Presentations on VME´s

On November 1 Lene Buhl-Mortensen, Pål Buhl-Mortensen, Steinunn H. Ólafsdóttir and Julian M. Burgos will give presentations at MFRI. The presentations will be held in the 1st floor auditorium at Skúlagata 4, and will commence at 12:30 pm.

Abstract

The distribution of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME´s) in arctic and sub-arctic waters is poorly known. Here we present results from the NovasArc (2016-2018) project, a collaboration between IMR (Norway), MFRI (Iceland) and FMRI (Faroe Islands), and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. A database of VME indicator species was compiled that included new observations from the participating nations. The project evaluated the distribution of VME's in the area between Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, and between 62°N and the Svalbard archipelago using habitat suitability models. Fishing pressure was mapped using Vessel Monitoring System data. Areas with VME´s at risk were identified by examining the overlap in the fishing effort and the predicted distribution of VME´s.

Presentations

Lene Buhl-Mortensen: NovasArc: A spatial analysis of threats to vulnerable marine ecosystems

Pål Buhl-Mortensen: Mapping of vulnerable marine ecosystems in Norway

Steinunn H. Ólafsdóttir: Habitat mapping in Icelandic waters

Julian M. Burgos: Evaluating the risk of vulnerable marine ecosystems in arctic and sub-arctic waters to commercial fisheries