Polar bears in Svalbard are reclaiming denning areas that were abandoned prior to their complete protection in 1973.
 

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Last month’s phytoplankton bloom colored the surface of the Barents Sea brilliantly blue and green.
 

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In recent weeks several animals have been confirmed infected by rabies in the immediate vicinity of Longyearbyen.
 

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This week María Luisa Ávila Jiménez defended her PhD thesis on the role and origin of Arctic invertebrates after the last glacial maximum in Svalbard.
 

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This summer, thanks to financing from the Arctic Field Grant, PhD student Kim Senger has measured the strike and dip of 2279 fractures in a cliffside near Deltaneset. Find out how and why by reading his field report.

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It is not long working hours in constant cold and darkness that stresses workers in extreme places, it is conflicts and demands in the private life - concludes a new doctoral thesis, investigating working conditions in, amongst other places, the coal mine Svea Nord in Svalbard.

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In the past month several seals have been fitted with satellite transmitters that will give new insight into their environment and daily life.

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This year Norwegian whalers have caught 529 Minke Whales of a 1286 quota (compared to 467 last year). 202 of these were taken near Svalbard. This is the highest number since 2008.

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Want to know if there is a chance for northern lights in the next hour? Here is the app that can tell you!

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The arctic might be warming slower than predicted thanks to a new distribution of middle high clouds. A bit of a paradox that the climatic effects of global warming actually helps slow down the heating.

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The abstract submission deadline for the 10th Ny-Ålesund seminar taking place in Kjeller, near Oslo 25-26th of October 2011 has been extended to September 18th. If you do or have done research in Ny-Ålesund in the past years this seminar should not be missed!

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A new study from Århus University investigates dehydrations as measure against internal ice formation in several invertebrates from Svalbard.

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A recently published paper investigating the speed and endurance of Svalbard Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) found that, on average, males can run both longer and faster than females.

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Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) trapped in ice and water for decades may be reentering the environment due to climatic changes.

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A new study by the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany) investigates the distribution of arctic-alpine plants and their accompanying fungal parasite, the smut fungi Microbotryum silenes-acaulis.

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A new edition in the series “Circumpolar Studies” from The Arctic Centre of the University of Groningen has been published. In his thesis author Ricardo Roura examines the impact of tourism on historical sites in both polar regions and the implications for management.

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The International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT) announces a call for proposals for Winter Season 2011/2012 and Summer Season 2012. In Svalbard, the Sverdrup station in Ny-Ålesund is part of INTERACT. Submission deadline: Wednesday, 31 August 2011.

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This summer six U.S. students visited Svalbard as part of the five-week REU program (Research Experience for Undergraduates) aiming to understand how arctic glaciers, lakes and fjords respond to changes in the climate.

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Svalbard Science Forum is currently expanding - 1^st of August Karoline Bælum joined SSF as a new fulltime staff member in Longyearbyen.

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A new study shows that significant events in the past, such as the last glaciation and subsequent reintroduction of species, to a large degree control the present day distribution of the 63 springtail species found on Svalbard today.

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The sea ice extend in the Arctic for the end of the summer season is some areas expected to be on the scale of 2007 measurements, the lowest recorded since the measurements started in 1979.

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The Governor of Svalbard has revised the regulations for firearm rentals. It is now possible to rent rifles for a period of up to 6 months if the renter has a permit to possess a firearm in his/her home country.

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Arctic Frontiers holds its 6^th annual conference in Tromsø from 22-27 January 2012, Norway, with the title “Energies of the High North”. Arctic Frontiers 2012 will discuss the global energy outlook, and assess the potential of traditional and renewable energy resources in the North.

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The research vessel Polarstern of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association (AWI) has set off on its 26^th arctic expedition. Over 130 scientists from research institutions in six countries will take part and investigate how oceanic currents as well as the animal and plant world are changing between Spitsbergen and Greenland.

>> more

Bjørnøya, Hopen, Sørkapp and Nordenskiöldkysten have been added to the list of areas under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. With that the number of Ramsar areas in Svalbard has increased to nine.

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Researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) have observed breeding Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) on Bjørnøya. This new species breeding in Svalbard indicates warmer climate in the North.

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The Norwegian Mapping Authority (NMA) has prepared an Environmental Impact Assessment for their plan to establish an antenna park with antennas and control facility on Brandalsletta, Ny-Ålesund. This document is now out for hearing. Deadline for comments is 10 September 2011.

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The seminar will bring together scientists who have Ny-Ålesund as a base for their research. The aim is to exchange experience and share advancements from research and monitoring activities in the Arctic.

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Lisa-Marie Leclerc just finished her Master thesis at the University in Tromsø on the feeding ecology of Greenland sharks caught in Kongsfjorden. She concludes that shark species may be a significant source of seal mortality.

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The Brenttags project has mounted satellite senders on eight Svalbard Brent Geese. You can follow their movements in a blog.

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The Governor of Svalbard has been working on a document presenting a new management plan for the Eastern Svalbard nature reserves recently. The document is now released for comments from all interested institutions.

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Recently defended PhD work on benthic amphipods delivers new information about life and ecology of related species living in ice covered waters around Svalbard.

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Less polar bear dens and fewer encounters with polar bears than in 2009 were conclusions from 2011 monitoring fieldwork on Kongsøya.

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Small unmanned planes operated by NORUT are used in the spring campaign in Svalbard right now. They are to map the melting of snow and ice caused by black carbon transported to Svalbard over long distances.

>> more

Blogging has become one of the modern tools to communicate science as it is happening, directly from the research tents in the field or various research vessels. Read about current activities on SSF blog section.

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Arctic coastline reacts to the climate change by faster retreat due to higher erosion rates. The retreat causes significant changes for coastal ecosystems. The retreat of the coast can reach several meters each year.

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Svalbard's Environmental Protection Fund has distributed over 3,7 mln NOK to 19 projects out of 52 applying for support. The largest amount goes to Store Norske for establishing Gruve 3 Museum.

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Svalbard Environmental Fond has supported a botanical project that tries to find if there is any Svalbard Saltmarsh Grass left after extensive goose grazing.

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Kings Bay AS has appointed a new director to replace Roger Jakobsen. Ole Øiseth is currently employed at the Norwegian military forces. He has background in administration and human resources.

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Rapid development of various observational platforms in meteorology, increased number of ship-based observations and ice-camps in Svalbard in the recent years led to a special issue on Svalbard meteorology. This is Call for Papers to be submitted.
 

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Two isotopic ice core records from western Svalbard were used to reconstruct approximately 1000 years of past winter surface air temperature variations in Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Vardø, northern Norway.

 

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Researchers from the Alfred-Wegener Institute (AWI) have published a study stating that the freshwater content of the upper Arctic Ocean has increased by about 20 % since the 1990ies.


 

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SSF is organizing a workshop with focus on: "Environmental changes in Svalbard since the last glacial maximum - integrating marine and terrestrial records".

The workshop will take place at the Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway on 27-29 April 2011.

>> more

Based on a workshop arranged by SSF in November 2008, this brief report defines core elements of the Atmosphere Research Flagship programme in Ny-Ålesund.
 

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Measurements reveal massive ozone depletion initiated by unusually low temperatures in the Arctic ozone layer.
 

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Report published by Akvaplan-Niva evaluates the effect of today`s cruise tourism on the environment around Svalbard.
 

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Arctic Field Grant remains a popular source of fieldwork funding for students and researchers based in Norway. As many as 22 researchers and 36 students have secured funds for this years' field work in Svalbard. In total almost 2,8 mln NOK were distributed.
 

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The Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) has released a new version of the map portal TopoSvalbard.

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Early this year, Lisa B. Helgason, University in Tromsø and the Norwegian Polar Institute, showed in her Ph.d. thesis that arctic animals contain higher levels of halogenated organic contaminants in sensitive organs during periods of emaciation and that seasonal variations effect animals ability to break down those pollutants.

>> more

As part of a book about environmental conditions and impacts for Red List species in Norway, published by the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (Artsdatabanken), the chapter about Svalbard has now been translated to English.






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The Research Council of Norway is currently looking for three research advisers to work at the Svalbard Science Forum (SSF) in Longyearbyen.

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The Governor of Svalbard has published a set of requirements for applications regarding field research in Svalbard.


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During the first week of January 2011, the University of Rome La Sapienza and the ISTAR Group launched two small stratospheric balloons from Ny-Ålesund, in order to observe the polar winter night sky stratospheric wind trajectories. Here, the scientists report about their work.

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In its report, NorACIA gathers available knowledge about climate change in northern Norway, Svalbard and the surrounding oceans, in order to form a basis for further studies to improve current understanding of the interconnections and effects within the Arctic Climate System.






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In the Arctic, the degree of mercury deposition outranges any other place on earth. According to researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) one explanation for this may lie in the meteorological conditions during Arctic spring and summer.

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The atlas presents the distribution of 48 chemical elements on Spitsbergen and puts their natural content in contrast to local anthropogenic influences.









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The 15^th working meeting of the Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG) from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) was convened in Copenhagen in 2009. The proceedings contain an overview of ongoing research and management activities on polar bears in the Arctic since 2005.






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On 21 February 2008, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6,0 on the Richter scale hit the Storfjorden area on Svalbard. Seismologists could measure more than 250 earth quakes exceeding 2,0 on the Richter scale during the following months.


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Last summer, scientists working on the project "The invertebrate fauna of Edgeøya: Mapping Terra Incognita" successfully commenced field work on the island. They aim to improve knowledge about the ecology of invertebrates in the Eastern areas of Svalbard.

>> more

An arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) that attacked dogs at the meteorological station on Hopen has been tested positive for rabies. This is the first registered occurrence of rabies in Svalbard since 1999.

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During field work in the Triassic of Edgeøya in 2007, geologists from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, with aid from SINTEF Petroleum Research and Polish scientists, discovered a well preserved fossil ichthyosaur. Here, you can read a report about the further work with this specimen.

>> more

The Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) has just published a new version of a map series covering Svalbard in the scale 1:250 000 (S250).





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From summer 2011, Spitsbergen Sailing AS will rent out their Yacht "Aleiga" for transportation purposes or research cruises.

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SSF has received a field report for 2010 from the Czech research team working in Petuniabukta. The scientist have been working with biological and climatological research in the region for several years.

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From 1 February 2011 on, the identity of all travellers between Svalbard and the Norwegian mainland will be checked both upon arrival and departure.

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The Svalbard rock ptarmigan is an endemic subspecies on Svalbard and little has been known about its biology. Now, a pilot study undertaken by the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) and financed by the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund, sheds light on the seasonal migration of these birds within Svalbard.

>> more

Just now, scientists involved in the Rocket Experiment for Neutral Upwelling (RENU) are awaiting optimal launch conditions to unravel what
happens during neutral upwelling in the atmosphere. The campaign is lead by Dr. Marc Lessard (University of New Hampshire) and involves
scientists from UNIS, the Andøya Rocket Range and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

>> more

The book contains more than 20 papers about the physics, biology and, in particular, about geological processes and palaeo-environments in fjords. Nine of these papers are dealing with fjords on Svalbard.

>> more

The Norwegian government has decided to protect the Arctic island Jan Mayen and surrounding seas within 12 nautical miles from shore for its unique Arctic geology and wilderness.

>> more

Svalbard saltmarsh grass (Puccinellia svalbardensis) and Brünnich's guillemot (Uria lomvia) have been added to the red list of Svalbard species due to recent significant decrease in population size.  

>> more

26 projects have received over 5,1mln kroner from the Svalbard Environmental Fund. This time innovative and alternative outreach projects with focus on education received most support.

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2010 has been another interesting year both in the field collecting new data for the project and getting more in depth in the data analysis from the previous year. Collaboration with the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) allowed to get a entirely new dataset.

AFG2009-146 report.

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The mass balance series for Holtedahlfonna & Kronebreen was updated for another year, making the continuous record consistent from 2003-2010. On Holtedahlfonna, all data was downloaded from 2 GPS stations, 2 automatic weather stations, 3 individual temperature loggers and an independent sonic sensor. Also, the seismic station located close to the front of Kronebreen was repaired and re-deployed.

AFG2009-157 report.

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Svalbard Science Forum, in cooperation with the Norwegian Polar Institute, will award Arctic Field Grants in connection with research projects in Svalbard in 2010.
 

Application deadline: 20 Nov 2010, 4pm.

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The Norwegian Polar Institute has just produced and published two new geology maps for Svalbard.
 

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The UAV generates high resolution, high quality aerial imagery. Preliminary analysis shows that the data is well suited to automated particle size measurements and digital elevation model generation.

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New results from research on black carbon suggest it is 2nd after CO2 gas that enhances climate warming. Less black carbon might be a key to slow down the global warming.
 

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What's the role of snow in the nitrogen budget in Arctic systems? Mats Björkman seeks answers through measurements of nitrate isotopic signatures, investigating snow chemical composition, snow melt elution and chemistry of deposition events.
 

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British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) members undertook a wide range of fieldwork projects during a five week camping expedition to Oscar II Land in summer 2010.
 

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Colour has been known as important factor in both attracting insets and therefore assuring pollination and contribute to increased heat budget of flowers. However, 48% of Svalbard flora is white. The question is: why?
 

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In the recent years many chemical components known as persistent environmental pollutants were replaced by new generation of chemicals. These were expected to break down easily. However, data collected from Svalbard ice cores show they are more stable than it was thought and they travel over great distances too.


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Little has been known about avalanches in arctic regions. Now, researchers from the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) have gathered information about 731 avalanches in the surrounding of Longyearbyen.


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The migration routes of Arctic skuas have been mapped for the first time.

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Thermophilic bacteria with a hibernation period of up to 100 million years have been discovered on the sea floor off Svalbard.

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MSc thesis confirms the importance of the Atlantic current as pathway for environmental pollutants into the Arctic.

 >> more

In August 2010, five Controlled Meteorological (CMET) balloons were launched from Ny-Ålesund and flown for periods ranging from just under one day to nearly three days across the North Atlantic. This field study demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of conducting long-duration controlled flights of small meteorological balloons in the Arctic (AFG2009-439 report).
 

 >> more

Akvaplan-niva has recently published a report that summarizes the state of pollution in marine environments in connection to settlements on Svalbard.

 

 >> more

Researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) have mapped moulting areas of common eider, king eider and long-tailed duck on Svalbard.

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In May 2009, SSF held a workshop concerning terrestrial research in Ny-Ålesund. The resulting document defines core elements of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Flagship program, the third of several flagships that aim to strengthen international cooperation in Ny-Ålesund.

 

 >> more

PhD thesis shows that differences in the migration patterns of polar bears in the Barents Sea region cannot be explained by genetics.


 >> more

The Environmental Monitoring System for Svalbard and Jan Mayen (MOSJ) observes and describes environmental conditions in the Norwegian Arctic. A new MOSJ-report focuses on climate indicators.





 

 >> more

70 000 extracts of marine organisms have been analyzed during a Norwegian effort on prospecting of marine life in the Barents Sea. Now, patents for two of these substances have been applied.

 >> more

This summer, the Norwegian Polar Institute has marked nine ringed seals with advanced satellite tags at Nordaustlandet. One of the seals has been swimming far into the ice covered Arctic Ocean and already reached 84° N.

>> more

The Alfred-Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) has launched its Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) on an under-ice mission.

 
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Five researchers from the French National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) are looking for pieces in the jigsaw of insect evolution.

 >> more

The British Schools Exploring Society Expedition to Svalbard in spring 2010 has brought young explorers closer to glaciology, hydrology and ornithology.

 >> more

Scientist from the IPY project CLEOPATRA have followed algal blooms and population development of Calanus glacialis.

 >> more

Recent publication shows that a solar eclipse lead to long-lasting fog
in Longyearbyen in summer 2008.

 >> more

Researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute have tagged the first ringed seal with a new kind of data logger.

 >> more

The whole world can watch while Norwegian palaeontologists are digging for prehistoric marine reptiles.

 >> more

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute is planning to increase the amount of permanent weather stations on Svalbard in order to improve the weather forecast for the archipelago.

 >> more

Researchers from the University of Luxembourg are the first to use radon in a study of glacier outflow.

 >> more

Trust Arcticugol in Barentsburg has acquired a cutter, similar to the workboat 'Teisten' in Ny-Ålesund. From this summer on it can be hired for scientific and explorative purposes.

 >> more

The second edition of the book “Glaciers and Glaciation” has just been published. The updated version features a lot of information about the glaciers of Svalbard. Authors are Doug Benn from the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) and David Evans from Durham University (UK).

 >> more

It's difficult to judge: beauty of the flowers or usefulness of the insects? In any case Svalbard has a lot to offer on a micro scale. The growing compilations of plants and invertebrates are online and provide excellent source of knowledge.

 >> more

250 delegates from 27 countries discussed the current state of permafrost during the biggest scientific conference The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) has ever hosted.

 >> more

The science plan for Kongsfjorden International Research Base (KIRB) has been revised and is now available on the web.

 >> more

Forest fires and straw and stubble burning are leading to record-high concentrations of PCB over Svalbard. As a result of climate change, airborne pollution is thus becoming an increasing problem in the Arctic.

 >> more

Data transmission capacity of Ny-Ålesund will increase 6000 times when the fibre optical cable will be extended. The work has already begun.

 >> more

Kings Bay asks all visitors to check if there is any accommodation available in Ny-Ålesund before planning the dates for travel. Certain periods are fully booked!

 >> more

Once, offshore islands were a safe place to breed for a number of bird species. However, times are changing. Researchers from BResearch, Groningen report a dramatic increase of summer predation by polar bears.

 >> more

Since many years, the Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden-Institute, Kola Science Centre, Russian Academy of Science (KSC RAS), Apatity, Russia has conducted intensive studies on vegetation taxonomy, ecophysiology, soil and landscape ecogeochemistry. Here is a glimpse of their studies.

 >> more

Study of modern processes operating in a glacier-river-lake system helps reconstruct past climate from lake sediments. U.S: and UNIS students and researchers work together in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programme.

 >> more

ESF-funded PolarClimate proposal SvalGlac is a consortium of glaciologists from 13 different countries working together. The project aims to investigate the balance and state of the glaciers and ice caps on Svalbard in period 2010-2012 and it has just started its field activities with a kick-off season on Lomonosovfonna and Nordenskiöldbreen.

 >> more

18 projects were selected in the last round to be funded by the Svalbard Environmental Fund. A record amount (4.7 mln NOK) was distributed.

 >> more

High spatial variability in snow accumulation pattern due to uneven surface topography and wind action and differential melting are characteristic features of Sørbreen, according to John Hulth report from field

 >> more

New samples of L. Solidungula were collected in waters of Svalbard fiords during the frame of one of the Arctic Field Grant projects, Elen Belseth reports.

 >> more

EPOCA international team plans a field experiment in Ny-Ålesund trying to determine how sensitive marine organisms are to increased acidity of the sea. 6 nations and 33 scientists and technicians will be working in Ny-Ålesund during the pelagic experiment this spring.

 >> more

European Space Agency (ESA) can breathe with relief now when CryoSat-2 satellite was succesfully launched and shot into the polar orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 8^th April 2010. CryoSat-2 measures ice thickness over land and oceans. These data are invaluable for the estimates of total ice mass on Earth. CrySat-2 is described as "a hi-tech mission showing what European collaboration can achieve".

 >> more

The project GOOSEMAP has collected all known registrations of geese in Svalbard. This resulted in distribution maps of three goose species during different stages of their stay in Svalbard.

 >> more

The underwater life during polar night puzzles and delivers cues to understand the interactions between ocean and atmosphere in the winter. The ocean is not asleep at all in the darkness: the microorganisms migrate up and down regardless if the light is delivered or not. Several research groups from Norway and USA joined in an educational project (NORUS) combining science with newest underwater technology to find out what is really driving them and how it works.

 >> more

An evidence for cool Arctic marine temperatures during the Cretaceous greenhouse has been found in the rocks of Svalbard.New stable isotope data from derived from the Cretaceous (Valanginian) of the Festningen Section and Janusfjellet reveals transient glacial marine temperatures during the Cretaceous greenhouse.

 >> more

Within the European research project RECONCILE the Russian high-flying research aircraft M55 Geophysica landed in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. It was the first time that this special aircraft went this far north. This mission was part of a 6-week measurement campaign based in Kiruna, Sweden.

 >> more

Out of 73 applications sent to 'Arctic Field Grant 2010' 63 were accepted. As many as 27 researchers and 36 students have secured funds for this years' field work in Svalbard.

 >> more

SSF and SMS have jointly organized a workshop that aimed at exchange of information and finding solutions for accessing and carrying out future research in the least accessible, and the most logistically demanding places in Svalbard - the East.

 >> more

Margit Dyrland has worked on observations of temperature and airglow changes in upper atmosphere/mesosphere trying to find a key to weather and climate variability. Combination of several methods was used and she has found relationships between various climate elements, fully described in her PhD thesis.

 >> more

The DNA analyses of the polar bear jaw found in Svalbard a few years ago confirm beyond doubt that polar bear is a young specie and it has an evolution history reaching ancestor in brown bear.

 >> more

Norwegian Polar Institute in cooperation with the Governor of Svalbard has prepared an interactive set of maps for Svalbard. It includes place names, various thematic maps, historical sea ice extend data and much more.

 >> more

Several different pesticides are found in Svalbard. Some of them are in concentrations high enough to estimate that there is a ton of each of them on all of the land ice here.

 >> more

Land in Svalbard is rising both due to recovery from the last glaciation and melting glacier mass at present. Norwegian Mapping Authority measurements confirm that the land rising rate varies depending on amount of melting ice from the glaciers from one year to another.

 >> more

One of the most extraordinary finds in Svalbard was made during a geology student excursion to Prins Karls Forland in 2004. The jawbone found then is now announced to be the oldest remnant of a polar bear ever discovered.

 >> more

SSF has received a report from the Czech research team working in Petuniabukta. Work has been conducted in the fields of botany, zoology and climatology.

 >> more

International research teams have studied the breeding biology of little auks and kittiwakes in Svalbard over the last five decades. Now Børge Moen (NINA) and his team compared changes of reproductive pattern in these two species with changes in climate during this period.

 >> more

A hovercraft proves invaluable when it comes to access and be mobile in the remote parts of the sea ice-covered Arctic. SABVABAA is moving swiftly along the ice edge and the advanced instrumentation on board allow collecting various type of data.

 >> more

A little less than 2% of all red listed species in Norway are in Svalbard. At the moment only mammals, birds, fresh water fish and vascular plants are assessed in Svalbard. Several species are considered endangered.

 >> more

After several unsuccessful drilling attempts the team's spirit is up again. In the early December the drill reached depth of 969,8 m and the thick layer of sandstone was found. The rock is porous enough to start tests on its ability to store carbon dioxide in the future. The project continues.

 >> more

Upper atmosphere phenomena like northern lights are best studied in polar regions. Aurora is highly spectacular to watch. Shower of solar particles make aurora flicker and interfere with the navigation and communication equipment.

 >> more

Not uniform and difficult to access active layer of permafrost, new measurements of water content within the glaciers by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance probe, innovative laser scanning of the calving front, water and snow chemistry studies - these are only few of exciting results obtained this summer in Hornsund.

 >> more

Assessing health risk of long-term exposure to environmental contaminants, like DDT and PCBs, is challenging. Heli Routti from the Norwegian Polar Instititute compared two contrasting ringed seal populations. The relationships between contaminant levels, and hormone and vitamin systems were found to be more complex than previously thought.

 >> more

Bjørnøya and Sveagruva reached a new record for November with temperatures far above the normal.

 >> more

The Norwegian Customs Authorities have introduced risk assessment of cargo exported to non EU countries, Svalbard included. In order to comply with regulation in force Bring Logistics AS is tightening up the rules for declaring goods for export to Svalbard.

 >> more

Last week, Svalbard Science Centre opened its doors for Longyearbyens school children. Many of the activities were related to evolution - a tribute to the Darwin year 2009.

 >> more

SUMO (Small Unmanned Meteorological Observer) has been used to monitor Arctic Atmospheric Boundary Layer (AABL) in Svalbard. SUMO can perform both vertical and horizontal surveys of the mean meteorological parameters: temperature, relative humidity, pressure and wind.

 >> more

NILU scientists have built and tested new ultra-violet imaging camera that can detact emissions of SO2 and provide quantitative estimate of SO2 flux. The test was carried out in Ny-Ålesund where many large cruise ships emit unknown amounts of SO2 into the "pristine" air. The work was funded by Arctic Field Grant.

 >> more

Monitoring trekking pattern of Svalbard rock ptarmigan can be a difficult task. Researchers have equipped eight birds with small satellite senders and are able to track the moving patterns also during the polar night.

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Glaciers' inner hydrological systems remain largely unknown. Therefore speleological work delivers precious information and helps creating 3-dimensional maps of glacier englacial and subglacial drainage system. Jason Gulley reports on his work in caves of Rieperbreen, Hansbreen and other glaciers in Svalbard.
 

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Tourism industry can be happy with the support their 3 projects have received from the Svalbard Environmental Fund. Altogether 4,4 mln kroner will be delivered to 23 projects, 14 of which are led by local recipients.

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Inger Greve Alsos from UNIS has collected samples from all known plants in Svalbard. They are being DNA-analysed and barcoded in order to establish what specie each of them belongs to. DNA makes the taxonomy easy.

>> more

Geoscientists have succeeded in reconstructing sea ice cover extend in the past by use of two different fossil algae species found in the sediment cores from Fram Strait. The results show also how rapidly the changes were occurring.

>> more

The invertebrate fauna of Edgeøya has been remained unknown until now. PhD student from UNIS, María Luisa Ávila Jiménez decided to tackle this issue in the summer 2009. Samples were taken to make community comparison studies and phylogeographical analyses.

>> more

This October, two outstanding researchers working in Svalbard were rewarded for their achievements in science: Geir Wing Gabrielsen (NPI) received the Nansen Award and Jørn Hurum (Natural History Museum, University of Oslo) received the Award for Excellence in Communication of Science.

>> more

Svalbard Science Forum, in cooperation with the Norwegian Polar Institute, will award Arctic Field Grants in connection with research projects in Svalbard in 2010.
 

Application deadline: 20 Nov 2009, 4pm.

>> more

In March 2009, Norway invited the five nations with polar bears in their territory to a meeting under the Polar Bear Agreement from 1973. Now, the final report of this meeting is available.

>> more

Researchers in the Laboratoire d'Océanographie at Villefranche (LOV) have just demonstrated that key marine organisms, such as deep-water corals and pteropods (shelled pelagic mollusks) will be profoundly affected ocean acidification during the years to come.

>> more

A recent study shows that contaminant levels in pink-footed geese are three times higher than in barnacle geese. This may be caused by a different pollutant exposure in their wintering areas in continental Europe and Scotland, respectively.

>> more

With help of satellite technology, researchers monitor periglacial landforms in the permafrost landscape in Svalbard. The project PERMASAR is a cooperation between the Northern Research Institute Norut in Tromsø, the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), the Geological Survey of Norway, the Norwegian Space Centre and the University of Oslo.

>> more

Cryoconites, small holes melted in ice and filled with water are heaven for microorganisms. Viruses, bacteria and microscopic plants create a rich ecosystem in these isolated spots on glaciers in the Arctic. The question is: how big role these micro-ecosystems played when the ice was disappearing during the last deglaciation?

>> more

SPARC investigates Sensitivity of Permafrost in the Arctic. A group of researchers has recently made field measurements in Bayelva catchment near Ny-Ålesund. Depending on the snow depth the soil temperature at 1.5m depth at different locations differed by up to five degrees during winter.

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More than 250 plumes of gas bubbles have been discovered emanating from the seabed of the West Spitsbergen continental margin. Most of the gas was the greenhouse gas methane and evidence was found that rising water temperature will result in increased methane release.

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Svalbard to learn more about the effects of climate change in the Arctic. During a visit at the ice edge he expressed deep concern about the future of the Arctic.

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Currently, a Norwegian expedition is searching the sea floor between Bjørnøya and Northern Norway in the hope to find remains of Roald Amundsens plane Latham 47.

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SSF has organized a Pan-Svalbard Cooperation workshop in order to strengthen the scientific links between the main research stations. The workshop took place on board of Polish research vessel R/V Horyzont II, 17-21 Aug 2009. The participants visited Longyearbyen, Hornsund, Barentsburg and Ny-Ålesund.

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Submission deadline: 30 September 2009.

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An assessment of changes in both abiotic and biotic environment has been produced thanks to the field investigations carried out by the Jagiellonian University since 1982. The team did a comparison studies this summer.

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From 1 January 2009, the Governor of Svalbard will alter several routines and demands concerning permission application for scientific field work in Svalbard.

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Researchers working on the IPY-project CLEOPATRA (Climate effects on planktonic food quality and trophic transfer in Arctic Marginal Ice Zones) in Svalbard visited last week their colleagues from the CFL-project (Circumpolar Flaw Lead Study) in Canada.

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Researchers from the South Bohemian University in Ceske Budejovice study vegetation, fauna and climatic parameters in the Billefjord area in the frame of the IPY-initiative 'Network for Arctic Climate and Biological Diversity Studies' (ArcDivNet).

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Female eiders risk their health and survival by using much of their body reserves for egg incubation and fighting parasites. How does human impact add to this stress?

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NILU, The Norwegian Space Centre and UNIS offer a one week course on fundamentals of Earth Observation, Earth System Models and Climate Change, and the latest developments, with a focus on the Arctic. Application deadline: 15 February 2009.

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During the last years, several arctic foxes are found dead from acute toxoplasmosis in Svalbard. A PhD-work investigated whether migratory geese serve as vectors for the parasite to Svalbard.

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The project 'Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System' (SIAEOS) has been accepted as part of the updated roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure (ESFRI).

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21 Young Explorers joined last spring the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) expedition to Svalbard and undertook research into glacial extents, meltwater torrents, ornithology and arctic ecology.

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The project ”Demographic rates of Svalbard reindeer, variation with age, sex and climate” conducted three field work periods in Svalbard this year and concluded that 2008 was not a good year for the reindeer in the study area.

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Patrycja Ewa Jerna investigates with her PhD-project the response of protists to primary production seasonality and the recent flow of warm and saline Atlantic waters into the Arctic.

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Daytime auroras are associated with strong backscatter in coherent HF radars and HF radio communication therefore suffers greatly from auroral activities. A Norwegian rocket will now be launched to study the instability mechanisms that drive this electron plasma turbulence.

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In 2007, a glacier mass balance field program was initiated at Jan Mayen with the aim to enhance the understanding of the response of a highlatitude glacier to climate change by combining field data and mass balance modelling.

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Last week the Guiding Science Group for the flagship programme on atmospheric research in Ny-Ålesund was established during a SSF-workshop.

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In March 2009, the 10th Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) will take place in Bergen, Norway. To celebrate the anniversary an international symposium will be held and the Ny-Ålesund Science Seminar will be an important contribution to it.

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The call of proposals for the Arctic Field Grant is now closed. 72 applications have been submitted.

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August 2008, after three months of building and testing, the Kolibri project launched its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on Svalbard. As first official mission an aerial image of the ice wedge research site in Adventdalen was taken.

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The Svalbard REU program focuses on understanding how high latitude glaciers, melt-water streams, and sedimentation in lakes and fjords respond to changing climate. Students and teachers from both U.S. and from UNIS have visited Svalbard again in the summer 2008.

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The assumption that marine life in the Arctic Ocean hibernates in the winter months has to be re-evaluated. Latest research shows that there are marine organisms which lead surprisingly active life despite the darkness.

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Heidi Ryen reports back from her fieldwork funded by the Arctic Field Grant in 2008. Incomplete sections of quaternary chronology were in focus of her investigations along the coastline of Kongsfjorden.

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Svalbard Science Forum, in cooperation with the Norwegian Polar Institute, will award Arctic Field Grants in connection with research projects in Svalbard in 2009.

Application deadline: 20 Nov 2008, 4pm.

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Come and visit us during the Open Day at Svalbard Science Centre, Saturday 18th October 2008, 12:00-16:00.

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The Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus hyperboreus) is the only resident terrestrial bird in Svalbard. It is also by far the most important small game species for hunting in Svalbard. Current knowledge about ecology of this specie is limited and information comes from both researchers and hunters.

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Six weeks, a multidisciplinary and international research team used the Swedish icebreaker Oden on the quest for data for the Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS).

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The Research Council of Norway is looking for a project leader for the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIAEOS) project. Application deadline is 19 October 2008.

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Last week, The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) officially took over The Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar (SPEAR) on Breinosa from the University of Leicester.

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Several research teams have worked hard to find out how marine creatures adopt to changing conditions in a number of locations around Svalbard. They also want to know what happens with marine fauna and flora in unusual conditions.

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A polish research team investigated intertidal communities at Sørkapp in order to compare the current status with the results from a similar study in 1988.

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During the late 18th century, 17 young men died at Svenskehuset on the northside of Isfjorden. New research increases the evidence that they died of lead poisoning.

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This fall botanist Inger Greve Alsos (UNIS) and colleagues, students, and locals have gathered seeds from the Svalbard flora. These seeds will be the first non-nutrition seeds to be stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

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Prof. Rudolf H. Drent (Rudi Drent), professor emeritus for animal ecology at the University of Groningen died on 9 September 2008, aged 71. He was active in research to the very end.

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Charlotta Lüthje has just defended her PhD thesis which presents a new and exceptionally sound interpretation of a coal-bearing layer formation in Svalbard during Paleocene. A research outcome supported by tedious analyses of 10 km of sediment cores!

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High level of various contaminants found in Ivory Gull eggs indicates that this particular specie is affected by pollution most among all sea birds on Svalbard.

Nobody has managed to monitor the full glacier surge process so far. However, Monica Sund from UNIS might be the lucky one. The only question is: will Kroppbreen get into the full surge soon?

The sea ice component of SWIPA (Climate Change and the Cryospere: Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic) has started the assessment work at the kick-off meeting in Tromsø.

It can be tricky to correctly interpret ice data derived from a satellite image and this information may be vital for many ships. Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) with a few partners are preparing new service.

There was a high activity level at the newly opened Indian station Himadri this summer. Here you can read more about the research projects conducted this year.

From 16 September 2008, Norway will implement new international regulations concerning air traffic resulting in higher operational costs for Lufttransport AS.

Within the IPY project PAME-Nor, researchers from the University of Bergen (UoB) investigated the role of the microbial network for the carbon balance in an Arctic pelagic ecosystem.

Scientists of the Alfred Wegener Institute investigate in Ny-Ålesund the response of seaweeds to increased ultraviolet radiation.

Zeppelin Station serves as a reference site to monitor changes in concentration of air pollution and transport of pollutants into the Arctic. NILU monitors over 25 different greenhouse gasses there.

The Norwegian Polar Institute has launched the electronic version of its Marine Mammals Sightings.

A group of scientists works on Svalbard in order to separate facts from myth when it comes to damage of the natural environment by traffic. The project is supported by the Svalbard Environmental Fund and the results are awaited by several interest groups in Longyearbyen.

Scientists working on the IPY-projects SciencePub and Norclim will collect sediment samples from the Kongsfjorden-Krossfjorden System next week.

DAMOCLES dispatches as many as 11 research missions to the Arctic this summer to better understand the sea ice processes and to compare the models with reality.

New ecological project, Konghau aims at merging long time-series data from existing transects of Kongsfjorden and HAUSGARTEN in order to establish a baseline for ecosystem monitoring in the Arctic seas. The project is linked to HERMES activities in the Nordic margin.

European research teams are offered free access to the Ny-Ålesund Research Infrastructure. This is part of the Transnational Access Programme of the European Community FP6.

Next submissions deadline: 30 Sept 2008

Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) is coming back to Bockfjorden. This time the group of scientists and engineers will test instruments for ExoMars probe. One of them is a laser which looks for various minerals from a long distance. A newly designed georadar that differentiates ice from rocks is also going through tests in a field this summer.

Today, 1 August 2008 between 10:39 and 12:43, Longyearbyen was a perfect place to observe the sun disappear behind the moon. The sun was covered to 93% at the maximum at 11:41.

Recent study of the retreat rates of a dozen glaciers from central Spitsbergen (area around Billefjorden) by scientists from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Poland) shows that their continuous post Little Ice Age decay accelerated in the last decades. A group of Polish scientist is just back from another field campaign in Svalbard.

A 30 m high tower for various instruments to measure atmosphere and climate change parameters will be build in Ny-Ålesund.

Passengers arriving at Svalbard airport are frequently met by an industrious Australian that asks them to show him the sole of their boots. The passengers could be carriers of foreign seeds that might threaten the delicate balance of the Svalbard flora.

During the last weeks several researchers did not reach their field site on Nordaustlandet due to the ice conditions in the North of Svalbard.

Milder climate and changes in ecosystems attracts certain predators to the tundra and Arctic. Researchers involved in the IPY project "Arctic Predators" talk about using predators as indicator of tundra health.

Ragnhild Lundmark Daae from UNIS has investigated long periodic waves in Kongsfjorden. She was interested in how Kelving waves are created and how they behave. The results show that topography of the fiord modifies internal Kelvin waves. 

A Master of Science thesis by Jannik Schultner investigates methods to measure energy use by kittiwakes. It makes a part of the MariClim project led by Geir Wing Gabrielsen (NPI), Haakon Hop (NPI) and Harald Svendsen (University of Bergen).

On Tuesday 1st July 2008, the Indian station 'Himadri' has been opened officially in Ny Ålesund.

International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere (IASOA) coordinates data collection at Arctic atmospheric observatories. Data of interest include measurements of standard meteorology, greenhouse gases, atmospheric radiation, clouds, pollutants, chemistry, aerosols, and surface energy balances.

One of the education projects in IPY offers research training in the drift ice to the high school students. The plan was to drift over Yermak Plateau and to carry out sea floor geology research and oceanographic measurements. The research was done from a hovercraft.

For the first time it was possible to estimate the size of walrus colonies on Svalbard. Walruses were found on 17 beaches. The pictures taken from a helicopter revealed number of resting animals in each colony.

SEAPOP has reached another milestone as 2 new key locations were added to the existing monitoring sites. Both are located in the southern part of the Norwegian Sea. The Annual Report from SEAPOP for 2007 has been just released.

Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management (DN) has added information about Svalbard to its environmental information tools. Quality-controlled data within fields such as environmental protection, biodiversity etc. are included. The system is map-based and has no restrictions in use.

Austfonna is the largest ice cap on Svalbard but so far nobody can tell if it grows or shrinks, and how the dynamics affects its mass balance. The international research team involved in IPY-GLACIODYN project works to provide hard facts.

As part of a research programme on harbour seals, funded by the Norwegian Research Council, 50 Greenland sharks were caught in the Kongsfjorden area.

Torbjørn Pedersen, PhD-student at the University of Tromsø, Department of Political Science, defends today his thesis about processes that induce conflict and order in the maritime areas adjacent to Svalbard.

30th of May, Signe Aaboe defended her PhD-thesis on ”Circulation dynamics over sloping topography – Application to the Nordic Seas and Arctic Ocean” at the University of Bergen.

Today, the EISCAT Svalbard Radar will be used to transmit a 30 sec advert towards a star system in the constellation Ursa Major.

The Governor of Svalbard has the ambition to remove all local sources of PCB-pollution in Svalbard, a cooperation with The Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT), The Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) and Trust Arktikugol.

On a UNIS student cruise in early May with R/V Lance a substantial, cold and saline bottom current south of Storfjorden was discovered. The International Polar Year (IPY) project BIAC will investigate if this formation of dense water can affect the global sea currents.

The board of Kings Bay AS has appointed Jon Erik Nygaard to take over the position as managing director for Kings Bay AS when Oddvar Midtkandal retires in August-September after completing his fixed term.

In 2007, The Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) discovered a systematic error in the graticule in S100 map series of Svalbard. These maps have now been reproduced and if you have purchased an old version of the map, NPI will replace it for free.

Polar bear monitoring programme looks at health, survival and reproduction of bears. This year they made additional survey of maternity dens, which may indicate animals sensitivity to sea ice conditions. Satellite telemetry data help to know more about the overlap in populations from Svalbard and East Greenland.

CryoSat-2, ESA's ice satellite, aims at very precise measurements of ice thickness on both land and sea in polar regions. Therefore instruments quality check done through a range of validation field campaigns is one of the most important parts of the whole initiative before CryoSat-2 is launched into space. Some field validation is done in Svalbard.

Longyearbyen has been home to several research and education institutions for years. Yet only recently all interested parties have established a joint forum for science and education. The main goal is to enhance and promote Longyearbyen as a base for research and education through coordination and collaborative efforts.

Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani (SNSK) usually conducts drilling exploration in search for coal. This spring, SNSK is contributing with its knowledge to a scientific project that will investigate the geological development of the tertiary layers in the central basin on Spitsbergen.

Now, you can find a checklist on the SSF webportal that helps you to find out when you need to apply for permission for what from whom.

In April, the University Center in Svalbard conducted investigations of the geological layers in Adventdalen as part of the project "CO₂-free Svalbard".

In early April a group of glaciologists from NPI, Uppsala University and Utrecht University visited Lomonsovfonna and Nordenskiøldbreen for various field investigations. The same institutions have worked on these glaciers since 1997 when a 121 m deep ice core covering the past 800 years was drilled on the highest summit on Lomonosovfonna. The main scientific goal of the work on these glaciers is to investigate the present and the recent past climate and the input of long-range contaminants to Svalbard.

The station, built in 1975, has been a base camp for many international and Polish research projects in Oscar II Land in West Spitsbergen. Currently scientific investigations include glaciology, glacial geomorphology and permafrost, and climate change.

The Icebound project aims to reconstruct the ice sheet geometry and its age of the last glaciation. The datasets will contribute to improve atmospheric general circulation models that are used to predict future climate change. A field team is now in Northwestern Spitsbergen to collect data.

With the return of light in the Arctic algae start to grow and become very active. Spring is the best time to study algae production and zooplankton under the ice. CLEOPATRA researchers are back in field now.

An international team of scientists has detected that some of the glow of Earth’s aurora is polarized, an unexpected state for such emissions.

Kongressvatnet is a small but deep lake in the western part of Nordenskiöld Land on Svalbard. Georadar survey revealed it might be a suitable lake for drilling sediment cores in order to investigate past environmental and climatic variations in its catchment. The team of 4 from UNIS reports on this fieldwork.

Marine mammals experts from the Norwegian Polar Institute in collaboration with the Institute for Marine Research have been busy deploying new generation sensors on seals in both Arctic and Antarctic waters. The research is done within the IPY project: MEOP (Marine Mammal Exploration of the Oceans Pole to Pole).

The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research has made a literature review and state-of-knowledge report about the effect of traffic and tourism on the Arctic ecosystem.

The Norwegian Academy for Polar Research was formally established in Oslo on March 27th 2008. The founders were 11 Norwegian professors who all have made important contributions to polar research and education.

Observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide conducted at the Zeppelin station in Ny-Ålesund show a strong increase this year.

The University Centre in Svalbard, The Governor and Kings Bay AS have launched new improved versions of their web pages during the last weeks.

The Governor with 10 other partners has prepared the newest report on the PCB status in Svalbard. The report discusses also gaps in the current knowledge and suggests actions in the future.

Svalbard permafrost is warming up. Temperatures measured in the borehole on Janssonhaugen at 30 meter depth have been increasing in the last 10 years. However, the trend is not visible at shallow depths. The data implement standard air temperature measurements.

As the "old" pollutants are disappearing, increase in level of new ones is being observed, announces Barents Sea Monitoring Group in the latest report. Polar bears are the obvious victims - they top the marine food chain in the Arctic and accumulate pollutants in the fat tissue of their body.

Oceans are large CO₂ sinks helping to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide accumulated otherwise in the atmosphere. However, it is still not clear how much CO₂ oceans can recycle.

The last 50 years brought long discussions about the role of the Gulf Stream and one of its branches, North Atlantic Current, in regulating the climate in Northern Europe and Svalbard. What is the truth about the Gulf Stream?

The Svalbard Environment Protection Fund remains a popular funding source. In the 2nd round of proposal submission, 38 proposals have been received and 19 will be funded.

The Ichthyosaurus found in Sauridalen on the northern coast of Isfjorden in Svalbard is shown to the public for the first time. The fossil was dug out in the summer 2007  and the conservation work started immediately afterwards. Tromsø Museum is now a proud owner of the 240 mln year old bones.

Last weekend, 35 researchers from 13 countries were gathered in Ny-Ålesund in order to discuss the future marine research in and around Kongsfjorden. The workshop was organised by Svalbard Science Forum as an initiative to start up the first flagship programme for Ny-Ålesund: The Kongsfjorden System.

Thickness of the seasonal fast ice cover near Hopen Island in Svalbard has been monitored over 40 years. The maximum sea ice thickness has been reduced by over 40 cm, alarm researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute.

The Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (Moscow, Russia) and UNIS have carried out a cooperative study in Svea Bay from March 7 to 17 .

Kjersti Brandth and Birgitte Kaggerud received Arktisstipend to carry out their Master thesis projects associated with an umbrella project: "Svalbard families". The fieldwork was mostly based on interviews and observations.

Christina Pedersen, a PhD student at the Norwegian Polar Institute and the University of Tromsø has defended her thesis a few days ago. Christina worked with the optical properties of snow and sea ice investigating different parameterization schemes and validating them against the field measurements. Part of her fieldwork took place in Kongsfjorden.

March 12th, 2008 marks the third of the quarterly International Polar Days, this time focusing on the Changing Earth; Past and Present. IPY is already half way through and the first year brought increased activities in polar regions, including Svalbard, for many countries.

Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP) is one of the IPY projects led by Norway and run on Svalbard. It seeks answers to questions about the future of permafrost in the continuously warming climate on Earth.

One of the IPY projects, IPY-THORPEX aims at improving weather forecasting in the northern Norway and in the Arctic. They plan to use a robust plane to chase low pressure systems and use the collected data to improve the models.

The largest earthquake in Svalbard (21 Feb 2008) might be a result of a displacement of large amounts of sediments during glaciations in the last 1 mln years.

Natural History Museum in Oslo, Norway has announced discovery of one of the largest marine reptile ever found. The skeleton of the pliosaur fossil indicates the animal was 15 meter long and the bones are 150 mln year old. The fossil was found in Svalbard in 2006 and excavated a year later.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault opened today, receiving shipments of 100 million seeds that originated in over 100 countries.

Kathrin Bockmühl has received Arktisstipend to carry out her project "Comparing climatic niches of arctic-alpine plants in Svalbard and on the Norwegian mainland using altitudinal gradients". This was a part of Kathrin's MSc thesis. Kathrin carried out her fieldwork on Svalbard in Aug-Sep 2007.

Carla Freitas is a PhD student at the Norwegian Polar Institute. She was a guest lecturer at UNIS in June 2007 teaching Biotelemetry and biologging course (AB-325). She is working now as a researcher at the Institute of Marine Research in Arendal, Norway.
Carla has been working with satellite-tagged marine mammals (ringed seals and walruses). She has been studying their movement patterns trying to understand the effect of habitat conditions on their behaviour. The defence will take place in Tromsø, 1 March 2008.

A strong earthquake reaching 6.2 on Richter scale hit Svalbard at 3:46 local time on 21 February 2008. The epicentre was located in Storfjorden, 10 km under the sea bed and 136 km from Longyearbyen.

The Governor of Svalbard has made it compulsory for research projects to register in the Research in Svalbard (RiS) database.

Every researcher applying to the Governor for any permission related to the fieldwork on Svalbard is obliged to register his/her research project in the RiS database first.

The new and modern northern lights observatory - Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) was officially opened by the Norwegian Minister of Research and Higher Education, Tora Aasland,on 18th February 2008.

EISCAT-radar data from collected continuously for a year show a clear trend: upper atmosphere has become colder than any of the existing models predicted.

An EU funding initiative has enabled the European Incoherent SCATter (EISCAT) Association to provide funding for up to 4 projects per year over the next 3 years for new researchers to visit and run experiments using its scientific facilities. The deadline for this round of funding is 1 April 2008.

Last week, Malin Daase defended her PhD-thesis at UNIS. Her research indicates that a warmer climate will result in changes in the zooplankton populations, which will also affect their predators, as fish, bird and mammals.

39 students and 18 senior researchers received fundings for this years' field work in Svalbard.

European research teams are offered free access to the Ny-Ålesund Research Infrastructure. This is part of the Transnational Access Programme of the European Community FP6. Next deadline to submit proposals is 31 March 2008.

In January, Liv-Guri Faksness defended her PhD-thesis: "Weathering of oil under Arctic conditions. Distribution and toxicity of water soluble oil components dissolving in seawater and migrating through sea ice. A combined laboratory and field study".

Scientists planning to use the Kings Bay Marine Laboratory in Ny-Ålesund can now find the booking form on the SSF web site.

Tara arrived yesterday in Longyearbyen. The DAMOCLES expedition schooner was drifting with the polar ice in order to collect data on arctic sea ice, atmosphere and ocean.

Researchers from NINA and NPI investigate health threats to the common eider. Waterfowl are considered the main source of avian influenza (AI) viruses and may thus constitute a possible source for infection with bird flu to humans.

The amount of CO2 in the air, measured at the Zeppelin Mountain station in Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard, has increased substantially over the last 20 years. The record-high 390 ppm of CO2 has never been recorded there before.

Two TRICE (Twin Rocket Investigation of Cusp Electrodynamics) rockets were successfully launched from Andøya Rocket Range, in Northern Norway, carrying a multitude of instruments to study a process called magnetic reconnection. Both the EISCAT and SvalSat facilities were involved in the scientific campaign.

Gro Harlaug Olsen has defended her PhD thesis: "Effects of petroleum-related compounds on Arctic and temperate species at multiple levels of biological organization" at the Norwegian College of Fishery Sciences in Tromsø, Norway.

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An ice core from Lomonosovfonna in Spitsbergen delivers new climate data for the last 800 years proving the recent years to be the warmest since 13th Century.

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An ancient jawbone of a polar bear discovered on Prins Karl Forland suggests that the specie is older than it was thought before. This implies that the bears could cope with climate as warm as we experience today.

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Researchers of a joint Norwegian-Russian project have fitted 18 ivory gulls with satellite transmitters. The transmitters have been active for 4-5 months and now you can follow their movements online.

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Both, a simplified project registration and an improved search function have been implemented in the new version. Kings Bay AS will from 2008 on ask for the RiS project-ID  when booking a stay in Ny-Ålesund.

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