WWF in the Arctic: Barents Sea

The Barents Sea has very diverse benthic (or sea-bed) flora and fauna compared to other arctic seas, and stands out even when compared to northern temperate seas. More than 2500 benthic invertebrate species have so far been described in the Barents Sea. Diversity tends to decrease towards the east.

Deep-water coral reefs are found at at a depth of 40-500 metres along the Norwegian coast. More than 400 coral reefs have been recorded and they may cover an area of 1500-2000 sqaure kilometres. As recently as 2002, the Røst reef, the world's largest cold-water coral reef, was discovered outside the Lofoten Islands.

The kelp forests found in a continuous belt along the rocky coastline of Norway and the northern Kola Peninsula are another feature of interest, covering several thousand square kilometres. Corals, kelp forests and sponges are rich in benthic species and serve as important nursery areas for several species of fish. More than 600 species of benthic organisms have been observed as being associated with a single coral reef.