Field experiments at Ny-Ålesund (tentative plans)

Ny-Ålesund on Spitsbergen, Svalbard is the world’s northernmost permanent settlement, only 1,200 km from the North Pole. Each year scientists from at least fifteen nations come here to work on a total of 120 different research projects. Norway, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, France, South Korea and China have all established their own research stations in Ny-Ålesund. Kings Bay AS is serving and delivering infrastructure as well as logistic services such as full board and lodging to scientists and research stations operating in Ny-Ålesund.
The Arctic Marine Laboratory and the Koldewey Station at Ny-Ålesund will be used as base for some of PAMEs experimental studies during the IPY. The effects of temperature and irradiance on phytoplankton and bacterial production and species composition will be investigated in microcosm experiments (carboys with 10-20L natural seawater).
Mesocosms (1-50m2 tanks or enclosures with natural seawater) will be used to investigate the dynamics of natural plankton communities and how they respond to experimental manipulation and environmental change.