Stories from Rijpfjorden 2: A time witness from a bygone era
18 September 2018
Rijpfjorden not only holds a very special place in the story of how the weather station Haudegen housed the last armed German soldiers towards the end of World War II. It is also home to a much older and equally important story – a story that stretches several thousand years back in time and has not yet been really told. This is a story told by the “cod lake” (Torskevatnet).
Stories from Rijpfjorden 1: A unique place of great importance to our understanding of the Arctic
13 September 2018
Rijpfjorden is a unique place. On 4 September 1945, the last armed German soldiers in Europe surrendered there. 6000 years ago, blue mussels grew on the shore, and in the 1990s cod was caught in a lake that has since been called the “cod lake”. And since 2006 we have used Rijpfjorden as a large and natural climate laboratory.
Green light for the Nansen Legacy
14 December 2017
The Norwegian Research Council has approved the research application for the Nansen Legacy (Arven etter Nansen). The first research cruise will take place from 19 July 2018 with the new research vessel “Kronprins Haakon”.
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.
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.
Will there be ice on the Svalbard fjords this winter?
31 January 2017
Last winter we had record-low amount of fjord ice here in Svalbard and the following autumn was unusually warm. But these last few months have been relatively cold. Can we anticipate ice on the fjords this winter? The answer is yes – and no.
About bamboo, ghost shrimps and a changing Arctic
16 January 2017
Now in the midst of the dark period, it may be appropriate to ask what we really know about life in the north and whether we have enough knowledge to manage resources and waters in a good way. For example, what do we know about bamboo and ghost shrimps on Svalbard?
New UNIS weather station – now in the sea!
21 November 2016
UNIS has recently deployed a new underwater measurement station in Isfjorden. Now everyone can monitor the temperature, currents, tides and biological activity via the internet.