Master projects available at UNIS and UiT

By Amanda Poste (NIVA) and Janne Søreide (UNIS)

We are seeking 2–3 MSc students on a wide range of topics related to land-ocean interactions, with a focus on how terrestrial inputs can affect Arctic coastal ecosystems.

The MSc projects will be connected to several ongoing research projects focusing on quantifying terrestrial inputs (e.g. from rivers and glaciers) to Svalbard’s coastal waters and exploring the effects of these inputs on coastal ecosystems.

Potential topics for MSc projects include:

  • Seasonality in fluxes, chemical composition and bioavailability of river inputs to Svalbard’s coastal waters
  • Pairing field observations with remote sensing and in situ sensor observations to determine spatial and temporal patterns in freshwater influence (SPM, CDOM) and phytoplankton biomass (Chl a) in Svalbard’s coastal waters
  • Effects of riverine/glacial inputs on coastal food web structure and mercury bioaccumulation on the East Coast of Svalbard
  • Other related topics may also be possible, depending on student interests and ongoing research activities

The MSc students will have the opportunity to:

  • participate in field work on Svalbard
  • gain valuable experience in lab methods, data analysis, and scientific writing
  • be a part of a dynamic, interdisciplinary and international project team

Students can be based at UNIS or UiT. Our preference is that students should plan to be on Svalbard for the duration of summer 2020.

For more information, please contact:

Amanda Poste, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), amanda.poste@niva.no

Janne Søreide, UNIS, janne.soreide@unis.no