Distribution of Sensitive Habitats and Trawl-Marks (results from MAREANO): Implications for Sustainable Management, Selection and Monitoring of MPAs

What is the relationship between the physical environment, species diversity and biological resources? This is one of the questions addressed by the MAREANO program (Marine Areal Database for Norwegian Coasts and Sea Areas). The project partners, Institute of marine Research, Geological Survey of Norway and Norwegian Hydrographic Service co-operate closely to perform mapping of the environment and fauna. Through the MAREANO-program the Norwegian government wants to map the continental shelf and slope off Norway starting in the Barents Sea. This is done to get new knowledge needed for the implementation of the Barents Sea management plan. The goal is to obtain information for the regulation of human activities such as petroleum industry and fisheries. The project was launched as an interministerial financial collaboration between the ministries of the Environment, Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Trade and Industry and the Research Council of Norway in 2005. The area mapped by MAREANO in 2006-2010 (50 000 km²) covers: banks, troughs, ridges, canyons, large sand waves, cold seeps and coral reef areas at depths ranging from 40 – 2700 m. In these areas fauna and bottom substratum has been documented with a suite of sampling gears (video, multicorer, grab, boxcorer, beam-trawl, and epibenthic-sled). We will present results from the mapping including the detailed distribution of sensitive and threatened habitats in the areas that now are closed to petrol industry while new information is gained on natural recourses. The video recording of bottom environment and organisms has provided detailed information on fisheries impact on the bottom substratum. The implication of this vital information for ecosystem based management of the natural resources in the Barents Sea will be discussed.