although no studies have focused on ...

Capelin (Mallotus villosus) is a pelagic fish species with large interannual stock variations in the Barents Sea ecosystem. Together with polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and juvenile herring (Clupea harengus), it functions as an intermediate link that transfers energy from zooplankton to higher trophic levels. Capelin is a key prey and important as a food resource both to sea birds, sea mammals and ...

A pilot project was carried out by the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) to test the functionality of GPS phone tags (by SMRU) on harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Vesterålen archipelago, Norway. Acoustic surveys were performed to investigate the abundance of fish in these waters and scat sampling was used to assess the diet composition of the seal population inhabiting the area. Five juvenile ...

Formålet med denne oppgaven var å se på kvantitative endringer av makroalge- og lavsamfunnet i littoralsonen på fem lokaliteter i Troms, langs en eksponeringsgradient fra fjord til kyst. Ofte finner man samfunnsendringer innover i fjordene som er nært korrelert med forandringer i substratets stabilitet, tekstur og lokaltopografiske forhold i fjæra (helning) (pers. med. Tor Eiliv Lein). Artsdiversiteten ...

Marine copepods of the genus Pseudocalanus (Calanoida) are common in Svalbard waters as well as throughout the northern hemisphere. They contribute considerably to plankton biomass in addition to Calanus spp. and play an important role in the marine food web as a link between planktivores, such as fish larvae, and microalgae. Pseudocalanus consists of several sibling species, and two of them, ...

The female Common eider (Somateria mollossima) is a drab, lightly coloured bird, easily distinguished from the brightly ornamented male. Unlike the male, the female has white bands on the tips of her wings, and these white wing bands have been shown to reflect individual quality in previous studies. In this study the potential role of the white wing bands in parental care and mate choice is studied, ...

Anthropogenic and natural stressors can affect ecosystems negatively and it is therefore important to have a clear understanding of the responses of organisms to stressors. The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is a common raptor species of the boreal forest ecosystem and its location at the top of its food chain makes it a special target for two important stressors; endoparasitism and environmental ...

Cod aquaculture is a rapidly expanding industry in Norway and with an increase of biomass in mariculture the concern for diseases spread to and from farmed populations of cod is increasing. The genus Gyrodactylus Nordmann, 1832 are parasitic monogeneans infecting teleost fish in marine and fresh water habitats worldwide. To investigate a possible problematic species of this genus the gill filaments ...

Background: The organotin compound tributyltin (TBT), used as an antifouling agent in ship hull paint, is known to cause imposex in several species of marine gastropods. Imposex is the imposition of male sexual characteristics on females, and can lead to female sterility. The common whelk, Buccinum undatum, is a common species in Norway and has received attention for its export potential. Because ...