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Food web uptake of persistent organic pollutants in the arctic marginal ice zone of the Barents Sea

Duration: 2000 - 2003
Funding Source: European Union
Project Leader: Prof. Michael McLachlan
Contributors: Dr. Peter Kömp, Antje Gerofke, Katharina Wörz
Collaborators: Institute of Applied Environmental Research, Stockholm University (Project-Coordinator); Norwegian College of Fishery Science,
University of Tromsø

The ration between the concentration of POPs in higher organisms and the concentration of POPs in seawater appears to be higher in the Arctic than in other marine ecosystems. The objectives of FAMIZ are to understand this phenomenon by developing mechanistic models of the introduction of POPs into food webs in the highly productive Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) of Barents Sea. Models will be derived from partitioning-process (air-snow-ice-algae) studies in the lab, and sampling and biol./chem. analysis to field-verify hypotheses/models. The studies are directed towards two main hypothetical mechanisms: 1) Effects of microhabitats - locally elevated exposure to POPs, in particular to ice-algae microhabitats caused by ice rafted sediment, brine formation and/or melting deposited snow; and 2) Effects of food webs - more efficient POP accumulation due to slower growth, higher lipid content and longer life cycles of plankton and sympagic organisms.

last update: 18.04.2001

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