Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2023
Höfundar / Authors: Bylgja Sif (1,2), Haseeb S. Randhawa (1), Steinunn Hilma Ólafsdóttir (2)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: University of Iceland, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences (1), The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (2)
Kynnir / Presenter: Bylgja Sif Jónsdóttir
A rise in consumer awareness and the increasing demand for fisheries products derived from responsible and sustainable fishing, along with the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), has led to rising pressure for information on the effects of fishing and its impacts on marine ecosystems globally. Knowledge of the biodiversity and distribution of marine species affected by fishing pressure is vital to improve management of VMEs. Since 1996, the MFRI has conducted annual autumn groundfish surveys in the deep-sea around Iceland. In 2016-2018 benthic researchers were onboard to collect and record the benthos bycatch. Benthos are animals living as epifauna on the seafloor or as infauna burrowed in it. The deep-water benthos are well adapted to the cold and dark environment of their habitat but can be fragile, slow growing, and long-lived, which makes them highly vulnerable to fishing pressure. Therefore, their recovery potential is low. Various research methods are used to study them, including, remotely operated vehicles, grab sampling, and trawling; the latter two targeting the benthos directly and getting the benthos as bycatch. The objectives of this study are to assess the diversity and distribution of deep-sea benthos communities and determine what factors might be affecting them, for example, temperature, depth, or geomorphology of the seafloor. This knowledge is important to improve the management of Icelandic marine ecosystems and identify areas under threat.