Abstract: Comprehensive knowledge on zooplankton distribution in the sensitive Arctic frontal zone allows us to better foresee a possible consequences of climate change. This paper presents the results of two series of zooplankton abundance measurements conducted in the shelf waters of Svalbard in summer 2009 and 2010. Three methods were used: traditional net sampling on the stations, Laser Optical Plankton Counter measurements on the stations and along the transects and high frequency echosounding along the transects. Modelling the acoustic backscattering cross-section of the entire spectrum of zooplankton individuals determined by LOPC enabled us to calculate total backscatter, compare it with the value measured by echosounder and to scrutinize the results obtained by all three methods.