Microbial Production and Biogeochemical Cycling in High Arctic River Plumes (RiS-ID 11392)

The goal of this project is to investigate the effects of freshwater inputs on bacterial and primary production, biogeochemical cycling and nutrient evolution (bioavailability of land-originating nutrients) both spatially (freshwater to seawater gradient) and temporally (melting season 2021) in Adventfjorden, Svalbard. This will be done as part of the larger FreshFate project (“Freshwater inputs to Svalbard’s coastal waters: Fluxes, fate, and implications for coastal ecosystems”). The project will provide a higly detailed look into the physicochemical and ecological processes involving freshwater inputs to fjords. With funding from the AFG the projects will greatly exceed the initial scope set by the FreshFate, (10 sample days instead of 2) providing much needed data that is applicable to other fjord systems.