Introduction: Man and the Barents Sea Ecosystems

The study of the interaction between man and nature demands an interdisciplinary approach. The various disciplines, however, differ greatly with regard to their methods and cultures, and these differences handicap cooperation. The Arctic Centre of the University of Groningen aims at overcoming this handicap. Founded over 25 years ago, the Centre is a platform for polar research in the Netherlands and has a long-term, multidisciplinary research program in the polar regions. As one means to bridging the gap between the disciplines, it organizes international symposia. The Ninth International Symposium of the Arctic Centre, held in Groningen, the Netherlands, in November 1992, dealt with the interaction between man and the ecosystems of the Barents Sea. Specialists of several disciplines met to discuss many relevant questions. What are the characteristics of the Barents Sea ecosystems, and how do these systems function? What natural resources are available in the area? By whom and how have they been exploited? What effects has this exploitation had on nature and society? The articles presented here are the edited versions of papers presented at the Symposium. Individually, they are hardly interdisciplinary. But they all approach the same geographical area, trying to answer the same questions from their own angles. We hope that this volume will tempt the reader to take note of problems and processes which may not have his constant attention, but which are certainly related to problems and processes which are the object of his specialization and which are part of the chain of causes and effects known as reality. We also hope that these articles will contribute to the rise of new perspectives and new, truly interdisciplinary formulations of problems