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 offshore oil exploration and exploitation activities. Characteristics of the Arctic organisms are very high lipid content. On this background, the high Arctic ecosystems may be particularly vulnerable to discharges of lipophilic chemicals and oil components in connection to oil exploration and exploitation activities in Arctic waters. Results in the project indicate that even short-term exposure of lipophilic chemicals and oil compounds may result in long-term bioaccumulation and long term internal exposure of lipid rich high Arctic organisms. The slow excretion of the chemicals and oil compounds found in the present project indicate a high risk for transfer of lipophilic chemicals and oil compounds from mother to offspring (egg and larvae). It is recommended that basic for risk evaluation and assessment of chemicals and oil compounds should be strengthened with data from tests carried out at Arctic conditions and with high Arctic organisms. Arctic Calanus hyperboreus. Photo: Kim Gustavson. enables us to study their migratory behaviour. We successfully managed to equip several Greenland sharks with internal acoustic transmitters, and due to these hope to learn more about their migration patterns over the coming years (the transmitters last for 10 years). In addition, we managed to film a rare event of a Greenland shark taking bait from the video platform. Hitherto the feeding behaviour of the sharks has been unknown. Whale eDNA in The Disko Bay Svend Erik Nielsen, Christian Rix, Frederiksborg Gymnasium and HF, Denmark The purpose of this study is to identify different whale types in Disko Bay using their eDNA. We have used Q -PCR to examine the quality of eDNA. The investigation will be presented on a course for teachers in biology and biotechnology. Dendroecological Exploration of Shrubs In west GreenlaNd (DESIGN) Allan Buras, Technische Universität München, Germany Using a long-term natural warming experiment related to homothermic springs on Disko Island, we studied the effects of prolonged growing season and elevated ambient air temperatures on growth performance and climate sensitivity of willow shrubs - a key component of Arctic ecosystems. Preliminary results indicate a taller plant stature and higher growth rate of willows under elevated temperatures, which may be considered a projection of ecosystem response to anticipated climate change. Acquisition of oceanographic measurements from baleen whales Greenland Shark Biology John Fleng Steffensen, University of Copenhagen, Marine Biology, Helsingør, Denmark, Peter Busnell, Indiana University, South Bend Indiana, USA, Kristian Vedel, Øresundsakvariet, Helsingør, Denmark The purpose was to collect Greenland sharks and instrument them with passive ID-tags for a catch, release recapture study. In addition, some sharks were equipped with internal acoustic ID transmitters that can be tracked by acoustic receivers on the Canadian as well as the Greelandic side of the Baffin Bay. This Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Greenland, Jonas Teilmann, Aarhus University, Denmark This project develops a new electrode-based salinity sensor that together with temperature data collection can be deployed on whales for monitoring oceanographic conditions in Arctic waters. Eventually, the new animal borne sensor technology can be used for monitoring effects of changes in climatic conditions in remote and inaccessible areas. A n n u a l R e p o r t 2018 17 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