Freshwater Inputs & Trophic Responses in the Kongsfjorden Ecosystem

This cross-ecosystem study will investigate how freshwater outflows influence trophic ecology and food web structure in the Kongsfjorden region of Svalbard. Working from the Ny-Ålesund research base, we will characterise spatial variability in freshwater discharge chemistry, including pH, turbidity, conductivity, and nutrient concentrations, and assess whether this variability correlates with seabird species presence, abundance, and behaviour near fjordic freshwater outlets. By integrating hydrological, biogeochemical, and behavioural monitoring methods, the study will test ecological linkages and contribute to conceptual models of land–sea connectivity in Arctic fjord ecosystems. This work combines the WG5 (Freshwater Systems) and WP7 (Kongsfjorden Top Trophics) aims of the Ny-Ålesund Terrestrial Ecosystems research flagship.