Over the past two weeks, researchers from the POMP and SeaQuester projects collaborated on an expedition in Greenland’s Disko Bay, focusing on the fjord systems shaped by retreating glaciers. This joint fieldwork aimed to advance understanding of how glacial meltwater affects local biodiversity and the structure of the Arctic marine food web.
A key part of the mission was to quantify the long-term uptake, storage, and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in these Arctic fjords. Such insights are vital for assessing the climate mitigation potential of polar marine ecosystems—one of POMP’s central objectives.
Field activities focused on the interplay between nutrient-rich glacial runoff and marine primary producers such as phytoplankton and macroalgae was of particular interest, as these processes underpin the region’s role as a “blue carbon” hotspot.
Moreover, Ph.D. students comprised half the research team, ensuring that the cruise fostered interdisciplinary exchange and learning across different scientific backgrounds. By connecting early-career researchers from both projects, the expedition promoted new approaches to studying how environmental change in the Arctic shapes both carbon cycling and biodiversity.
Through in-situ data collection and collaboration, the team’s findings will contribute to a more complete picture of how Greenland’s dynamic fjord ecosystems function, and how they may help regulate atmospheric CO₂ in a changing climate. Results from this fieldwork will inform future management and conservation efforts to protect polar blue carbon habitats and their biodiversity.
To learn more about POMP’s ongoing work, visit https://pomp-project.eu/project-progress/
