Capelin () and polar cod () hold a fundamental position in the Barents Sea ecosystem as consumers of zooplankton while serving as forage fish for the commercial and ecological key species Atlantic cod (). The ongoing warming and Atlantification of the Barents Sea, along with increasing net primary production, makes previously inaccessible northern areas available as feeding grounds for capelin. The opposite effect is anticipated for the ice-dependent polar cod. The transport of Atlantic water with boreal plankton from the Norwegian Sea is important for sustaining biodiversity and production in the Barents Sea. A decline of the medium-sized mesozooplankton biomass to a low level during 2016 to 2022 coincided with a strongly decreasing summer volume transport with the Atlantic Current. The low biomass of medium-sized zooplankton observed in later years raises concern about the feeding conditions now experienced by the higher trophic levels.

中文翻译：

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浮游动物将巴伦支海的气候与毛鳞鱼和极地鳕鱼联系起来


毛鳞鱼 () 和极地鳕鱼 () 作为浮游动物的消费者，在巴伦支海生态系统中占有重要地位，同时也是商业和生态关键物种大西洋鳕鱼 () 的饲料鱼。巴伦支海的持续变暖和亚特兰化，以及净初级生产力的增加，使得以前无法进入的北部地区成为毛鳞鱼的觅食地。预计依赖冰的极地鳕鱼会产生相反的效果。来自挪威海的大西洋水和北方浮游生物的运输对于维持巴伦支海的生物多样性和生产非常重要。 2016 年至 2022 年间，中型浮游动物生物量下降至较低水平，同时夏季大西洋洋流运输量大幅减少。后来几年观察到的中型浮游动物的低生物量引起了人们对较高营养级目前所经历的摄食条件的担忧。