Two peculiar acquaintances from the Svalbard fjords
28 September 2017
Around the coast of Svalbard we find many exciting animals in the sea. Few are as strange as the two fish you will meet here. Perhaps they are facing an uncertain future?
Effects of sea ice on Arctic shrub growth: The importance of biotic interactions
22 September 2017
Across the Arctic tundra increased plant productivity has been associated with the accelerating retreat of the Arctic sea ice, due to warmer climate. However, emerging studies document opposite effects, showing a more complex relationship between the shrinking sea ice and terrestrial plant growth.
Apply for spring courses now
11 September 2017
Application is now open for UNIS spring courses. The application deadline is 15 October 2017.
The snow crab has arrived!
25 August 2017
Snow crab has been found in Raudfjorden in northern Spitsbergen for the first time. The speed of which it spreads indicates that it soon will be found along the western coast of Svalbard. Does this mean that a new source of income is literally crabbing in to Longyearbyen?
Linking plant nutrient dynamics and ecosystem processes in a warmer Arctic
21 July 2017
What effect will a warming climate have on plants in Svalbard? What about the increase of pink-footed goose population due to recent climate changes? Will a heated and more grazed Arctic mean more carbon emission or the opposite? UNIS PhD candidate Matteo Petit Bon aims at finding out.
The Green Arctic – Plants as cornerstones in terrestrial ecosystems
6 June 2017
Much of Svalbard is an arctic desert, but this land has also green spots. The plants are crucially important for the successful functioning of the entire land-based system. Without them, there would be no reindeer, no ptarmigan, no geese. In our research, we focus on these green “cornerstones” and factors that could alter their resilience and function.
Cruising in Svalbard: A student perspective
19 May 2017
For the second time in a mere two months, UNIS students were able to join a FAABulous and IMOS research cruise across Isfjorden and towards Van Mijenfjorden on the coast guard vessel KV Svalbard. Read their account here.
Zooplankton migration patterns in the Polar night
5 May 2017
Why do zooplankton migrate up and down the water column during Arctic dark season when there is apparently constant darkness? PhD candidate Julie Cornelius Grenvald has examined the Diel Vertical Migration (DVM) of zooplankton during the polar night and reveals several and complex migration patterns. Grenvald will defend her thesis on 9 May at the University of Tromsø.
FAABulous fieldwork in Van Mijenfjorden
27 April 2017
The FAABulous project is having a two-week sea ice campaign in Van Mijenfjorden. The aim of the project is to get a better understanding of how Arctic algae blooms will respond to the severe environmental changes.