The northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) is distributed through the colder parts of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and is found both inshore and offshore in Icelandic waters. Its preferred temperature range is 0-6°C and it is well known that ocean temperature is one of the main factor in shaping the distribution of species.   In recent years, or since 1995, surface temperature on Icelandic fishing grounds has increased by 2-4°C and for species with a limited distributional range,  a relatively small increase can have devastating consequences.  Shrimp abundance on Icelandic grounds has declined dramatically and reached historical low levels in 2004. Repeated recruitment failure, due to both increased cod abundance and elevated sea surface temperature on the shrimp fishing grounds could be causing the declination of the stock. For some other cold water fish species in Icelandic waters, the stock index is declining, in the contrary to warm water species where the stock index is rising.

The aim of this study is to analyse wheather recent warming has affected the distribution and abundance of offshore shrimp in Icelandic waters. The center of gravity will be estimated for each year to measure changes in the distributional pattern from 1988-2013. In addition to surface and bottom temperature, factors such as cod abundance and shrimp catch  will also be used to investigate weather they influence the distribution of northern shrimp around Iceland.