Last weekend, 35 researchers from 13 countries were gathered in
Ny-Ålesund in order to discuss the future marine research in and around
Kongsfjorden. The workshop was organised by Svalbard Science Forum as an
initiative to start up the first flagship programme for Ny-Ålesund: The
Kongsfjorden System.
Ny-Ålesund Science Plan
The Ny-Ålesund Science Plan states “Research within Kongsfjorden
International Research Base (KIRB) is comprised of activities at all the
stations. Substantial portions of these activities are related and
complementary. To release the full potential of these complementarities
and simultaneously increase the influence of KIRB in the scientific
debate, the stations have agreed to build and implement flagship
programs during the plan period. Each flagship program will be guided by
a science group. The science group will nominate a leader that will be
responsible for calling meetings for defining yearly milestones and
goals to achieve the long term visions for the programs.”
New projects developed
The first day of the current workshop was used to inform about the
activities of the different partners in Ny-Ålesund. The research fields
included environmental pollutants, the pelagic environment & biota and
the benthos. Already during these presentations many discussions and
cooperation ideas were triggered. These were followed up during the
second day, where knowledge gaps and future research needs were
identified in group discussions.The workshop was ended with a plenum
session where future steps were discussed and project ideas presented.
Beside others, it was suggested to investigate flux mechanisms from
atmosphere to the marine environment and vice versa, and to install a
platform in the fjord, connected to the Marine Lab in order to
continuously measure key parameters as temperature and salinity, but
that also has room for more sophisticated instrumentation. Other
projects could investigate the spring bloom in the fjord and produce a
bathymetry map of the seabottom.
All groups stressed that there is a strong need for a better exchange
and availability of existing long term series and it was pointed out the
lack of winter studies on the biota in the fjord.
Document
SSF in cooperation with the planning group for the workshop (Dr. Geir
Wing Gabrielsen, Norwegian Polar Institute; Dr. Haakon Hop, NPI; Prof.
Jan Marcin Weslawski Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences;
Prof. Christian Wiencke, Alfred Wegener Institute; and Prof. Roland
Kallenborn, University Centre in Svalbard) will now produce a document
that summarises the status of research, identified knowledge gap,
project suggestions and funding needs. this document will then be
distributed to the relevant management instances and funding sources in
order to lay the base for the implementation of the flagship projects in
the future.
Ny-Ålesund Science Plan:
http://www.ssf.npolar.no/documents/Ny_Alesund_Science_Plan_1november_2006.pdf
(423 kb)
<< Return
|
|
The workshop was held in the
seminar room of the Kings Bay Marine Laboratory (Photo: G. Gabrielsen)
 |
