Polar bears, seven pinniped species and five cetacean species reside full-time in the Barents Sea region. Eight additional whale species are regular seasonal migrants that come into the Barents Sea to take advantage of the seasonal, summer-time peak in productivity as the ice retreats northward. Three additional dolphin species are occasionally observed in the southern Barents Sea (Table 2.2) and ...

Seabirds spend most of the year at sea, visit land only to breed and find all their food in the marine environment (Schreiber and Burger, 2002). Seabirds are characterized by long life (10-40 years), deferred maturity (breeding age delayed up to five years of age, small clutch size (in many cases one egg) and extended chick rearing periods (sometimes up to several months; Schreiber and Burger, 200...