Svalbards miljøvernfond har støttet forskning på utbredelsen av tang og tare i Isfjorden.
Macroalgal (multicellular autotrophic protists) beds are an important component of coastal zones in Arctic regions. Those highly productive habitats provide food and a living space for vast number of associated invertebrates and fishes. Some of kelp’s new production is transported ashore and toward deepest parts of the sea, and feeding this way both ecosystems.
Knowledge about distribution and standing stock of macroalgae is essential for estimating the overall productivity of the Arctic seas and for understanding processes occurring at the sea-shore interface. Macroalgae are sensitive to changes in environmental factors (temperature, salinity, turbidity, current velocity), which may limit or influence their spatial distribution and quality.