New research program will study fjord ecosystems in Greenland

In a four-year field research program led by EPFL, in association with several other Swiss institutions, scientists will aim to understand the ecosystem of Greenlandic fjords in the context of a changing climate. They plan to investigate how accelerated glacier discharge and soil erosion impact the fjords nutrient cycle, marine resources and cloud formation, and how local livelihoods are affected. The fjord region in southwest Greenland is home to nutrient-rich waters teeming with life. Fishing is the main livelihood for people in this area and has been for thousands of years. Due to climate change, the ecosystem is transforming rapidly, and this dynamic system change poses some major challenges to the local population. Greenland's glaciers are melting and releasing new types of nutrients into the water, which are feeding larger phytoplankton blooms and altering the marine ecosystem. This in turn is affecting the atmosphere's chemical composition and cloud-formation mechanisms; these clouds are what determine the surface radiation budget and glacier melt.