This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Polar Biology. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1007/s00300-018-2340-3. Freshwater diversity in Svalbard; 1 providing baseline data for ecosystems in change 2 3 4 Bjørn Walseng 1 , Thomas Jensen 1 , Inta Dimante-Deimantovica 1 , Kirsten S. 5 Christoffersen 2 , Mikhail Chertoprud 3 , Elena Chertoprud 3 , Anna Novichkova 3 and Dag O. 6 Hessen 4 7 8 9 1 Bjørn Walseng, Thomas Jensen, Inta Dimante-Deimantovica, NINA, Gaustadalleen 21, 10 0349, Oslo, Norway (bjorn.walseng@nina.no) 11 2 Kirsten S. Christoffersen, The University Centre in Svalbard, 9171, Longyearbyen, 12 Norway 13 (kchristoffersen@bio.ku.dk) 14 3 Mikhail Chertoprud, Elena Chertoprud, Anna Novichkova, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow 15 State University, Vorobyevy Gory, 119992, Moscow, Russia (horsax@yandex.ru) 16 4 Dag O. Hessen, University of Oslo, Dept. Bioscience, Section for Aquatic Ecology 17 and Toxicology, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway 18 (d.o.hessen@mn.uio.no) 19 20 Keywords: Arctic – crustaceans – meiobenthos – macroinvertebrates - succession 21 22