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Renewable energy on the high seas – science-informed and indigenous knowledge-based recommendations for regulatory and governance challenges

The high seas are those marine areas under no State's jurisdiction. So far, all marine renewable energy (RE) activity is being conducted under State's jurisdiction. However, recent advances in technology are raising the prospect of carrying out RE activity on the high seas. Currently, only seabed mining activities in the Area have been regulated. The Area is the seabed and ocean floor beyond the limits of State's jurisdiction. From the legal viewpoint, the main gap is a lack of an international regulatory framework, informed by participatory mechanisms and supported by scientific evidence, for RE activities on the high seas, especially regarding their environmental and social impacts. 
The primary project objective (O) is to provide the scientific community and policymakers with science-informed and indigenous knowledge-based recommendations in support of the development of  RE regulation on the high seas. 
Two specific Os are set to complement the primary O, namely:
O1 To advance the use of systematic consultation processes that facilitates research at the crossroads of marine sciences and law. 
O2 To advance critical knowledge and understanding of environmental pressing issues comparable to the regulation of RE on the high seas, such as deep-sea mining in the Area.
A multistep innovative methodology will be adopted, by integrating marine scientific knowledge, consultative processes, and advanced critical research in the subject matter. A case study (interdisciplinary and participatory) involving marine scientists, indigenous and coastal communities and policy makers will be conducted onboard the Research Vessel KronPrins Haakon at the beginning of the project. The case study outcomes will be analysed through critical legal analysis to build a knowledge base for policy recommendations. 
The project will advance the PI’s career in an international research environment, allowing her to generate independent, high-quality, and reproducible results.




Optimization of Free Space Optical Communication Link based Drones for Search and Rescue Operations in the Arctic Region

The Arctic region is witnessing more frequent shipping accidents than ever which require accurate search and rescue operations. The existing communication systems use drones with radio frequency (RF) technology, which has limited bandwidth and cannot offer 4G/5G connectivity due to harsh weather constraints. It further limits the capacity of drones and affects the resolution of images and videos. The current research proposes to design free space optical communication (FSOC) link-based drones that can enhance connectivity between multiple drones and rescue ships as well as the capacity of drones to produce high resolution images and videos. The proposed FSOC-based drones can provide highspeed connectivity than the existing RF technology. The research will collect atmospheric turbulences data from the Arctic region and use it for designing the FSOC link. Furthermore, to enhance the capacity of FSOC-based drones, the research will design advanced multiplexing schemes (Mode Division Multiplexing and Orthogonal Code Division Multiple Access) and to ensure link stability, omnidirectional receiver will be designed. The research will further evaluate the performance of proposed FSOC link under the impact of various atmospheric turbulences. The expected outcomes of this research will lead to the optimisation of FSOC-based drones in expanding search areas and improving communication systems for SAR operations in the Arctic region.

Evaluation of thermohydraulic characteristic of printed circuit heat exchangers in pseudocritical region for supercritical CO2 cycle

Currently, 28.2% of the total EU-28 greenhouse gas emissions come from the power sector, a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, the emphasis of the research in power generation has swung towards assessing highly efficient and greener power cycles. In this reference, the novel supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle (sCO2-BC) is an ideal choice that outstrips other formally well-known power cycles (Brayton & Rankine cycles). In sCO2-BC, the role of the pre-cooler is critical. It serves as a sink to the power cycle and regulates the conditions at the compressor's inlet. The compressor's inlet temperature is intended to be maintained close to the critical temperature of carbon dioxide (CO2) to achieve greater cycle efficiencies. However, exceptionally higher values of the specific heat capacity of CO2 near its critical point (up to 40 times higher than water) require exceedingly high water flow rates on the cold side to achieve the desired exit temperatures of CO2. Consequently, the pre-cooler's pumping power requirements become high enough to deteriorate the cycle's performance. This problem can only be mitigated by exploring new channel geometries with enhanced thermohydraulic characteristics. Therefore, the proposed study plan to characterize the complex thermohydraulic characteristics in the pseudocritical region of CO2 using a multifaceted technique that includes, experimental, numerical, and machine learning techniques. The proposed work will provide a step forward to the success of sCO2-BC technologies that, in turn, will facilitate its integration with the green energy resources (generation-IV nuclear reactors and solar concentrated plants), helping to meet the EU's 2030 climate and energy framework goals of achieving at least 32% share for renewable energy.

Bilberry Ecology and the Regeneration of forest Ecosystem Functioning

Human impacts such as clearcut harvesting have left forests bereft of the organisms that underpin their functioning. The decline of key plant species has reduced the capacity of forests to store carbon (C) and provide ecosystem services to the people of Europe. The regeneration of forest ecosystem functioning requires a deeper understanding of how the traits of its species can be linked to ecosystem processes. The BEREFT project aims to elucidate how the plant traits of bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, modulate the dynamics of C and nitrogen (N) within the boreal forest. The project combines advances in chemical ecology with an innovative experimental design situated in Norway pairing experimental plots in formerly clearcut forest plantations with those from near-natural forests. I will collect a comprehensive set of bilberry's chemical traits and test both in-situ and in-vitro experiments to determine the underlying mechanism linking bilberry traits to C and N dynamics. The project goes beyond the state-of-the-art in applying novel methods from chemical ecology to measure bilberry's traits and uses a creative design to link those traits to ecosystem functioning. Through the scope of traits measured and the innovation in experimental design pairing clearcut forests with near-natural forests, this project will significantly advance our knowledge of the ecology of Europe's forest ecosystems. I will receive training in chemical ecology to advance my career as an expert in data generation and exchange with the host my knowledge on long-term ecological experimentation and ecosystem functioning. The project will disseminate deliverables in trait data packages, an open-source chemical ecology pipeline, and a robust measure of the effect size of bilberry's impact on C and N in the boreal forest. Knowledge of bilberry's role in the forest C cycle can be exploited by forestry managers in efforts to maximize C storage to meet the EU's goal of carbon neutrality.

EOSC Beyond: advancing innovation and collaboration for research

EOSC Beyond overall objective is to advance Open Science and innovation in research in the context of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) by providing new EOSC Core capabilities allowing scientific applications to find, compose and access multiple Open Science resources and offer them as integrated capabilities to researchers. To do so, EOSC Beyond supports a new concept of EOSC: a federated and integrated network of Nodes operated at different levels, national, regional, international and thematic, to serve the specific scientific missions of their stakeholders. Further specific objectives of the project are to accelerate ‘time to product’ of new scientific applications with software adapters, enable Open Science with machine composability and dynamic deployment of shared resources, support innovation in EOSC with a testing and integration environment, and align the EOSC Core architecture and specifications to integrate with European dataspaces. The project extends the state of the art of the EOSC Core and adopts a co-design methodology, including requirements elicitation, software development and validation in collaboration with different use cases from EOSC national and regional initiatives (e-Infra CZ, Czechia, NFDI, Germany, and NI4OS, South East Europe region), thematic research infrastructures from Social Sciences and Humanities (CESSDA), Life Sciences (CNB-CSIC and Instruct-ERIC), Environmental Science (ENES and LifeWatch), and Health and Food (METROFood-RI). EOSC Beyond builds on the capacities of prospective EOSC Nodes and partners with multi-annual experience in developing solutions for large-scale federated digital infrastructures and aligns with the technical architecture and requirements of data spaces from different business sectors. Ultimately, EOSC Beyond supports Open Science in modern, data-intensive, and multidisciplinary research, facilitating resource discovery, access, and reuse across scientific communities, organisations, and countries.


CULTUral heritage in RurAL remote areas for creative tourism and sustainabilITY

The main objective of the project is to contribute to the promotion of cultural and creative tourism activities, considering the different capacities, resources, and specificities (material, creative, human...) of the territories, as a mean to help with the sustainable development of peripheral rural areas, favoring job creation and population settlement. For this, the potential of its cultural heritage will be researched, taking into account both the artisan material culture (techniques, materials, patterns and decorative elements), as well as the intangible culture (music, oral knowledge and culinary traditions) as a resource.
 
To promote non-seasonal tourism as a form of sustainable development with a stable population settlement we are going to research the crafts linked to the territory and their implications, but we will also carry out a documentation of the productive processes. First and foremost, we are going to cater to the necessities of the local communities and pay attention to aspects related to societal groups at risk of exclusion, such as women, the elderly and the youth.

All this will be developed from a multidisciplinary perspective, for which we will count on the various teams —most of them linked to different countries— that will be part of the consortium. Each of these partners will contribute to the development, as well as to the final result of the project through input directly related to their area of ??expertise: for example, among the collaborators we have intellectual teams specialized in the digitalization of heritage, research, or communication and dissemination, as well as as various institutions that will act as a testing ground for the more practical parts of the proposal. However, if something will characterize our work, it will be the constant collaboration between all parties, as well as the exchange of advice and experiences that will help to enrich collective knowledge and guarantee optimal results.

AQUASERV – RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES FOR SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE, FISHERIES AND THE BLUE ECONOMY

The overarching objectives of AQUASERV are to bring together, enhance, integrate and customise RI capacities (including facilities, instruments and expertise) and through the provision of transnational access (on-site or remote) and/or virtual access, to significantly further scientific advance and promote and facilitate the implementation of European Common Fisheries Policy, the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Sustainable Blue Economy and the European Green Deal. 

AQUASERV will achieve these objectives by offering scientists from academia and business remote and on-site transnational (TA) and virtual (VA) access to an advanced set of European research infrastructures and its nodes related to research and management of marine and freshwater biological resources, food and biotechnology. These include the European Marine Biological Resource Centre ERIC (EMBRC), the Analysis and Experimentation on Ecosystems ERIC, The Aquaculture for Excellence for Aquaculture in Fish (Aquaexcel), and the Infrastructure for Promoting Metrology in Food and Nutrition (METROFOOD), as well as the International Council for Exploration of the Sea, both a service provider and stakeholder. It also includes the Research Infrastructure for Science and Innovation Policy Studies (RISIS) to bring contributions from the social sciences and to bring results nearer to policy makers ensuring societal impact. 

To enhance, integrate and customise RI capacities, collaboration between partners and new pipelines to meet the objectives of the project will be developed during the first 3 years and will make available  to users.  To ensure these capacities will not be lost, a sustainability work package involving stakeholders will address the project legacy.  

To maximize impact, AQUASERV will build a communication network among the partnership and develop a dissemination and outreach programme. Furthermore, an advanced training programme will be developed to capture future users and will be updated during the p

Harmonization of Advanced Materials Ecosystems serving strategic Innovation Markets to pave the way to a Digital Materials & Product Passport

The overarching objective of DigiPass is to enhance the digital maturity of the European communities that develop materials and intermediate products. The project will develop recommendations and clear routes toward digitalized circular business models. The overarching key result of DigiPass is to create a sustainable platform which includes support for Digital Materials & Product Passport and for collaborative innovation-by-design processes in a circular economy served by advanced materials. A business model for operating such a platform completes the overarching objective.
DigiPass is harmonizing and synergizing collected materials data sources and digital infrastructures. This will enable interoperability of data exchange, and standardization of advanced materials knowledge representation at all maturity levels. Accelerating the design, development, and production of advanced, safe, and sustainable chemicals and materials, as they are necessary for innovative products, calls for a collaborative approach involving different stakeholders to support durability, repair and overhaul, reuse, and recyclability of products. DigiPass project impacts all materials development communities over the whole circular value chain. 


Integrated Research Infrastructure Services for Climate Change risks

Adaptation to climate change requires in-depth understanding of climate change driven risks, including their determinants (hazards, exposure and vulnerabilities) and impacts to human, production and natural systems. Integrated Research Infrastructure Services for Climate Change Risks (IRISCC) is a consortium of diverse and complementary leading research infrastructures (RIs) covering disciplines from natural sciences to social sciences, across different domains and sectors. IRISCC provides scientific and knowledge services to foster cutting-edge research and evidence-based policymaking to improve Europe's resilience to climate change. IRISCC ensures a “one-stop-shop” for various user communities on climate change risk related RI services by setting up a dedicated Catalogue of services and related access management system both for granting transnational (onsite and remote) and offering virtual access. The Catalogue of services will be built through three consecutive releases, each delivering increasingly integrated services to its user communities. The IRISCC service integration will include Service Design Labs employing co-design and transdisciplinary action, and Service Demonstrators benchmarking the integrated cross-RI services. In addition to services aimed towards the scientific community, IRISCC will offer knowledge services aimed towards policymakers and other stakeholders. This is done together with risk management platforms. The research enabled by IRISCC contributes to future reports on climate change effects (IPCC, IPBES) as well as policy- and decision-making to meet the targets of climate adaptation strategies. IRISCC contributes to training a new generation of scientists to efficiently use RI services and for data stewardship. Data from IRISCC will be open and made available in compliance with FAIR principles and linked to European initiatives such as EOSC. Strong links will be created between IRISCC and current and future efforts under Horizon Europe.

Enhanced X(cross)-disciplinary Community-driven Imaging Technologies for Earth and Environmental material research

The EXCITE² Network is revolutionizing Earth and environmental material science research by consolidating a critical mass of 18 research facilities in 12 European and associated partner countries into a unified infrastructure and providing transnational access to advanced imaging technologies. This enables scientists to decipher complex processes within Earth materials at scales from nanometres to hundreds of centimetres, gaining unparalleled insight into the chemical and physical processes that govern, among others, environmental toxicity and its impact on human health, critical metal extraction for renewable energies, and the utilisation of Earth materials as long-term storage for climate-altering gases. The consortium fosters knowledge-sharing and talent attraction, bolstering the problem-solving capacity of the European Research Area. Moreover, EXCITE² is driving interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-fertilisation across academic institutions, scientific disciplines, and industry, propelling Europe towards a sustainable future. The initiative offers dedicated training programmes to a new generation of researchers within the European open science landscape, paired with access to world-class imaging facilities and expertise for problem-solving research and innovation. EXCITE² is introducing innovative service developments, such as artificial intelligence and leading-edge imaging experiments, to increase the user's problem-solving capacity. In addition, the consortium is implementing customised project valorisation strategies to maximize the impact of research outcomes in academia, society, and the economy. Citizen science projects allow the public to participate directly within the EXCITE² Network, contributing to solving EU challenges. As such, EXCITE² is paving the way towards a sustainable future, driving scientific excellence, and creating positive societal impact.

Midlene fra FISSION-5.02 Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection fordelt på år

Midlene fra FISSION-5.02 Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection fordelt på fylker

Midlene fra FISSION-5.02 Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection fordelt på fagområde

Design of optimised systems for monitoring of radiation and radioactivity in case of a nuclear or radiological emergency in Europe

Biological clocks are central to all living systems providing an innate measure of time so that organisms can anticipate and adapt to cyclic changes in their environment. The circadian clock is synchronized by temporal cues such as daily light/dark cycle or photoperiod. However, the Arctic environment is characterized by several months of Polar Night when the sun is continuously below the horizon. I propose to investigate the ability of the clock mechanism of Thysanoessa inermis, a key species in the Arctic food-web, to be maintained during the permanent darkness of the Polar Night. Using quantitative real-time PCR , I will analyze the daily clock genes oscillations of T. inermis in the field. I will also investigate the disruption of the molecular mechanism underlying circadian rhythms by artificial light pollution.

Krill CHronobiology in a changing Arctic Sea Ecosystem (KrillCHASE); RIS ID 11368

On Svalbard, the UNIS CO2 Lab (http://co2-ccs.unis.no/) operates the Longyearbyen CO2 Lab, a pilot-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) research & development (R&D) programme. Several boreholes penetrate the targeted reservoir and top seal (i.e., cap rock), and extensive characterisation of the geological units that crop out near Deltaneset remains on-going. The multi-discipline, multi-nation collaboration powering the DACOOM project aims to supplement current findings by investigating the detection limit of fluid migration, a potentially catastrophic consequence in the event of a post-injection collapse of the seal. Based on to-be-acquired field data, novel geophysical models are generated that are used to assess the geophysical responses to along-fault fluid migration and to predict changes in reservoir conditions.
The Konusdalen West outcrops provides a suitable locality for direct sampling of faulted cap rock units, while the (flat) topography makes the outcrops favourable to such geophysical methods as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT, resistivity) and ground penetrating radar (GPR, similar to seismic). Both techniques have been proven to be cost- and time-effective, and have been applied in Svalbard and elsewhere to detect spatial and structural heterogeneities.

Multi-physical Detection of Along-fault CO2 Migration through cap rock shales

The project is focused on the investigation of ice actions on coastal zone in Spitsbergen. In particular the project work includes laboratory experiments and in-situ measurements of deformations of land fast ice caused by changes of the air temperature and freezing of sea water in tidal cracks. The labworks include experiments on thermal expansion of both freshwater ice and sea ice and experiments on water freezing in artificial cracks/gaps. Some COMSOL numerical modelling is done on the subject, too.

Investigation of thermo-mechanical properties of sea ice, RiS ID 11408

Sea ice algae and meiofauna are two key components in Svalbard's ecosystem. Both play a significant role in the short food webs of the cryosphere and are highly sensible to climate warming. Various environmental parameters, including light, water temperature and salinity limit and influence their growth and development. On these grounds it is crucial to assess and evaluate  the ongoing environmental changes in the Arctic and how these will impact the algal community composition. Since they form the base of the foodweb cascading effects higher up the trophic level can be expected due to alterations on both physical and biological scale. Assessing sea ice biotas abundance and distribution will generate important knowledge on how these tiny organisms are likely to respond to warmer climate and loss of their sea ice habitat. By studying local consequences on sea ice biota important knowledge on a larger scale, i.e. Svalbard in general and elsewhere in the Arctic, can be better predicted.  This project will build new novel knowledge on the overall sea ice biota biodiversity in Svalbard. So far only a few studies on sea ice alga have been published, with even fewer on sea ice meiofauna. Eastern Svalbard has largely been ignored until now.

Ice algae and meiofauna abundance and biomass in coastal sea ice of Spitsbergen, Svalbard.

In this project I aim to investigate consequences of autopolyploidy on phenotypic variation, with focus on reproductive strategy and reproductive output. I will use the circumpolar, arctic-alpine species Saxifraga oppositifolia (Saxifragaceae), as study system, where two main ploidy levels are known, diploids and tetraploids. Saxifraga oppositifolia thrives in a wide range of habitats; from early snow free, extremely dry ridges with long growing season, to moist snow beds with short growing season. It also shows different growth forms, which are partly connected to ploidy levels and habitat. Differences in flower production and vegetative growth differ clearly between habitats and growth forms, but how reproduction is varying between ploidy levels is not known. I will use five establish transects covering three different habitats where S. oppositifolia is growing. I will collect data related to both sexual and vegetative reproduction within different ploidy levels and habitats to address the following main question:
Have autopolyploidisation created a shift in reproductive parameters?

AUTO: Secrets of success in Saxifraga oppositifolia, RiS ID 11070

This project focuses on 3D mapping by drones and logging of Aspelintoppen Formation [Fm]. Earlier work has proved mapping to be difficult, since the outcrops have little accessibility. The formation comprises of large flood channels which cannot be mapped precisely using traditional geological field methods. Using the acquired dataset, information on paleo-environment and regional setting can be assessed in higher detail than previously. The locations of Aspelintoppen and surrounding mountains in and near Danzigdalen, provide thick and laterally extensive sections of the Aspelintoppen Fm. These mountains are the type-locations of the formation and give perfect examples of the paleo-depositional environment. The location is accessible without extensive planning and funding. Because of the far distance from Longyearbyen, and frequent polar bear visits on the shore and lower parts of mountains, travelling and staying on the research vessel, Clione, is necessary.

3D modelling and interpretation of paleochannels in the Aspelintoppen Formation, Spitsbergen, Svalbard. RiS-ID 11322

Sensible and latent heat fluxes will play an increasingly important role in the melt rate of glaciers regarding global warming. Crevasses on glaciers make the surface rougher and thus leading to more turbulence what again is expected to intensify the atmospheric heat exchange. However, energy balance models often use one uniform aerodynamic surface roughness length z0 - a parameter used to describe the turbulent heat exchange - for the whole glacier. This does not represent the spatial variability of the glacier's roughness. Drone surveying data can now constitute a possibility to prevent this problem and evaluate proper z0 values for crevassed glaciers. Therefore, in my master thesis we will find an approach to calculate the roughness length out of digital elevation models (DEMs). The DEMs themselves will be extracted from drone-based pictures with a structure from motion (SFM) method. This approach is expected to lead to z0 values that account for the large roughness of crevasses. Thus, we assume that our heat exchange rates can better represent the actual melt rate of glaciers in models.

Aerodynamic Surface Roughness of Crevassed Glaciers from UAV Mapping, RiS ID 11148

This project aims to develop the novel application of rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for wind speed and direction estimation in the Arctic. The method relies on using the drone’s inertial measurements (pitch, roll, yaw angles & thrust) in a GPS-hold mode to estimate wind. The method is based on existing research (Hann et al, 2019), which proves the concept of the method, but lacks statistical significance due to too few datapoints. In this work, we first will collect additional meteorological data that will be used for validation of the method. Second, the method will be used to generate a timeseries of vertical wind profiles on heavily crevassed glaciers on Svalbard. These wind profiles will be then used to calculate the aerodynamic roughness length which relate to turbulent surface heat fluxes that affect the glacier energy balance. This work has a strong interdisciplinary character, including the fields of glaciology, meteorology and engineering. The results of this project will be used in Arthur Garreau’s Master thesis, conducted at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) on the topic of “Wind Estimation with Multirotor UAVs”.

Validation and Application of Novel Wind Estimation Techniques with UAVs in the Arctic

This project will investigate the atmospheric deposition of microplastics (MPs) using a Svalbard ice core. By collaborating with international partners, this project will produce the first ever record of the temporal atmospheric deposition of MPs in the Arctic and in an ice core. The ice core record will provide trends in MP deposition over the last 30 years and describe the significance of the atmospheric deposition of MPs in the Arctic. Our new knowledge will be shared with the international scientific community, relevant monitoring bodies and, the local community and students in Longyearbyen.

Deposition History of Microplastics (MPs) in a Svalbard Ice Core (RiS ID 11402)

Initiated at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado in 1970, and held at international venues specialising in Arctic Science every odd year and back at INSTAAR every even year, the International Arctic Workshop (IAW) is an annual event focussing on all aspects of high latitude research. Each workshop is themed, to address specific multi- and interdisciplinary issues across natural, social, engineering, and historical sciences. IAW meetings typically spans 2 to 4 days, in March, April, May or June, and attract between 60 to 150 leading discipline experts, community stakeholders, and students. Central to the IAW is the promotion and mentorship of students, from undergraduate to PhD level, in a collegial and friendly environment. For many current Arctic researchers, the IAW was their first experience of presenting at an international venue.
We propose to host the 51st International Arctic Workshop (IAW51 Svalbard) at the Forskningspark, Longyearbyen (jointly between UNIS, NP, and Svalbard Museum) in mid/late June 2022 (postponed from June 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis) over 3 days (plus evening ice breaker and 2 day post-workshop optional field excursion). The interdisciplinary theme of IAW51 Svalbard will be “Past Analogues for Future Change” spanning Arctic geology, glaciology and permafrost, natural hazards, marine and atmospheric science, ecology, archaeology, and sociology and will appeal to a broad audience across multiple research disciplines and governmental, NGO, and public stakeholders. The special workshop session on sustainable and low CO2 impact approaches and methodologies in Arctic fieldwork will be the centrepiece of IAW51 Svalbard.
We specifically seek funds to facilitate student attendance and participation in, what for many, would be an otherwise very expensive workshop with higher-than-usual transportation and accommodation costs. With student participation, mentorship, and promotion being at the core of the IAW philosophy, this is considered essential.

51st International Arctic Workshop 2021 in Svalbard

This pilot study is aimed to bring together experts in wave and ice dynamics to develop a methodology to identify the exact instant at which sea-ice cracks or breaks. To develop a systematic approach to measure wave-induced sea-ice breakup international collaboration is vital because: (i) the lack of quantitative methods to identify wave-induced sea-ice breakup is a global problem; (ii) for a methodology to be adopted by the international community, it is only natural that the methodology is developed by the community itself; (iii) to further and progress the development of the methodology, our experience and our physical understanding of wave-induced sea-ice breakup, these collaborations need to be fostered.
Svalbard is the ideal location for this international collaborative pilot project due to its geographic location within the Arctic Ocean, strong variability of ice/sea/weather condition and the logistic and research facilities present on the archipelago. When a method has been developed and verified, it presents opportunities for continued and expanded collaborations to produce a large dataset of wave and sea-ice measurements, not only in Svalbard, but across the Arctic. Such a large network of low-cost ice breakup sensors could be used for data assimilation in coupled air-sea-ice weather models, such as AROME-Arctic and support physical parameterizations of wave-induced sea-ice breakup for implementation in coupled operational forecasting models. This pilot study therefore functions to increase future funding opportunities to create a network of low-cost instruments across Svalbard. To support further progress in the field of wave-ice interactions, the instrument design (as based on open-source electronics and off-the-shelf sensors) and data obtained will be made available compliant with Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observation System (SIOS).

A method to identify sea-ice breakup: a pilot study

Søknad om støtte til å dekke artikkelavgifter (APC) fra 2018.

STIM-OA UNIS 2018

SIOS is an international consortium of research institutions that conduct Earth System Science (ESS) research in and around Svalbard. Members of SIOS cooperate to create an integrated observing system for ESS, in which core state-variables are measured over time and made available to all members of the consortium and the wider audience via the SIOS data portal. By sharing data, infrastructure and knowledge, SIOS members seek to optimise the research infrastructure already present and make joint priorities on future investments. SIOS Knowledge Centre (SIOS-KC) is the central hub and coordination unit of SIOS. 
In 2016, SIOS partners submitted an application to the Research Council of Norway (RCN) for the project Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System - Infrastructure development of the Norwegian node (SIOS-InfraNor) (RiS ID 11222). This project is the first major investment in research infrastructure coordinated by SIOS-KC. The final project was funded with a total of 107 million NOK. 
SIOS-InfraNor funds a diverse range of 41 items, from new land and marine based instruments to remote sensing products. The infrastructure funded through SIOS-InfraNor will be integrated into the observational network of SIOS and will benefit the entire SIOS community. Data from all the items funded through the project will be available to SIOS members and other users via the SIOS data portal. Access to some of the infrastructure is already offered via the SIOS Access Programme, and more will be included over the course of the project period. 
The next call for infrastructure funding from RCN is expected in 2020. In order to be in a position to submit an application, SIOS members need to start preparing a prioritised list of new infrastructure needs and upgrades. For the next application, SIOS wishes to increase the focus on international collaboration by including SIOS partners from outside Norway in the planning process. SIOS proposes a workshop to discuss this topic.

Workshop to promote international and interdisciplinary integration of SIOS research infrastructure and prioritise investment

A Holocene sediment package, consisting of periglacial windblown sediment (Loess) is located in Adventdalen on Svalbard. The purpose of the project is to extract cores from 2-4 localities in Adventdalen and use Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating to date the samples. Loess can generally be regarded as a very accurate climate indicator and together with OSL dating can present a very accurate image of the climate at a specific time. The loess of Adventdalen is located both in the active layer and in the permafrost and a detailed analysis of the permafrost and cryo-stratigraphy will therefore be an important part of the project.
2-4 cores will be extracted from different localities in the valley to be used in comparison. The cores will be 4-5 m. long, and 5 cm. in diameter. From these cores hundreds of samples will be extracted and transported to the Nordic Laboratory for Luminescence Dating(NLL) located in Risø, DK, where OSL dating will take place.
Aeolian sediment, loess included, is widely regarded as very easy to date as very few factors disturb the signal from the sediment.
OSL dating of loess has previously been performed with great success in Asia, Russia and Central Europe. OSL dating of loess on Svalbard has only been done to a limited extent. The project will expand on this and presents a unique opportunity to date and analyse a large sample group.

High resolution Holocene climate and paleoenvironmental reconstruction from Adventdalen, Svalbard based on OSL dating of loess.

Geese differ in their reaction to human disturbance. Previous work has linked the degree of reaction to personality and habituation. In Kongsfjorden (near Ny-A°lesund), there is a marked population of barnacle geese which have been tested for different personality traits. Now, we want to make a link to management relevance by testing the amount of time the female goose, of which personalities are known, needs to return to incubation on her nest. Moreover, we want to repeat this study on the barnacle geese population near Longyearbyen as a pilot studies. This population is scarcely studied. 
All this will be executed in close collaboration with UNIS, to intensify the cooperation between University of Groningen and UNIS and to establish field work on the barnacle geese population near Longyearbyen which is suited for UNIS students and researchers to work on in the future.

Personalities in fear behaviour: relevance for management. RiS ID: 11153

Frigjøring av metan fra det aktive laget over permafrosten er kjent som en potensielt skadelig klimagasskilde. Derimot har vi liten forståelse for hvordan dypere metankilder i og under permafrosten kan nå atmosfæren. Opptining av permafrost og isbreer er to klimadrevne prosesser som kan forårsake dette. I vårt prosjekt overvåket vi derfor permafrosten og isbreene på Svalbard. Vi har funnet ut at grunnvann som beveger seg dypt under permafrosten enten i dalbunnen eller under isbreene kan bære svært høye konsentrasjoner av metan. Mengden grunnvann som strømmer til landoverflaten hvert år er derfor svært viktig.

Prosjektet har kartlagt alle grunnvannskilder som inneholder metan på Midt-Svalbard (6300 km2). Vi fant ett eller flere aktive kilder på 94 steder og estimerte utslipp opp til 270 tonn per år. Dersom det er representativt for hele Svalbards landområde, tilsvarer de totale utslippene 10 % av utslippene knyttet til Norges olje- og gassektor. Glaciale kilder er de klart vanligste (84 %) og finnes for det meste nær fronten av isbreer som trekker seg tilbake. Vi har også observert meget store metanutslipp i front av en fremskridende isbre og på havbunnen foran flere marint terminerende isbreer. Numerisk modellering av disse ulike grunnvannskildene har påvist veldig lange (tusenvis av år) opphold under permafrosten i dalbunnen i motsetning til korte (dager) opphold under breer. Kontinuerlig overvåkning ved begge typer grunnvannskilder har vist hvordan de fysiske forholdene ved utspringene er viktig for å regulere mengden gass som frigis til atmosfæren. Kilder som ender i innsjøer opplever signifikante tap av metan før gassen har en mulighet til å entre atmosfæren. De som springer ut under turbulente forhold, som eksempelvis i form av en bekk eller elv, viser mye høyere utslippsrater. På de viktigste stedene domineres utslippet av gassbobler som dannes etter fall i vanntrykket. Dette betyr at det er mindre tid tilgjengelig for fjerning fordi boblene stiger raskt til overflaten. 

Mikrobiell analyse av kildene viser at en stor andel av mikroorganismene som lever nær utslippssonene benytter metan som en energikilde og bidrar dermed til å redusere metanutslippene. Andre mikroorganismer er assosiert med produksjon av metan, men bevisene tyder på at de mest aktive og rikeligste mikroorganismene er assosiert med metanfjerning. Våre geokjemiske målinger indikerer at mesteparten av metanet er geologisk opphav. Men i Adventdalen og Fulmardalen er gassen mikrobiell opphav. Det er ikke klart hvorfor fordelingen av gasskilder varierer slik. Vi mistenker imidlertid at det meste av det biogene metanet har vært fanget under permafrosten i flere tusen år.

Hovedbekymringen når det gjelder klimaendringer er at utslippet av metan foran tilbaketrekkende isbreer vil øke raskt fordi mer bresmelting vil øke grunnvannstrykket. Siden det antas at mesteparten av gassen har samlet seg under permafrosten gjennom tusenvis av år, vil utslippene etter hvert avta. Imidlertid antas det også at den nåværende gassutslippshastigheten er svært lav sammenlignet med det totale gassvolumet. Dette er fordi permafrost foreløpig forblir en effektiv tetning. Tilbaketrekkende isbreer er derfor hovedproblemet fordi de avslører nytt land der permafrost ennå ikke har dannet seg, eller hvor det er mye tynnere.

The release of methane from beneath retreating glaciers and thawing permafrost is a major source of uncertainty in the prediction of future greenhouse gas emissions from the Arctic. Presently we have no basis for predicting these fluxes on account of major uncertainty in the integrated physical, chemical and biological processes that govern how methane is produced, stored and released from these environments. There is great urgency to understand these processes in cases where methane can avoid oxidation or consumption by methanotrophic bacteria. Such removal processes are extremely effective in the case of methane diffusing through the sea floor or the soil's active layer, but we have found that they can be almost completely ineffective in some of the terrestrial groundwater springs of Svalbard and Greenland. 

Our project faces challenges linked to the observation of processes occurring beneath Arctic glaciers and permafrost. We will therefore use our exceptional data resources from the Adventdalen area, where the sub-surface environment has already been characterised to 900m depth. We will also employ new field techniques developed through pilot research to further quantify the system. These will then be incorporated into a groundwater biogeochemistry model with the capacity to predict methane emissons at the ground surface under current and future conditions. 

We will draw significant, international research attention to Svalbard, by establishing a "super-site" in the immediate vicinity of Longyearbyen. Here, the rich history of research, mining and polar exploration will greatly facilitate stakeholder engagement. We expect interest from engineers seeking the safe management or exploitation of permafrost methane emissions, Earth scientists seeking improved understanding of Arctic carbon cycling and greenhouse gas dynamics, and policy makers trying to balance poorly known, highly variable natural emissions with more controllable anthropogenic emissions.

Climatic forcing of terrestrial methane gas escape through permafrost in Svalbard

The shale of the Agardhfjellet Formation is the time-equivalent to Hekkingen Formation in the Barents Sea and Draupne Formation in the North Sea. It is therefor interesting to perform a complete integrity evaluation of the Agardhfjellet Formation as a potential caprock for future CO2 sequestration. At Deltaneset, close to Longyearbyen, the Agardhfjellet Formation is continuously exposed. Through structural characterization of a prominent outcropping normal fault within the targeted formation, the project aims to answer these main scientific questions: 
- What controls fracturing in organic rich shale? 
- How do structural elements in Agardhfjellet Formation influence cap rock integrity for CO2 purposes? 
- Are some elements more likely to be re-activated during CO2 injections?

Caprock integrity evaluation of the lower Agardhfjellet Formation for CO2 sequestration purposes at Deltaneset, Svalbard (RiS-ID: 11145)

Saxifraga oppositifolia will be sampled from nunataks, to explore the gene flow between populations and to find out whether nunataks function as islands within the island of Spitsbergen. In addition, dispersal and colonisation of S. oppositifolia can be related to environmental factors, since populations are collected along various environmental gradients.

Nunataks as an island model system within the island - Dispersal of Saxifraga oppositifolia. RiS ID: 11166

LEGACY aims to explore a new dimension to the dialogue around the impacts of climate change and pollutants in the Arctic. Are melting glaciers acting as sources of legacy pollutants? Do these released pollutants accumulate in Arctic lake environments? And how will climate change affect future pollutant dynamics and their environmental impacts?
This project will use lake sediment cores to develop high-resolution, multi-proxy centennial/millennial records detailing sedimentological, chemical and ecological changes over time. Chemical profiling will focus on lead, mercury and a selection of POPs. Changes in diatom assemblages will be assessed against the changes in sedimentological and chemical proxies within the core samples to identify potential linkages between presence of certain pollutants and impact on diatom biodiversity and tested using multivariate statistical methods. Finally, the palaeo-reconstruction of historic conditions at the study sites will be used to develop a model of projected changes in aquatic environmental conditions under a suite of different climate models.

Glacial impacts on lacustrine ecology, geophysical systems and pollutant chemistry in the high Arctic. RiS ID 11159.

As part of my Master thesis I plan to accomplish an event stratigraphic log, acquisition of structural data and a 3D photogrammetry survey of the breccia body in Mimerbukta in order to get a better understanding of the depositional and structural evolution of the breccia and to compare the breccia bodies at Fortet and in Mimerbukta. Fieldwork will be conducted in a summer field campaign. Equipment needed for the fieldwork is already available at UNIS. 
For complete project description please refer to the attached project description.

Depositional and structural characterization of a breccia system in northern Billefjorden, Svalbard (RiS ID: 10929)

The project involves the novel application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to overcome the hazards associated with studying the effect of crevasses upon glacier surface melting. Firstly, we will derive a function with which a UAV can be used to estimate wind speed and direction. Secondly, we will deploy the drone over several Svalbard glaciers with different crevasse spacings in order to collect high-resolution aerial images of the surface and vertical profiles of wind. The wind profiles will then be used to calculate the aerodynamic roughness length which relate to turbulent surface heat fluxes. The images will be processed with a structure from motion (SFM) method to create a 3D digital elevation model (DEM) of the crevasse fields. The third and last part will be to produce empirical and physically-based models that describe the effect of crevasses on turbulent heat fluxes between the glacier surface and the atmosphere using experimental and numeric data.

Using UAVs to investigate effects of crevasses upon glacier surface melting, RiS-ID 11148

The aim of this project is to collect data to test a new theory of glacier surges - enthalpy cycling theory. The theory predicts that surges occur where frictional heating creates heat and meltwater (enthalpy) faster than it can be lost. This prediction will be tested for Kongsvegen, a glacier known to be in the earliest stages of a surge. In April and early May 2019, a pressure sensor, tilt meters, and temperature sensors will be placed in the glacier via a borehole, and used to measure changes in water storage, shear strain and heat loss. Additionally, ground penetrating radar will be used to collect data on glacier thickness, to supplement an existing DEM of the glacier bed. Data from the fieldwork will be used as input for simulations with the Elmer/Ice glacier model, to produce the first comprehensive enthalpy budget of a surging glacier.

Kongsvegen Glacier Surge Dynamics RIS 10933

This project aims to produce a long-term record of the historical deposition of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Svalbard. PFAS are a toxic anthropogenic organic contaminant and have been identified by the Arctic Monitoring Assessment Programme (AMAP) as one of the major chemicals of emerging arctic concern. This is why the Norwegian Polar Institute has identified the need for long-term trend investigations in Svalbard into emerging contaminants such as PFAS.

This project will use an ice core to investigate the historical deposition of PFAS. This will produce long term trend data, but will also seek to identify transport mechanisms and major sources of PFAS. Whilst the toxic effects of PFAS in Svalbard's apex predators such as polar bear and arctic fox is understood, little is known how PFAS comes to be in Svalbard.

This project is made possible by a collaboration between the University Centre in Svalbard, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the University of Oxford. Results and findings from the project will be disseminated with the local community in Longyearbyen, researchers and students at UNIS and Oxford, pollution monitoring bodies and the scientific community.

Deposition History of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in a Svalbard Ice Core (RiS ID 11121)

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are organic chemical substances produced as pesticides, industrial chemicals and industrial unintentional by-products. POPs retain particular physical and chemical properties such that, once discharged into the environment, they remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time, with the possibility to accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms, including humans, with toxic effects. In 2001, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants aimed to preserve human and environmental health, requiring parties to eliminate and/or diminish the production of POPs, which have a potential of causing devastating effects and have the ability to travel over great distances and to be transported into environmental matrices. POPs that have been accumulated in Arctic regions during the past decades are now starting to be remobilized, specially because of permafrost thawing, one of the most problematic tipping points in climate change. In order to analyse POPs in the frozen ground active layer, permafrost will be sampled in three different sites in the Kongsfjorden: I) the surroundings of the coal mine near Ny-Ålesund, to be considered as long-term polluted site; II) the surroundings of the Ny-Ålesund airport, to be considered as human-in-use site; III) Ossian Sarsfjellet (circa 12 km far from Ny-Ålesund), to be considered as clean-control site. The samples will be delivered to CNR-IDPA and UNIS to be analysed, mainly with gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry. The results may be indicating differences between the three sites, ascribable to diverse environmental and anthropogenic conditions. However, if similarities between the sites would be discovered, these may be explained with regional to global contamination. Finally, the new permafrost POPs dataset will be compared with other literature studies about POPs contamination in the Arctic.

Persistent organic pollution in thawing permafrost

The glaciers of Svalbard are undergoing profound change due to climate forcing. Precipitation and temperature changes are leading to changes in the timing and duration of the melt period, the type of ice undergoing accumulation (firn versus frozen liquid precipitation or snowmelt) and the overall mass balance of the glacier. 
Several important modeling experients from Van Pelt et al (2012, 2014, 2015) and others have shown that understanding future mass balance and thermal state of Svalbard glaciers are very sensitive to the persistence of snow cover (firn) at high elevations. 
Since almost all these studies have in common that they largely relied upon the heuristic application of state of the science models, there is a critical need for empirical studies to „catch up“ by providing much-needed field data for monitoring and model validation. Therefore this master project aims to establish such a monitoring site and collect a set of field data sufficient for understanding the effects of melt and thermal flux behaviour on the mass balance.

Influence of distributed snow and firn cover evolution on glacier surface mass change., RIS ID 11152

Det østlige Antarktis-isdekket er jordens største ferskvannsøkosystem, som inneholder bakterier, alger, virus og andre mikrober som transporteres dit med vind og distribueres av isstrømmer. Vi studerer hvordan mikroorganismer overlever i isen ved å hente prøver fra gammel breis (mange tusen år gamle) eksponert i overflaten nær den norske forskningsstasjonen Troll i Dronning Maud Land, Antarktis. 

Under en vellykket feltkampanje på Troll fra desember 2019 til januar 2020, samlet vi inn seks iskjerner for å bestemme hvilke mikrober som blir aktive når det er tilstrekkelig energi og vann til å tillate biologisk produksjon. Vi fant at disse forholdene ble oppfylt i den øverste delen av iskjernene, siden solenergi kan trenge inn i den vindpolerte blåisen og forårsake smelting på omtrent 0,5 meters dyp i løpet av store deler av sommeren. I de fleste områder reduseres lysinntrengningen sterkt av små luftbobler i isen nær overflaten. Derfor har vi målt antall og størrelse på disse boblene for å modellere hvordan lyset sprer seg i denne viktige sonen. Dette arbeidet ble kombinert med kartlegging av andre antarktiske blåisområder for å forstå den regionale fordelingen av smelting nær overflaten og biologisk produksjon. Omtrent 1 % av isdekket støtter gunstige forhold for å utvikle blåis-økosystemer. Vi har funnet ut at steinpartikler er avgjørende for å la mikroorganismer leve i den blå isen. Deres mørke farge absorberer mye mer av solens energi enn boblene i isen, noe som fører til smeltevannstrøm og akkumulering av partiklene i smeltebassenger kjent som "kryokonitthull". Kartlegging viste at bergartpartiklene er utledet via to prosesser: støvavsetning ovenfra, og erosjon av berggrunn nær rygger nedenfra. Vi har funnet ut at disse hullene er langt viktigere hotspots for næringsberikelse og biologiske prosesser enn den rene isen, selv om vann er tilstede. Dette er ganske annerledes enn situasjonen vi fant på Svalbard, hvor isen inneholder mange flere levende mikroorganismer. Videre, selv i kryokonitthullene, ser den biologiske produksjonsraten ut til å være svært lav sammenlignet med både Svalbard og andre kystnære isbreer i Antarktis. Ganske distinkte nærings- og kjemi forhold utvikler seg i hullene, inkludert høye nitrat-, fosfat- og silikakonsentrasjoner, i motsetning til forhold i snø og is i nærheten. Disse forholdene gjenspeiler mest sannsynlig effektiv resirkulering av næringsstoffer fra et samfunn dominert av bakterier, samt påvisning av næringsstoffbidrag fra steinpartiklene. Vi tror dette skyldes at svært få mikrober blir importert fra andre økosystemer ved iskanten. Den høytliggende posisjonen og store avstanden til kysten gjør derfor Troll et ideelt sted for å undersøke grensene for liv på jorden.

BIOICE-teamet utfører detaljert biologisk analyse av mikroorganismene i snø, is og smeltevannet samt sedimentet i kryokonitthullene. Resultater fra de molekylære (DNA) analysene fant svært få påvisbare celler i den rene isen. I sedimentet fra hullene har vi funnet ut at Cyanobacteria er dominerende, tett fulgt av Actinobacteriota, og deretter Proteobacteria og Bacteroidota. Dette er overraskende mangfoldig, spesielt sammenlignet med den rene isbreen, der ingen DNA kunne gjenvinnes på en god måte. Disse samfunnene sammenlignes nå med lignende prøver fra Svalbard. Vi forventer å finne ut at kryokonitthullene er viktige fordi steinpartiklene gir viktige næringsstoffer og også et langtlevende, stabilt habitat som overlever fra en sommer til en annen.

Almost half of the freshwater bacterial biomass on Earth is stored in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) and ice core studies have shown us that a proportion of it remains viable even after storage for more than 1 million years. However, we have yet to establish what happens to these cells when they emerge at the ice sheet margin and are potentially revived by melt. For example, in the wind polished blue ice areas around the periphery of Antarctica, we have shown that sub-surface melting initiates the southernmost occurrence of photosynthesis on Earth. This study will therefore examine the physical, chemical and biological conditions within these oases and assess the contributions made to ecosystem functioning by older microorganisms transported by ice flow over millennia, and younger microorganisms derived from recent atmospheric deposition. 

Our project requires that we tackle R&D challenges linked to the sterile analysis of dilute glacier ice, snow and meltwater from extremely remote locations. Therefore, we will use our logistically advantagous location in Svalbard to practise all workflow routines prior to a substantial Antarctic campaign at Troll Station in 2018/19.  Use of cores already collected by the Norwegian Polarinstitutt’s Antarctic traverse during the International Polar year in 2007/08 will add significant value to both our project and the legacy of the IPY. 

Our first exploration of the surface microbiology of the EAIS from its continental interior to the coast is of direct, strategic relevance to the Norwegian Polarintitutt’s mandate from government, and will yield physical, chemical and biological data of great utility to future research in this region. Our collections of microorganisms and genetic information will also be a vital resource for groups involved in the management of Antarctica biodiversity, including the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

Blue Ice Oases of Microbial Life on the Antarctic Ice Sheet

The Svalbard Rockvault project is an initiative to archive and protect unique geological material acquired on Svalbard primarily through drilling activity, but also by geological sampling and geophysical acquisition campaigns. 

National  institutions  around  the  globe  are  in  charge  of  safeguarding  and  archiving  geoscientific  data  and  material  in  public  archives,  even  after  the  demise  of  the  company  or  institution  initially  acquiring  it.  In  Norway  the  Geological  Survey  of  Norway  (NGU)  runs  and  maintains  a  national  core  storage  centre  at  Løkken  and  the  Norwegian  Petroleum  Directorate  (NPD)  maintains  an  extensive  core  storage  facility  from  offshore  wells  as  well  as  the  world-unique  DISKOS  database  of  geophysical  data.  With  NGU  and  NPD  solely  focusing  on  continental  and  offshore  Norway,  respectively,  Svalbard  falls  well  beyond  any  existing  framework  for  the  storage  and  archiving  of  geoscientific  data  and  samples.  Complicating  matters  even  more,  local  and  international  companies  have  equal  rights  to  explore  for  natural  resources  on  Svalbard  as  a  result  of  the  Svalbard  Treaty,  resulting  in  a  large  exodus  of  geological  material  away  from  Svalbard.  In  order  to  bring  Svalbard  on  par  with  the  rest  of  Norway  and  the  world,  as  well  as  to  keep  an  overview  of  the  whereabouts  of  past,  present  and  future  data,  we  propose  the  Svalbard  Rock  Vault  initiative.  As  part  of  the  Svalbard  Rock  Vault  initiative  we  aim  to  1)  bring  (historically)  relevant  institutions  together  and  to  assess  and  inventorise  their  Svalbard-related  collections ,   2)  discuss  the  challenges  of  and  possible  solutions  to  the  (geoscientific)  data  exodus  from  Svalbard, 3) start on cataloguing and openly sharing some of the unique data sets from Svalbard.

SVALBARD ROCK VAULT: From vision towards reality: a pilot project for 2019-2020

Nearshore waters are among the most productive regions in the Arctic and the coastal zone has always been the preferred ecotype for humans in the area. De-icing and continued warming will allow colonization of the intertidal zone by Arctic and boreal flora and fauna. Disappearance of coastal sea ice may, however, also result in habitat loss. Increased coastal erosion and sediment loads will physically change the nearshore bottom habitats and thus the biodiversity of these regions with cascading effects in food webs. Consequently, the coastal ecosystem goods and services (provisional, regulatory, socio-cultural) will also encounter changes. Arctic coastal biodiversity is therefore under growing pressure as climate change and human activities increase, necessitating that government managers, industries, conservation organisations and communities have access to timely and complete biodiversity status and trend data. With this workshop we aim to put together a strong multidisciplinary team of natural and social scientists, managers and stakeholders to determine biodiversity- and socio-ecological challenges due to climate change and human stressors in Svalbard coastal waters. Knowledge and recommendations generated in this project will be followed up in a white document that will be communicated and  incorporated in Coastal management plans for Svalbard and the Arctic in general.

Sustainable Svalbard Coasts

I dette prosjektet har vi satt sammen et sterkt pan-arktisk og tverrfaglig team fra Norge, Polen, Kanada, USA og Danmark for å bestemme biodiversitet og sosio-økologiske konsekvenser av endringen fra frosne til isfrie kyster året rundt i Arktis. Myndighetene, næringslivet, miljøorganisasjoner, og samfunnet for øvrig, etterspør i økende grad status på biologisk mangfold og kunnskap om kystøkosystemet. I ACCES prosjektet har vi arrangert workshops med ulike brukere av kystområdene å få en tettere kontakt og kommunikasjon på tvers av forskning, forvaltning og næring på Svalbard. Arktiske kystøkosystemer er under økende press ettersom klimaendringer og menneskelige aktiviteter øker. I dette prosjektet har vi hatt et stort fokus på Svalbard i et pan-arktisk perspektiv ved å studere kystområder i Kanada og Grønland også.
Til tross for ekstra utfordringer grunnet COVID har prosjektet gjennomføre det meste av de planlagte feltaktiviteter, møter og workshops. ACCES -prosjektet fikk i tillegg tildelt to tokt av en ukes varighet med den Norske Kystvakta som muliggjorde å ta prøver i Øst-Svalbard der sjøisen fortsatt er til stede store deler av året.  Her fikk vi utført viktig kartlegging av makroalger og biologisk mangfold langs is-skurte kyster som står i kontrast til de isfrie kystene året rundt i vest-Svalbard. Makroalger på Svalbard var sjelden å finne under 30 m dyp, mens i Kanada og på Grønland makroalger vokste tettest på dyp mellom 30-37 m dyp. I ACCES har vi jobbet aktivt for å optimalisere fjernmåling som verktøy for å bedre kunne studere og overvåke de dynamiske kystområdene på Svalbard og i resten av Arktis. Nye og forbedrete metoder takket være valideringsdata fra felt viser at kystområdene i Arktis mottok rundt 23% mer lys for primær produksjon i perioden 2003-2020 grunnet mindre sjøis, men at dette nå har minket igjen til kun +1% økning i lys på grunn av økende turbiditet (sedimenter) som følge av økt avrenning og kysterosjon. Makroalger er viktig som mat og oppvekstområde for evertebrater og fisk i kystområdene og vi ser at makroalger øker i mengde og utbredelse etter hvert som sjøisen forsvinner. Dette kombinert med mer innstrømning av Atlantisk vann og varmere sjøtemperaturer har en positiv effekt på den totale biodiversiteten og biomassen i grunne kystområder på Svalbard. For planter og dyr som lever i sjøisen, derimot, er den store reduksjonen i landfast is dårlig nytt. Nye beregninger viser at landfast sjøis på Svalbard med 2 måneders varighet og mer har blitt halvert i perioden 2003-2019, og innen år 2040 vil det kun finnes sjøis i enkelte fjorder i Øst-Svalbard.
Arktisk Råd og ekspertgruppa på kyst har definert 7 hovedtyper av kystnatur (=coastscapes) som skal gjøre det enklere å sammenligne biodiversiteten på tvers av Arktisk – et arbeid som skal føre til en samlet statusrapport på biologisk mangfold i Arktiske kyststrøk. I ACCES prosjektet har vi fulgt opp anbefalingene og retningslinjene til Arktisk Råd og brukt eksisterende bilder med en oppløsning på 1 km for å kartlegge utbredelsen av de 7 ulike kysttypene på Svalbard for første gang. Tidevannsbreer utgjør ca 10-12% av kystlinjen, mens klippe og steinkyst utgjør rundt 30%. Kyster dominert av diverse løsmasser utgjør rundt 30-35%, mens 23% av kystlinjen gjenstår å kartlegges.  Det meste av marin forskning har funnet sted i fjordene på Svalbard. I de  grunne kystområdene har det vært lite forskningsaktivitet så det er viktig å  fortsette arbeidet vi har begynt nemlig å kartlegge det biologiske mangfoldet og den økologiske betydningen av laguner, elvedeltaer og stein-og sandstrender på Svalbard. Miljøstatusen til kystområdene på Svalbard med anbefalinger for fremtidige forsknings- og forvaltningsbehov er publisert i en kort populærvitenskapelig rapport for forvaltere og ulike brukere - et resultat av en workshop der forskere, forvaltere og stakeholdere møttes og diskutere utfordringer og muligheter i dag og i fremtiden. De store endringene vi ser i kystsonen var også tema i en egen vitenskapelig sesjon med navn «Arctic Coasts in Transition» på Arctic Frontiers konferansen i Tromsø i mai 2022. Hittil har 18 vitenskapelige publikasjoner blitt utgitt i ACCES prosjektet, hvorav hovedvekten av studiene er fra Svalbard, men også fra Kanada og Grønland. Flere publikasjoner er på vei, og mange av disse skal etter planen publiseres i et spesialnummer hvor ACCES har gått sammen med andre forskningsprosjekter som fokuserer på kystområdene i Arktisk. Det har kommet flere «spinn-off» prosjekter fra dette Belmont-Biodiversa ACCES prosjektet, blant annet det store EU prosjektet FACE-IT som pågår til 2025, så arbeidet fortsetter og utvikles videre da det er et stort behov for mer kunnskap om kystområdene i Arktis – en kystlinje som utgjør 30% av den globale kystlinjen og hvor 95% av menneskene i Arktis bor og arbeider. Kystområdene er mye mer produktive enn det dype polhavet, og her erfarer vi noen av de raskeste klimaendringene i verden i dag.

Nearshore waters are among the most productive regions in the Arctic and the coastal zone has always been the preferred ecotype for humans in the area. Melting of permafrost, shrinking of ice pack and retreat of glaciers are already subjects of intensive research, while the reduction of landfast ice and ice foot (seasonal coastal ice) has received much less attention. De-icing and continued warming will allow colonization of the intertidal zone by Arctic and boreal flora and fauna. Disappearance of coastal sea ice may, however, also result in habitat loss. Increased coastal erosion and sediment loads will physically change the nearshore bottom habitats and thus the biodiversity of these regions with cascading effects in food webs. Consequently, the coastal ecosystem goods and services (provisional, regulatory, socio-cultural) will also encounter changes. Arctic coastal biodiversity is therefore under growing pressure as climate change and human activities increase, necessitating that government managers, industries, conservation organisations and communities have access to timely and complete biodiversity status and trend data. In this project we have put together a strong multidisciplinary team from Norway, Poland, Canada, US and Denmark to Determine biodiversity- and socio-ecological consequences of the change from seasonal ice-covered to ice-free Arctic coasts. We will be studying a wide geographical range of Arctic coastal sites with contrasting ice regimes: Arctic coast with extensive seasonal sea ice coverage (iced) and Arctic coasts with limited or no seasonal sea ice (semi-iced to ice-free). For these two scenarios we will consider both rocky and soft sediment shores. Knowledge generated in this project will be communicated and discussed with relevant stakeholders, and be incorporated in Coastal management plans.

De-icing of Arctic Coasts: Critical or new opportunities for marine biodiversity and Ecosystem Services?

Målet med prosjektet har vært å fastslå hvilke typer partikkelnedbør som er viktige for kjemien i atmosfæren. For å avgjøre dette har vi brukt lange tidsserier med bakkeobservasjoner samt atmosfære- og klimamodeller. 

Energetisk proton- og elektronnedbør kan påvirke kjemien og dynamiske prosesser i atmosfæren. Partikkelnedbøren kan for eksempel bidra til tap av ozon i den midlere atmosfæren, noe som i siste instans kan påvirke bakketemperaturene i de polare områdene. Vi har undersøkt hvilke typer begivenheter som bidrar vesentlig i disse prosessene og hvilke begivenheter som har mindre betydning. Solare protonbegivenheter avsetter mest energi i atmosfæren, men inntreffer bare noen få ganger i løpet av et år. Påvirkningen de har på atmosfæren er rimelig godt dokumentert. Energetiske elektronbegivenheter avsetter derimot mindre energi i atmosfæren men har en hyppigere frekvens. Disse oppstår på grunn av dynamiske prosesser assosiert med strålingsbeltet i magnetosfæren. Studier av enkelt begivenheter har vist at også disse har potensial til å påvirke kjemien i atmosfæren, men det finnes lite dokumentasjon på hvilken påvirkning disse har globalt og over lengre tidsperioder.

Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) har anbefalt at den neste rapporten fra Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) bør inkludere effekter av partikkelnedbør i tillegg til effekter av fotonstråling når det vurderer solens påvirkningskraft på klimaet. Det finnes allerede flere verktøy og indirekte mål for observasjoner av partikkelnedbør. Lange måleserier har gjort det mulig å validere de nåværende CMIP estimatene til protoner og elektroners effekter til mesosfærisk kjemi under en type elektron nedbør, nemlig pulserende nordlys, som er nå konkludert å være viktig på grunn av lang levetid. Dette brukes nå til å oppdatere et estimat for nedbør av protoner og elektroner som skal testes for fremtidens klimamodeller.

High-energy protons and electrons precipitating into the Earth's atmosphere from space can have a significant impact on the chemical composition and dynamics of the atmosphere. These particles are known to facilitate ozone depletion in the middle atmosphere, which may ultimately cause changes in surface air temperatures in the polar regions. In this project we seek to determine which types of particle precipitation events are significant in driving these atmospheric effects, and which events play only a minor role. Solar proton events, which account for most of the energetic proton precipitation, are very strong but rather rare, occurring only a few times per year. Their effects on the atmosphere are relatively well-known. Energetic electron precipitation, however, is more common and less intense, resulting from dynamical processes within the magnetosphere, which transfer relativistic electrons from the radiation belts into the Earth's atmosphere. The chemical changes due to electron precipitation have been demonstrated for detailed studies of individual events, but little is known about their relative importance globally and over decadal time scales. 

The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) has for the first time recommended that the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) would include a solar particle forcing in the climate reports. Several tools and proxies have been developed for detecting energetic particle precipitation and assessing its atmospheric effects. With the necessary long-term datasets it is now possible to validate the currently used estimates of particle forcing, and determine which types of particle precipitation have a significant global and long-term impact on the atmospheric system. This knowledge can be used to improve future recommendations of solar particle forcing as a part of natural climate variability.

FISSION-5.02 Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection

Design of optimised systems for monitoring of radiation and radioactivity in case of a nuclear or radiological emergency in Europe

Awarded: NOK 0

Summary

Funding scheme:

FISSION-5.02 Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection

Funding Sources

Thematic Areas and Topics