Spatial distribution of small microplastics in the Norwegian Coastal Current.

High concentrations of microplastic (MP) particles have been reported in the Arctic Ocean. However, studies on the high-resolution lateral and vertical transport of MPs from the European waters to the Arctic are still scarce. Here, we provide information about the concentrations and compositions of MPs in surface, subsurface, and deeper waters (< 1 m, ∼ 4 m, and 17-1679 m) collected at 18 stations on six transects along the Norwegian Coastal Current (NCC) using an improved Neuston Catamaran, the COntinuos MicroPlastic Automatic Sampling System (COMPASS), and in situ pumps, respectively.

Trans-polar drift-pathways of riverine European microplastic.

High concentrations of microplastic particles are reported across the Arctic Ocean-yet no meaningful point sources, suspension timelines, or accumulation areas have been identified. Here we use Lagrangian particle advection simulations to model the transport of buoyant microplastic from northern European rivers to the high Arctic, and compare model results to the flux of sampled synthetic particles across the main entrance to the Arctic Ocean. We report widespread dispersal along the Eurasian continental shelf, across the North Pole, and back into the Nordic Seas; with accumulation zones over the Nansen basin, the Laptev Sea, and the ocean gyres of the Nordic Seas.

Polar cod in jeopardy under the retreating Arctic sea ice.

The Arctic amplification of global warming is causing the Arctic-Atlantic ice edge to retreat at unprecedented rates. Here we show how variability and change in sea ice cover in the Barents Sea, the largest shelf sea of the Arctic, affect the population dynamics of a keystone species of the ice-associated food web, the polar cod (). The data-driven biophysical model of polar cod early life stages assembled here predicts a strong mechanistic link between survival and variation in ice cover and temperature, suggesting imminent recruitment collapse should the observed ice-reduction and heating continue.

Conservation, spillover and gene flow within a network of Northern European marine protected areas.

To ensure that marine protected areas (MPAs) benefit conservation and fisheries, the effectiveness of MPA designs has to be evaluated in field studies. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we empirically assessed the design of a network of northern MPAs where fishing for European lobster (Homarusgammarus) is prohibited. First, we demonstrate a high level of residency and survival (50%) for almost a year (363 days) within MPAs, despite small MPA sizes (0.