Update from Sverdrup Station and Zeppelin Observatory

Dr. Christina A. PedersenScientific co-ordinator

Norwegian Polar Institute

Current staff at Sverdrup station

Station leader Per-Erik Hanevold (starting Nov 24th)Engineer Marta Karoline JansenEngineer Anne-Cathrine Nilsen Engineer Hans-Erik FjeldLogistical engineer Christian Zoelly

Activity levels 2014

• 15 visits by NPI research projects, 47 visits from other national projects and 12 visits by international projects to our Sverdrup Station and Zeppelin Observatory

• Our logistical department supported 12 internal, and 18 external projects

• While 2013 was a low year in terms of number of scientists visiting NPI infrastructure, 2014 is in line with 2012, with more than 2000 research days

• NPI is maintaining the measurements for 12 institutions (2 national and 9 international) at the Zeppelin Observatory, and 12 institutions (7 national and 5 international) at and around Sverdrup Station

NPI projects 2014Prosjekt PI

Svalbard reindeer monitoring, Brøggerhalvøya Åshild Pedersen

Ocean acidification in zooplankton 2014 Peter Thor

Annual arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) den monitoring program and population dynamic in Svalbard

Eva Fuglei

Seabird monitoring in Kongsfjorden: eider, geese and kittiwakes AND Vadefuglbestandene i Kongsfjorden

Geir Wing Gabrielsen

Possible biomagnification of PAH metabolites along Arctic and sub-Arctic marine food chains

Maria Granberg

Seabird Populations Monitoring (SEAPOP) Sebastien Descamps

Sea ice monitoring Spitsbergen Sebastian Gerland

Mass balance Ny-Ålesund glaciers Jack Kohler

Long term monitoring of incident radiation at Zeppelin Station

Stephen Hudson

Black carbon in snow Jean-Charles Gallet

Kongsfjorden et al. cruise Haakon Hop

Ocean acidification effects in mesozooplankton

• Experiments at KBML by NPI, June 2014• Peter Thor, Allison Bailey, Claudia Halsband (APN), Ella

Gushelli

• Copepods, Calanus glacialis• Respiration rates

• To test for metabolic changes

• Gene expression• All genes (transcriptomics)• To test for physiological changes

Impact of petroleum activities on Arctic ecosystems:

Possible biomagnification and genotoxicity of alkylated PAHs and PAH metabolites along Arctic

marine food chains

Maria Granberg, NPI, et al.

Determine possible impact of oil and combustion product exposure on marine food chains and health in higher organisms

Establish background levels and chronic exposures of PAH compounds

Norwegian Young sea ICE cruise (N-ICE2015)

• Passive drift with RV Lance

• January-June 2015• The effects of the new

thin, first year, sea ice regime in the Arctic on energy flux, heat flux, ice dynamics and the ice associated ecosystem

CICCI campaign spring 2015

Currently Involved:

Norut, NPI, ASC, UiT, UiO, NTNU, NOAA-PMEL, AWI

Currently 3 groups operating 4 different platforms.

We hope to involve several other groups as well in particular the other stations in Ny-Ålesund and in particular AC member and observer countries.

Estimated personnel in Ny-Ålesund 30-40 for 4 weeks April 2014

7. April-4. May 2015

Multi disciplinary effort addressing

Sea-ice properties

Snow properties

Glacier properties

Atmospheric properties

Sea-surface properties

Search and Rescue

CICCI3 is open to all interested institutions that can participate and contribute.

All partners must have their own sources of funding, so this effort is coordination of a group of projects that has common objectives and benefits from coordination and collaboration.

Overarching research theme:How does the microbial part of the pelagic

food web work as a system?

Mesocosm experiment Ny Ålesund 2015Tentative plans

Experimental design 2015

• Period: Ca 3 weeks when zooplankton is abundant:

end of June – begynning of July (22.6-20.7??)• Personel: 20-25 (may be not all the time)

– Rigging and filling of mesocosms: 3 days– Mesokosme exp: 12-14 days– Multistressor exp: 3-4 days – Wrap up and packing: 3 days

Experimental design 2015

Temp-1 Temp-2

pH-1 pH-2 pH-1 pH-2

Ctrl DOM Ctrl DOM Ctrl DOM Ctrl DOM

Part 1: Mesocosm Experiment2X5 1250L Ecobulk tanks with

DOM (i.e. glucose) gradient and high/low zooplankton abundance.

Duration 12-14 days.

Part 2: Multistressor Experiment Water from 4 mesocosms with

different plankton communities and 8 stressor combinations (2 parallels)

= 64 20L bottlesDuration 7-8 days.

0CLow

Grazing

0.5CLow

Grazing

1CLow

Grazing

2CLow

Grazing

3CLow

Grazing

0CHigh

Grazing

0.5CHigh

Grazing

1CHigh

Grazing

2CHigh

Grazing

3CHigh

Grazing

WORKSHOP: Towards a coordinated Research and Monitoring Programme for Ny-Ålesund

Tromsø 8-9 January 2015Organized by Geir Wing Gabrielsen and

Christina A. Pedersen, NPI Objectives1. Evaluate the current status of the monitoring activities in Kongsfjorden / Ny-Ålesund2. Discuss the future development of existing monitoring sites and research networks:- Indentify important parameters for environmental monitoring in Ny-Ålesund and

decide who will be responsible for the collection of these baseline data.- Evaluate scientific models for long-term monitoring and how these can be

implemented in Ny-Ålesund.- Consider how a monitoring programme for Ny-Ålesund will comply with and achieve

the goals of SIOS; i.e. improved collaboration between research stations and simplified access to research results.

3) Identify areas that should be the focus for future collaboration4) Dissemination of the results, workshop report

Permissions for working with animals

1. All groups working on animals (fish, birds and mammals) in the laboratory or in the field must apply to Norwegian Animal Research Authority (NARA). The application must include information about blood sampling and marking, if applicable. https://asp.gitek.no/fdu/pmws.dll/Login

2. Application deadlines for spring 2015 is not yet set, but will probably be ready after the meeting 11. Nov. Last year NARA had meetings approximately monthly.

3. The application to the Governor should be submitted only after receiving a positive answer from NARA.

 

Input to Ny-Ålesund Newsletter If you like to contribute to future editions of this newsletter, please e-mail nysmac@npolar.no.

Any ideas or suggestions for topics are also welcomed.

Editor: Ingrid H. Storhaug, NySMAC Secretariat.

Next edition: January/February 2015