Tracing heat, nutrient and freshwater transfers and primary production along the West Greenland Current
What is the motivation?
Melting Greenland glaciers release freshwater and nutrients that reshape ocean life and influence climate. TRACE-WGC investigates how these changes move through the ocean, affect primary production, and alter marine ecosystems. Understanding these processes reveals how Arctic freshwater and materials impact both regional and global ocean systems.
Why does it matter?
Glacial melt from Greenland affects more than local waters—it influences ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, and global climate. TRACE-WGC provides data for international programs studying how Arctic freshwater and matter transfer to the northwestern Atlantic. Insights from this research improve climate predictions and guide strategies to protect ocean health, marine biodiversity, and communities that depend on ocean resources.
© Mathieu Ardyna
Project Focus
TRACE-WGC examines how Greenland’s melting glaciers influence coastal and offshore ocean systems. The project studies nutrient distribution, water circulation, and light conditions that control primary production. Phytoplankton communities are assessed for their role in producing and exporting organic matter. Sampling in fjords and adjacent waters connects local changes to broader ocean processes, revealing how glacier melt affects marine productivity and the movement of carbon through the ocean.
© Mathieu Ardyna
How will it be done?
Seawater and environmental data will be collected along fjords and coastal waters. Macronutrients and trace metals will be measured to identify factors limiting primary production. Ship-based instruments will record light, particle properties, and water movement, enabling comparisons between areas influenced by different glaciers and ocean conditions. These observations will reveal how heat, nutrients, and freshwater flow through the region and how these flows shape marine productivity and carbon transport.
What will be collected?
Seawater samples will measure temperature, salinity, nutrient levels, and trace metals. Light intensity and particle properties will be recorded at multiple depths. Observations along fjords and ocean transects will track how glacial meltwater and ocean currents influence marine productivity, organic matter export, and the movement of carbon through the coastal and offshore ocean.
Members and partners
- Principal Investigator:
- Mathieu Ardyna, Takuvik International Research Laboratory, University of Laval, Québec City, Canada & Sorbonne University, CNRS, Paris, France
- Other participants:
- TBC
- Partners:
- TCA partners: Erin Bertrand, Dalhousie University; Jean-Éric Tremblay, Laval University; Frédéric Cyr, Memorial University; El Mahdi Bendif, UQAR/ISMER; Simon Bélanger, UQAR; Zoe Finkel, Dalhousie University; Carolyn Buchwald, Dalhousie University; Heather Reader, Memorial University; Hugh MacIntyre, Dalhousie University; Sue Budge, Dalhousie University; Natalya Evans, Dalhousie University
- TCA staudents or Post-docs: Chris Latimer, Dalhousie University; Tia Anderlini, Dalhousie University; Gordon Lax, Dalhousie University; Kim Rouanet, UQAR
- Partners on French or Swiss proposals: Hélène Planquette, LEMAR; Claire Waelbroeck, LOCEAN; Bruno Lansard, LSCE; Samuel Jaccard, UNIL; Nuria Casacuberta, ETH Zurich; Lisa Bröder, ETH Zurich; Pieter van-Beek, LEGOS
- TCA collaborators: Stéphanie Kienast, Dalhousie University; Maxime Geoffroy, Memorial University; Frederic Maps, Laval University
- Other collaborators: Jay Cullen, University of Victoria