Summary
The Arctic Ocean is experiencing rapid change. Ocean currents are bringing more heat and salt northwards, the supply of freshwater from rivers and sea ice melt is increasing, and the marine ecosystem is responding to these changes in physical and chemical conditions. The Arctic ocean is a remote and harsh environment making it challenging to study. However it is also an ocean with restricted inflows and outflows, and much of what is happening "upstream" can be deduced from observations at these major oceanic gateways. This funding will support Danish participation on two international oceanographic research cruises: one across the Davis Strait between Canada and Greenland, and another across the Fram Strait between Greenland and Svalbard.
SSR
Changes in the Arctic Ocean have global consequences in addition to the clear impact it has on local communities. Ocean circulation in the Arctic regulates global ocean circulation and climate, so it is important to observe and understand what is occurring. With this grant Danish scientists will be able to join international research expeditions and contribute with insight and methods from their disciplines. Combined this make an international collaborative effort to resolve Arctic climate change as it unravels. The fieldwork planned contributes to several of the outlined challenges in the Arctic Ocean Plan published in 2021 as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.