Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening Area

ABSTRACT This work identifies spatial–temporal patterns of marine species biodiversity in the Norwegian, Greenland and Barents Seas and provides specific information in Norway for Environmental Impact Assessments and Statements about area‐based indices for biodiversity. The opening of the Norwegian...

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Main Authors: Laura C. Paiba‐García, Geir Johnsen, Sam Wenaas Perrin, Torkild Bakken
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-08-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71852
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author Laura C. Paiba‐García
Geir Johnsen
Sam Wenaas Perrin
Torkild Bakken
author_facet Laura C. Paiba‐García
Geir Johnsen
Sam Wenaas Perrin
Torkild Bakken
author_sort Laura C. Paiba‐García
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT This work identifies spatial–temporal patterns of marine species biodiversity in the Norwegian, Greenland and Barents Seas and provides specific information in Norway for Environmental Impact Assessments and Statements about area‐based indices for biodiversity. The opening of the Norwegian Extended Continental Shelf for deep‐sea mining is a currently relevant topic for environmental management, as strategies to minimize mining impacts and delimit key zones for ecological preservation have been widely advised. A quality control procedure covering temporal and spatial scales on open‐source biodiversity data was applied, including the compilation of marine species from the archives of the Norwegian North‐Atlantic Expedition 1876–1878. Here, we present biodiversity patterns for 10,505,496 marine occurrences from 1876 to 2025 (149 years). Data occurrences were classified into two main datasets (shallow, < 500 m and deep ≥ 500 m) and two sub‐datasets for each (planktonic and benthic). 97% of the total were classified in the first main and 3% in the second main. On map view and out of 122,955 grid cells, 32,274 and 15,528 encompass data from the shallow and deep datasets, respectively, with different degrees of coverage inside; most frequently, grid cells with 1 to 10 occurrences. Data is mainly planktonic (20,098 grid cells for shallow‐planktonic and 3127 grid cells for deep‐planktonic). Peaks of species richness occur from southern to northern latitudes, even with evidently reduced values for species occurrences and abundances at certain latitudes. We conclude that knowledge gaps of benthic biodiversity in the Norwegian deep‐sea mining opening area are huge. The cumulative curve of species richness reveals that species identities, included in deep‐sea data, are not sufficient to quantify area‐based biodiversity indices in the species pool. Our findings are congruent with the need to contemplate data from deeper areas for decision‐making at different spatial–temporal windows, especially considering the granting of deep‐sea mining licenses.
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spelling doaj-art-e1e826614e7443b7a9bb97712f39ee592025-08-26T12:10:37ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-08-01158n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71852Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening AreaLaura C. Paiba‐García0Geir Johnsen1Sam Wenaas Perrin2Torkild Bakken3Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim NorwayGjærevoll Centre for Biodiversity Foresight Analyses Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Natural History NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim NorwayABSTRACT This work identifies spatial–temporal patterns of marine species biodiversity in the Norwegian, Greenland and Barents Seas and provides specific information in Norway for Environmental Impact Assessments and Statements about area‐based indices for biodiversity. The opening of the Norwegian Extended Continental Shelf for deep‐sea mining is a currently relevant topic for environmental management, as strategies to minimize mining impacts and delimit key zones for ecological preservation have been widely advised. A quality control procedure covering temporal and spatial scales on open‐source biodiversity data was applied, including the compilation of marine species from the archives of the Norwegian North‐Atlantic Expedition 1876–1878. Here, we present biodiversity patterns for 10,505,496 marine occurrences from 1876 to 2025 (149 years). Data occurrences were classified into two main datasets (shallow, < 500 m and deep ≥ 500 m) and two sub‐datasets for each (planktonic and benthic). 97% of the total were classified in the first main and 3% in the second main. On map view and out of 122,955 grid cells, 32,274 and 15,528 encompass data from the shallow and deep datasets, respectively, with different degrees of coverage inside; most frequently, grid cells with 1 to 10 occurrences. Data is mainly planktonic (20,098 grid cells for shallow‐planktonic and 3127 grid cells for deep‐planktonic). Peaks of species richness occur from southern to northern latitudes, even with evidently reduced values for species occurrences and abundances at certain latitudes. We conclude that knowledge gaps of benthic biodiversity in the Norwegian deep‐sea mining opening area are huge. The cumulative curve of species richness reveals that species identities, included in deep‐sea data, are not sufficient to quantify area‐based biodiversity indices in the species pool. Our findings are congruent with the need to contemplate data from deeper areas for decision‐making at different spatial–temporal windows, especially considering the granting of deep‐sea mining licenses.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71852deep‐sea miningenvironmental managementmarine species poolNorwegian extended continental shelfopen‐access biodiversity dataspecies occurrences
spellingShingle Laura C. Paiba‐García
Geir Johnsen
Sam Wenaas Perrin
Torkild Bakken
Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening Area
Ecology and Evolution
deep‐sea mining
environmental management
marine species pool
Norwegian extended continental shelf
open‐access biodiversity data
species occurrences
title Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening Area
title_full Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening Area
title_fullStr Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening Area
title_full_unstemmed Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening Area
title_short Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening Area
title_sort open source marine biodiversity data quality in the norwegian sea spanning 149 years knowledge gaps in the deep sea mining opening area
topic deep‐sea mining
environmental management
marine species pool
Norwegian extended continental shelf
open‐access biodiversity data
species occurrences
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71852
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