0 projects

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Methylmercury and Total Mercury in Arctic Permafrost (RIS-ID: 12073)

As a student in the international master program in Environmental Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry at NTNU there is a formal study direction for Arctic research. Aim of this direction in the master program is to educate the future Arctic researchers, and the topics for master projects are d...

Awarded: NOK 26,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Acoustic monitoring of ice-loss processes in Kongsfjorden

We propose a field campaign in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, with focus on the bays of one or more tidewater glaciers in this region (likely Kronebreen), in September 2023. We will study the acoustics of ice-loss processes in these glaciers, especially submarine glacier melting whose contribution to ic...

Awarded: NOK 0.10 mill.

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effect of Extreme Rainfall on Arthropod Abundance and Emergence across Altitudinal Gradients in Svalbard, RiS ID 11968

Arthropod communities in all ecosystems are being affected by climate change. In the Arctic, preipitation will increase and become more variable. A larger proportion of precipitation will fall as rain rather than snow and extreme summer rainfall events are expected to occur more frequently. There...

Awarded: NOK 41,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Traceable Abrasion of Snow Vehicle Belts in Svalbard

The project TRACES will focus on abrasive particles from snow vehicle belts in snow and soil samples collected in Ny-Ålesund and Longyearbyen. The collection will take place in high-trafficked areas and in locations where less or no snow vehicle utilization is considered. Moreover, samples will b...

Awarded: NOK 91,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku - Tromssa ja Finmarkku

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Re-surveying historical vegetation records in Svalbard

The Arctic belongs to the areas most affected by climate change. Following the overall warming of their environment, tundra plant species have been shown to track their suitable climatic niche by shifting their ranges towards cooler places, specifically upward or poleward. With accelerating rates...

Awarded: NOK 0.10 mill.

Project Period: 2023-2024

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Linking metagenomics and microscopy to investigate the formation of aggregates of glacial materials on Svalbard. RiS ID 12117

Little is known about the formation of cryoconite – aggregates of mineral particles and microbes held together by exopolymeric substances (EPS) - on glaciers. This project will investigate the different microbial communities found in different sedimental structures throughout a polar year on Foxf...

Awarded: NOK 66,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Goose herbivory and strong winter rainfall limit plant uptake of permafrost N, RiS 11069

Plant roots are often associated with mycorrhizal fungi. i.e. mushrooms that colonize plant roots belowground, and play a crucial role in plant uptake of nitrogen (N) which is essential for plant growth. During this fieldwork we will take soil cores at the peak of the growing season to examine th...

Awarded: NOK 64,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Tracing warm Atlantic Water in Tempelfjorden, Svalbard - RiS ID 12116

This project uses a combination of high-resolution modelling and observations in Tempelfjorden, a side fjord of Isfjorden with 2 marine-terminating glaciers (MTGs), to investigate under which conditions Atlantic Water (AW) enters the fjord, how it affects MTGs and how it will change with an enhan...

Awarded: NOK 99,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Early-Holocene coastal and environmental evolution Isfjorden, Svalbard: lithological and foraminiferal evidence RiS ID: 12101

The aim of this project is to identify and study raised marine deposits from the Early Holocene from two sites in Isfjorden, West Spitsbergen (Bogebekken/Hollendarbukta, Erdmannflya). The study will focus on marine sedimentary processes and environmental changes during the Early Holocene. The stu...

Awarded: NOK 75,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Developing methodology to measure the bioluminescence of key bioluminescent species (RiS ID: 12158)

Bioluminescence is one of the chief contributors to the light environment at depth in the sea and plays a key role in biological interactions and animal behaviour. There is a wide range of spectral compositions, the various wavelengths which combine to produce light of a particular colour, pre...

Awarded: NOK 39,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Timing and origin of Miocene flood volcanism on Spitsbergen: the Seidfjellet Formation revisited (RiS ID 12088)

Mantle-derived volcanism accompanied the Cenozoic lithosphere evolution of the NE Greenland and NW Barents Sea shelves during final separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It is unclear, however, to what extent continental breakup was influenced by deep-sourced mantle plume...

Awarded: NOK 0.10 mill.

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku - Tromssa ja Finmarkku

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Investigating mechanisms behind thermoregulation in Svalbard reindeer, RiS ID 12119

The aim of this study is to investigate cellular mechanisms underlying Svalbard reindeer's ability to lower their body temperature in winter to save energy. To achieve this, we will collect muscle and heart tissue from culled reindeer in October as part of a larger field campaign. These samples w...

Awarded: NOK 99,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Viken

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Landscape architectural analysis of Longyearbyen's permafrost for the afterlife design of Mine #7, RiS ID: 12115

This project is a part of a master’s diploma which will propose a landscape architectural solution for the afterlife of Mine #7 in Svalbard. The design will be developed with a long-term perspective; considering the fluctuating conditions of thawing permafrost, as climate change impacts Longyearb...

Awarded: NOK 36,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku - Tromssa ja Finmarkku

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Targeted sampling of zooplankton in Kongsfjorden, RiS ID 12141

The ecosystem in Kongsfjorden is affected by both Atlantic and Arctic water and the species distribution of zooplankton can change each year. Since zooplankton has an essential role at the base of the Arctic food web, their distribution and abundance can serve as an indicator of higher trophic sp...

Awarded: NOK 69,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effect of heavy rainfall events on soil faunal communities and soil characteristics across Svalbard ecosystems - T-REX project -RiS ID 11968

Climate change will alter precipitation regimes. In a warming climate, precipitation across the Arctic will increase and become more variable. A larger proportion of precipitation will fall as rain rather than snow and extreme summer rainfall events are expected to occur more frequently. There is...

Awarded: NOK 36,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effect of Extreme Rainfall on Soil Thermal Regime and Tundra Ecology across Landscape Gradients - RiS ID 11968

In a warming climate, precipitation across the Arctic will increase and become more variable and extreme summer rainfall events are expected to occur more frequently. There is little experimental evidence of the impacts of such rainfall extremes on Arctic ecosystems. In the intended project we wi...

Awarded: NOK 0.10 mill.

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Constraining the geometry of Diabasodden Suite sills using joint and fracture network properties

SillProx will develop and test a methodology for estimating the geometry of magmatic intrusions where obscured and/or eroded boundaries do not allow for standard visual methods.If proven succesful we envision this method being of great use to many researchers in the volcanological and igneous geo...

Awarded: NOK 0.10 mill.

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Impact of heavy rainfall events on forage quality and grazing dynamics of Svalbard herbivores.

In this project we will use an experimental setup on sites with different topographic positions to simulate heavy rainfall events in the early summer. We will measure the plant and moss composition and growth as well as active herbivory. This will be done on experimental plots as well as on contr...

Awarded: NOK 25,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Sediment methane variability in Arctic lakes

This project is part of my doctoral thesis. Northern lakes represent a globally significant source of atmospheric methane, powerful greenhouse gas that is predicted to increase with the accelerated warming in the Arctic. Yet, the effect of rapid warming on the fate of natural methane emissions in...

Awarded: NOK 81,000

Project Period: 2023-2024

Location: Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku - Tromssa ja Finmarkku

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Spatio-temporal habitat use of Svalbard reindeer (RiS ID 12152)

The planned research focuses on understanding the impacts of a changing climate on the spatial dynamics of Svalbard reindeer, a key species in Svalbard’s tundra ecosystem. While harvesting has historically been the primary stressor for Svalbard reindeer populations, climate change will likely be ...

Awarded: NOK 96,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Studie of birds As vectoR for inorganiC and organic conTaminants In ArctiC soil systems (RIS-ID 12129)

The main goal for this project is to study the role of birds as vectors for contaminants in Arctic soil systmes, and will include non-targeted screening of organic compounds as well as study of heavy metals and methylmercury in soil samples from bird rich areas to bring new knowledge to the field...

Awarded: NOK 52,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

ORganic and inOrganic pollUTants in High Arctic Wetlands and Moss samplEs

This AFG application is to cover fieldwork required for my master thesis project at NTNU with aim to study organic and inorganic pollutants in high Arctic wetlands and moss samples. Wetland areas as well as specific moss species have traditionally been used in studies of atmospheric deposited pol...

Awarded: NOK 47,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

STABILITY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SVALBARD IN A GLOBAL WARMING RiS 12106

This MSc Thesis project is going to look at the stability of cultural heritage foundations and other infrastructures. The project is located in Svalbard as all study objects are physically located in Svalbard. The study objects are related to technical-industrial heritage and are the prioritised ...

Awarded: NOK 0.10 mill.

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Impact of fur lice on Arctic foxes

This is a pilot project that builds upon ongoing research at the Norwegian Polar Institute in which annual monitoring of the arctic fox population in Svalbard is being carried out. The project manager requires access to the trapped fox carcasses prior to skinning to take photos and to describe an...

Awarded: NOK 28,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Viken

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Investigating spatial and seasonal patterns in settlement of benthic communities in Kongsfjorden

Early life history ecology, especially settlement of benthic invertebrates is a black box in marine ecology. Researching larval and settlement ecology in-situ is incredibly difficult and logistical constraints have further restricted studies in the Arctic. I will investigate early life history st...

Awarded: NOK 95,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku - Tromssa ja Finmarkku

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Detecting reindeer cadavers with remote sensing tools in the Arctic tundra of Svalbard, RiS ID 11512

Carrion is recognized as an important resource in many ecosystems, yet there are still difficulties in estimating the impacts on landscapes. Complex interactions with a wide range of taxa are involved, making it challenging to predict to what extent carrion trigger ecological responses, as this i...

Awarded: NOK 68,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Nordland - Nordlánnda

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

A warmer future: how warming and increased herbivore pressure affect vegetation change in the High Arctic, RiS ID 10030

The International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) aims to study changes in vegetation by artificially warming the tundra using open-top chambers. On Svalbard, one experiment within this network is the long-term monitoring site in Endalen, encompassing both experimentally warmed and unwarmed plots as wel...

Awarded: NOK 79,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Response of the microfossil community to the Permo-Triassic climate crisis (RiS ID 12072)

The Permo-Triassic climate crisis caused the most catastrophic extinction of marine life, with an estimated species loss of 81-95% [1]. Several environmental changes have been hypothesised as extinction drivers, but their direct role in extinction is heavily debated, and the link to the fossil re...

Awarded: NOK 0.10 mill.

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effect of ambient light on the protist community during Arctic polar night.

We are deeply interested in protist rhodopsin expression in various light treatments, and suspect that gene expression will vary greatly. Recent genomic analyses have revealed the presence of numerous rhodopsins in marine eukaryotes, and surprisingly, green and blue-light absorbing rhodopsins fr...

Awarded: NOK 94,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Identifying new marine productivity proxies, RiS ID: 12103

Marine productivity (MP) plays a crucial role in the Earth’s system by absorbing atmospheric CO2. In the Arctic, due to global warming and sea-ice reduction, MP has increased up to 50% over the last decades, suggesting that Arctic waters can become even more productive in the future, thus providi...

Awarded: NOK 95,000

Project Period: 2023-2023

Location: Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku - Tromssa ja Finmarkku