Meta-analysis of stage-specific vertical distribution in relation to hydrography and chlorophyll in the North Atlantic.

is an important, extensively studied zooplankton species in the North Atlantic. Many studies have explored its abundance and life cycle, but basin-wide relationships between its vertical distribution and environment during the feeding season remain poorly known. We conducted a meta-analysis of stage-specific vertical distribution and its relationships with environmental variables (temperature, salinity, irradiance, chlorophyll-) in the epipelagic layer (0-200 m) of the North Atlantic during spring and summer (21 March to 21 September).

Herring spawned poleward following fishery-induced collective memory loss.

Entrainment is a process in schooling migratory fish whereby routes to suitable habitats are transferred from repeat spawners to recruits over generations through social learning. Selective fisheries targeting older fish may therefore result in collective memory loss and disrupted migration culture. The world's largest herring (Clupea harengus) population has traditionally migrated up to 1,300 km southward from wintering areas in northern Norwegian waters to spawn at the west coast.

Trans-polar drift-pathways of riverine European microplastic.

High concentrations of microplastic particles are reported across the Arctic Ocean-yet no meaningful point sources, suspension timelines, or accumulation areas have been identified. Here we use Lagrangian particle advection simulations to model the transport of buoyant microplastic from northern European rivers to the high Arctic, and compare model results to the flux of sampled synthetic particles across the main entrance to the Arctic Ocean. We report widespread dispersal along the Eurasian continental shelf, across the North Pole, and back into the Nordic Seas; with accumulation zones over the Nansen basin, the Laptev Sea, and the ocean gyres of the Nordic Seas.

Dispersal similarly shapes both population genetics and community patterns in the marine realm.

Dispersal plays a key role to connect populations and, if limited, is one of the main processes to maintain and generate regional biodiversity. According to neutral theories of molecular evolution and biodiversity, dispersal limitation of propagules and population stochasticity are integral to shaping both genetic and community structure. We conducted a parallel analysis of biological connectivity at genetic and community levels in marine groups with different dispersal traits.