Det marine økosystem af Ilulissat Isfjord, Grønland

• Main Author: Schiøtt, Sascha
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Greenland; Ilulissat; Isfjord; Kujalleq; Qasigiannguit; glacier; Grønland; Ilimanaq; Sermeq Kujalleq
• Online Access: https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/the-marine-ecosystem-of-ilulissat-icefjord-greenland(6d4f678b-548f-4584-823e-74d1a928a936).html; https://pure.au.dk/ws/files/318450019/Sascha_Schi_tt_PhD_Thesis_final_adj.pdf

Ilulissat Icefjord has been an important fishing and hunting ground for local hunters and fishers for many centuries and still is today. The Sermeq Kujalleq glacier in the main fjord of the Icefjord, is the fastest and most productive glacier, regarding icebergs, in Greenland. Climate change has already shown signs of changes in the ice conditions, local fishing strategies, as well as the presence of some species. This study is using different methods to investigate the marine ecosystem of Ilulissat Icefjord. Local knowledge is used as a baseline knowledge, and results from eDNA metabarcoding, oceanographic measurements, stomach content analysis of seals caught in the fjord system and a satellite tagging study of ringed seals caught in the fjord system are used to uncover some of the biological aspects of the fjord system. The thesis starts with an introduction followed by two published papers and one manuscript. The first paper presents the results from an interview survey conducted in Ilulissat, Ilimanaq and Qasigiannguit about Ilulissat Icefjord, while the second paper presents the results from an environmental DNA metabarcoding study of water samples collected inside the fjord system. The third paper is a manuscript on a satellite tagging study of ringed seals tagged in Ilulissat Icefjord, combined with the results from a stomach content analysis of seals caught in the fjord system.