Abstract

Arctic fjords are rapidly becoming the focus of intense oceanographic activity, both physical and biological. The main sites of current research are the fjords in Svalbard and Greenland. The dynamics and exchanges of fjords are particularly important with respect to the delivery of heat to glacier fronts. There are also complex interactions on the adjacent shallow shelves that determine the input of oceanic waters to the fjords. Fjords are also recognised as sites for process based studies and this is particularly relevant to studying seasonality in biological systems. This talk will present examples of physical and biological research undertaken in arctic fjords demonstrating some of the key attributes and complexities of these coastal environments. It will include some very recent results from observational work undertaken during summer 2010 in southeast Greenland where we are starting to disentangle the complex dynamics of heat delivery to tidewater glaciers.