The project inves­ti­gates compo­si­tion and function of micro­bial commu­ni­ties in Fram Strait, the major gateway between the Arctic and the Atlantic Oceans, and how these are linked with environ­men­tal condi­tions. A series of cutting-edge, molec­u­lar approaches are applied to assess micro­bial functional capac­i­ties, commu­nity compo­si­tion and their tempo­ral varia­tion in a region under special threat by climate change. The project is super­vised by Hector Fellow Antje Boetius.

The project focuses on micro­bial dynam­ics in Fram Strait, the major gateway between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans and an a promi­nent region to study in the wake of climate change. To date, compo­si­tion and functional capac­i­ties of prokary­otes in Fram Strait are poorly under­stood, but have major impli­ca­tions for ecosys­tem function­ing. Here, I will eluci­date commu­nity compo­si­tion and genetic content in ice-covered and ice-free waters of Fram Strait, with empha­sis on processes of carbon trans­for­ma­tion, inter­ac­tions with other organ­isms and links with environ­men­tal parame­ters. Snapshots of functional diver­sity between regions will be completed by tempo­ral analy­ses of commu­nity devel­op­ment over seasons and years, enabled through samples collected by autonomous devices. Further­more, the connec­tiv­ity between bacte­r­ial commu­ni­ties in sea ice and water will be studied by on-board exper­i­ments to track sea ice microor­gan­isms as the ice melts. This will eluci­date commu­nity and biogeo­chem­i­cal processes under scenar­ios that will occur more frequently in the warming Arctic. Altogether, the doctoral combines cutting-edge, omics-based approaches to answer central questions on micro­bial dynam­ics in the Arctic Ocean. The project is super­vised by Hector Fellow Antje Boetius.