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Each year, the Arctic sea ice goes through a cycle of melting and freezing. From March to September, sea ice gradually melts and becomes thinner, and from October to March, the water freezes again. In our warming climate, we see that more and more ice melts each year. One would expect that the ice would also freeze less, but we have observed that the ice growth – or ice production – has increased over the last decades. Yes, you read it right: despite warming, there is more ice produced during winter than before!

The Arctic white winter wonderland. Ocean is covered by sea ice where seals and polar bears live. The landscape is mesmerizing. Although it is always cold here, this part of the planet is subjected to strong seasonal changes. The most dramatic being light.

A small NL research delegation consisting of Amanda Ziegler, Erin Kunisch, Oliver Müller and Øyvind Lundesgaard went on a long journey to Toronto to inform about NL research on the other side of the Arctic.

Good science is created by the interplay of different thoughts, work approaches and data. This is why collaboration with scientists around the World is essential for the Nansen Legacy. After years of pandemic and travel restrictions, the project is happy to see that an increasing number of its scientists are now spending time abroad working with scientists from other countries and research fields on Nansen Legacy samples and data.

Climate warming is changing our seas and their biodiversity. In the high north, the loss of sea ice and temperature rise favor southerly species, which colonize Arctic marine ecosystems. Arctic species suffer the ongoing changes in the environment and are threatened by incoming species which eat them or their food

Ever wonder how the ocean reserves as much dissolved organic carbon as atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide? The truth is I do not have the answer to this question. Merely this question is what captivated my interest in this topic. How is it that nature maintains this immense carbon capture system and we still can´t figure out exactly how it functions?

Our names are Megan Lenss and Evan Patrohay, and we are joining the most recent Nansen Legacy cruise as US Fulbright Scholars. Fulbright, a program through the United States State Department, has granted us funding to complete yearlong research projects in Norway.

November at 79 or even 81 N is pretty dark. The sun has disappeared for winter a long time ago, and all that is left is a bit of twilight at noon. For the phytoplankton in the sea that means that there is not enough sunlight to grow. For us, out on a research cruise to service instruments that were deployed north of Svalbard and in the Barents Sea last year or the year before, it means that we struggle to see! Most of the day, it is pitch black dark, especially if it’s new moon as at the start of our cruise. The ship itself is lit up like a Christmas tree with lots of light especially on the work deck in the aft, which often makes seeing anything out at sea very difficult. Light on the bridge is therefore always dimmed and only red light is used when needing a bit more illumination.

It is November, polar night, and almost winter – must be time for a cruise to the Arctic Ocean to collect instruments and equipment for our project!