Type of course

Master course for mainly biology students, but students from other disciplines (e.g. physcis, geology, chemistry) are encouraged to enroll.

The course is available as a singular course.

Admission requirements

Course content

The course will provide the students with detailed knowledge regarding the physical, chemical and biological properties of sea ice from micro- to basin-wide scales.

The following topics will be covered for the Arctic Ocean, sub-Arctic Seas (e.g. Baltic, Ramfjorden, Saroma-Ko Lagoon), and the Southern Ocean:

• large scale distribution of different sea ice types (remote sensing based)
• sea ice microstructure (ice crystal structure, brine channel system, temperature, salinity, permeability)
• sea ice seasonal growth and melt
• sea ice biogeochemistry (primary production, carbon cycle, nutrient cycles)
• sea ice biodiversity from viruses to metazoans
• relevance of sea ice for pelagic and benthic biota
• role of sea ice in the geochemical cycles of Arctic, Antarctic and sub-Arctic Seas
• the impacts of global climate change and increased human activities in ice-covered seas

The course will consist of weekly blocks of one two-hour lecture and one-two hour seminar. Within each week, the lectures and seminars will focus on a given theme. The seminar will most often include group work by students to complete thematic tasks including: analysis and discussion on scientific data, calculation of sea ice properties, analysis of remote sensing information, project design for scientific inquiry. Groups will often develop a short 5 to 10 minute presentation in a given seminar that is presented. This will give students an opportunity to enhance skills in group work, brain storming, public speaking, and to actively participate in scientific discussions. Seminar assignments are an essential part of the course, mandatory, but not graded.

In collaboration with UiT’s CIRFA (Centre for Integrated Remote Sensing and Forecasting for Arctic Operations) group, a field trip to Ramfjord is planned for the first week of February (pending sea ice conditions in the area). Here, students will apply concepts learned in lecture to real-life environments. They will participate in sea ice sampling and be exposed to the multidisciplinary nature of sea ice work. Participation in this field trip is mandatory but not graded.

Objectives of the course

Through attendance of lectures, participation in seminars (e.g. group work & class discussion) and the Ramfjord fieldtrip, students will develop knowledge on:

• sea ice classification and physical-chemical properties
• identification and diversity of sea ice biological communities
• spatio-temporal variability of sea ice habitats from micro- to hemispheric scales
• coupling of sea ice habitats to pelagic and benthic systems
• the global importance of sea ice in climate, ocean function, and socio-economy

Students will apply this knowledge (skills) to:

• classify the groups of biological communities inhabiting sea ice
• examine current conditions and predicted changes to sea ice habitats
• describe the processes ice formation, growth, and melt
• describe variability in physical and biogeochemical properties of sea ice
• discuss current sea ice research from peer-reviewed literature

Following this course and completion of the essay assignment, students should have general competence in:

• summarizing the dynamics of sea ice habitats
• using hypothesis testing in scientific research
• applying theoretical and practical understanding of sea ice habitats to field-based sampling
• predicting the fate of sea ice communities with ongoing climate change
• investigate scientific data individually or as part of a working group
• collection of sea ice for the purposes of scientific analysis

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

Lectures (10 x 45 min), seminars (10 x 45 min), field trip (1 day), reading assignments for each week, home assignment (essays), preparation for one written exam. Preparations of presentations in seminar are done mainly during class hours.

Students are expected to actively participate in the lectures. Participation in all course seminars and the field trip is mandatory.

Information to incoming exchange students

This module is open for exchange students with a bachelor degree in Biology.

Do you have questions about this module? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=510412