Wednesday, September 25th, 2024
By Miguel Leal
This summer 2024, researchers from POMP project were participating in a research cruise to the central Arctic Ocean, a venture led by the Norwegian Polar Institute. The cruise was crucial for advancing our understanding of carbon uptake in one of the most remote and challenging marine environments on the planet.
POMP WP2 lead Eva Leu from Akvaplan-niva and PhD student Fowzia Ahmed from the University of Manitoba, were aboard the Norwegian research icebreaker R/V Kronprins Haakon, which has navigated close to the North Pole. Their journey has taken them beyond 88 degrees latitude, pushing through extensive sea ice to reach key sampling locations across the Arctic.
The team’s mission is to collect samples from natural sea ice algae and phytoplankton communities along a gradient of light conditions. These samples are essential for measuring rates of carbon and nitrogen uptake, providing insights into how productivity and carbon sequestration processes are likely to evolve in an Arctic Ocean with diminishing sea ice and increased water stratification.
This expedition is part of the SUDARCO project, which focuses on sustainable development of the Artic Ocean, and in which Eva is co-leading WP3 focusing on the coupling between physical-chemical changes in a rapidly warming Arctic and biological productivity at the basis of the marine food web. The timing of the cruise is significant; most research expeditions to the Arctic Ocean occur later in the year, missing the peak of spring and early summer productivity. By conducting research earlier in the season, the team hopes to capture a snapshot of the Arctic’s carbon dynamics at a crucial time, enhancing both SUDARCO and POMP’s research objectives.
The observations made during this cruise will enhance our understanding of the Arctic’s ecological functions, and they will also contribute to global efforts in modelling climate change impacts and guiding future conservation strategies.
To better understand the contribution of our partners Akvaplan-niva to this research cruise, read the full article here.