Chain-forming diatom

Metridia longa is a cold-water copepod that migrates vertically through the water column and feeds on planktonic food.

Gyrodinium spirale is a heterotrophic dinoflagellate, meaning it does not rely only on photosynthesis and instead grazes on other plankton.

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.

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

Ophiopholis aculeata is a brittle star that lives on the seafloor in cold northern waters.

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.