Plastic pollution tendencies of the Barents Sea and adjacent waters under the climate change

Abstract. We applied coincident Earth observation data collected during 2008 and 2009 from multiple sensors (RA2, AATSR and MERIS, mounted on the European Space Agency satellite Envisat) to characterise environmental conditions and integrated sea–air fluxes of CO2 in three Arctic seas (Greenland, Barents, Kara). We assessed net CO2 sink sensitivity due to changes in temperature, salinity and sea ice duration arising from future climate scenarios. During the study period the Greenland and Barents seas were net sinks for atmospheric CO2, with integrated sea–air fluxes of −36 ± 14 and −11 ± 5 Tg C yr−1, respectively, and the Kara Sea was a weak net CO2 source with an integrated sea–air flux of +2.2 ± 1.4 Tg C yr−1. The combined integrated CO2 sea–air flux from all three was −45 ± 18 Tg C yr−1. In a sensitivity analysis we varied temperature, salinity and sea ice duration. Variations in temperature and salinity led to modification of the transfer velocity, solubility and partial pressure of CO2 taking into account the resultant variations in alkalinity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Our results showed that warming had a strong positive effect on the annual integrated sea–air flux of CO2 (i.e. reducing the sink), freshening had a strong negative effect and reduced sea ice duration had a small but measurable positive effect. In the climate change scenario examined, the effects of warming in just over a decade of climate change up to 2020 outweighed the combined effects of freshening and reduced sea ice duration. Collectively these effects gave an integrated sea–air flux change of +4.0 Tg C in the Greenland Sea, +6.0 Tg C in the Barents Sea and +1.7 Tg C in the Kara Sea, reducing the Greenland and Barents sinks by 11% and 53%, respectively, and increasing the weak Kara Sea source by 81%. Overall, the regional integrated flux changed by +11.7 Tg C, which is a 26% reduction in the regional sink. In terms of CO2 sink strength, we conclude that the Barents Sea is the most susceptible of the three regions to the climate changes examined. Our results imply that the region will cease to be a net CO2 sink in the 2050s.

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Climate change impacts on sea-air fluxes of CO<sub>2</sub> in three Arctic seas: a sensitivity study using earth observation

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-9-12377-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 12377-12432 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

P. E. Land ◽

J. D. Shutler ◽

R. D. Cowling ◽

D. K. Woolf ◽

P. Walker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Earth Observation ◽

Kara Sea ◽

Sink Strength ◽

Arctic Seas ◽

The Barents Sea ◽

Co2 Sink ◽

Positive Effect

Abstract. During 2008 and 2009 we applied coincident Earth observation data collected from multiple sensors (RA2, AATSR and MERIS, mounted on the European Space Agency satellite Envisat) to characterise environmental conditions and net sea-air fluxes of CO2 in three Arctic seas (Greenland, Barents, Kara) to assess net CO2 sink sensitivity due to changes in temperature, salinity and sea ice duration arising from future climate scenarios. During the study period the Greenland and Barents Seas were net sinks for atmospheric CO2, with sea-air fluxes of −34±13 and −13±6 Tg C yr−1, respectively and the Kara Sea was a weak net CO2 source with a sea-air flux of +1.5±1.1 Tg C yr−1. The combined net CO2 sea-air flux from all three was −45±18 Tg C yr−1. In a sensitivity analysis we varied temperature, salinity and sea ice duration. Variations in temperature and salinity led to modification of the transfer velocity, solubility and partial pressure of CO2 taking into account the resultant variations in alkalinity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Our results showed that warming had a strong positive effect on the annual net sea-air flux of CO2 (i.e. reducing the sink), freshening had a strong negative effect and reduced sea ice duration had a small but measurable positive effect. In the climate change scenario examined, the effects of warming in just over a decade of climate change up to 2020 outweighed the combined effects of freshening and reduced sea ice duration. Collectively these effects gave a net sea-air flux change of +3.5 Tg C in the Greenland Sea, +5.5 Tg C in the Barents Sea and +1.4 Tg C in the Kara Sea, reducing the Greenland and Barents sinks by 10% and 50% respectively, and increasing the weak Kara Sea source by 64%. Overall, the regional flux changed by +10.4 Tg C, reducing the regional sink by 23%. In terms of CO2 sink strength we conclude that the Barents Sea is the most susceptible of the three regions to the climate changes examined. Our results imply that the region will cease to be a net CO2 sink by 2060.

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Marine living resources of the Barents Sea – Ecosystem understanding and monitoring in a climate change perspective

Marine Biology Research ◽

10.1080/17451000.2013.775459 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 932-947 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Kathrine Michalsen ◽

Padmini Dalpadado ◽

Elena Eriksen ◽

Harald Gjøsæter ◽

Randi B. Ingvaldsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Barents Sea ◽

The Barents Sea ◽

Barents Sea Ecosystem

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Regional climate change in the Barents Sea: Need of a consistent set-up and more analyses

10.5194/esd-2016-27-ec1 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Gerrit Lohmann

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Regional Climate Change ◽

The Barents Sea ◽

Set Up

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Phytobenthic communities of the Barents Sea Arctic zone and climate change

Vestnik MGTU ◽

10.21443/1560-9278-2018-21-2-228-236 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 228-236 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

V. I. Kapkov ◽

◽

E. V. Shoshina ◽

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Arctic Zone ◽

The Barents Sea

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Arctic Marine Ecosystems, Climate Change Impacts, and Governance Responses: An Integrated Perspective from the Barents Sea

Arctic Marine Sustainability - Springer Polar Sciences ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-28404-6_3 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 45-71

Author(s):

Stefan Koenigstein

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Marine Ecosystems ◽

The Barents Sea

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New Approach on Organizing the Monitoring of Macrophytobenthos in the Russian Arctic

KnE Life Sciences ◽

10.18502/kls.v5i1.6033 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sergey Malavenda ◽

Svetlana Malavenda

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Sampling Station ◽

Russian Arctic ◽

New Approach ◽

Regulatory Documents ◽

The Barents Sea ◽

Special Software ◽

Minimum Number

The minimum number of samples was estimated based on the studies of the distribution of macrophytobenthos. The existing norms of three replicates per sampling station do not always allow to obtain reliable average values. The collection of a large number of samples, especially seasonally, will lead to significant changes in the studied community. It is recommended to put into practice the use of the method of photographing the areas of particular size along transects for further analysis using special software. It is proposed also to amend the existing regulatory documents on sampling of macrophytobenthos in the Barents Sea and other seas of the Russian Arctic. In particular, it is worth making the most of landscape surveys and mapping. The development of a monitoring system for species diversity and macrophytobenthos distribution in the seas of the Russian Arctic is justified in regard to the monitoring of the community state, including that considering the climate change.

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MAIN AREAS AND RESULTS OF THE BENTHOS RESEARCH IN THE BARENTS SEA BY THE MURMANSK MARINE BIOLOGICAL INSTITUTE IN 2015–2019

Transaction Kola Science Cetnre ◽

10.37614/2307-5252.2020.11.4.005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 109-134

Author(s):

L.V. Pavlova ◽

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Atlantic Water ◽

The Arctic ◽

Bottom Fauna ◽

The Barents Sea ◽

Biological Institute ◽

Abundance And Diversity ◽

The Impact ◽

Diversity Structure

The results of five-year studies (2015–2019) of the laboratory of zoobenthos MMBI RAS on the impact of environmental factors, climate change and pollution on the species diversity, structure and abundance of bottom fauna in the Barents Sea were considered. The abundance and diversity of bottom communities and taxocenoses were higher in the most warm Atlantic water masses. The warming of the Arctic contributes to increased diversity of the Barents Sea benthos, increased biological invasion in the northern seas, and maintenance of diversity in the polluted ecosystem of the Kola Bay. The technology of biomonitoring of climate change using littoral populations of invertebrates is proposed.

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