NEWS EcoChange researcher Jenny Ask has received funding from Formas for a project about ice-cover regimes in northern aquatic ecosystems. The project will focus on how future changes in ice-cover will impact aquatic carbon metabolism, algal biomass build-up and water-atmosphere gas exchange.
Jenny Ask, researcher within the research programme EcoChange at Umeå University, has recievied funding for a project concerning ice, climate change and carbon metabolism. Photo: Kristina Viklund/UMF.
During the ice-covered period of the year CO2 accumulates under the ice. The main hypothesis of the project is that not all accumulated CO2 disappears to the atmosphere when the ice-cover melts, but that a large part is used for photosynthesis and algal biomass build-up. A 16-month field survey will be performed in two northern Baltic Sea coastal areas, as well as in two high latitude lakes. The field survey will be combined with a large-scale experiment where the duration of ice-cover can be manipulated. Another part of the project is designated to a collaboration with Umeå Institute of Design, to find ways to increase the public awareness regarding these questions.
The project has been granted with 3 million SEK for three years, and will start in January 2017.
Editor: Kristina Viklund