Towards Capacity Building Development for the Next Generation of Arctic Researchers
*This article was originally published in ArCS II News Letter No.9 (Aug. 2024).
ArCS II Priority Subject 1 develops capacity building programs that have been carried out in previous Japanese Arctic research projects (GRENE Arctic and ArCS). In addition to sending individual early career researchers and students aboard, we are implementing innovative programs aimed at strengthening sustainable overseas networks and research capabilities as a research group, as well as calling for spontaneous research proposals by early career researchers. Furthermore, following the joint statement of the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting (May 2021), a new Arctic Researchers Networking Program started in FY2022. This program actively supports the development of the next generation and interaction among them through joint research programs with domestic researchers and observations using the research vessel Mirai by early career researchers both from Japan and overseas. I hope the valuable field experience and international exchange provided by these programs will be effectively exploited so that future leaders of Arctic research can play an active role in their respective fields.
Hiroshi Miyaoka(National Institute of Polar Research)
Sub-Project Director of ArCS II, Chief of Priority Subject 1
Exploring Seal Ecology in Greenland’s Glacial Fjords
Yuta Sakuragi
Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University
Seals are the central component of the Arctic marine ecosystem. There are many seals around Qaanaaq in northwestern Greenland, where there are many tidewater glaciers, and seals are important resources for the people living in this area. In this project, I investigated the distribution and diet of seals inhabiting this area during the summer season. During the field survey, I scanned for seals with binoculars from a boat chartered by local hunters. I also sampled seawater to analyze fish species distribution through environmental DNA, and examined the diets of hunted seals by analyzing their muscle tissue in the village. As a result, I identified three seal species in this area and found distinct distribution patterns and dietary preferences among them. The insights gained from this project not only advance our understanding of seal ecology but also contribute significantly to the assessment of the impacts of the recent rapid melting of glaciers and ice sheets on the marine ecosystem in Greenland.
The tiny life in the Arctic Ocean
Eva Lopes (Portugal)
Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto
The Arctic Ocean is changing rapidly, with profound implications for the microscopic plankton communities that form the base of its food chain. My PhD project investigates the dynamics and interactions of Arctic Ocean prokaryotic and unicellular eukaryotic communities, and their response to environmental changes. During the 2023 expedition on the R/V Mirai across the Pacific Arctic Region, I collected seawater samples at multiple stations from the Deep Chlorophyll Maximum and Bottom. I also collected sediment samples to compare the microbial communities in the sediments and water, focusing on diatoms. A microcosmos experiment onboard simulated the Pacification phenomenon to observe community interactions. By incubating surface and bottom waters together and observing how the communities change over time, including how these microbial interactions may shift in a rapidly changing Arctic. Understanding the dynamics of Arctic plankton communities is crucial for predicting the future of this vital region.
Exploring changes in the upper polar atmosphere
Lindis Merete Bjoland (Norway)
Space and Upper Atmospheric Sciences Group, National Institute of Polar Research
Global climate change is known to cause cooling and contraction of the middle and upper atmospheric layers. Through the ArCS II Early Career Research Program, I got the opportunity to study these changes and the possible impact on physical processes in the upper polar atmosphere. By utilizing extensive datasets from the EISCAT radars in Northern Scandinavia and Svalbard, we are examining a process known as “ion upflow”, where ions are flowing upwards along Earth’s magnetic field lines. Furthermore, we will use this dataset to study long-term changes of plasma parameters in the upper atmosphere and how such changes affect the upflow process.
