Mesozooplankton play an important role in Arctic shelf ecosystems as a trophic link and a key food source for many larval fish species. The distribution of mesozooplankton in the eastern Barents Sea was studied along a 500 nautical mile-long transect in May 2016 during the spring bloom. Mesozooplankton were sampled using a Juday net hauled from the surface to the bottom at 12 stations. We found good correspondence between the distribution of water masses and mesozooplankton assemblages. Mesozooplankton abundance (mean 73·10