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
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Seasonality in phytoplankton communities and production in three Arctic fjords across a climate gradient
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
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
Conference from 16 to 21 June 2024
Desirable futures for Arctic biodiversity: FACE-IT contributed insights from coastal environmental economics
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.
Underwater light environment in Arctic fjords
Most inhabitants of the Arctic live near the coastline, which includes fjord systems where socio-ecological coupling with coastal communities is dominant. It is therefore critically important that the key aspects of Arctic fjords be measured as well as possible. Much work has been done to monitor temperature and salinity, but in-depth knowledge of the light environment throughout Arctic fjords is lacking.
FACE-IT joins workshop of the Svalbard Social Science Initiative
In the frame of the Arctic Congress in Bodø (29 May - 03 June 2024), the Svalbard Social Science Initiative SSSI organized the second of a series of workshops entitled “Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development”. FACE-IT colleague Julia Olsen (Nord University) led the workshop organization and the corresponding research project.
The 2024 EU Arctic Forum, Indigenous Peoples’ Dialogue and EU-Arctic Youth Dialogues
Conference from 14 to 15 May 2024