The distribution of cod along the Norwegian coast and in fjords from 62°N north to the Russian border was examined using data from annual trawl surveys carried out between 1995 and 2001. Based on differences in growth zones of the otoliths, cod are traditionally classified into two types: Northeast Arctic cod and coastal cod. Both types were found throughout the area investigated. The catch rate of both increased northwards and from offshore to inshore. In a statistical model of length at age, abiotic factors such as area and year of capture explained more of the variance than biotic factors such as sex, stage of maturity, and type of cod. Length at age increased in a southward direction and was higher for cod captured offshore than for those captured inshore. In a statistical model of the proportion mature at age, area, type, and year of capture explained more of the variance than sex and depth of capture. On average, coastal cod attained 50% maturity (M50) more than a year younger than a year younger than Northeast Arctic cod attained maturity. Although there were relatively large differences in age at maturity between neighbouring areas, age at maturity was lowest in the south and inshore, and in general, lower inshore than offshore. As genetic analysis clearly indicates that cod in the study area consist of at least two genetically separated stocks, it is likely that the differences found here in age at M50 might have a genetic component.

Impacts of climate change on ocean productivity sustaining world fisheries are predominantly negative but vary greatly among regions. We assessed how 39 fisheries resources-ranging from data-poor to data-rich stocks-in the North East Atlantic are most likely affected under the intermediate climate emission scenario RCP4.5 towards 2050. This region is one of the most productive waters in the world but subjected to pronounced climate change, especially in the northernmost part. In this climate impact assessment, we applied a hybrid solution combining expert opinions (scorings)-supported by an extensive literature review-with mechanistic approaches, considering stocks in three different large marine ecosystems, the North, Norwegian and Barents Seas. This approach enabled calculation of the directional effect as a function of climate exposure and sensitivity attributes (life-history schedules), focusing on local stocks (conspecifics) across latitudes rather than the species in general. The resulting synopsis (50-82°N) contributes substantially to global assessments of major fisheries (FAO, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2020), complementing related studies off northeast United States (35-45°N) (Hare et al.,

IMPORTANCE Parents regularly express concern about long-term health outcomes for children who are born with an oral cleft. OBJECTIVE To assess whether oral clefts affect the health and ability to work of young adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A population-based cohort study was conducted on all individuals born in Norway between calendar years 1967 and 1992 (n = 1 490 401). All patients treated for clefts in Norway during the study period were invited to participate (n = 2860). This study used population-based, long-term follow-up data from national registries to focus on the future health outcomes of individuals with cleft and no additional chronic medical conditions or congenital anomalies. A total of 523 individuals were excluded from the study cohort because they declined participation, could not be reached by mail, or had birth defects other than clefts. The final cohort, consisting of 2337 cases with isolated clefts and 1 413 819 unaffected individuals, was followed up until December 31, 2010, using compulsory national registries and clinical data. Data analysis was conducted from February 13, 2014, to April 18, 2016. EXPOSURES Oral clefts.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Death, intellectual disability, schizophrenia, mood affective disorders, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, severe learning disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscle or skeletal disorders, trauma, and episodes of reduced health. RESULTSOf 2860 individuals born with an oral cleft, 2337 were included in the analysis; of these, 1401 were male (59.9%). Mean (SD) age in 2010 was 30.6 (7.7) years. Compared with unaffected individuals, no increased risks were found regarding morbidity or mortality among persons with isolated cleft lip only. Among individuals with isolated cleft lip and cleft palate, increased risks of intellectual disability (relative risk [RR], 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.1) and cerebral palsy (RR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.1-6.2) were found. Individuals with isolated cleft palate (ie, without cleft lip) had increased mortality (hazard ratio, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.1-5.7) in addition to an increased risk of intellectual disability (RR, 11.5; 95% CI, 8.5-15.6), anxiety disorders (RR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3-6.5), autism spectrum disorders (RR, 6.6; 95% CI, 2.8-15.7), severe learning disabilities (RR, 10.6; 95% CI, 5.5-20.2), cerebral palsy (RR, 4.8; 95% CI, 2.3-10.0), epilepsy (RR, 4.9; 95% CI, 2.2-10.8), and muscle or skeletal disorders (RR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.4-5.4). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEYoung adults who were born with isolated cleft lip only did not differ significantly from unaffected individuals in their risk of health problems. However, individuals with isolated cleft palate had increased health risks and mortality. This information should be provided to genetic counselors, parents of children with clefts, and health care workers involved in the treatment or follow-up of these children.

No abstract

The distinction between north-east Arctic cod and Norwegian coastal cod, two major groups of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.), has for many years been based on different distance and shape similarities between the two first translucent growth zones in the otoliths, subjectively decided by visual inspection in a binocular. To analyse the certainty of this technique, four independent readers have classified 263 cod otoliths in total from five different geographical areas. For three of the readers, between 82% and 89% of the classification results coincided with independent results based on genetic analyses. Further, 38 cod otoliths, where the readers were certain of the classification (21 north-east Arctic cod and 17 coastal cod) were classified by several image analysis methods. A complete separation was obtained by using the ratio of the circumferences of the two zones, providing a typical ratio of approximately 2 for coastal and 1.5 for north-east Arctic cod. The otolith method for separating the two types of cod has been considered adequately accurate in assessing the two stocks of cod. However, the method is sensitive to subjective interpretation, and action needs to be taken to minimise the difference in interpretation among otolith readers.