DOCSLIB.ORG

Status of Echinococcus Multilocularis in Svalbard - Final Report to Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund NORWEGIAN VETERINARY INTSTITUTE

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Status of Echinococcus Multilocularis in Svalbard - Final Report to Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund NORWEGIAN VETERINARY INTSTITUTE Rapport 11- 2019 Status of Echinococcus multilocularis in Svalbard - Final Report to Svalbard Environmental protection Fund NORWEGIAN VETERINARY INTSTITUTE Status of Echinococcus multilocularis in Svalbard Preface This is the final report of the project “Status of Echinococcus multilocularis in Svalbard” 16/42. Funding for this project was allocated by the Svalbard Environmental Protection Foundation in the spring of 2016. The project was carried out by a team of researchers from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute and the Norwegian Polar Institute, who for the first time collaborated in this project. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute has contributed with expert knowledge on E. multilocularis, pathology, parasitological and molecular methods, and the Norwegian Polar Institute with specific expertise on Arctic foxes, sibling voles, E. multilocularis and environmental aspects. In addition, we have benefitted from working together with Fredrik Samuelsson, Svalbard guide with an MSc in Parasitology, whose local knowledge has greatly facilitated the sample collection. The results of our project were presented to locals at a seminar at the University Centre in Svalbard 19.11.2018. We gratefully acknowledge the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund for supporting our project. We would also like to thank Paul Lutnæs/the Govenor of Svalbard, Rupert Krapp from the Norwegian Polar Institute and the Svalbard Vets for assisting in collecting samples for the project; Longyearbyens Hundeklubb, commercial dog sledging companies and private dog owners who kindly let us collect faecal samples from their dogs; arctic fox hunters who donated foxes for our study, and inhabitants in Longyearbyen who helped trapping sibling voles. In this project we have collaborated with Dr. Jenny Knapp from University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, France to characterise the E. multilocularis isolates using microsatellite markers. This work was funded separately. The combined research activities have been presented in the scientific publication: Enemark HL, Woolsey ID, Fuglei E, Knapp J, Madslien K, Samuelsson F, Mørk T, Øines Ø, 2019. Status of Echinococcus multilocularis on the archipelago of Svalbard two decades after the first detection of the parasite. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife XXXXX Oslo, 12 April 2019 Heidi L. Enemark Project Leader Collection of faecal samples from sledge dogs. Photo: Heidi L. Enemark Final Report to Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund 2 NORWEGIAN VETERINARY INTSTITUTE Contents Summary 1. Introduction 6 1.1. Background 6 1.2. Objectives 7 2. Materials and methods 8 2.1. Sample collection 8 2.1.1. Sibling voles 8 2.1.2. Arctic foxes 10 2.1.3. Faeces from domestic dogs 10 2.2. Laboratory analyses 11 3. Results and discussion 11 3.1. Sibling voles 11 3.2. Arctic foxes 12 3.3. Domestic dogs 13 3.4. Concluding remarks 14 4. References 15 Appendix a) Project information to dog owners b) Questionnaire Authors: ISSN 1890-3290 © Veterinærinstituttet 2019 Heidi L Enemark Eva Fuglei Funding: Ian D. Woolsey Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund Fredrik Samuelsson Torill Mørk Kristin Henriksen Knut Madslien Øivind Øines Photo front cover: Heidi L. Enemark Final Report to Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund 3 NORWEGIAN VETERINARY INTSTITUTE Contact information: Heidi L. Enemark, [email protected] Ian D. Woolsey, [email protected] Kristin Henriksen, [email protected] Knut Madslien, [email protected] Øivind Øines, [email protected] Norwegian Veterinary Institute Ullevålsveien 68 Pb 750 Sentrum NO-0106 Oslo Norway Torill Mørk, [email protected] Norwegian Veterinary Institute Stakkevollveien 23 NO-9010 Tromsø Norway Eva Fuglei, [email protected] Norwegian Polar Institute Fram Centre NO-9296 Tromsø Norway Fredrik Samuelsson [email protected] Independent consultant Final Report to Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund 4 NORWEGIAN VETERINARY INTSTITUTE Summary In this project we studied the prevalence of the zoonotic tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis in final hosts, arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) and domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), as well as in intermediate hosts, sibling voles (Microtus levis), in Svalbard, Norway. The overall aims were to reveal potential public health risks associated with the presence of E. multilocularis in Svalbard and uncover possible needs for interventions. In addition, presence of other gastro-intestinal parasites was analysed in dogs. E.multilocularis was recently ranked as the most import foodborne parasite in Europe due to its public health importance. The definitive hosts are infected through prey of infected rodents and shed eggs in their faeces without any signs of disease. Humans may become accidental intermediate hosts by ingestion of contaminated food/water, via environmental contamination or close contact with infected dogs. If left untreated, the mortality is close to 100% in humans. The samples (sibling voles (n=29) and faeces from dogs (n=89) and arctic foxes (n=304) were mainly collected between November 2014 and May 2017, but 38 “historical” samples from foxes collected between 2009 and 2013 were also included. To analyse for presence of E. multilocularis in the faecal samples, we used a highly sensitive molecular method (DNA fishing combined with real-time PCR detection), which is also used in the surveillance of E. multilocularis in mainland Norway to prove freedom of disease. This method can detect as little as one egg in 3 g of faeces, but it only tests positive if the faecal samples are collected during the patent phase of the infection i.e. when adult tapeworms are present in the intestines of infected final hosts. Faecal samples from dogs were also examined for presence of other gastrointestinal parasites using the McMaster method, and information about age, breed, housing, travel activity, deworming practices and health was collected for each dog in a questionnaire. With the assistance from the local inhabitants, sibling voles were trapped in and around Longyearbyen. These voles were later forwarded to the Veterinary Institute in Tromsø, where they were autopsied to establish possible liver changes caused by E. multilocularis. No E. multilocularis positive sibling voles were detected in our study. However, due to an insufficient sampling scheme many of the voles were decomposed or dried out and therefore not suited for autopsy. Consequently, we cannot rule out that we might have missed positive cases. Nevertheless, sibling voles were found all over Longyearbyen, and considering the ongoing climate changes they may spread/propagate even further. The overall prevalence of E. multilocularis in arctic foxes, 2014-2017, was 7.9%. In accordance with previous findings in Svalbard, all positive cases with one exception were detected within a radius of 60 km from Grumant, the core area of the sibling voles/E. multilocularis. A single E. multilocularis positive arctic fox was detected in the town of Longyearbyen, and even though no positive sibling voles were found, the theoretical conditions for the establishment of the E. multilocularis lifecycle may be present depending on the population densities of the hosts/intermediate hosts. An additional positive arctic fox was found on the island of Hopen, approximately 300 km from the core area of Grumant. These findings are worrying because they suggest that the infection may be transmitted to humans not only in the Grumant area, but also in other parts of Svalbard. The risk of infection outside the Grumant area is probably low though, as previous studies have clearly demonstrated that the risk of infection in foxes decreases with distance from Grumant. No dogs in the present investigation tested positive for E. multilocularis and low grade infections of other gastrointestinal parasites were only found in two dogs. Thus we could not perform a proper risk assessment. The results may indicate that the current deworming practices in Longyearbyen are sufficient. However, these results are based on a small sample size, and we therefore suggest that future studies should include a larger number of dogs, represent all age groups and preferably be based on serological detection of antibodies against E. multilocularis. Finally, surveillance of E. multilocularis in arctic foxes as well as in sibling voles is warranted to monitor further geographical spread of the infection in Svalbard. Final Report to Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund 5 NORWEGIAN VETERINARY INTSTITUTE 1. Introduction 1.1. Background Climate changes in the Arctic, result in rapid environmental and ecosystems changes (Post et al., 2009; Gilg et al., 2012), which in turn are expected to affect parasite transmission (Davidson et al., 2011). As a key predator in a simple and well-investigated terrestrial predator-prey-system (Ehrich et al., 2015), the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is one of ten flagship species selected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature to represent and monitor consequences of climate changes on the tundra ecosystem (IUCN, 2009). Since changes in dynamics of parasitism in the Arctic may have direct influence on wildlife populations (Davidson et al., 2011) as well as humans, baseline knowledge on parasite diversity in this key predator can increase our knowledge on parasite-host-relationships, and thereby contribute to identify effects of climate changes on population dynamics in Svalbard. Ideally, this should be monitored regularly throughout several decades. The zoonotic (i.e.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Climate in Svalbard 2100
    M-1242 | 2018 Climate in Svalbard 2100 – a knowledge base for climate adaptation NCCS report no. 1/2019 Photo: Ketil Isaksen, MET Norway Editors I.Hanssen-Bauer, E.J.Førland, H.Hisdal, S.Mayer, A.B.Sandø, A.Sorteberg CLIMATE IN SVALBARD 2100 CLIMATE IN SVALBARD 2100 Commissioned by Title: Date Climate in Svalbard 2100 January 2019 – a knowledge base for climate adaptation ISSN nr. Rapport nr. 2387-3027 1/2019 Authors Classification Editors: I.Hanssen-Bauer1,12, E.J.Førland1,12, H.Hisdal2,12, Free S.Mayer3,12,13, A.B.Sandø5,13, A.Sorteberg4,13 Clients Authors: M.Adakudlu3,13, J.Andresen2, J.Bakke4,13, S.Beldring2,12, R.Benestad1, W. Bilt4,13, J.Bogen2, C.Borstad6, Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) K.Breili9, Ø.Breivik1,4, K.Y.Børsheim5,13, H.H.Christiansen6, A.Dobler1, R.Engeset2, R.Frauenfelder7, S.Gerland10, H.M.Gjelten1, J.Gundersen2, K.Isaksen1,12, C.Jaedicke7, H.Kierulf9, J.Kohler10, H.Li2,12, J.Lutz1,12, K.Melvold2,12, Client’s reference 1,12 4,6 2,12 5,8,13 A.Mezghani , F.Nilsen , I.B.Nilsen , J.E.Ø.Nilsen , http://www.miljodirektoratet.no/M1242 O. Pavlova10, O.Ravndal9, B.Risebrobakken3,13, T.Saloranta2, S.Sandven6,8,13, T.V.Schuler6,11, M.J.R.Simpson9, M.Skogen5,13, L.H.Smedsrud4,6,13, M.Sund2, D. Vikhamar-Schuler1,2,12, S.Westermann11, W.K.Wong2,12 Affiliations: See Acknowledgements! Abstract The Norwegian Centre for Climate Services (NCCS) is collaboration between the Norwegian Meteorological In- This report was commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency in order to provide basic information for use stitute, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, Norwegian Research Centre and the Bjerknes in climate change adaptation in Svalbard.
    [Show full text]
  • P-092 Cornice Dynamics Above Nybyen in Svalbards High Arctic
    2010 International Snow Science Workshop P-092 Cornice dynamics above Nybyen in Svalbards high arctic landscape Stephan C. Vogel1 Markus Eckerstorfer1 Hanne Christiansen1, 2 1. Arctic Geology Department, University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway; 2. Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway The development of cornices, their cracking and consequent failures largely controlled by meteorology along the Gruvefjellet plateau ridge was investigated in the two consecutive snow seasons of 2009 and 2010. These natural processes endanger life and infrastructure in Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s main settlement in the High Arctic. Two automatic time lapse cameras provided up to 6 daily pictures of the entire Gruvefjellet slope from the valley bottom and monitored the cornice development and tension cracking from the ridgeline. Further- more stakes on the plateau were used to record snow depth distribution and cornice growth. 45 field trips up the plateau were carried out to study the processes and to manually measure cornice crack opening rates. Meteorological data were recorded by an automatic weather station situated on the Gruvefjellet plateau source area. Both snow seasons indicated that cornices were built up by a low number of distinct storm events and that cornice scouring due to high wind speeds is rather limited. In 2009 the first cornice cracks were observed in mid April, while in 2010, probably due to persistent warm weather in combination with large amounts of rain, cornice cracks were already developing at the end of January. Cornice crack measurements showed a linear de- velopment, indicating the major influence of gravity. 177 cornice failures have been recorded, whereof 11 were “D3-R3” and “D3-R4” avalanches which nearly reached housing infrastructure.
    [Show full text]
  • Svalbard (Norway)
    Svalbard (Norway) Cross border travel - People - Depending on your citizenship, you may need a visa to enter Svalbard. - The Norwegian authorities do not require a special visa for entering Svalbard, but you may need a permit for entering mainland Norway /the Schengen Area, if you travel via Norway/the Schengen Area on your way to or from Svalbard. - It´s important to ensure that you get a double-entry visa to Norway so you can return to the Schengen Area (mainland Norway) after your stay in Svalbard! - More information can be found on the Norwegian directorate of immigration´s website: https://www.udi.no/en/ - Find more information about entering Svalbard on the website of the Governor of Svalbard: https://www.sysselmannen.no/en/visas-and-immigration/ - Note that a fee needs to be paid for all visa applications. Covid-19 You can find general information and links to relevant COVID-19 related information here: https://www.sysselmannen.no/en/corona-and-svalbard/ Note that any mandatory quarantine must be taken in mainland Norway, not on Svalbard! Find more information and quarantine (hotels) here: https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/koronavirus-covid- 19/the-corona-situation-more-information-about-quarantine- hotels/id2784377/?fbclid=IwAR0CA4Rm7edxNhpaksTgxqrAHVXyJcsDBEZrtbaB- t51JTss5wBVz_NUzoQ You can find further information regarding the temporary travel restrictions here: https://nyalesundresearch.no/covid-info/ - Instrumentation (import/export) - In general, it is recommended to use a shipping/transport agency. - Note that due to limited air cargo capacity to and from Ny-Ålesund, cargo related to research activity should preferably be sent by cargo ship.
    [Show full text]
  • The “Coolest” and Northernmost FAQ Welcome to UNIS We Hope You Will
    The “coolest” and northernmost FAQ Everything you might or might not want to know about your stay at UNIS Made by the UNIS Student Council autumn 2016 Welcome to UNIS We hope you will have a great time here ͺ Before arrival Important: Remember to apply for housing, and sign your contract before arriving, ​ and check the dates. Your room will first be opened in the afternoon the day your contract starts, so if you arrive 3am you should make sure the contract starts the day before arrival. If your contract starts in the weekend your room will be opened at Friday afternoon (Samskipnaden opens your room and leaves the key inside, so you don’t need to worry about not being able to access your room) Rifles: If you want to borrow rifles (you need them when leaving town) during your ​ stay please read the rifle part http://www.unis.no/studies/student-life/new-students/ Q: What do I need to pack? http://www.unis.no/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/PACKING-LIST.pdf - When it comes to equipment and how warm clothing you need it is up to what you plan to do and how easily you freeze - You should bring or buy a pair of thin liner gloves to wear under thicker ​ ​ mittens. During field work you will find that it is very hard to write with the thick scooter mittens, and that is awfully cold to do anything bare handed in -20 degrees celsius - Liner gloves can be very nice to have during the safety course, you will do part of it outside.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded 10/05/21 10:23 PM UTC 960 WEATHER and FORECASTING VOLUME 34
    AUGUST 2019 K Ø LTZOW ET AL. 959 An NWP Model Intercomparison of Surface Weather Parameters in the European Arctic during the Year of Polar Prediction Special Observing Period Northern Hemisphere 1 MORTEN KØLTZOW Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway BARBARA CASATI Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dorval, Quebec, Canada ERIC BAZILE Météo France, Toulouse, France THOMAS HAIDEN ECMWF, Reading, United Kingdom TERESA VALKONEN Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway (Manuscript received 11 January 2019, in final form 24 May 2019) ABSTRACT Increased human activity in the Arctic calls for accurate and reliable weather predictions. This study presents an intercomparison of operational and/or high-resolution models in an attempt to establish a baseline for present-day Arctic short-range forecast capabilities for near-surface weather (pressure, wind speed, temperature, precipitation, and total cloud cover) during winter. One global model [the high- resolution version of the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System (IFS-HRES)], and three high-resolution, limited-area models [Applications of Research to Operations at Mesoscale (AROME)-Arctic, Canadian Arctic Prediction System (CAPS), and AROME with Météo-France setup (MF-AROME)] are evaluated. As part of the model intercomparison, several aspects of the impact of observation errors and representativeness on the verification are discussed. The results show how the forecasts differ in their spatial details and how forecast accuracy varies with region, parameter, lead time, weather, and forecast system, and they confirm many findings from mid- or lower latitudes. While some weaknesses are unique or more pronounced in some of the systems, several common model deficiencies are found, such as forecasting temperature during cloud- free, calm weather; a cold bias in windy conditions; the distinction between freezing and melting conditions; underestimation of solid precipitation; less skillful wind speed forecasts over land than over ocean; and dif- ficulties with small-scale spatial variability.
    [Show full text]
  • SOVJETTOERISME in SPITSBERGEN Russische Nederzettingen Barentsburg, Pyramiden En Grumant Katapulteren Toerist Terug in De Tijd
    SOVJETTOERISME IN SPITSBERGEN Russische nederzettingen Barentsburg, Pyramiden en Grumant katapulteren toerist terug in de tijd Longyearbyen, Augustus 2016 – Voor zij die geboren zijn na 1989 is het niet meer dan een vaag begrip uit de geschiedenisboeken: de Sovjetunie. Een streng communistisch regime waar bezitten en consumeren loze woorden waren en waar iedereen leefde naar de wensen van de staat. Wie vandaag de dag nog wil voelen wat dit inhoudt moet al naar Noord-Korea, Cuba of….Spitsbergen. De archipel in de Arctische Zee onder Noors bewind, telt namelijk nog enkele Russische mijnwerkersdorpjes, opgericht ten tijde van het communisme. Nu de mijnbouw in Spitsbergen op een laag pitje staat zetten deze dorpen volop in op het zogenaamde Sovjettoerisme. Hotels in communistische stijl, een eigen brouwerij en heel veel relicten uit lang vervlogen Sovjettijden laten de bezoeker ervaren hoe het leven er ten tijde van de Sovjetunie moet uitgezien hebben. Zowel Barentsburg, Pyramiden als Grumant zijn in de zomer te bezoeken met de boot, terwijl er in de winter sneeuwscootersafari’s naar de dorpen georganiseerd worden vanuit Longyearbyen. Wie zich afvraagt hoe het komt dat er zich 3 Russische nederzettingen op Noors grondgebied bevinden moet teruggaan naar het Svalbard Treaty. Dit verdrag, dat dateert uit 1920, bepaalt dat de ondertekenaars van het verdrag economische activiteiten mogen uitoefenen op Spitsbergen. De Sovjetunie maakte als één van de eerste landen gewillig gebruik van dit verdrag voor de ontginning van steenkool. Na de Tweede Wereldoorlog werd de aanwezigheid van de Russen in Spitsbergen vooral strategisch belangrijk. En nu is er dus ook het toerisme. BARENTSBURG, VAN MIJNBOUW NAAR TOERISME Toen het door de Nederlanders gestichte Barentsburg (als eerbetoon aan de ontdekker van Spitsbergen, Wilhelm Barentz) in 1926 noodgedwongen de mijnactiviteiten moest verkopen kwam het stadje in handen van de Russen.
    [Show full text]
  • Vol. 7 • No. 1 • 2013
    Vol. 7 • No. 1 • 2013 Published by Umeå University & The Royal Skyttean Society Umeå 2013 The Journal of Northern Studies is published with support from The Royal Skyttean Society and Umeå University © The authors and Journal of Northern Studies ISSN 1654-5915 Cover picture Scandinavia Satellite and sensor: NOAA, AVHRR Level above earth: 840 km Image supplied by METRIA, a division of Lantmäteriet, Sweden. www.metria.se NOAA®. ©ESA/Eurimage 2001. ©Metria Satellus 2001 Design and layout Lotta Hortéll och Leena Hortéll, Ord & Co i Umeå AB Fonts: Berling Nova and Futura Paper: Invercote Creato 260 gr and Artic volume high white 115 gr Printed by TMG Tabergs Contents / Sommaire / Inhalt Editors & Editorial board ................................................................................................................5 Articles / Aufsätze Robert Latham & Lisa Williams, Power and Inclusion. Relations of Knowledge and Environmental Monitoring in the Arctic . 7 Raynald Harvey Lemelin & Michel S. Beaulieu, The Technology Imperative of the Cree. Examining Adaptability and Livelihood in Northern Ontario, Canada ...........31 Kjell Sjöberg, Fishing Gear Used for River Lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis (L.) Catches. Documenting Rivers that Flow into the Baltic Sea. Part I, Sweden ..............49 Reviews / Comptes rendus / Besprechungen Review Essay: Recovering the Heritage of Past Research and Natural Resource Exploitation in Polar and Alpine Regions. Lars Andersson (ed.), Sarek, Arktis och akade-misk vardag. En bok om geografen Axel Hamberg (Skrifter rörande Uppsala Universitet, Serie C, Organisation och Historia 94), Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis 2012; Susan Barr, David Newman & Greg Nesteroff, Ernest Mansfield (1862–1924). “Gold—or I’m a Dutchman!”, Trondheim: Akademika Publishing 2012 (Aant Elzinga). 86 Jóhann Páll Árnason & Björn Wittrock (eds.), Nordic Paths to Modernity, New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books 2012 (Anders Lidström) ........................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Fossil Hunt with Green Dog
    FOSSIL HUNT WITH GREEN DOG At the top of the Longyear Valley there are two SVERDRUPBYEN glaciers, the Lars and Longyear Glaciers. The To the west of Nybyen, just on the other side of Longyear Glacier has, over thousands of years, the river, is a place called Sverdrupbyen, named eroded the bedrock and moved rocks and gravel after Einar Sverdrup (1895 - 1942), the managing into a large moraine. It is in these types of rocks director of the mining company Store Norske we can find 40 - 60 million year old fossils of Spitsbergen Kulkompani. He was the leader of ancient flora and fauna. Operation Fritham in World War II, but died in the course of that operation, which attempted to SAFETY secure Svalbard for the Allies. Most buildings in Please do not walk too far away from your armed Sverdrupbyen, including those of Mine 1B, were guide, in case a polar bear shows up. When destroyed in a fire rehearsal in the 1980s before using a rock hammer, be careful to protect your they became protected under the cultural eyes from stone ragments. heritage preservation law. MINING All together, 9 mines in and around ON THE WAY TO Longyearbyen have been active. Today, the only THE FOSSIL LOCATION, active mine in the local area is Gruve 7. Store YOU WILL PASS Norskes main activity is at the mine in Svea. AND SEE GRUVE 1A, AMERIKANERGRUVA • The first mine in Longyearbyen. The Arctic NYBYEN Coal Company (ACC), led by the American Nybyen is a small settlement located on the John Munroe Longyear, established southern outskirts of Longyearbyen.
    [Show full text]
  • Unis|Course Catalogue
    1 COURSE UNIS| CATALOGUE the university centre in svalbard 2012-2013 2 UNIS | ARCTIC SCIENCE FOR GLOBAL CHALLENGES UNIS | ARCTIC SCIENCE FOR GLOBAL CHALLENGES 3 INTRODUCTION | 4 map over svalbard ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS | 5 HOW TO APPLY | 7 moffen | ACADEMIC MATTERS | 7 nordaustlandet | ÅsgÅrdfonna | PRACTICAL INFORMATION | 8 newtontoppen | ny-Ålesund | safety | 8 pyramiden | prins Karls | THE UNIS CAMPUS | forland | 8 barentsØya | UNIVERSITY OF THE ARCTIC | longyearbyen | 9 barentsburg | COURSES AT UNIS | isfJord radio | 10 sveagruva | ARCTIC BIOLOGY (AB) | 13 EDGEØYA | storfJorden | ARCTIC GEOLOGY (AG) | 29 hornsund | ARCTIC GEOPHYSICS (AGF) | 67 ARCTIC TECHNOLOGY (AT) SVALBARD | | 85 GENERAL COURSES | 105 4 UNIS | ARCTIC SCIENCE FOR GLOBAL CHALLENGES UNIS | ARCTIC SCIENCE FOR GLOBAL CHALLENGES 5 Semester studies are UNIS OFFERS BACHELOR-, MASTER AND PhD courses available at Bachelor LEVEL COURSES in: level (two courses AT unis | providing a total of ARCTIC BIOLOGY (AB) 30 ECTS). At Master ARCTIC GEOLOGY (AG) and PhD level UNIS offers 3-15 ECTS courses lasting from ARCTIC GEOphYsiCS (AGF) a few weeks to a full semester. In the 2012-2013 academic year, UNIS will be offering altogether 83 courses. An over- ARCTIC TEChnOLOGY (AT) INTRODUCTION view is found in the course table (pages 10-11). The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) is the world’s STUDENTS Admission to courses AcaDEMic reQUireMents: northernmost higher education institution, located in at UNIS requires that About 400 students from all over the world attend courses ADMISSION Department of Arctic Biology: Longyearbyen at 78º N. UNIS offers high quality research the applicant is en- annually at UNIS. About half of the students come from 60 ECTS within general natural science, of which 30 ECTS based courses at Bachelor-, Master-, and PhD level in Arctic rolled at Bachelor-, abroad and English is the official language at UNIS.
    [Show full text]
  • Scientific Activities on Spitsbergen in the Light of the International Legal Status of the Archipelago
    POLISH POLAR RESEARCH 16 1-2 13-35 1995 Jacek MACHOWSKI Institute of International Law Warsaw University Krakowskie Przedmieście 1 00-068 Warszawa, POLAND Scientific activities on Spitsbergen in the light of the international legal status of the archipelago ABSTRACT: In this article, Svalbard was presented as place and object of intensive scientific research, carried on under the rule of the 1920 Spitsbergen Treaty, which has transformed the archipelago into a unique political and legal entity, having no counterpart anywhere else in the world. Scientific activities in Svalbard are carried out within an uncommon legal framework, shaped by a body of instruments both of international law and domestic laws of Norway, as well as other countries concerned, while the Spitsbergen Treaty, in despite of its advanced age of 75 years, still remains a workable international instrument, fundamental to the maintenance of law and order within the whole Arctic region. In 1995 two important for Svalbard anniversaries were noted: on 9 February, 75 years of the signing of the Spitsbegren Treaty and on 14 August, 70 years of the Norwegian rule over the archipelago. Key words: Arctic, Spitsbergen, scientific cooperation, law and politics. Introduction The recent missile incident in the Arctic1 and the Russian-Norwegian controversy accompanying it, have turned for a while the attention of world public opinion to the status of Spitsbergen (Svalbard)2 and the conditions of scientific investigations in the archipelago. 1 The Times, 26 January, 1995, p. 12. On 25 January 1995 the world public opinion was alarmed by the news that a Norwegian missile has violated the airspace of Russia, putting its defence on alert.
    [Show full text]
  • North Spitsbergen Polar Bear Special on Board the M/V Plancius August 30 to September 06, 2016
    North Spitsbergen Polar Bear Special on board the m/v Plancius August 30 to September 06, 2016 MV Plancius was named after the Dutch astronomer, cartographer, geologist and vicar Petrus Plan- cius (1552-1622). Plancius was built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy and was named Hr. Ms. Tydeman. The ship sailed for the Royal Dutch Navy until June 2004 when she was purchased by Oceanwide Expeditions and completely refit in 2007, being converted into a 114-passenger expedition vessel. Plancius is 89 m (267 feet) long, 14.5 m (43 feet) wide and has a maximum draft of 5 m, with an Ice Strength rating of 1D, top speed of 12+ knots and three diesel engines generating 1230 hp each. Captain Alexey Nazarov and his international crew of 44 including Chief Officer: Jaanus Hannes [Estonia] Second Officer: Matei Mocanu [Romania] Third Officer: John Williams [Wales] Chief Engineer: Sebastian Alexandru [Romania] Hotel Manager: André van der Haak [Netherlands] Assist. Hotel Manager: Dejan Nikolic [Serbia] Head Chef: Ralf Barthel [Germany] Sous Chef: Ivan Yuriychuk [Ukraine] Ship’s Physician: Veronique Verhoeven [Belgium] and Expedition Leader: Andrew Bishop [Australia] Assist. Expedition Leader: Katja Riedel [Germany/New Zealand] Expedition Guide: Sandra Petrowitz [Germany] Expedition Guide: Irene Kastner [Germany/Svalbard] Expedition Guide: Beau Pruneau [Canada/Germany] Expedition Guide: Fridrik Fridriksson [Iceland] Expedition Guide: Gérard Bodineau [France] Expedition Guide: Shelli Ogilvy [Alaska] We welcome you on board! Day 1 – August 30, 2016 Longyearbyen GPS position at 1600 hrs: 78°13.8’N / 015°36.1’E Wind: light air Sea: port Weather: partly cloudy Temperature: 7°C Longyearbyen! Spitsbergen! The Arctic! – While some of us had just arrived from the airport, others had had a few hours or even days to explore the archipelago’s small main city.
    [Show full text]
  • Protected Areas in Svalbard – Securing Internationally Valuable Cultural and Natural Heritage Contents Preface
    Protected areas in Svalbard – securing internationally valuable cultural and natural heritage Contents Preface ........................................................................ 1 – Moffen Nature Reserve ......................................... 13 From no-man’s-land to a treaty and the Svalbard – Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve ...................... 14 Environmental Protection Act .................................. 4 – Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve ......................... 16 The history of nature and cultural heritage – Forlandet National Park .........................................18 protection in Svalbard ................................................ 5 – Indre Wijdefjorden National Park ......................... 20 The purpose of the protected areas .......................... 6 – Nordenskiöld Land National Park ........................ 22 Protection values ........................................................ 7 – Nordre Isfjorden National Park ............................ 24 Nature protection areas in Svalbard ........................10 – Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park ................... 26 – Bird sanctuaries ..................................................... 11 – Sassen-Bünsow Land National Park .................... 28 – Bjørnøya Nature Reserve ...................................... 12 – Sør-Spitsbergen National Park ..............................30 – Ossian Sars Nature Reserve ................................. 12 Svalbard in a global context ..................................... 32 – Hopen Nature Reserve
    [Show full text]