Grenland Research

7/24/2019 Grenland Research

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A masters thesis that will

make a difference

- do your masters study in Greenland

Greenland Institute of Natural Resources


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The Greenland Institute of Natural Resources

The Greenland Instute of Natural Resources (GINR) is situated in the capital of

Greenland, Nuuk, in the Southwest part of the country (www.natur.gl). GINR of-

fers high quality research facilies and the opportunity to work with experienced

and enthusiasc researchers working with Arcc science on a daily basis.

Research

GINR integrates research in natural, technological, and social sciences to understand

the eects of natural variability and climate change on Arcc ecosystems andsociety.

Research focus on marine ecology such as sh, shellsh, marine mammals, ma-

rine producvity, seasonality and the fate of the primary producon in marine

ecosystem, biogeochemical cycling and sea ice processes as well as land-based

resources such as land mammals and vegetaon.

Research is carried out in collaboraon with internaonal instuons and

includes:

Biology of species and their interacons

Distribuon of populaons through tagging, satellite tracking and

genec analysis, and surveys

Mapping of food availability by satellite photography, vegetaon

and plankton analyses, and stomach content analyses

Ecological interacons

Oceanic hydrography, ocean currents, and sea ice by satellite

imagery and measurements of physical, biological and chemical

parameters

Melng of the Greenland Ice Sheet and freshwater ux into the sea

through measurements and photography

Analyses of logbooks from hunng, bycatches and sample measurements

Experiments with instrument technology, enclosures etc.

The Greenland Instute of Natural Research (right) and the University of Greenland (le)

Photos

Peter Schmidt Mikkelsen, Carsten Egevang, Thomas Juul-Pedersen, Krisne

Arendt, Lene Kielsen Holm, Dorte Haubjerg Sgaard, Sren Rysgaard, Mikkel

Lund, AnnDorte Burmeister, GINR

Collaboration

GINR has a long history of collaboraon with researchers from Danish and interna-

onal universies, and students will be assigned supervisors from both GINR andthere own instuon.


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Staff

GINR employs a permanent sta of about 50 people, 30 of whom are researchers

and technical administrave sta and crew members on the Instutes research vessels.

For further informaon see www.natur.gl.

Facilities

GINR has 2800 m2of modern oce and laboratory facilies, 850 m2of guest

accommodaon and a 400 m2boathouse in Nuuk, as well as permanent eld sta-

ons in Kobbeord (near Nuuk) and Young Sound (in NE Greenland). The Instutehas an annex with a large mul-room, which is used for meengs and seminars.

Furthermore, the annex contains 5 ats and 8 rooms for vising researchers and

workshops.

GINR owns two research vessels: R/V Sanna and R/V Pmiut and 5 motorboats

and dingeys, used for transportaon, the regular monitoring programs in Green-

land and eldwork in the ords around Nuuk.

Master`s thesis subjects

Variation in microbial activity and community structure

between Greenland jords

Project start: 2015

Project setup: You will be working with a team from The Greenland Instute of

Natural Resources in Greenland.

Two or three master students have the opportunity to work with marine microbialacvity at the Greenland Instute of Natural Resource.

The Greenland coastline is characterized by ord systems. These semi-enclosed

marine ecosystems show high biological dierences, sll the degree of variability

and what drives this variaon remain largely unknown. Bacteria and planktonic

organisms are the foundaon of the marine food web, thus it is important to

understand how and why these communies dier between ords. We therefore

propose two complementary projects, which aim to describe dierences in these

two essenal food web components in three Greenland ord ecosystems.

A. Phytoplankton producvity and species composion in three Greenlandic

ord systems (regional scale variaon).

Phytoplankton is the key primary producers converng incoming sunlight

to organic material, thereby sustaining the marine food web. This sub-

project is a study of the dierences in biomass, producvity and species

composion of phytoplankton communies in three ord systems. This

study would also look at dierences in bathymetry and hydrography

between the ords, and work to idenfy what environmental drivers

induces the biological variability.

B. Bacterial producvity, bacterial respiraon and bacterial growth

eciency in three Greenlandic ord systems (regional scale variaon).

Bacteria perform two major funcons in the transformaon of organic

material: 1) they produce new bacterial biomass (bacterial

producon) and 2) they respire organic carbon to inorganic carbon

(bacterial respiraon).

Bacterial growth eciency is dene as the amount of new bacterial bio-

mass carbon produced per. unit of organic carbon substrate ulized and

is a good way to relate bacterial producon and respiraon. We sll lack

Working as a master student at GINR

Modern laboratories and Arcc biology in your backyard gives you the opportu-

nity to put theory into pracce. We have a wide rang of experses in Arcc

research, and oer you the chance to explore your area of interest alongside

internaonal specialists. If you have other ideas than the projects descibed here,

contact Dorte H. Sgaard [email protected]

R/V Sanna


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knowledge about bacterial producon, bacterial respiraon and bacterial

growth eciency in Greenlandic ord systems, and this limits our

ability to understand the role of bacteria in these systems. Thus, this

sub-project would study the dierence in bacterial producon, bacterial

respiraon and bacterial growth eciency in three Greenlandic

ords, and work to idenfy what drivers induces the biological variability.

C. The air- sea CO2uptake in three Greenlandic ord systems (regional

scale variaons).

During the last 100 years anthropogenic acvies have increased

atmospheric levels of CO2. Approximately 50% of the anthropogenic

CO2emissions have been absorbed by the oceans. Thus, the oceans

play an important role in reducing the eects of anthropogenic CO2

emissions. However, basic knowledge is sll needed about whether or

not Greenlandic coastal ord systems are net source or a net sink of

atmospheric CO2. This sub-project is a study of the dierence in air-

sea CO2uptake in three Greenlandic ords, and work to idenfy what

drivers induces the variability.

The project will start in 2015, where you will be working with a team from The

Greenland Instute of Natural Resources in Greenland (see www.natur.gl and alsowww.nuuk-basic.dk).

Please contact Thomas Juul-Pedersen [email protected], Dorte H Sgaard

[email protected] and John Mortensen [email protected] for further informaon.

Seasonal patterns of micro and meso-zooplankton in a sub-

Arctic jord

Project start: Any me

Project setup: You will be working with a team from The Greenland Instute

of Natural Resources primarily in Nuuk.

One master student has the opportunity to work with micro and meso-zooplank-

ton at the Greenland Instute of Natural Resource.

Micro-zooplankton and the small size groups of copepods have been shown to be

important during spring and summer in the subarcc ord Godthbsord.

This study will describe seasonal variaon in carbon turnover and species

composion of the small size groups of zooplankton. The work will be based on

in situ eld measurements and laboratory experiments of the collected organisms.

The study will be based on data collected in the monitoring program Marine

Basic Nuuk and the student will be an acve part of eld campaigns.

The start of the project should be in agreement with your university supervi-

sor. You will be working with a team from The Greenland Instute of Natural

Resources primarily in Nuuk (see www.natur.gl).

Please contact Krisne Arendt [email protected] and Thomas Juul-Pedersen

[email protected] for further informaon.

Fieldwork in Greenland Microsetella norvegica


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Vertical migration of zoo-plankton

Project start: Winter 2015


of Natural Resources primarily in the boom of the

Godthbsord in Greenland.

One master student has the opportunity to work with zoo-plankton at the Green-

land Instute of Natural Resource.

In the subarcc ord Godthbsord krill has been shown to be an important

grazer on the primary producers. Krill is furthermore an important prey item for

sh, marine mammals and birds like lile auk that has their winter feeding areas

near the ord. Oceanographic measurements with ADCP show vercal migraons

of plankton organisms during winter and spring in Godthbsord.

In this study we want to make a detailed descripon of the daily paern in vercal

migraon of krill and other zoo-plankton organisms. The study will focus on in

situ net

sampling of zoo-plankton organisms on a cruise in Godthbsord and compare this

to previous ADCP measurements.

The project will start in spring 2015, where you will be working with a team from

The Greenland Instute of Natural Resources primarily in the boom of the God-

thbsord in Greenland (see www.natur.gl).

Please contact Krisne Arendt [email protected] and John Mortensen

Hydrographic study of the outer sill region of Godthbsjord

Project start: Any me


Natural Resources primarily in the Godthbsord in Greenland.

One master student (in oceanography or equivalent) has the opportunity to work

with hydrography at the Greenland Instute of Natural Resource.

Godthbsord is one of the largest dewater outlet ords in Greenland and

subjected to intense research. Boom water renewal of the ord is mainly

controlled by the intensity of mixing in the outer sill region due to fortnightly

variaons in dal amplitude. Oceanographic measurements with CTDs in the outer

sill region show high frequency variaon on semi-diurnal scales, whereas the boom

water show a disnct 14 days signal during dense inow events.

In this study we want to describe hydrography and verify the 14 days dal paern

in the outer sill region of Godthbsord. The study will focus on in situ CTD sampling

on a number of short day cruises in Godthbsord near to Nuuk and compare this

to previous CTD measurements in the region.

Please contact John Mortensen [email protected] and Thomas Juul-Pedersen

[email protected] for further informaon.

Fieldwork with miknet on R/V Sanna in Godthbsord The Godthbsord in autumn


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The biological and abiotic processes in a glacier inluenced

subarctic sea ice

Project start: January 2015


of Natural Resources primarily in the boom of the

Godthbsord.

One or two master student has the opportunity to work with microbial processes in sea

ice at the Greenland Instute of Natural Resources.

Sea ice provides a low-temperature habitat for diverse communies of micro-

organisms including bacteria and heterotrophic- (e.g. agellates and ciliates)

and auto-trophic prosts (e.g. diatoms). Organisms incorporated into sea ice are

challenged with changes in space, light availability, salinity, nutrients, dissolved

inorganic carbon (TCO2) and O2concentraon, temperature and pH. Especially

light availability within the sea ice has a major inuence on the sea ice algal bio-

mass and producon.

Main focus will be on describing the seasonal dynamics of major pathways of

the carbon cycle in the sea ice, e.g. primary producon, bacterial producon and

abioc processes e.g. CaCO3producon, TA and TCO2. A seasonal carbon budgetcan be produced and we are able to esmate the potenal air-ice-sea water ux

of CO2.

The project will start in January 2015, where you will be working with a team

from The Greenland Instute of Natural Resources primarily in the inner part of

the Godthbsord near Nuuk in Greenland (see www.natur.gl).

Please contact Dorte H Sgaard [email protected] for further informaon.

Seasonal measurements of bacterial production, bacterial

respiration and bacterial growth eficiency and cell size in

subarctic sea ice

Project start: January 2015


of Natural Resources primarily on sea ice in Malene Bight near

Nuuk.

One or two master students have the opportunity to work with bacteria in seaice at the Greenland Instute of Natural Resources.

Bacterial producon in sea ice has been measured since 1990, to our knowledge,

in less than 10 studies in polar oceans. Furthermore, studies of the bacterial

growth dynamics in sea ice a relave new eld of invesgaon.

In general bacteria perform two major funcons in the transformaon of organic

material: 1) they produce new bacterial biomass called bacterial producon and

2) they respire organic carbon to inorganic carbon called bacterial respiraon.

Bacterial growth eciency is dened as the amount of new bacterial biomass

carbon produced per unit of organic carbon substrate ulized and this relatesbacterial producon and respiraon.

We sll lack knowledge about bacterial producon, bacterial respiraon, bacterial

growth eciency and bacterial cell size in Arcc sea ice, and this limits our ability

to understand the role of bacteria in this system.

The main objecve of this study is to assess the seasonal dynamic of the bacterial

producvity, growth eciency, respiraon, cell size and bacterial biomass in

subarcc sea ice.

The project will start in January 2015, where you will be working with a team

from The Greenland Instute of Natural Resources primarily on the sea ice in

Malene Bugt near Nuuk (see www.natur.gl).

Please contact Dorte Sgaard Schrder [email protected] for further informaon.

Sea ice eldwork in Young Sound in Greenland


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Intertidal ecology as indicator of climate impacts in

Greenland

Project start: Anyme


of Natural Resources primarily in Greenland.

Master students have the opportunity to work with marine invertebrates in the

interdal zone in Greenland.

Species composion in the rocky interdal zone in the Arcc is strongly aected by

physical stressors, and less by biological interacons. Extreme air temperatures is a

crical parameter, which is expected to aect several life history traits of benthic

invertebrates, such as foraging, growth, mortality and reproducon, and ulmately

determine the northern distribuon limits of species.

Therefore, the interdal is regarded a sensive indicator habitat for biological eects

of climate changes in the Arcc.

However, lile is known about species-specic responses to physical stressors in

Arcc marine invertebrates, and this knowledge is crucial for being able to documentand understand climate-related dierences in species composion and habitat

ecology.

Greenland Instute of Natural Resources (GINR) oers the opportunity to address

such quesons in a combinaon of eld work and experimental studies in Nuuk,

Greenland.

Please contact Marn E. Blicher [email protected] for further informaon.

Greenlandic Communities, Ice and Living Resources

Project start: Summer 2014


Natural Resources primarily in North Greenland (Uummannaq-

Upernavik - Qaanaaq)

One student has the opportunity to work with Greenlandic communies, ice and

living resources at the Greenland Instute of Natural Resources.

The ICE-ARC project is a new EU project funded for 2014 2018 under the FP7

program. The project aims to understand and quanfy the mulple stressors

involved in the change in the Arcc marine environment.

Parcular focus is on the rapid retreat and collapse of the Arcc sea ice cover and

to assess the climac (ice, ocean, atmosphere and ecosystem), economic and social

impacts of these stressors on regional and global scales. GCRC will be involved in

unraveling the impacts of climate change on the Greenlandic society (indigenous

people) through community-based parcipatory research.

We will need an assisng student with ethnological interest and skills for this

project. Since the work includes interviews with local knowledge holders, students

must be able to communicate uently in Greenlandic. Further informaon on the

project: www.natur.gl/en/climate-research-centre/climate-and-society/

Please contact Lene Kielsen Holm [email protected].

Fieldwork at tradional campsite in Nuuk area in GreenlandFieldwork in the interdal zone in Greenland


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Vegetation and lakes in West Greenland

Project start: Anyme


of Natural Resources primarily in Greenland

Two or more master students have the opportunity to work with terrestrial and

limnic ecology at the Greenland Instute of Natural Resources.

The instute has a research facility 20 km south of Nuuk, where the Nuuk Basic

program (www.nuuk-basic.dk) since 2008 has been monitoring an array of

parameters related to the vegetaons response to a changing environment. The

program also includes measurements of a number of lake parameters.

We have several opportunies for doing a master thesis with these data as base -

line informaon and as a starng point for further research.

Please contact Josephine Nymand [email protected] for further informaon.

Fieldwork in Kobbeord in Greenland

Potential shifts in distribution of ish in response to a tem-

perature increased

Project start: 1 of June 2014 or 2015



One or two master students have the opportunity to work with sh at the Greenland

Instute of Natural Resources.

From 1996-1999 a sharp increase in summer boom temperature of approx. 2C

was observed in West Greenland. It has previously been demonstrated, that this

had a signicant eect on growth of Greenland halibut (Snksen et al. 2009), but

no studies have been done focusing on possible changes in the distribuon of

species across the ecosystem.

All sh species caught in yearly boom trawl surveys on the West Greenland

shelf are measured and weighed. Based on these data it is possible to calculate

a Centre of Gravity for each species, and subsequently, if this Centre of Gravity

shis as a result of temperature changes. This also applies for other enes such

as specic ecological groups.

The study includes a 2-3 week eldsurvey onboard GINRs vessel, R/V Pmiut.

Travel and living expenses are covered.

We have several opportunies for doing a master thesis with these data as base-

line informaon and as a starng point for further research.

Please contact Rasmus Hedeholm [email protected] for further informaon.

GINRs research vessel, R/V Pmiut


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About Nuuk

Getting to Nuuk

You can use your local travel agency or the internet when booking the ight.

There are two operators of ights to Nuuk: www.airgreenland.dk and

www.icelandair.dk. The travel me from Copenhagen is about 5.5 hours.

Arrival in Nuuk

Nuuk is the capital of Greenland with about 16181 inhabitants. Nuuk is located on

Greenlands west coast and is called an open water city, which means that you can

sail to the city year round. There are no roads or railways between cies in Green-

land. Nuuk is located south of the Arcc Circle, but there is sll bright around the

clock in summer and approx. 5-6 hours daylight in the winter.

To get from the airport to the student housing in the annex or in Nuuk you have

to take a taxi (DK 80). Phone numbers: +299 321321 or +299 363636.

About Nuuk

There is a cultural center in Nuuk, Katuaq. Katuaq stage events of dierent culturalcharacter of Greenland and foreign arsts, exhibions, concerts, theater, etc. The

cultural center is also cinema showing the latest movies and a caf.

There are ski lis for children and adults see www.skili.gl for further informaon.

There is also done cross country skiing at 5, 10 and 15 km. You can enroll in ski

school with training in both cross country and alpine skiing. Hunng, shing and

hiking in the mountains is popular in season. There exists a golf club in Nuuk with a

9 hole course. There is a beauful swimming pool, Malik, who has won an interna-

onal prize for architecture.

Length weight relationship of the Northern shrimp Pandalus

borealis based on developmental stages, sex, densities, tem-

peratures and depths

Project start: 1 of June 2014 or 2015



One or two master students have the opportunity to work with shrimps at the Green-

land Instute of Natural Resources.

Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) is the most important shing resources in

Greenland and accounts for more than 50% of the export income. The shrimp is a

protandric hermaphrodite with circumpolar distribuon in the northern hemi-

sphere, born as a male and changing to females stages being 4 7 years.

The physical as well as the biological environment is believed to have a major

inuence on pandalid shrimp populaons. Esmated weights at length are

believed to be consistent over years, however in recent years (2008-2013) seem

to have heavier shrimps in the intermediate lengths, 15 and 20 mm. The mean

weight of both sexes has decreased over the 24-year history of the survey, by, on

average, 81 mg/yr for females and 26 mg/yr for males.

No study has been done focusing on which parameters caused dierences in

length weight relaonships (e.g. eects of shery pressure, density, temperature

or depths).

A large dataset covering a me series from, 1998-2013 is available for this study.

The study also includes 2 3 week eld work onboard the GIRNs vessel, R/V

Pmiut. Travel and living expenses are covered.

Please contact AnnDorte Burmeister [email protected] for further informaon.

Boom trawl, R/V Pmiut

Student housing, Biologstaonen


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Accommodation

The student housing is located in the annex at GINR or in Nuuk town, about 4 km

from GINR. But there is public transportaon (busses) in Nuuk. The housing facili-

es are limited but for further informaon please contact [email protected].

The monthly rent per 1st January 2014 is DK 1500,-. A room is 8 12 square

meters. There is internet connecon in all rooms. You share bathroom with 2-5

other students.

You will also share kitchen and living room with other students. The kitchen andliving room is fully equipped with refrigerator, stove , TV etc. For further informa-

on and booking please contact [email protected].

Living expenses

The cost of living in Greenland is almost the same as in Denmark.

All travel expenses to and from Nuuk must be paid by the student. It is possible to

apply for grants to nance the travel expenses ask your supervisors for more

informaon.

Greenland map with a marking of the Godthbsord area. Detailed map of the ord

system with the locaon of Nuuk marked in red.

Documents

Grenland Research