Background and aim of the research:
The enrichment of organic material, known as eutrophication, is a well-known issue impacting coastal marine systems such as fjords. Although they occupy only small areas of the oceans, investigations have shown that fjords have a substantial potential as stores of organic carbon. Organic enrichment at the seabed and in the sediments can lead to a range of environmental impacts, including reduced oxygen concentrations and the degradation of benthic communities (e.g., loss of diversity).
These aspects are highly relevant to the management of human activities in marine areas. Important environmental policy initiatives such as the European Water Framework Directive require consideration of the relative effects of human pressures and natural factors on ecological status.
However, information concerning the magnitude of organic carbon being accumulated in Norwegian fjord sediments, as well as possible temporal changes in accumulation rates and their impact on the benthic ecosystem, is very limited.
Research methodologies and database:
The MSc project will focus on analyses of dated sediment cores from the outer Oslofjord and/or southern Norway (Skagerrak coast). The students will go on a cruise and collect their own study material.
Geochemical analyses of various environmental proxies will include, for example, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, stable isotopes, trace metals, and fossil benthic foraminifera in dated sediment cores. Sediment, organic carbon, and benthic foraminiferal accumulation rates will be calculated to reconstruct changes in paleoflux to the seafloor and assess their impact on ecological status.
The results will be compared with observations in other fjord systems. Through field and laboratory work, the students will generate new data and learn to describe and summarise the results in a scientific manner.
The project is suitable for students with a geological or biological background and an interest in the marine environment. We are very happy to adapt project ideas to individual interests or wishes.