Hooded seal pups are highly adapted to their proximate environment from the moment they are born. They are born with a substantial blubber layer, and they gain 20+ kg of body mass during their short nursing-period (2-4 days). With the body mass gained during nursing mainly being a result of fat deposition, it made them an excellent model to use when studying the fat metabolism and its contribution ...

Boreogadus saida (Polar cod) is a critical ecological linkage between planktonic primary production and megafaunal top consumers in the Arctic. Despite its critical ecology, the population structure, especially the relationship between fjord and oceanic groups inhabiting environments with different physical characteristics, is poorly described. Though the subject of several genetic studies, an ...

The Svalbard ptarmigan exhibits profound seasonal variations in body mass. The deposition of fat in the fall is an adaptation that allows the ptarmigan to survive periods of food shortages during the Arctic winter. In this study, previously unexplored molecular aspects of this well- established body mass cycle were investigated. Captive Svalbard ptarmigan fed ad libitum and kept under short photoperiod ...

In many species of marine benthic invertebrates, a planktonic larval phase plays a critical role in dispersal. Very little is known about the larval biology of most species, however, in part because species identification has historically been hindered by the microscopic size and morphological similarity among related taxa. This study aimed to determine the taxonomic composition and seasonal ...

Acoustic telemetry was utilized to track 49 brown trout (<i>Salmo trutta</i>) and 37 Arctic charr (<i>Salvelinus alpinus</i>) first-time migrants of wild origin [post-smolts; mean LF (fork length): 169 and 172 mm] in a large fjord in northern Norway. The <i>S. trutta</i> were registered at sea for more than twice the time of the <i>S. alpinus</i> (medians of 54 and 22 days, respectively). Both species ...

The Antarctic ecosystem represents a remote region far from point sources of pollution. Still, Antarctic marine predators, such as seabirds, are exposed to organohalogen contaminants (OHCs) which may induce adverse health effects. With increasing restrictions and regulations on OHCs, the levels and exposure are expected to decrease over time. We studied south polar skua (<i>Catharacta maccormicki</i>), ...

Until recently, polar night constituted truly a “mare incognitum” of our times. Yet, the first records from this very little-explored period showcased a surprisingly rich and active ecosystem. This investigation aims to reveal the level of scavenger activity during both Arctic polar night and day. It compares the shallow-water scavenging fauna observed during two contrasting seasons (winter vs. ...

Understanding the diversity and functioning of Arctic sea ice ecosystems is vital to evaluate and predict the impact of current and future climate change. In the microscopic communities inhabiting the brine channels inside sea ice, nematodes often dominate numerically and act as bacterivores and herbivores. Despite nematodes great abundances and known ecological roles, molecular tools have not been ...

Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) is an international partnership of research institutions studying the environment and climate in and around Svalbard. SIOS is developing an efficient observing system, where researchers share technology, experience, and data, work together to close knowledge gaps, and decrease the environmental footprint of science. SIOS maintains and facilitates ...

Arctic coastal ecosystems are rapidly changing due to climate warming. This makes modeling their productivity crucially important to better understand future changes. System primary production in these systems is highest during the pronounced spring bloom, typically dominated by diatoms. Eventually the spring blooms terminate due to silicon or nitrogen limitation. Bacteria can play an important role ...