0 projects

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

A high-resolution paleoclimate reconstruction from Lake Erlingvatnet, NW Svalbard. RiS ID: 6676

The goal of this research is to carry out a high-resolution paleoclimate reconstruction from Lake Erlingvatnet in NW Svalbard. This study would form part of my PhD thesis at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Fieldwork and subsequent analysis would be carried out in cooperation with colle...

Awarded: NOK 40,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Vestland

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Workshop on collaboration and coordination within the Ny-Ålesund Atmospheric Flagship Programme

Ny-Ålesund offers an excellent location for observing key climate and atmospheric parameters from the atmospheric boundary layer up to tens of km above Earth. Many such atmospheric measurements have been performed in Ny-Ålesund for decades already by rese archers from many nations. In 2008 a SSF...

Awarded: NOK 0.11 mill.

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Troms - Romsa - Tromssa

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

The influence of flea infestation on the reproductive success of barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) in Kongsfjord, Svalbard.

The aim of this project is to investigate the effect that infestation of nests by fleas (Ceratophyllus vagabundus vagabundus Boheman, 1866) has on the incubation, and hatching and fledging success of barnacle geese on the Lovén islands in Kongsfjord. Nes ts will be mapped and a minimum of 20 nes...

Awarded: NOK 35,999

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Akershus

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Radar mapping of the bed of tributary glaciers of Kronebreen, Svalbard, RIS ID 6660

This planned fieldwork is part of the modelling project of the subglacial conditions of Kronebreen. It will provide supplementary data to feed the model of Kronebreen subglacial processes. My goal is to inverse the surface velocities of Kronebreen to retr ieve a seasonal evolution of the basal dr...

Awarded: NOK 69,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Troms - Romsa - Tromssa

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Calving and Surging Glaciers: Observations, Modelling, Predictions

Calving and surging are both complex dynamic phenomena that exert strong controls of the flux of ice into the oceans. Calving - the breakaway of icebergs from glaciers into the sea - accounts for a large proportion of ice flux from Arctic glaciers and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, and ...

Awarded: NOK 0.17 mill.

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Snow Monitoring using Automatic Camera Systems at Svalbard Key Sites

On Svalbard, the long-lasting snow cover and the timing of the snowmelt is a crucial factor in the yearly cycle of all land ecosystems. SMACS will explore monitoring of the snow cover and snow melt from the point to a scale of several square kilometers at the Svalbard key research locations Ny-Å...

Awarded: NOK 0.32 mill.

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Oslo

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

The Effects of Perfluorinated Compounds on Thyroid Hormone in Ivory gulls (Pagophila eburnea) and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)

This study will investigate whether perfluorinated compounds affect the thyroid hormone system in ivory gulls and black-legged kittiwakes. This will be accomplished by collecting blood samples from the two species during the breeding seasons of 2013 and 2014. The blood will be analyzed for perf...

Awarded: NOK 39,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Later snow melt reduces dwarf shrub secondary growth (Salix polaris, Adventdalen), RiS ID 6615

In many tundra regions dwarf trees of the Arctic (i.e. shrubs) are becoming dominant and increasing in cover. Since shrubs can become old (more than 100 yrs old) and its annual ring growth register valuable environmental information, dendrochronological s tudies on tundra shrubs are becoming more...

Awarded: NOK 19,748

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Troms - Romsa - Tromssa

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Effects of pollution on metabolic rate and physiological blood parameters in arctic kittiwake, RIS ID 6617

I aim to study the physiological effects (both in terms of metabolic rate, endocrine and clinical parameters) of novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), traditional organohalogenated compounds (OHCs) and toxic metals in the light of ecological charact...

Awarded: NOK 20,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Mapping individual migration strategies of an Arctic seabird

The aim of the project is to investigate individual migration strategies and wintering areas in an Arctic seabird. Little information exists on individual flexibility or consistency in migration and wintering strategies of seabirds breeding in Svalbard. S uch information is important for conserva...

Awarded: NOK 79,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Microbial Symbionts of Arctic Peatlands and their Relevance for Present and Future Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling - ArcBiont RiS ID: 6547

The project will investigate microbial communities of the methane cycle that are associated with submerged Arctic peat mosses. The thesis will focus on Arctic samples from the peatlands Twin water, Gludneset, and Knudsenheia in the vicinity of Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard), the Siberian Lena Delta (coll...

Awarded: NOK 52,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Troms - Romsa - Tromssa

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Reaching Deep into the Big Black Box: diversity and functionality of arctic microbes.

In a broad sense, this research aims to elucidate microbial community structure and the forces that shape succession and diversity patterns within sea ice: light regimes, nutrient influxes, parasitism, and mutualism. Heavy fungal parasitism of diatoms ob served in Barrow, Alaska, (Personal obser...

Awarded: NOK 24,310

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Levels and effects of POPs on thyroid hormone levels in glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) breeding in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, RiS-ID: 6672

The aim of the study is to detect levels of selected POPs in glaucous gull breeding in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, and investigated how this may affect the thyroid hormone levels.Its hypothesized that high levels of contaminants will be detected and that ther e will be an inverse correlation between ...

Awarded: NOK 20,697

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Diving ecology and migration of a capital breeder, the common eider

The aim of this project is to investigate how migration and seasonal conditions affect the diving and foraging ecology of the common eider. Especially, it will focus on how day-length and temperature affects the diving frequency and the diving depth at di fferent times of the year, while being lo...

Awarded: NOK 79,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

WINter Benthic Activities

The goal of the present study is to characterize benthic communities' structure and activities during the polar night in Kongsfjorden, a fjord highly influenced by warm Atlantic water inputs, and to contrast them with the results observed for other season s in the same fjord.

Awarded: NOK 69,999

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Troms - Romsa - Tromssa

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Prey of active Zooplankton duing the polar night

Diel vertical migration (DVM) is known to be the largest daily movement of organic material, as well as living organisms on the planet. That makes it a key process if we want to understand the pelagic food web and carbon sequestering of the ocean. It is p roposed that DVM happens, due to the atte...

Awarded: NOK 47,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Troms - Romsa - Tromssa

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

DVM of zooplankton in the polar night: who, how and why? RiS ID 6575

In recent years, research carried out in the Svalbard archipelago has challenged the long-lasting paradigm of dormant ecosystems during the polar night at high latitudes due to low food availability and lack of light. Based on data collected with acoustic instruments moored in the water column o...

Awarded: NOK 39,999

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Resilience of Arctic plant communities: the potential for recovery from multiyear perturbations, RiS IS 6644

In my masters thesis, I will examine the recovery of previously grazed tundra in ambient-temperature plots and in plots that have undergone long-term summer warming as part of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX). Because a suite of biotic and abiot ic factors determine how plant communitie...

Awarded: NOK 43,593

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Troms - Romsa - Tromssa

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Underwater Acoustic Monitoring in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, for bio-glacio-seismo -logical studies, RiS ID 6616

In marine ecosystems, acoustic signals may originate from abiotic (i.e. wind-driven ocean wave, rain, earthquake, ice dissolution/melting, anthropogenic activities) and biotic (marine mammals, fish and crustaceans) sources. To study the noise generated by glaciers for quantification of geo-physi...

Awarded: NOK 38,075

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Oslo

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Internal accumulation at Lomonosovfonna glacier: environmental controls and rates, RiS ID 3395

Proposed field campaign at Lomonosovfonna (1200 and 900 m asl) is planned for April 2014 and continues work started in April 2012. The aim is to derivea dataset on environmental parameters influencing internal accumulation and actual rates of the process. This includes: - Downloading data from ...

Awarded: NOK 9,654

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Oslo

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Seasonal dynamics of nitrogen cycling communities associated with Oxyria digyna

My PhD thesis focuses on the diversity and functioning of microbial communities associated with an arcto-alpine plant Oxyria digyna, common in pioneer plant communities. O. digyna harbours a diverse and partially plant specific bacterial community, and in our previous study, we identified severa...

Awarded: NOK 17,780

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Unraveling Holocene Arctic climate dynamics using sediments from Hajeren, a glacier-fed lake on Mitrahalvøya (RiS ID 6663)

The Arctic shows an amplified response to current warming and is rapidly changing. Data on past polar climate variability is scarce and hampered by a low resolution. My PhD research aims to provide high-resolution data for the Holocene to put current warm ing into perspective. To this end, I anal...

Awarded: NOK 39,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Vestland

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

knowledge exchange in the expedition cruise tourism community in Svalbard, ris id 6595

this phd research project will investigate the adaptive governance potential of the marine community on expedition cruise tourism on Svalbard and how it can be improved by the willingness of different actors to share different types of knowledge (local, s cientific or industry) and to learn from ...

Awarded: NOK 33,362

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

The High Arctic switch from ericoid- to ecto- mycorrhiza in Cassiope tetragona ssp. tetragona, RIS ID 6648

Cassiope tetragona spp. tetragona spread out fast after the last glaciation, and is the only Cassiope species that have managed to spread out and reach a circumpolar range. Cassiope belongs to Ericaceae, and have usually ericoid mycorrhiza. However, in Hi gh Arctic areas, this species have been f...

Awarded: NOK 30,867

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Oslo

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Nest microclimate variation and reproductive success in Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), RiS ID 361

A good understanding of the consequences of climate change on Arctic species demography and populations dynamics is of paramount importance and urgently needed. Climatic conditions during breeding may affect reproductive output and/or breeder condition wi th potential long term consequences on th...

Awarded: NOK 58,986

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Mapping and petrology of high-grade metamorphic rocks of Prins Karls Forland. RiS ID 6571

The application concerns an investigation of the Caledonian basement of Prins Karls Forland with a particular focus on high-grade metamorphic rocks (the Pinkie Formation). This project is a part of a PhD thesis, which focuses on the Svalbard's Southwester n and Northwestern Caledonian Basement Pr...

Awarded: NOK 76,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Troms - Romsa - Tromssa

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Dietary responses in Svalbard reindeer to changes in winter climate

The Svalbard winter is heating up, with more frequent rain and icing. Icing reduces food access for Svalbard reindeer and may force them to seek alternative food, such as sea-weed. This project aims to explore reindeer diets in response to winter climate change. Through stable isotope analysis a...

Awarded: NOK 25,842

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Trøndelag - Trööndelage

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Fertilisation and carbon sequestration on tundra heath RiS ID 6598

This project will investigate the impacts of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisation on carbon storage and nitrogen fixation in tundra heath by revisiting a long term experiment established at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, in 1991. I will investigate the mechanisms by which, after almost two decades: (1) ...

Awarded: NOK 37,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Svalbard

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Estimating uncertainties and sources of error in population monitoring of the Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus)RiS : 6188

Monitoring population dynamics of wild ungulates relies on accurate estimates of population size and vital rates. However, errors in population monitoring methods can be numerous (e.g. lack of repeated measurement, sampling time period, observer bias etc. ) and in most studies they are not invest...

Awarded: NOK 20,999

Project Period: 2014-2014

Location: Troms - Romsa - Tromssa

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Layer parallel shortening and cataclastic flow by fractures in the Permian Kapp Starostin Formation, Mediumfjellet, Spitsbergen

The thesis addresses three fundamental questions related to fold-thrust belts of relevance to reservoir and cap rock studies; i. Can a link between LPS and small-scale fracture systems reflecting folding of layers by cataclastic flow (in line with Ismat and Mitra, 2005) within a pseudo-mechani...

Awarded: NOK 31,600

Project Period: 2014-2015

Location: Svalbard