Arctic fjords are social-ecological systems
Glacier fronts and sea ice systems are hotspots of biodiversity. Their retreat will pose threats to Arctic coastal ecosystem function and eventually local livelihoods. The Arctic is a harbinger of the consequences of multiple global and regional environmental change on ecosystems and livelihoods: The overarching objective of FACE-IT is to enable adaptive co-management of social-ecological fjord systems in the Arctic in the face of rapid cryosphere and biodiversity changes.
Check out this video introduction to FACE-IT: The Changing Arctic Fjord Systems
14
International
institutions
7
Unique
sample sites
8
Countries
Latest Updates
Photoperiod and temperature interactions drive the latitudinal distribution of Laminaria hyperborea (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae) under climate change
September 12, 2024
Due to global rises in temperature, recent studies predict marine species shifting toward higher latitudes. We investigated the impact of interacting abiotic drivers on the distribution potential of the temperate kelp Laminaria hyperborea. The ecosystem engineering species is widespread along European coasts but has not yet been observed in the High Arctic, although it can survive several months of low temperatures and darkness.
Acoustic mapping reveals macroalgal settlement following a retreating glacier front in the High Arctic
September 10, 2024
Vegetated coastal marine ecosystems are projected to expand northwards in the Arctic due to climate change, but the mechanisms for this expansion are complex and nuanced. Macroalgal biomass in the littoral areas of Svalbard has been increasing, but data at the glacier fronts are very scarce. In this study, we use hydroacoustics and video validation from an unmanned surface vehicle to survey macroalgal bed distribution along the coast of a High Arctic fjord (Billefjorden, Svalbard).
FACE-IT at the 2024 European Polar Science Week
September 6, 2024
Conference from 03 to 06 September 2024
Last Annual Meeting of FACE-IT in Copenhagen, Denmark
September 2, 2024
FACE-IT is slowly coming towards its end. Yet, the whole team is still working on many different publications and many related activities. On 02 September 2024, the FACE-IT team held its official last annual meeting and general assembley at the campus of Aalborg University in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sea ice as habitat for microalgae, bacteria, virus, fungi, meio- and macrofauna: A review of an extreme environment
August 30, 2024
The novel concept of the review is a focus on the organisms living in the sea ice and what mechanisms they have developed for their existence. The review describes the physical environment of the sea ice and the microorganisms living there as microalgae, bacteria, virus, fungi, meio- and macrofauna where they inhabit the brine channels and exposed to low temperatures as down to −25 °C and high salinities—up to 300.
Seasonality in phytoplankton communities and production in three Arctic fjords across a climate gradient
July 28, 2024
Phytoplankton communities and production in Arctic fjords undergo strong seasonal variations. Phytoplankton blooms are periods with high primary production, leading to elevated algal biomass fueling higher trophic levels. Blooms are typically driven bottom-up by light and nutrient availability but may also be top-down controlled by grazing. While phytoplankton spring blooms are common across all Arctic systems, summer and autumn blooms and their drivers are less predictable.
Kelp forest community structure and demography in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) across 25 years of Arctic warming
June 25, 2024
The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is a hotspot of global warming and many fjords experience a continuous increase in seawater temperature and glacial melt while sea-ice cover declines. In 1996/1998, 2012–2014, and 2021 macroalgal biomass and species diversity were quantified at the study site Hansneset, Kongsfjorden (W-Spitsbergen) in order to identify potential changes over time.
FACE-IT contributions to the World Biodiversity Forum 2024 in Davos, Switzerland
June 17, 2024
Conference from 16 to 21 June 2024
Desirable futures for Arctic biodiversity: FACE-IT contributed insights from coastal environmental economics
June 16, 2024
In the frame of the World Biodiversity Forum 2024 in Davos, Switzerland, the FACE-IT managing team Kai Bischof and Simon Jungblut (University of Bremen) as well as Julia Olsen (Nord University) engaged in a workshop in the desirable futures for Arctic biodiversity on 16 June 2024. Colleagues from the University of Zurich, who are part of our partner project CHARTER, brought together Arctic right- and stakeholders for intense discussions.