title: Low Density of Top Predators (Seabirds and Marine Mammals) in the High Arctic Pack Ice.
abstract: The at-sea distribution of top predators, seabirds and marine mammals, was determined in the high Arctic pack ice on board the icebreaker RVPolarsternin July to September 2014. In total, 1,620 transect counts were realised, lasting 30 min each. The five most numerous seabird species represented 74% of the total of 15,150 individuals registered: kittiwakeRissa tridactyla, fulmarFulmarus glacialis, puffinFratercula arctica, Ross's gullRhodostethia rosea, and little aukAlle alle. Eight cetacean species were tallied for a total of 330 individuals, mainly white-beaked dolphinLagenorhynchus albirostrisand fin whaleBalaenoptera physalus. Five pinniped species were represented by a total of 55 individuals and the polar bearUrsus maritimuswas represented by 12 individuals. Four main geographical zones were identified: from Tromsø to the outer marginal ice zone (OMIZ), the Arctic pack ice (close pack ice, CPI), the end of Lomonosov Ridge off Siberia, and the route off Siberia and northern Norway. Important differences were detected between zones, both in species composition and in individual abundance. Low numbers of species and high proportion of individuals for some of them can be considered to reflect very low biodiversity. Numbers encountered in zones 2 to 4 were very low in comparison with other European Arctic seas. The observed differences showed strong patterns.
authors: Laboratory for Polar Ecology (PolE), 1367 Ramillies, Belgium; Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Claude R
authors: 0000-0001-6045-255X
authors: CR
authors: Joiris
authors: MARUM-Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Boos
authors: Laboratory for Polar Ecology (PolE), 1367 Ramillies, Belgium.
authors: Diederik
authors: D
authors: D'Hert
authors: Laboratory for Polar Ecology (PolE), 1367 Ramillies, Belgium.
authors: Dominik A
authors: DA
authors: Nachtsheim