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.

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).

Conference from 03 to 06 September 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.

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.

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.

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.

Conference from 16 to 21 June 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.