Figure 13. Overview, based on drone images, of Fortuna Bay with the tidal vegetation forming a fringe along the shoreline visible as a light brown contour at low tide. Drone operated by Dorte KrauseJensen and Birgit Olesen and drone images analysed and processed by Michael Bo Rasmussen. Growth of sugar tangle (Saccharina latissima/ S. longicruris) using the size of the annual blade as a minimum estimate of annual growth. It is expec ted that the grow th will increase in response to longer open water periods and warming. A s a supplementar y variable we measured the carbon and nitrogen content of the tissue. Figure 14. Dense kelp forest at Kronprinsens Ejland dominated by Saccharina longicruris. Photo: Dorte Krause-Jensen. the summer conditions, while total phosphorus ( TP) was low in both cases ( Table 1). Phosphorus is likely limiting for primar y produc tion year round while nitrogen seems to be limiting during summer. Chlo rophyll-a, the indicator of pelagic algae (phy toplankton) biomass, was clearly higher during summer Lake monitoring than in the late spring in 2017, wheras it was rather Two lakes are included in the lake monitoring program, similar bet ween the t wo seasons in 2018 ( Table 1). Moræne Sø (Sanningasup Tasia) and Kangaarsuk Sø Kangaarsuk Sø was more nutrient-rich than Moræne (Kangaarsup Tasia). The lakes have been monitored Sø with higher conduc tivit y and higher concentration routinely during summer with regards to nutrient s and of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in summer phy toplankton biomass since 2012. Within the last ( Table 1). Consequently, the chlorophyll a concenyears it has also been possible to include sampling tration was higher in Kangersuk Sø than in Moræne campaigns during the ice covered period in Moræne Sø (Figure 15). This was also reflec ted in the higher Sø. Both lakes were ice covered from mid Oc tober to pH of Kangaarsuk Sø. Interestingly, the chlorophyll 19 June (Moræne Sø) and 26 June (Kangersuk Sø) in a concentrations in both lakes were higher in 2017 2018. than in 2018. This was reflec ted in the total phosphorous and total nitrogen concentrations indicating The conduc tivit y and the concentration of total nitrogen ( T N) in the water column of Moræne Sø were that nutrient availabilit y was higher in 2017. higher when the lake was ice covered compared to Tabel 1. Basic data for Moræne Sø and Kangaarsuk Sø from 2017 and 2018. Cond. = conductivity, TP = total phosphorus, TN = total nitrogen, and Chl. = chlorophyll a. Lake / Date Ice cm Snow cm Snow % Cond μS/cm pH TP ug/l TN μg/l Chl. μg/l 27/04/2017 16/05/2018 103 130 38 28 100 100 237 278 7.0 6.7 19 0 1236 925 0.2 2.0 22/07/2017 18/08/2018 0 0 0 0 0 0 107 88 7.1 7.5 24 9 312 351 4.7 2.2 Kangaarsuk Sø 13/07/2017 15/08/2018 0 0 0 0 0 0 228 71 8.5 7.7 34 13 411 380 11.8 3.4 Moræne Sø A n n u a l R e p o r t 2018 13 university of copenhagen facu lt y of sci e nc e A RC T I C STAT I ON Ann ual Repor t 2 018 2 A R C T I C S TAT I O N ARCTIC STATION Annual Report 2018 CONTENTS Chairmans welcome ............................................................ 5 Monitoring at Arctic Station ........ .......................................... 6 Research projects ........................ ......................................... 17 Educa 4 Chairmans Welcome Professor Bo Elberling Compared to other years, the summer of 2018 was cold and wet in Greenland. While summer temperatures in Europe were higher than for decades, summer temperatures at Arctic Station were in general low. Despite the weather, the year 2018 has been a very succes Monitoring at Arctic Station Charlotte Sigsgaard, Regin Rønn, Michele Citterio, Jakob Abermann, Per Juel Hansen, Kirsty Langly, Kirsten S. Christoffersen, Sille Myreng, Daniel Binder, Laura Helene Rasmussen, Morten Rasch, Aart Kroon, Dorthe Krause-Jensen, Birgit Olesen, Thomas Friborg and Bo Elberli 15 10 10 Temperature (oC) Temperature (oC) 5 0 -5 -10 -15 Summer (J, J, A) Winter/coldest months (J, F, M) Mean annual air temperature -20 -25 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Figure 2. Annual mean air temperatures at Arctic Station from 1992 to 2018 and mean air temperatures for 31-J an 2-Mar 1-Apr 1-May 31-May 30-J un 30-J ul 29-Aug 28-S ep 28-Oct 27-Nov 27-Dec 2018 1040 1000 960 60 0 40 -10 20 -30 0 Wind speed (m s -1) -20 Rain (mm) 80 10 Temperature (C) Air pressure (mbar) 1-J an 16 12 8 4 0 Wind dir () 300 200 100 S now depth (m) 0 0.8 40 0 Sep Precipitation (mm) 350 Aug Jul Jun May 30 0 250 20 0 150 10 0 50 19 91 19 92 19 93 19 94 19 95 19 96 19 97 19 98 19 99 20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09 20 10 20 11 20 12 20 13 20 14 20 15 20 16 20 17 20 18 0 Figure 5. Stacked monthly values of rain from Figure 7. Water started to run in the snow covered river bed on 6 June. Several fows with a mixture of water, snow and ice occurred during the day. Photos: Charlotte Sigsgaard and Laura L. Frendrup. Marine monitoring Marine monitoring has been periodically carried out at Arc tic Station since 1924. Figure 9. About 60-70 mm of rain on the 3 August 2018 caused overland fow and high discharge and high content of suspended sediment in the river. Photo: Elisabeth L. Kolstad. there is of ten a layer of cold water at 50 -10 0 m with temperatures as low as -1.6 C sandwiched bet ween the warmer sur fa Macroalgae monitoring 8 7 10 m 50 m 200 m The Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring program (GEM) on marine vegetation in the Disko Bay was initiated in the summer of 2018. The program includes studies of tidal and subtidal macroalgae along the shores of Disko Island and Kronprinsens Ejland as specified Figure 13. Overview, based on drone images, of Fortuna Bay with the tidal vegetation forming a fringe along the shoreline visible as a light brown contour at low tide. Drone operated by Dorte KrauseJensen and Birgit Olesen and drone images analysed and processed by Michael Bo Rasmussen. Growth of s 14 Chlorophyll (ug l-1) 12 Danish Meteorological Institute (DM I) which will pro vide data for in-situ validation data for DM Is remote sensing produc t s. The first complete dataset will be downloaded in 2019. Data received via satellite link already shows seasonal variabilit y in the temperatur Figure 18. Two moulins on Chamberlin Glacier found in August 2018 (left) and the entrance of one of the moulins which in August 2018 appeared safe to descend. Photos: Michele Citterio. Influence of cloud cover in surface energy balance in Arctic environments Sur face air temperatures in the Arctic enhance snow and glacier melt is still poorly known, not the least in Greenland. While some authors claim clouds enhance melt water runof f others claim that decreasing cloud cover drives the recent mass loss on the Greenland ice sheet. Despite their crucial impor tance for understanding Arc tic cli Research Projects Development of methodology for evaluating chemicals discarded in high Arctic waters Kim Gustavson, Eva Friis Møller, Mette Dalgaard, DCE, Department of Bioscience Aarhus University, Denmark The overall aim of the project was to strengthen the basis for evaluation and regulation of Baleen whale. Photo: Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen. Qimmeq Anders J. Hansen, Tom Gilbert, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Qatar University, Quatar, Siz Madsen, Denmark The Qimmeq Project consists of several components including, sled dog genetics, culture history, film- and phot Greenlandic Perspectives Survey (GPS) AMAP - collection of ring seal samples Kelton Minor, University of Copenhagen, Kraks Fond Institute for Urban Economic Research, Denmark, Ulunnguaq Markussen, University of Greenland, Greenland, Hans Peter Mønsted, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark Sign CENPERM activities Per Ambus, Anders Michelsen, Laura Helene Rasmussen, Laura Bjørnholt Larsen, Emily Pickering Pedersen, Ludovica D'Imperio, Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen, Trevor James Popp, Steffen Bo Hansen, Sune Olander Rasmussen, Bo Elberling, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Peter Convey, Brit A n n u a l R e p o r t 2018 21 Preparing samples in the laboratory . Photo: Advanced Analytical Chemistry - Arctic Pollution Chemistry 2018 (Field course) Photo Kent Pørksen 22 Education CHESS PhD school: Arctic Glacier Field Course Alexios Theofilopoulos, Andreas Alexander, Anais Bretones, Andreas Plach, Calvin Shackleton, Ida Margrete Ringgaard, Jacob Morgan, Jonathan Rheinlander, Karita Kajanto, Lis Allaar t, Margaret Lindeman, Maya Becker, Mor ven Muilwijk, Nicholas Ra Field trip North Greenlands High School GUX Asiaat Photo: Advanced Analytical Chemistry -Arctic Pollution Research 2018 (Field course). All projec ts included numerous sampling trips in the field (open water and coast line) followed by analyses in dif ferent designated labs at the Arc tic Station based monitoring projec t focusing on the conditions of the living resources based on input from local fishers and hunters. Visiting period: 5 December, 2 days. Climate Change in Greenland Niels Vinther, Egedal Gymnasium, A sger Vinther Michelsen, Kenneth Sorento, Mediehuset København Denmark Visit Publications Scientific papers 2018 A lb e r s C. N ., K ra m s h ø j M ., R inna n R . (2018). R a p i d min e ra liz at i o n of b i o g e ni c vo lat il e o rg a ni c co m p o un d s in te m p e rate a n d A rc t i c s o ils . B i o g e o s ci e n ce s 15, 3591-3 6 01. D O I :10.519 4 / b g -15 - Reports 2018 K a li t a, S . N ., Wo hlra b, S ., Ku e hn e, N . a n d J o hn, U., A l fre d - We g e n e r- I ns t i tu te (2018): Tra ns c r ipto m e ana l y s is of sing l e ce lls: a p la nk to n cha ra c te r iz at i o n of A rc t i c wate r s , 2n d A nnua l M e e t ing of D F G -S P P 19 91 T Members of the board Professor Anders Michelsen Depar tment of Biology Phone: + 45 2339 8286 E-mail: andersm@bio.ku.dk Professor Bo Elberling (Chairman) Depar tment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management Phone: + 45 3532 2520 E-mail: be@ign.ku.dk A ssociate Professor Nina Lundholm Natural A n n u a l R e p o r t 2018 29 Title Arc tic Station Annual Repor t 2018 Publisher Board of the Arc tic Station, Univer sit y of Copenhagen, Denmark Editor A ar t Kroon and Charlot te Sigsgaard L ayout and graphic s Kent Pørk sen, Depar tment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management Internet ver sion ark tisk station.ku.dk