Bryozoa of the high Arctic fjord –a preliminary study

A bryozoan faunal investigation of Kongsfjorden (79°N and 12E° - western coast of Spitsbergen) based on a collection made in the summer of 1998 is presented. In 19 samples, obtained by grab and SCUBA diving, 89 taxa were recognized; 69 of them were determined to species, 17 to genus and 3 to family level. Collection stations ranged from 4 to 258 m depth. 12 of the species recognized were recorded for the first time in Svalbard waters. Depth, salinity and temperature data was analysed. Species composition depends on the depth of the station, as confirmed by MDS (multidimensional scaling) and cluster analysis. Electra crustulenta var. arctica, Cylindroporella fabulosa, Celloporella hyalina, Callopora craticula and Te- gella arctica were the most frequent taxa found in the fjord. Biodiversity increases with the depth. The most probable factor responsible for that is lower stability of environment and disturbance caused by ice and icebergs in shallow part of the fjord.