MicroPolar

Funded by:The Norwegian Research Council
Project Coordinator: University in Bergen
NIVA Leader: Richard Bellerby

MicroPolar is a large research project attempting to reveal the microbial secrets of the polar waters north of Svalbard. Richard Bellerby, Andrew Luke King, Emanuele Reggiani and Phil Wallhead are studying the interactions between the pelagic ecosystem and the carbon cycle.

The interaction between the biosphere, the atmosphere and the hydrosphere is mediated by microorganisms being the main drivers of biogeochemical cycles in the ocean and the main producers and consumers of inorganic nutrients, organic carbon and CO2. The MicroPolar [µP] project focuses on marine microbial food webs and biogeochemical cycles in the Arctic Ocean and will provide a better description and understanding of the organisms, the processes, and the feedback mechanisms that shape this interaction. The project partners cover a range of disciplines including microbial ecology, climate research, biogeochemistry, marine chemistry, metagenomics and ocean modeling to integrate the results in an Earth system science and environmental management perspective.