Biological indicators are used world-wide in monitoring activities to assess impact of contamination, for example within the OSPAR/HELCOM region. The advantages of biological indicators over chemical analyses are that they can integrate over many substances, time and can function as both indicators of contamination as well as of effects of contamination. Biological indicators, or biomarkers, have been and are under constant development for temperate areas, but indicators suited for the Arctic environment have not yet been established. As arctic species have different physiology compared to their temperate counterparts, such as higher lipid content, later sexual maturation and specific physiological evolutionary adaptations to low temperature, biological indicators used in temperate areas cannot directly be used in the Arctic.
The overall objectives of the theme are i) to suggest suitable biological indicators to assess oil related contamination in marine plankton, benthos, fish key species (e. g. polar cod) in relation to future offshore oil drilling activities, ii) to develop assessment criteria for effects of oil related contamination (e.g. PAH in drilling mud, produced water) on High Arctic marine organisms.