Table 1. Comparison of the physical characteristics of the Bering and Barents Sea ecosystems.
Parameter SE Bering Sea Barents Sea
Latitude 3 54-60 °N 4 68-85 °N
Area > 200m (km2) 3 21.1 x 103 4 533.2 x 103
Area < 200m (km2) 3 463.4 x 103 4 472.9 x 103
Advection 5 ~1 Sv 2 ~4 Sv
Nitrate (mM m-3) 1 10-30 1 12
Phosphate (mM m-3) 1 1.0-2.0 1 0.85
Silicate (mM m-3) 1 25-60 1 6-8
Data sources: 1Sakshaug (2004), 2Ådlandsvik, B., and H. Loeng (1991), 3Aydin et al. (2002), 4Dommasnes et al. (2001), 5Sakshaug and Walsh (2000)

Table 2. Comparison of lower trophic level productivity between the Bering and Barents ecosystems and between regions within each location.
  Bering Sea   Barents Sea
  Inner Middle Outer   Arctic Atlantic
Total Primary Production (gCm-2y-1) 50 - 70 150 - 175 160   < 90 < 200
New Productivity < 20 30-50 ?   < 40 70 - 100
Secondary Productivity 2-6 8-30 16-50   1-18 3-17
Dominant Taxa Diatoms   Phaeocystis
Data sources: Sakshaug and Walsh (2000); Sakshaug(2004)

Table 3. Biomass estimates (tons km2), from the literature, of components of the Bering and Barents Seas used as inputs for Ecopath models of these ecosystems. Comparisons for the Barents Sea are given for years of high (1990) and low (1995) capelin abundance.
Taxon Barents 1990
high capelin 		Barents 1995
low capelin 		E. Bering Sea 1980s
Phytoplankton 20 20 11.8
Crust. Zoops. 58 58 26
Capelin 4.17 0.14 -
Herring 1.34 3.33 0.78
Benthic Crust. 1.43 1.38 > 2.2
Flatfish 1.1 1.1 > 11.3
Gadids 1.2 2.6 > 35.9
Pinnipeds 0.87 0.87 > 0.22
Whales 0.20 0.20 > 0.26
Data sources: Blanchard et al. (2002) (Barents Sea) and Aydin et al. (2002) (Bering Sea)

Table 4. Comparison of production-to-biomass ratios and productivity of the Bering and Barents ecosystems.
  Bering Sea   Barents Sea
Taxon P/B (y-1) P   P/B (y-1) P
Phytoplankton 170 2000   117.73 1765
Copepods 6 330   10 500
Large Zoops 5.5 242   4 67.5
Forage Fish 0.8 -   1 1.13
Herring 1.0 0.78   0.38 1.24
Adult Pollock/Atlantic Cod 0.5 13.73   1.2 0.54
Small Flatfish 0.4 3.67   1.0 0.7
Benthic Infauna 1.37 63.84   1.5 99
Data sources: Blanchard et al. (2002) (Barents Sea) and Aydin et al. (2002) (Bering Sea)