Pacific Arctic Benthic Species

Bering and Chukchi Seas, in Pacific Arctic sector, are one of the most productive systems in the world’s ocean. Due to tight benthic pelagic coupling in these relatively shallow areas benthic fauna is highly abundant, reaches high biomass and plays important role as food items for higher trophic levels. These benthic driven areas are under strong impact of climate change, which includes dramatic seasonal retreats and thinning of sea ice, record-setting seawater temperatures and increased input of Pacific waters. The “Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO)” initiative is envisioned as a change detection array along a latitudinal gradient extending from the northern Bering Sea to the Barrow Arc in the Chukchi Sea, in regional "hotspot" transect lines and stations considered to exhibit high productivity, biodiversity, and overall rates of change.   Biological Response to Recent Pacific Arctic Sea Ice Retreats. This web presents information on species found in regional "hotspot" transect lines in northern Bering and Chukchi Seas (https://www.pmel.arctic.noaa.gov/dbo/).

This web page was prepared by Monika Kędra, and Barbara Oleszczuk

  LIST OF SPECIES