S - U
TUNU-MAFIG
http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/proposal-details.php?id=318 TUNU*-MAFIG (2003-2009; p.t. 10 nations and about 35 scientist and research students) brings focus to the diversity and physiological adaptations of the Arctic marine fish fauna. Arctic fishes are relatively poorly studied and comparisons with the Antarctic fish fauna will be of particular interest in the light of the peculiar evolutionary history and geological time scales that characterize the two polar regions (cf. IPY-activities EBA, ID: 137 and ICEFISH, ID: 93). Warming trends have been reported for Arctic waters in general and the fjords of NE Greenland in particular. The sea ice cover has been significantly reduced in NE Greenland during the past three decades and this makes the area a timely Arctic key site to study effects of climate change on the marine biota. Fishes are known to be particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and salinity. Arctic fishes are physiologically adapted to subzero temperatures and live within a narrow thermal zone (~ 2 °C). Therefore, even a slight increase in temperature, and a concomitant reduction in salinity, may have profound effects on the diversity and physiological performance of Arctic fishes. As such, the NE Greenland fish fauna is deemed to be an excellent bio-indicator of rapid changes in the Arctic marine environment. The scientific framework includes: 1) Examination of the diversity and physiological adaptations of marine fishes at selected sites along the NE Greenland coast, i.e. between Danmarkshavn (77°N) and Scoresby Sund Fjord (70°N), and from the innermost part of the fjords to the continental slope. 2) Sampling of basic hydrographical and topographical data at the same sites, incl. the use of permanent CTD-loggers and multi-beam sonar. 3) Repetition of investigations at key sites to obtain long-term data on possible inter-annual changes in fish diversity and hydrographical regimes. 4) Establishment of a museum collection of marine fishes encountered during the expeditions. The logistical backbone of TUNU-MAFIG consists of four expeditions to NE Greenland headed by the University of Tromsø. Two expeditions were conducted successfully in autumn 2003 (TUNU-I) and 2005 (TUNU-II) with the ice strengthened R/V Jan Mayen as the operational base. The TUNU-III and -IV expeditions are planned to take place in autumn 2007 and 2008. (*TUNU = East Greenland in the modern Greenlandic language)