The expanding kelp forests in Helgeland give hope for the future. Estimated numbers of coastal cod show that populations are close to a critical limit, and their decline significantly linked to poor recruitment (Bakketeig, Gjasaeter, Hauge, Sunnset, & Toft, 2015). The index includes the offshore seafloor (dark blue) and open waters (light blue), along with the coastal specific seafloor (dark green) and waters (light green).