Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V58
Höfundar / Authors: Christophe Pampoulie
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: Hafrannsóknastófnun
Kynnir / Presenter: James Kennedy
With a warming Arctic, suitable habitat for polar cod Boreogadus saida (Lepechin 1774) is predicted to decrease. We investigate changes in distribution of polar cod on the southern limit of its distribution in the Atlantic Ocean (around Iceland) during both autumn and spring following a recent period of warming in the area. Polar cod was distributed from 50 to 1,249 m depth, with highest occurrence at 350–500 m. It was primarily found in areas of colder water to the north and east of the country and in deeper water to the northwest. There was a decrease in occurrence and change in distribution over the time period analysed (1985–2024). There was a more pronounced shift in distribution during spring than autumn with a retreat of the population from the shallower shelf areas to the north of Iceland, to deeper colder water. Polar cod were found at a wide range of temperatures during the autumn (-2.6–9.0^∘C) but in the spring, occurrence dropped sharply at temperatures >2^∘C. Predictive modelling demonstrated that changes in temperature have contributed to shifts in distribution of polar cod around Iceland and suggests that future warming could further decrease areas of suitable habitat.