General report on marine benthic investigations near Godhavn, West Greenland

Abstract

In the years 1958- 60 I studied the marine fauna and the oceanographic parameters in the subarctic area off the Arctic Station, University of Copenhagen, Godhavn, Disko. The purpose was to get data on life cycles, growth and population parameters for the common marine invertebrates and also, as far as possible, to measure the physical parameters important for the biology of the animals. Two major habitats were studied, namely the intertidal rocky shore and the sublittoral sediment areas at depths from 3 to 100 m. Results from the intertidal studies are given in Petersen (1962, 1964, 1966) and Theisen (1973). Results on hydrography and primary production are given in Petersen (1964). The present paper gives the general information on the quantitative investigations in the sediment areas. Based upon a time-series analysis my ultimate aim was to obtain results that could be used in a description of the marine ecosystems in a subarctic area. The quantitative method was introduced in East Greenland during the expedition in the 1930's by Sparck (1933), Thorson (1933, 1934)and Bertelsen (1937). These investigations were concentrated on the animal communities, but much information on reproductive cycles, larval development and length distributions was also obtained (Thorson 1936).