A late start to winter: FROST’s first campaign in Norway

FROST
18 janv.
2 min de lecture

A team of scientists from Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (Akvaplan-NIVA) just carried out the first field campaign for the FROST project.

The project's main study location in Norway is Takvatnet, a large lake located 2 hours drive southeast of Tromsø city. Due to an extraordinarily mild autumn, the ice formation at Takvatnet that usually occurs during November, was very late this year. This delayed the first comprehensive after ice-on winter sampling campaign until early January.

Due to an extraordinarily mild autumn, the ice formation at Takvatnet that usually occurs during November, was very late this year.

On the way to the first sampling: Vegard Seljestokken and Amanda Poste. Photo by Eva Leu

The Norwegian team is represented by Amanda Poste, Vegar Seljestokken and Narve Stubbraaten Johansen from NINA and Eva Leu and Eirik Haugstvedt Henriksen from Akvaplan-niva.

During four days at temperatures down to effective -30°C the team took samples of the entire food web from viruses to fish, including setting out fishing nets and collecting benthic samples from the coastal and deeper part of the lake.

Vegard Seljestokken and Eirik Haugstvedt collecting a sample of bottom-living organisms in the littoral zone. Photo by Eva Leu

As daylight hours are short, sampling continues in the dark as well : Eva taking a water sampler sample inside the tent.Photo by Amanda Poste.

The ice thickness varied between 16 and 30+ cm, however, the low temperatures challenged sampling procedures and required careful planning and execution of the ambitious activities.

In order to be able to work under the cold conditions and prevent that equipment freezes, an ice-fishing tent was established over the main sampling hole. Photo by Eva Leu.

In addition to the sampling that will be continued in the coming months, there are sensors placed in the lake that collect continuous background data on physical and biological parameters. Takvatnet is also included in the Norwegian monitoring program for large lakes (ØKOSTOR) and has been studied extensively by researchers from UiT – The Arctic University of Norway that has a field station by the lake.