Fjords in the Arctic are changing rapidly due to multiple factors including increasing air temperatures, the influx of Atlantic Water (Atlantification), sea-ice loss, retreat of tidewater glaciers, increased freshwater discharges, pollution and tourism. Understanding how these changes affect ecosystem processes and functions and, thus, services to society is critical.

Nutrient inputs from upwelling, ocean currents, advection, and terrestrial sources play a crucial role in driving primary production in Arctic fjords and coastal areas. This study analyzes more than two decades of field measurements across a terrestrial-river-coastal continuum in Arctic Greenland, showing how shifts in coastal inflows, glacial meltwater, and terrestrial inputs control changes in nutrient dynamics in the fjord.

Tourism is vital in ensuring thriving communities in peripheral areas of the Arctic. However, many Arctic destinations have seen a dramatic increase in visitors, raising concerns about their ability to withstand tourism pressures. Simultaneously, socioecological systems in the region are undergoing rapid transformations with significant implications for future development.

The Arctic region is experiencing rapid warming and an increase in the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves (MHWs), posing an increasing risk to coastal ecosystems. Kelp communities in the Arctic are vital habitats that support biodiversity and resilience but are particularly vulnerable to increasing temperature anomalies.

Sarina Niedzwiedz (University of Bremen) and Tobias Vonnahme (Greenland Institute of Natural Resources) presented FACE-IT results at the "Fjords in a changing climate" workshop in Stalheim, Norway. This interdisciplinary workshop on the physical oceanography, biogeochemistry and biology of fjords in the past, present and future took place from 02 to 05 June 2025.

On 28 May 2025, Cheshtaa Chitkara successfully defended her PhD thesis, entitled "Arctic marine microbial eukaryotes–Spatiotemporal drivers of community structure and ecological impacts of Atlantification". Prior to the defense, Cheshtaa presented a trial lecture with the title “Mixotrophy in plankton: ecological concepts and evidence with examples from the Arctic”. 

Ecosystems in the Arctic are affected by multiple stressors caused by climate and environmental changes, increased pollution and human activities. The changes are unprecedented, with considerable scientific uncertainties over their potential consequences. In such a situation the use of the precautionary principle can be justified in environmental management.

Glaciers cover approximately 60% of the Svalbard archipelago, but despite extensive research on Svalbard’s glaciers and their retreat, little is known about the effect of glaciers with different termination points on fjordic benthic communities in the Arctic. Billefjorden, Svalbard, includes bays influenced by runoff from inland glaciers and Nordenskiöldbreen, a glacier that, due to retreat, has split into a marine- and a shore-terminating side since 2017.

Kongsfjorden is located in West Spitsbergen, Svalbard archipelago. Its hydrography is influenced by the West Spitsbergen Current (WSC) transporting warm and saline Atlantic Water (AW) toward the Arctic basin. We assessed changes in fjord water properties over two decades (1999–2020) using summer hydrographic surveys performed by the Norwegian Polar Institute in the fjord, the adjacent shelf, and open ocean regions.