Collaborative Research: A Multipronged Approach to Investigate how Hydrography and Mixing Shape Productive Fjord Ecosystems in Greenland

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

Understanding the intricate relationship between physical oceanography and marine ecosystems is crucial for predicting the impacts of climate variability and shifts on productive Arctic ecosystems. This research focuses on Greenland fjords and adjacent shelf seas, which are areas of immense ecological and socio-economic importance, particularly to Arctic Indigenous communities. These ecosystems, vital for local fisheries, are influenced by physical transport processes such as water circulation and mixing. In collaboration with scientists at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR), the researchers will investigate the connections between physical oceanography and marine ecology in the fjord system around Greenland’s capital, Nuuk. By combining field observations with an advanced computer model of the fjord system, the researchers will examine how physical transport processes affect nutrient supply, primary productivity, and ultimately, the food supply for fish and marine mammals. This endeavor not only advances scientific understanding, but also addresses broader societal concerns by creating knowledge to inform sustainable management practices, thereby enhancing the resilience of local communities to climate-induced changes in marine resources. The project is led by early career scientists, including two who are women. The project will also train two postdoctoral fellows and will provide opportunities for the public in the U.S. and Greenland to engage with the project. The project involves targeted field campaigns in the fjord system around Nuuk, Greenland to collect hydrographic, turbulence, nutrient and benthic fauna samples near potential mixing hotspots such as sills, narrow straits or the steep fjord walls, and in winter conditions in close proximity to a glacier front. A coupled ocean, sea ice, and marine biogeochemistry model, constrained with observational data, will be used to elucidate the mechanisms through which physical transport influences ecological dynamics in the fjords. Specific objectives include assessing the role of lateral transport in spatial nutrient distribution, and evaluating the impact of vertical mixing on primary productivity. Based on the modeling framework and maps of distribution of benthic habitats derived from video surveys, as well as process-based links inferred from the collected observations, the researchers will link benthic habitat distribution with the variability of physical and biogeochemical fjord conditions. Simulations of future conditions will offer a framework for predicting ecosystem responses to environmental changes, a product that will aid in the assessment of the future of vital marine resources upon which local Indigenous communities depend. The project will host outreach events in Nuuk and Kapisillit, and a scientific workshop at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources to discuss the utility of the data-constrained coupled physical-biogeochemistry model. These events will facilitate U.S.-Greenland research collaborations. Within the U.S., the project supports the career development of early-career scientists and will further develop a diverse STEM workforce through outreach events that encourage young women to pursue Arctic marine science. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.