MEPS

Marine Ecology Progress Series

MEPS is a leading hybrid research journal on all aspects of marine, coastal and estuarine ecology. Priority is given to outstanding research that advances our ecological understanding.

Online: ISSN 1616-1599

Print: ISSN 0171-8630

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps

Journal contents
Mar Ecol Prog Ser

Future poleward distribution shifts of community and functional groups in the Barents Sea modelled under different climate and fisheries scenarios

ABSTRACT: Arctic ecosystems are among the most impacted by climate change globally. To evaluate future spatial distributions of functional groups (FGs) in the Barents Sea, a spatial mass-balance model (Ecospace) was used to simulate future distributions under a combination of 3 climate scenarios (SSP 1–2.6 [cool], 2–4.5 [intermediate], and 5–8.5 [hot]), and 3 fishing effort (E) levels: intermediate, low, and high. The model was driven by monthly 2D surface and bottom temperature, ice concentration, primary production fields, and E’s time series from 2020 to 2099. Spatial biomass distributions of the community and most FGs shifted mainly northeast with increasing temperature. In the cool and intermediate scenarios, the temperature decreased or stabilised between the 2050s and 2090s, and the centre of distribution of most FGs returned close to the 2020s’ positions. In the hot scenario, the community shift rate accelerated from 13 km decade–1 (2020s-2050s) to 23 km decade–1 (2050s to 2090s). In this scenario, the spread pattern of the distributions depended on the biogeographic category; many Arctic-boreal and boreal FGs increased in spread more than Arctic FGs from the 2050s to 2090s. Fishing effort levels affected the spreads of spatial distributions but not the distance and directions of shifts. The Northeast Arctic cod (main target species) showed higher spread at lower fishing effort, possibly a density-dependent range increase. Most FGs showed less clear responses to fishing efforts. We conclude that future distribution shifts were largest for boreal groups in hot scenarios, while in intermediate and cool scenarios, groups returned to present distribution patterns.

KEYWORDS

Marcela do Nascimento (Co-author)

  • Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø 9019, Norway
nascimento.marcelac@gmail.com, marcela.c.nascimento@uit.no

Filippa Fransner (Co-author)

  • Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen, Christies gate 12, 5015 Bergen, Norway
Filippa.Fransner@uib.no

Robinson Hordoir (Co-author)

  • Institute of Marine Research, Nordnesgaten 50, N-5817 Bergen, Norway
robinson.hordoir@hi.no

Morten Skogen (Co-author)

  • Institute of Marine Research, Nordnesgaten 50, N-5817 Bergen, Norway
morten.skogen@hi.no

Raul Primicerio (Co-author)

  • Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø 9019, Norway
raul.primicerio@uit.no

Torstein Pedersen (Corresponding Author)

  • Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø 9019, Norway
torstein.pedersen@uit.no

Handling Editor:
Franz Mueter, Juneau, Alaska, USA

Reviewers:
R. Puntila, R. Angelini and 1 anonymous referee