Leg 1a: Quebec City to Pond Inlet (26 July - 12 August)

Most pre-historical archaeological sites lack well-preserved organic artefacts because organic materials such as wood, bone, and DNA have been decomposed. However, at some archaeological kitchen middens in the Arctic, organic materials have been preserved due to a combination of high deposition rates, low or freezing temperatures and favorable hydrological (waterlogged) conditions.

Marine mammals, especially humpback whales and harp seals, are important seasonal top-down regulators in the ecosystems of Godthaabsfjord and Fyllas Bank, where they feed on krill and small schooling fish. Using passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) and visual surveys, we will investigate their spatial and temporal distribution along a predefined survey transect from the Icefjord in Godthaabsfjord to Fylla Bank. Marine mammals and birds will be monitored visually from the observation barrel on R/V Sanna by a dedicated observer on transits between stations.

This project aims to study the carbon dynamics in the Godthåbsfjord during a full annual cycle. With the projected changes like increased oceanic CO₂ uptake, strong changes in the carbon dynamics and marine chemistry are expected. This is likely to have a fundamental impact on many ecosystem processes as well. Recent studies indicate that Arctic fjord systems are a strong sink for CO₂ but the driving factors for this uptake and implication on water chemistry (e.g. pH) are still unknown.

The fate of the Arctic spring bloom is well described. However, little is known about the fate of the autumn bloom the termination of the bloom and the winter situation that initiates the spring bloom. Therefore biomass estimations and respiration rates within boundary seasons are gap holes within the pelagic Arctic ecosystem.

This work package focuses on the seasonal dynamics of pelagic primary production, phytoplankton community structure and carbon cycling during an annual cycle. While these seasonal dynamics are known at the entrance of the fjord, they remain understudied during much of the year within and outside the fjord. The seasonal influence of terrestrial and glacial freshwater, nutrient dynamics and light conditions on phytoplankton community and production will be studied in 3-4 key areas along a land/glacier-fjord-ocean transect.

This project will investigate the distribution, abundance, feeding and condition of capelin and sandeel in the Godthåbsfjord area. Capelin and sandeel are zooplanktorous fishes that in other areas are important for the transfer of energy to the highest tropic levels. Due to their life-history, - short lived and highly fecund, their population dynamics are heavily impacted by changes in the oceanographic conditions. Spatial and interannual changes in their growth and condition (e.g.

The use of the H¹⁴CO₃^- incubation technique for estimating marine primary production may arguable be the world’s worst method to gain worldwide acceptance (Anonymous, Gimli Bar 2012). The major source of ambiguity of the 14C‐PP method is whether it is a measure of gross primary production (GPP), net primary production (NPP) or some value in between.

Snow cover plays a key role in the arctic ecosystems. Its presence, absence and many characteristics e.g. reflecting and insolating effect and water content, influence the majority of both abiotic and biotic processes occurring within the terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Godthåbsfjorden.

Emissions of carbon containing substances like CO2, CH4 and VOCs including DMS from the marine surface have a climate impact through formation of aerosols or directly as greenhouse gas. Diminishing or change of structure of sea ice is expected to have an effect on the exchange of these carbon containing compounds and thus on the aerosol formation.

In the proposed project we will study the processes controlling the emission of the compounds and the atmospheric transformation processes leading to aerosol formation. We will study the effect of sea ice on the emissions.