Blue whiting

Gonatus fabricii is a squid of cold North Atlantic and Arctic waters that occupies an important midwater predatory role.

Balaenoptera acutorostrata, the minke whale, is a relatively small baleen whale that feeds on schooling fish and krill.

Somniosus microcephalus is a large, slow-moving shark of cold northern waters.

Themisto libellula is a large predatory amphipod that lives in cold northern waters.

Calanus glacialis is a small crustacean that drifts in cold Arctic seas.

Fratercula arctica, the Atlantic puffin, is a diving seabird that feeds on small fish and large zooplankton.

The Iceland–Faroe Ridge is a shallow underwater bridge between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Cold, heavy water flows over it into the Atlantic, driving global ocean currents. These flows are part of the “conveyor belt” that moves heat around the planet. The ridge itself is built from both old rocks and volcanic crust.

The Norwegian Current carries Atlantic water north along the Norwegian coast toward the Barents Sea and Arctic gateway. Spring blooms of diatoms and coccolithophores feed copepods, krill, fish, seabirds, seals, and whales. Because it links the North Atlantic to polar seas, it is a strong example of how circulation shapes subpolar food webs and ocean climate.