The Davis Strait - DCE - Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi

to oil spills and produced water. It is important to identify recruitment areas
and recurrent concentrations including the larvae depth distribution.
Methods: Studies of the early life history of northern shrimp and snow crab,
including larval drift, variation in settling and occurrence of benthic stages
and interaction with climate change. Dedicated field studies and modelling.
Benthic flora and fauna – identification of sensitive areas and baseline
(diversity, spatial variation, biomass, primary production)
Relevance: Benthic flora and fauna is sensitive to oil spills, to placement of
structures and to release of drilling mud. Sponge gardens and cold-water
coral reefs are especially sensitive to sedimentation of drilling mud and cuttings.
Sensitive benthic areas are important to consider when subsea activities
are to take place and when drilling locations are identified. For shore
habitats (sub tidal and intertidal zone) knowledge on benthic flora and fauna
is especially important for identification of the most oil spill sensitive areas,
where shoreline protection measurements can potentially be established
during an oil spill.
Methods: Dedicated regional (strategic) field surveys in combination with the
studies carried out by the licence holders during site surveys.
Fish – biology, spawning areas, stock relationships of important species (esp.
Greenland halibut, capelin, sandeel, lumpsucker, Atlantic cod)
Relevance: Fish, especially egg and larvae, can be sensitive to oil spills and
produced water and fish can be tainted if there are oil components in the
sediment. Adult fish can be displaced by acoustic activities, such as seismic
surveys, and this displacement can influence stock recruitment if spawning
fish are scared away from optimal spawning areas.
Methods: Dedicated surveys, tagging, modelling and other methods for identification
of important spawning sites, including the depth at which spawning
occurs, larval drift and retention areas with high concentrations of larvae.
This is especially pertinent for Greenland halibut, for which the main
spawning grounds are in the central Davis Strait, and for species that spawn
in coastal areas where oil concentrations are more likely to be high during an
oil spill. Behavioural and physiological experiments on the reaction of selected
local fish to sound from seismic surveys.
Seabirds – distribution and abundance of breeding and wintering birds, migratory
movements and concentrations, population delineation and population
dynamics, especially for declining or less known species
Relevance: Seabirds are very sensitive to oil spills and knowledge of seabird
concentration areas is important to mitigate impacts. The assessment area is
an internationally important key wintering area for seabirds from all over
the North Atlantic.
Methods: Surveys and ecological studies in breeding colonies. Tracking of
migrating birds by satellite telemetry, and geo-locators, bio-loggers, and molecular
techniques combined with dedicated surveys by ship and aircraft (in
combination with the hot-spot studies listed above).
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