This thesis explores a historical time series of trawl stations on the West Spitsbergen Shelf (WSS), aiming to understand the spatial and temporal variability of the demersal fish communities in the region. Abundance data of 42 fish species are used to investigate the species composition, richness, and diversity across six different areas under different environmetal influence. The results indicate ...

Satellite telemetry records of temperature, activity and position data for female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) known to have been (n=11) and to not have been (n=15) in maternity dens during winter were analyzed during the period from December 15th to March 1st for patterns that could be used to demonstrate denning in other female bears by means of telemetry collars. Temperature was found to be the ...

The Atlantic salmon has declined in numbers over the last decades. Given the species’ anadromous nature, management is a challenge, and information is lacking, especially from the marine migratory phase. Information about repeat spawners and their migratory behaviour may be of major importance in management questions, as these individuals have been found to contribute significantly to spawning ...

This study represents one of the first studies that has explored the spatial and temporal differences in diving behaviour of weaned harp seal pups (Pagophilus groenlandicus) from the Greenland Sea stock. The study is also the first to map the weaned harp seal pups from the Greenland Sea population. In April 2017, newly weaned harp seal pups (n=26) from the Greenland Sea stock were tagged with satellite ...

The rise in offshore oil and gas operations, maritime shipping and tourism in northern latitudes enhance the risk of petroleum pollution and anthropogenic impacts of oil-related compounds on sub-Arctic and Arctic organisms. In particular, there is a need to investigate the potential adverse effects of petroleum to the early life stages of capelin (<i>Mallotus villosus</i>), an important forage and ...

The diet of polar bears in the Svalbard area was assessed based analyses of scats (n=119) collected in the Archipelago between 2003 and 2010. Most of the samples were collected in spring. Morphological analysis of the prey remains together with genetic analyses of tissue fragments found in the scats showed that ringed seals (Pusa hispida) were the most important prey group present; this seal species ...

The Common guillemot (Uria aalge) is a monomorphic seabird who exhibits two colour morphs: a bridled and an unbridled. The aim of this study was to investigate which effect parental sex and morph had on the daily chick feeding frequency and during the chick-rearing period. To assess this, two fixed time-lapse cameras were used to document the chick feeding frequency for 27 Common guillemot families ...

<i>Amblyraja hyperborea</i> is the cartilaginous fish with the widest distribution across the Arctic seas and shelves and yet, large parts of its biology remain unknown. In a changing climate where the ice cover in the polar regions is retreating and fisheries are expanding northward, studying poorly known species is more important than ever. To provide a more exhaustive understanding of this species, ...

Since 2011, large numbers of humpback whales have aggregated to feed on Norwegian spring-spawning herring overwintering from late October to February within the fjords of the Troms county in Northern Norway. Whale aggregations are new in this region and little information on the whales’ behaviour is available. How whales dive and forage and how they adjust to the extreme light regime at this latitude ...

The purpose of this study is to describe the diet of long rough dab in three different fjords with and without red king crab. The hypothesis is that red king crab are influencing the diet and possible also growth of long rough dab. By the applying objectives it is assumed to give an answer to if red king crab is influencing different aspects of the diet and growth in long rough dab. By the ...