Environmental conditions, zooplankton, and capelin in the waters north of Iceland

Abstract

The waters north of Iceland are characterized by large hydrographic fluctuations. Warm and cold years are distinguished on the basis of the hydrography. Time-series data reveal that zooplankton biomass, capelin biomass, and capelin weight-at-age are all greater during warm years than during cold years. The chain of events that links hydrographic conditions with the observed ecological variations is discussed.