The sublittoral macroflora of Hornsund

Abstract

Combined hydroacoustic, video and direct examination by scuba-diving of the underwater meadows of Hornsund, a flagship biodiversity site in Svalbard, revealed 17 species of macroalgae with a biomass, dominated by Laminariales, of as much as 3 kg m -2 . The biomass dominants were Laminaria digitata and Saccharina latissima , which were most abundant at depths of between 5 and 10 m. The species data presented are the first records for the fjord and provide a starting point for new research and a baseline for future assessments of climate-induced changes. Keywords: Macroalgae; Hornsund; Arctic fjord; West Spitsbergen; laminariales (Published: 18 July 2012) Citation: Polar Research 2012, 31 , 18900, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v31i0.18900