FACE-IT will be well represented at the Svalbard Science Conference SSC 2023 in Oslo, Norway. The SSC takes place every two years and is focusing on Svalbard, one of the FACE-IT core research regions. Kongsfjorden and Isfjorden are fjords “in transition”, while Storfjorden can still be regarded as high-Arctic in the FACE-IT context. Isfjorden is, furthermore, an interesting social science case study as a local community which has to face the challenges of a changing Arctic.

 

Talks which present FACE-IT research

Session 1: Four times faster (Tuesday, 31 Oct, 09:30 – 10:45)

• Kit M. Kovacs (Norwegian Polar Institute): “Impact of climate change on marine mammals – a Svalbard update”
• Janne E. Søreide (The University Centre in Svalbard): “Loss of sea ice why should we care? Important feeding ground for larvae in spring”
• Steeve Comeau (Sorbonne University): “Effects of multiple environmental drivers on Arctic kelp communities”

Session 2: Svalbard and its Neighbours (Tuesday, 31 Oct, 11:15 – 12:15)

• Cheshtaa Chitkara (The University Centre in Svalbard): “Seasonality in phytoplankton production and communities in three contrasting Arctic fjords in Svalbard, Norway and Greenland”

Session 5a: Polar Ocean (Place: Atlantis 1) (Wednesday, 01 Nov, 09:00 – 10:30)

• Pedro Duarte (Norwegian Polar Institute): “Marine primary production around Svalbard using high resolution modelling of the ocean, sea ice and marine biogeochemistry”
• Raphaelle Descoteaux (The University Centre in Svalbard): “Spatio-temporal variability in planktonic biodiversity of Svalbard coastal waters”

 

Posters which present FACE-IT research

The poster session will be on Tuesday, 31 Oct, 16:30 – 19:00

Session 1: Four times faster

• Simon Jungblut (University of Bremen): “Historical changes in biomass, total abundance, and species composition of seaweed-associated fauna in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard”
• Nora Diehl (University of Bremen): “Heading northwards? Laminaria hyperborea in the Arctic – past, present and future”
• Victor Gonzalez Triginer (The University Centre in Svalbard): “Spatial variation of pelagic biomass and fish community composition in Svalbard fjords”
• Cale Miller (Utrecht University, formerly Sorbonne University): “Experimental study suggests tolerance of mixed kelp communities to future climate change

Session 3: Earth System Science and Svalbard

• Sebastian Gerland (Norwegian Polar Institute): “Monitoring of landfast sea ice at Storfjorden, Svalbard”
• Philipp Fischer (Alfred Wegener Institute): “Effects of marine heat waves and cold spells on a shallow water polar ecosystem”

Session 5a: Polar Ocean

• Pedro Duarte (Norwegian Polar Institute): “Kongsfjorden Ecosystem – a Nitrogen Sink during the Arctic Summer”
• Pedro Duarte (Norwegian Polar Institute): “Different effects of Atlantification in two Svalbard fjords”

Session 6b: From mountain tops to sea floor

• Sarina Niedzwiedz (University of Bremen): “Terrestrial run-off reduces the quality of Arctic kelps as a food source”
• Simon Jungblut (University of Bremen): “Feeding preferences of sea urchins on Arctic macroalgae assemblages changing with depth”

Session 7: Human footprints

• Halvor Dannevig (Western Norway Research Institute) & Grete Hovelsrud (Nordland Research Institute): “Contested wilderness: The importance of narratives in shaping adaptive co-management options to Svalbard tourism under a changing climate”

 

Grete Hovelsrud (Nordland Research Institute) participated in a panel debate about the future of Svalbard research.

 

Prior to the Svalbard Science Conference many FACE-IT colleagues will attend the Kongsfjorden Flagship Meeting 2023 on 29 and 30 October:

• Allison Bailey (Norwegian Polar Institute)
• Kai Bischof (University of Bremen)
• Steeve Comeau (Sorbonne University)
• Pedro Duarte (Norwegian Polar Institute)
• Philipp Fischer (Alfred Wegener Institute)
• Geir Wing Gabrielsen (Norwegian Polar Institute)
• Simon Jungblut (University of Bremen)
• Kit M. Kovacs (Norwegian Polar Institute)

 

Additionally, Grete Hovelsrud (Nordland Research Institute), Janne Søreide (The University Centre in Svalbard), Kristin Løseth (Western Norway Research Institute), and Simon Jungblut (University of Bremen), participate in the workshop “Building transdisciplinary bridges for sustainable Svalbard and Arctic development” of the Svalbard Social Science Initiative, organized by Julia Olsen (Nordland Research Institute) on 30 October.

 

Photos: Simon Jungblut (University of Bremen)