Characterising sea ice algal habitat properties under thin and thick snow cover using UHI and HPLC analysis

The Arctic sea ice cover is rapidly changing due to global warming, and the need for in situ data of the response of ice algal communities, which contribute to marine food webs and influence biogeochemical cycling, is growing. There are substantial gaps in understanding the impact of climate change on ice covered ecosystems. Therefore, development of effective and non-invasive methods for obtaining data is needed to fill in gaps of knowledge of the bio-physical properties of Arctic sea ice. Traditional methods, such as ice cores, only provide data for a certain point but cannot represent spatial or temporal variability of the community. Underwater hyperspectral imagers (UHI) have great potential for addressing this challenge, as they provide high-resolution data of the sea ice algal communities and biomass without causing destruction to the habitat The objective of the field project is therefore to validate the use of UHI systems in classifying and quantifying sea ice algal pigments and biomass using a combination of field-based measurements. A second objective is to investigate temporal changes within the community under a thick and thin snow cover, i.e. how the different light conditions affect pigment composition and biomass. Information about how the ice algal community impacts the spectra and magnitude of light transmitted through sea ice may then be determined. Potential challenges in this study may include: identifying two sampling sites with considerably different snow depth to represent the spatial differences in the Arctic ocean on a broader scale (relatable to FYI and MYI); use of the UHI system in challenging field conditions; inexperience with fieldwork as a MSc student.