A new scientific expedition to the Svalbard Islands to study Arctic ice

A team of researchers from OGS and the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station (SZN) has just completed a scientific campaign in the Svalbard Islands, in Ny-Ålesund—one of the northernmost research settlements on the planet, located at a latitude of 79°N and just 1,200 km from the North Pole—aimed at studying Arctic ice.

Working in extreme weather conditions, with April temperatures ranging between -20°C and -10°C, scientists from the two institutions collected samples of seawater, snow, and ice in Kongsfjorden (King’s Bay).

Specifically, during the expedition, seawater samples were collected at five stations, while snow and ice samples were taken at three points on two different glaciers that flow into the sea. These samples will be transported to Italy in the coming months to undergo detailed physical and microbiological analyses in the laboratory. The results of the research will help shed light on the role of Arctic glacier microorganisms in the marine food web and biogeochemical cycles of the Arctic Ocean, offering deeper insights into the processes of Atlantification and the future of Arctic seas.