The North Sea and Skagerrak Ecosystems
The North Sea, including its fjords and tributaries, has a surface area of approximately 750,000 km2. It is shallow in comparison to the Barents and Norwegian Seas ( two-thirds of the Sea measures less than 100 m in depth.
The bottom substrate consists primarily of sand and gravel in the shallow parts, and mud in deeper parts. The North Sea ecosystem is heavily influenced by human activities, including fishing, extraction of oil, gas, and gravel, and eutrofication. Although pollution levels have improved since 1985, these activities remain a reason for concern. The water masses in the North Sea originate from the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to this salty water, there is a substantial supply of fresher water from the…
