Reports

Affinity of benthic communities in Ísafjarðardjúpur

Published:

01/12/2010

Authors:

Þorleifur Eiríksson, Ólafur Ögmundarson, Guðmundur V. Helgason, Böðvar Þórisson

Supported by:

Fisheries Project Fund

Affinity of benthic communities in Ísafjarðardjúpur

Knowledge of benthic life in the shallow waters off Iceland is low, both in terms of natural conditions and under stress from, for example, aquaculture. There is also a lack of knowledge about how benthic communities react to stress from aquaculture, but one study has tried to answer this regarding low stress. In order to understand which benthic community types exist under natural conditions and which are present in the case of pollution from pollution, the relationship between benthic life inside and outside the area must be examined. In this way, it is possible to understand which animal groups are predominant in similar situations. This study uses data on benthic life in Ísafjarðardjúpur, which is mostly due to fish farming in the fjords. A benthic study is also being carried out in fjords that may be suitable for aquaculture, but are still only under pressure from natural conditions. The project is part of a larger project "Icelandic fjords: The natural ecosystem of Ísfjarðardjúp and the limits of pollution" and is funded by the Fisheries Project Fund.

Knowledge about the benthic live in shallow waters around Iceland is poor, both regarding natural circumstances and when there is pressure from aquaculture. Knowledge is also poor about how benthic communities respond to pollution from aquaculture. This study shows the relationships between research stations with regards to kinship between found indicative species.

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