- Thumbnail
- Resource ID
- d47d08e2-a904-11eb-835a-0242c0a8100c
- Title
- 1. Subpolar Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) open ocean ecosystem off Iceland
- Date
- April 29, 2021, midnight, Publication
- Abstract
- This part of the Atlantic comprises a wide range of benthic (seafloor) and pelagic (water column) ecosystems that live on the continental shelf and slope, the mid-ocean ridge and surrounding abyssal plains. Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (those that are particularly sensitive to disturbance by activities such as fishing) are primarily found on the shelf, slopes and ridges in Icelandic waters. The area is heavily influenced by major oceanographic features – the warm Atlantic water masses and the cold waters of the East Greenland Current and the East Iceland Current – which have a profound influence on the primary productivity and functioning of marine pelagic wildlife, such as whales, zooplankton and fish.
- Edition
- --
- Owner
- t.morato@gmail.com
- Point of Contact
- Morato
- t.morato@gmail.com
- Purpose
- Boundary of the iAtlantic study region: 1. Subpolar Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) open ocean ecosystem off Iceland
- Maintenance Frequency
- None
- Type
- not filled
- Restrictions
- None
- License
- Not Specified
- Language
- eng
- Temporal Extent
- Start
- --
- End
- --
- Supplemental Information
- Region #1 preliminary boundaries were adequate for most species of interest, because it encompassed the distribution of most VME indicator species and the groundfish species. However, MFRI suggested to expand Region #1 to better encompass the distribution humpback whales and capelin.The new area encompasses better the T-NASS humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) distributions, i.e. North of Iceland and closer to Greenland;The new area encompasses better the distribution of the capelin (Mallotus villosus), according to local experts working on this region. The boundaries were enlarged to 74°Nto cover the imporatnt feeding grounds around Scoresbysund; to 8°W(east and south east of iceland) to include known spawning migrations; and to 40°Wto include potential nursery areas close to Greenland. It was noticed that the capelin distribution does extends further north.The extension to 74°N further north may also be useful for addressing climate change research questions, since the spatial distribution of many species has been extending further north concomitant with ocean warming
- Data Quality
- --
- Extent
-
- x0: -41.146072387695300
- x1: -8.002573013305660
- y0: 52.172710418701200
- y1: 74.009620666503900
- Spatial Reference System Identifier
- EPSG:4326
- Keywords
- no keywords
- Category
- Boundaries
- Regions
-
Global