Fram Forum 2013 Fram Forum 2013 Editorial 3
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Research Climate-driven shifts Education/Outreach In brief Ocean acidification Arctic hitchhikers Ice drift in the Barents Sea New ice-breaking vessel Contaminant cocktails Climate-ecological observatory TopoSvalbard Greenland sharks Warm Gulf Stream and methane Fram Centre Awards Cod in the Barents Sea Joint Norwegian–Russian cruise Profile: Åshild Ønvik Pedersen Research plaza Various news items Cosmetics as contaminants Politics between two poles Fram Centre Flagships FRAM CENTRE Satellites and fieldwork Retrospective: CE Borchgrevink Recent doctorates New books 2013 FRAM F ORUM 2 CONTENTS FRAM FORUM 2013 FRAM FORUM 2013 EDITORIAL 3 Editor CONTENTS Janet Holmén AN ARMADA OF FLAGSHIPS? Freelance editor 3 Editorial [email protected] 4 Preface To live up to the expectations in the mandate from the But the report also highlights aspects where some Editorial committee 5 Picture of the year Norwegian Ministries, the Fram Centre must achieve of the Flagships fall short of the high expectations. broad expertise, top-notch research and cross-disci- One weak area concerns international networking. 6 Reindeer rover Project leader: Helge M. Markusson, Outreach plinary cooperation. As a means toward this goal, the For some Flagships, the focus is still too regional 10 Understanding ocean acidification Coordinator, Fram Centre activities at the Fram Centre are organised around (Arctic Norway), or bilateral (Norway–Russia). The 14 Contaminant cocktails // helge.markusson five Flagships: Fjord and Coast, Sea Ice in the Arctic experts feel that these Flagships would benefit from 17 Gulf Stream warming @framsenteret.no Ocean, Ocean Acidification, Terrestrial Systems, and cultivating international partnerships to gain access 20 Joint Norwegian-Russian mission to the Kara Sea Hazardous Substances. An interdisciplinary approach to resources that are not available within the current Elin Vinje Jenssen is central to the Flagships. The intention is that the collaborative networks. 24 Low levels of siloxanes in Norwegian women Norwegian Polar Institute “crew” of each Flagship should represent a wide range 27 Chemicals from your deodorant fly to the Arctic // [email protected] of disciplines and have extensive networks at home Funding is another weak point, and though this is 29 News items Eva Therese Jenssen, and abroad, bringing together different types of com- true for all Flagships, some are managing better than 30 Combining satellite remote sensing and field work UNIS - Svalbard University petence and different perspectives. others. The report reminds the Flagships that the Centre 34 Characteristics of ice drift in the western Barents Sea modest funding they received from the Norwegian // [email protected] 39 News items But the Flagship concept has not previously been government was intended as “seed money” to encour- 40 New ice-breaking research vessel Linda Hamrin Nesby tested. Does an interdisciplinary approach actually age establishment of first-class international research University of Tromsø 42 Greenland sharks as predators of seals in Svalbard work? Is it possible to address themes as complex networks. International collaboration is – again – a key // [email protected] as the ones each Flagship encompasses in a single factor for success. Strong international networks stand 44 Why all the cod in the Barents Sea? coordinated effort? At the outset, some critics voiced a much better chance of securing funds from Norwe- 46 Climate-driven regime shifts in Arctic communities Gunnar Sætra scepticism about the prospects for successful collabo- gian, European and international funding agencies. Institute of Marine Research 49 TopoSvalbard // [email protected] ration within the Fram Centre Flagships. 50 Arctic hitchhikers Overall, however, the Flagships appear to be sail- 54 Long term monitoring in Svalbard Michaela Aschan Well aware of the potential benefits of continuous ing on an even keel and making good headway. Two University of Tromsø follow-up, the Fram Centre’s Research Leader Group Flagships stand out by virtue of their already strong 56 Fauna on the Svalbard tundra under the “climate whip” // [email protected] approached the Research Council of Norway and international and transdisciplinary ties: Hazardous 58 COAT – Climate-ecological Observatory for Arctic Tundra requested an independent evaluation of how the work Substances and Terrestrial Systems were described as 60 The first men on the last continent Cover photo Jason Roberts is progressing. The Research Council agreed, and its “good” or “very good” on all assessment criteria. And 66 VIP visitors and guests galore first report became available in November 2012. This the funding situation for another Flagship is better 67 Victory in the Researcher Grand Prix Layout evaluation focused on the scientific relevance and now than when the assessment was done: a project TANK Design AS 68 Arctic Council Secretariat in Tromsø opened originality of the research within each Flagship, the within the Arctic Ocean Flagship was granted 12.5 mil- www.tank.no 69 Intensifying research cooperation with China competence of the researchers involved, the project’s lion NOK just before Christmas. 70 The Research Plaza reaches far afield Printer feasibility, international collaboration and support Lundblad Media AS networks, and the Flagship’s organisation. The doubts expressed early on concerning the Flag- 71 Our Synthetic World Print run: 3000 copies ship model have to some extent been assuaged. 72 Politics between two poles The experts are impressed with the progress the Flag- Nonetheless, more could be done, particularly in the 73 Bjerke and Rikardsen won the Fram Centre Awards ships have already made. Highly important research contexts of outreach, joint use of infrastructure, and 74 Fram Centre Flagship projects questions have been formulated, and complex collabo- overarching research themes. The Research Council 78 Recent doctorates rative networks have been established, fulfilling the encourages the Flagships to cooperate with each other 85 Historic photo mandate’s demand for cross-disciplinary cooperation. and – not least – to learn from each other’s successes. Contact information As stated in the Research Council’s summary, this Networking and collaboration are beneficial not only 86 New books in 2012 FRAM Forum approach should facilitate identification of environ- in international contacts, but also within the Fram 87 Contact information Fram Centre mental and societal challenges and ultimately produce Centre itself. N-9296 Tromsø NORWAY results that can influence policy-makers, both within FRAM Forum is published once a year on behalf of FRAM – the High North Norway and internationally. Research Centre for Climate and the Environment. Its aim is to inform the www.framsenteret.no Janet Holmén, Editor general public about the wide range of activities that take place within the [email protected] Fram Centre. It is available free of charge to any and all who are interested Phone: +47-7775 0200 in topics related to climate, environment, and people in the High North. 4 PREFACE FRAM FORUM 2013 FRAM FORUM 2013 piCTURE OF THE YEAR 5 Jan-Gunnar Winther // Chair, Committee of Institutional Directors of the Fram Centre A hectic year for the Fram Centre The Fram Centre is only two years old, but has already amassed a The vessel will be a state of the art research platform, great many tasks and expectations. The Centre will acquire basic giving us the opportunity to answer the many and knowledge for use in national management, international processes complex research questions the Arctic poses. The such as the Arctic Council and the UN's climate panel, and knowl- vessel will be owned by the Norwegian Polar Insti- edge-based policy development. It is inspiring to contribute to devel- tute, operated by the Norwegian Institute of Marine opments in the North. This is especially true in a time when climate Research, and it will have the University of Tromsø change is dramatic and business interests follow in the wake of the as its main user. Even though these three institutions melting ice. The changes in the Arctic have global consequences, and will be using it the most, the whole research commu- the Arctic has consequently made it onto the international agenda. nity will benefit from this advanced vessel, which will have Tromsø as its home port. The vessel will be ready This year's Fram Forum covers many of the activities that have taken for its first research expedition sometime in late 2015/ place in 2012, although there is simply not room for all of them. The early 2016. main part of the work of the Centre is geared towards five flagship We have also received many prominent visitors this initiatives: the effects of environmental contaminants, climate year, the most notable being the US Secretary of State, change in fjords and along coastlines, climate change on land, ocean Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the Finnish President, acidification, and developments in the Arctic Ocean. Additionally, Sauli Niinistö. It is a privilege and an acknowledge- funds from the Ministry of the Environment are used to strengthen ment to be able to inform state leaders on official visits interdisciplinary research across the flagship initiatives. The Centre's to Norway of the important work that we do. administrative bodies, the Centre meeting and the Senior Scientist The Fram Centre's mandate states that we shall Group, also prioritised education, communication and internation- acquire knowledge geared towards the needs of the alisation over the course of the past year. public administration and society in general. The same quality requirements apply to this type of re- PICTURE OF THE YEAR “In 2011 I spent three days on a whaling In 2012, the new building has taken shape on the drawing board. search as to any other. We must and will be measured vessel. When Greenlanders are look- Countless meetings have been held with the builder, Statsbygg, the against the toughest requirements of the international ing for whales, they often search near Fram Centre as the user, architects, the main contractor and Tromsø research community.