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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Latest Updates
Luisa Düsedau: Third PhD thesis defended within FACE-IT
On 06 February 2025, Luisa Düsedau successfully defended her PhD thesis, entitled "Assessment of Macroalgal Biodiversity and Habitat Change in the European Arctic". Luisa worked within the FACE-IT project at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Germany).
Seasonality and interannual variability of an Arctic marine time series, IsA
Glacier fronts are hotspots of pelagic productivity due to upwelling of nutrient-rich water. As tidewater glaciers retreat into land, this subglacial circulation will disappear and sedimentation from terrestrial runoff will increase, leading to a decrease in pelagic productivity with a decline in the abundance of fish and zooplankton.
Loss of pelagic fish and zooplankton density associated with subglacial upwelling in high Arctic estuaries may be mitigated by benthic habitat expansion following tidewater glacier retreat
Glacier fronts are hotspots of pelagic productivity due to upwelling of nutrient-rich water. As tidewater glaciers retreat into land, this subglacial circulation will disappear and sedimentation from terrestrial runoff will increase, leading to a decrease in pelagic productivity with a decline in the abundance of fish and zooplankton.
Marine heatwaves in the Subarctic and the effect of acute temperature change on the key grazer Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Echinoidea, Echinodermata)
Subarctic fjord systems are facing a continuous temperature increase as well as more frequent and more intense marine heatwaves (MHWs). MHWs are periods of exceptionally high temperatures above the long-term average. In the Porsangerfjord (Northern Norway), the average water temperature ranges from 2.5°C in March to 10°C in August.
Run-off impacts on Arctic kelp holobionts have strong implications on ecosystem functioning and bioeconomy
Kelps (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae) are foundation species along Arctic rocky shores, providing the basis for complex ecosystems and supporting a high secondary production. Due to ongoing climate change glacial and terrestrial run-off are currently accelerating, drastically changing physical and chemical water column parameters, e.g., water transparency for photosynthetically active radiation or dissolved concentrations of (harmful) elements.
FACE-IT project leader Kai Bischof presents future research needs for Arctic biodiversity at EU PolarNet town hall event
EU-PolarNet co-coordinates the EU Polar Cluster and, hence, is connecting all EU-funded polar projects. Furthermore, EU-PolarNet developed polar research priorities in close cooperation with stake- and rightsholders over the past years.
Arktische Fjorde im Wandel – Was ist das „Neue Normal“?
30. November 2024: Vortrag von Prof. Dr. Kai Bischof [in German]
Impact of climate change on the kelp Laminaria digitata – simulated Arctic winter warming
The Arctic is seasonally exposed to long periods of low temperatures and complete darkness. Consequently, perennial primary producers have to apply strategies to maximize energy efficiency. Global warming is occurring in the Arctic faster than the rest of the globe. The highest amplitude of temperature rise occurs during Polar Night.
Multifactorial effects of warming, low irradiance, and low salinity on Arctic kelps
The Arctic is projected to warm by 2 to 5 °C by the end of the century. Warming causes melting of glaciers, shrinking of the areas covered by sea ice, and increased terrestrial runoff from snowfields and permafrost thawing. Warming, decreasing coastal underwater irradiance, and lower salinity are potentially threatening polar marine organisms, including kelps, that are key species of hard-bottom shallow communities.