Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Robert W. Schlegel, Jean-Pierre Gattuso
Summary: In situ data collection in the Arctic has improved through international collaboration, but sampling in Arctic fjords remains challenging. To address this, a dataset was created from publicly available in situ data from seven study sites in Svalbard and Greenland, ensuring interoperability. The dataset was uploaded to PANGAEA for future accessibility and reusability.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
V. K. Saritha, K. P. Krishnan, Mahesh Mohan
Summary: This study aims to assess the concentration and distribution of PFOA in selected fjord systems of the Svalbard archipelago in the Norwegian Arctic. The results show that Hotmiltonbuktafjorden sediment exhibited a higher concentration of PFOA compared to other fjords. Further studies are required to understand the fate of PFOA in the sedimentary environment.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katja Laufer-Meiser, Alexander B. Michaud, Markus Maisch, James M. Byrne, Andreas Kappler, Molly O. Patterson, Hans Roy, Bo Barker Jorgensen
Summary: The Arctic has the highest warming rates on Earth, and the glacial fjord ecosystems are sensitive to this warming, impacting iron cycling and bioavailability. Glacial retreat may reduce the flux of iron to coastal marine ecosystems, affecting biogeochemical processes. Further research is needed to fully understand the impacts of a melting Arctic on marine ecosystems.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Agnieszka Kujawa, Magdalena Lacka, Natalia Szymanska, Joanna Pawlowska, Maciej M. Telesinski, Marek Zajaczkowski
Summary: Benthic foraminifera in the fjords of Svalbard and Norway show similarities in abundance and species composition but significant differences in biodiversity and quantity. The study suggests that Svalbard fjords will remain distinct in the future even under conditions of further warming or atlantification, while Norwegian fjords may experience changes in foraminiferal assemblages due to human activities.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Agata Weydmann-Zwolicka, Paula Pratnicka, Magdalena Lacka, Sanna Majaneva, Finlo Cottier, Jorgen Berge
Summary: This study assessed the impacts of recent Atlantification on the functioning of zooplankton communities in Svalbard fjords. Results showed that zooplankton in Kongsfjorden were significantly influenced by water temperature and sediment flux, while in Rijpfjorden, sea ice and water temperature played a more significant role in shaping the zooplankton communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Barbara Oleszczuk, Marc J. Silberberger, Katarzyna Grzelak, Aleksandra Winogradow, Christine Dybwad, Ilka Peeken, Ingrid Wiedmann, Monika Kedra
Summary: This study examines the benthic food-web structure in the European sector of the Arctic Ocean and finds that the structure differs among different habitats and between macro- and meiofauna components. These differences are related to the quality and quantity of organic matter.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cristian Aldea, Leslie Novoa, Maria Paz Acuna, Ignacia Acevedo-Romo, Francisco Bravo
Summary: The CIMAR program, conducted by the Chilean Navy through the National Oceanographic Committee, has been collecting samples and data on biotic and abiotic variables in Chilean fjord and channel zones (CIMAR-Fjords) and Chilean remote islands (CIMAR-Islands) since 1995. This study standardized and summarized the published information on benthic organisms from 21 CIMAR-Fjords cruises and the Southern Ice Fields Cruise 1995, providing valuable data on the distribution, abundance, and geographic location of sampling stations. The data set consists of 8,854 records from 880 different localities, representing 1,225 species from 24 different phyla and over 150,000 individuals, and can serve as a baseline for ecological studies and ecosystem conservation in Chilean Patagonia.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Valentin Kokarev, Mathieu Tachon, Marthe Austad, Maeve McGovern, Henning Reiss
Summary: The study found significant differences in macrobenthic community composition among three deep, sub-Arctic fjords, with each fjord hosting a distinct benthic community characterized by differences in total abundance, biomass, and species diversity. A slight mouth-to-head pattern of community distribution was observed in the fjord with a shallow sill.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Bo Barker Jorgensen, Katja Laufer, Alexander B. Michaud, Laura M. Wehrmann
Summary: The fjord ecosystems of the high Arctic are distinct from those of temperate latitudes due to the influence of glaciers, icebergs, sea ice, and permanently low temperatures. Sediment microbiology and biogeochemical processes in these fjords are mainly influenced by glacier-derived rock flour rich in metal oxides and plankton-derived marine organic matter. The balance between dominant sediment microbial processes changes along transects out through the fjords, reflecting the varying impact of glacier-derived and plankton-derived materials.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anna Pouch, Agata Zaborska, Mikolaj Mazurkiewicz, Aleksandra Winogradow, Ksenia Pazdro
Summary: This study examined contamination levels of PCBs, HCB, and PAHs in Arctic fjords, and found that the concentrations of contaminants in seawater depend on the physicochemical properties of the compounds, local human activities, and occurrence of glacier meltwaters. While most seawater samples had harmless levels of HCB and PAHs, some suspended particulate matter samples showed toxic levels of these compounds.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Seongjun Bae, Haryun Kim, Seung-Il Nam, Keun-Hyung Choi, Tae-Wook Kim, Sung Tae Yun, Hye Seon Kim, Tae-Hoon Kim, Dukki Han, Young Ho Ko, Ju-Hyoung Kim, Young Kyun Lim, Joo Myun Park
Summary: Glacial melting and massive spring blooms caused by global warming have significantly altered the environmental conditions in the Svalbard fjords of the European Arctic, resulting in changes in the structure and composition of phytoplankton.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Ellen Damm, Ylva Ericson, Eva Falck
Summary: The study focuses on dissolved methane concentrations in two sub-fjords of Isfjorden in West Spitsbergen from 2015 to 2017 and finds that seasonal water transformations play a key role in influencing methane pathways. Strong winter cooling and stratification during the warm season impact methane release and transport, highlighting the importance of hydrographic conditions in regulating methane spreading in Arctic fjords.
CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nathalie Isabelle Chardon, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, Jakob Johan Assmann, Ida Bomholt Dyrholm Jacobsen, Maya Gueguen, Signe Normand, Sonja Wipf
Summary: The study aims to improve distribution and abundance models for woody shrubs in the Arctic and compares different validation approaches. The results show that temperature and precipitation are the best predictors for species distribution, while insolation and soil moisture are the best predictors for species abundance. Regardless of the validation approach used, the models performed poorly to moderately well, but including local scale biotic factors improved the abundance models' performance.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alexey Udalov, Margarita Chikina, Alexandra Chava, Andrey Vedenin, Sergey Shchuka, Vadim Mokievsky
Summary: Despite numerous studies, a detailed overall picture of benthic communities zonation in Arctic fjords is currently lacking. Our study in the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Kara Sea found consistent changes in benthic communities along the bay axis and a pattern of decreasing biodiversity and quantitative characteristics along environmental gradients. The distribution of communities corresponds to five zones, providing a reference point for monitoring changes in response to climate change and human activities.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
V. M. Kannan, V. G. Gopikrishna, V. K. Saritha, K. P. Krishnan, Mahesh Mohan
Summary: This study assessed the concentration and distribution of highly toxic organic compounds in selected fjords of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. The results showed higher levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs compared to other polar regions, and the sediments from Kongsfjorden exhibited the presence of the most toxic DL-PCBs.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jari Hanninen, Markus Weckstrom, Joanna Pawlowska, Natalia Szymanska, Emilia Uurasjarvi, Marek Zajaczkowski, Samuel Hartikainen, Ilppo Vuorinen
Summary: Neuston samples collected from different locations in the Arctic Ocean, Northern Atlantic Ocean, and the Baltic Sea contained low concentrations of microplastics, mainly consisting of polyethylene fragments. Films and fibers were scarce in the samples analyzed.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Biology
Natalia Szymanska, Magdalena Lacka, Katarzyna Koziorowska-Makuch, Karol Kulinski, Joanna Pawlowska, Agnieszka Kujawa, Maciej Mateusz Telesinski, Marek Zajaczkowski
Summary: Norwegian fjords are recognized as carbon burial hot spots due to the large amounts of terrestrial organic matter delivered to their sediments. The contribution of calcareous foraminifera to inorganic carbon pools in sediments varies between southern and northern fjords, with larger species making a significant contribution in the southern fjords. The composition of foraminifera species plays a crucial role in determining the amount of foraminifera-derived carbon in the sediments.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Agata Weydmann-Zwolicka, Paula Pratnicka, Magdalena Lacka, Sanna Majaneva, Finlo Cottier, Jorgen Berge
Summary: This study assessed the impacts of recent Atlantification on the functioning of zooplankton communities in Svalbard fjords. Results showed that zooplankton in Kongsfjorden were significantly influenced by water temperature and sediment flux, while in Rijpfjorden, sea ice and water temperature played a more significant role in shaping the zooplankton communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Agnieszka Kujawa, Magdalena Lacka, Natalia Szymanska, Joanna Pawlowska, Maciej M. Telesinski, Marek Zajaczkowski
Summary: Benthic foraminifera in the fjords of Svalbard and Norway show similarities in abundance and species composition but significant differences in biodiversity and quantity. The study suggests that Svalbard fjords will remain distinct in the future even under conditions of further warming or atlantification, while Norwegian fjords may experience changes in foraminiferal assemblages due to human activities.
Article
Geography, Physical
Maciej M. Telesinski, Magdalena Lacka, Agnieszka Kujawa, Marek Zajaczkowski
Summary: The Nordic Seas play a crucial role in global ocean circulation, and this research reconstructs the history of Atlantic Water advection in this region over the past 14,000 years. The study reveals the influence of various factors on the flow of Atlantic Water and its changes over time.
Article
Biology
Ngoc-Loi Nguyen, Joanna Pawlowska, Ines Barrenechea Angeles, Marek Zajaczkowski, Jan Pawlowski
Summary: This study provides the first assessment of Arctic foraminifera diversity based on metabarcoding of sediment DNA samples, revealing high genetic novelty and differences in community composition influenced by water masses.
Article
Geography, Physical
Dhanushka Devendra, Magdalena Lacka, Maciej M. Telesinski, Tine L. Rasmussen, Kamila Sztybor, Marek Zajaczkowski
Summary: This study reconstructs the paleoceanographic forcing of the Atlantic Water flow in the Northwestern Greenland Sea over the past 35,000 years, providing insights into its variability and its impact on climate conditions and environmental changes.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katarzyna Melaniuk, Kamila Sztybor, Tina Treude, Stefan Sommer, Marek Zajaczkowski, Tine L. Rasmussen
Summary: This study examines the response of living benthic foraminifera to environmental successions in a cold-seep ecosystem. The results show that the distribution patterns of foraminifera change according to the progressing environmental succession. However, foraminifera cannot be used as exclusive indicators of past methane seepage intensity.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Marta Szczesniak, Mikolaj Kokocinski, Robert Jagodzinski, Krzysztof Pleskot, Marek Zajaczkowski, Witold Szczucinski
Summary: During the 2010 flood of the Vistula River, a thin layer of medium-grained sand deposits extended up to 70 km into the Gulf of Gdańsk (Baltic Sea). The study aimed to identify flood indicators and reveal paleoflood records in sediment cores from the Gulf of Gdańsk. Analysis of surface samples and sediment cores showed that large flood deposits were not preserved after a year in water depth less than 30 m, while deeper cores consisted of sandy mud with unimodal and occasionally bimodal grain size distributions. Diatom analysis supported the interpretation of certain layers as deposited during river flood events. Evaluation of major flood events in the past was challenging due to changes in river mouth positions.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
Maciej M. Telesinski, Vera Pospelova, Kenneth Neil Mertens, Malgorzata Kucharska, Marek Zajaczkowski
Summary: Due to the Arctic amplification effect, the Svalbard archipelago is an important area for studying ongoing environmental changes. The most important factor controlling the environment in the region is the Atlantic Water, while factors such as sea-ice cover and tidewater glaciers become increasingly important on a local scale. Two dinocyst species can be considered as indicators of regional winter drift ice. However, the relationship between benthic foraminifera and environmental parameters is more difficult to interpret.
Article
Geology
Marta Kisiel, Michal Skiba, Mateusz Damrat, Artur Kuligiewicz, Katarzyna Maj-szeliga, Magdalena Makiel, Marek Zajaczkowski, Dorota Salata
Summary: The study aimed to understand the early diagenetic transformations of clay minerals in the brackish environment of Gdansk Bay. Samples from the Vistula River loads and sediments of the Vistula delta front and prodelta were analyzed. The mineral compositions, layer charge, and major element content of the clay fractions were determined. The results showed that the illite-smectite mixed layered minerals were present in all samples, with variations in other clay minerals and interlayer charge. The smectite component underwent chloritization and illitization, and changes in mineral composition were attributed to selective adsorption and fixation of K+ from seawater.
ANNALES SOCIETATIS GEOLOGORUM POLONIAE
(2023)
