Antonia Thielecke, M.Sc.

PhD Kanditatin

There are different types of phytoplankton in the Arctic, the ones that require silicic acid to grow (Diatoms) and the ones that only need nitrate and phosphate (Phaeocystis).
With climate change, besides melting sea ice and more light being available for phytoplankton to grow, a decline in available silicic acid has been observed.
To study the Silicic Acid Decline effects on the Arctic Marine ecosystem the researchers from @marccis_lab are doing an experiment at the harbor in Ny-Ålesund (SiDe EFFECT Project) in which they filled 8 bags/mesocosms with natural phytoplankton communities from Kongsfjord and they provide them with different amounts of nutrients to see how they react. Every two days they sample the phytoplankton community to study its composition and productivity and every second day they add nutrients and massage/mix the mesocosms.
The results of this experiment will help to elucidate the fate of the Arctic ecosystem under climate change.
Field work @marccis_lab with @mar_polar @horizon_kim18 @arcticantonia and Lena Eggers — SiDeEFFECT - Ny-Ålesund 2024 (Foto: Esther Horvath)

Titel der Dissertation: Response of Arctic phytoplankton to declining silicic acid

Titel der Masterarbeit: Where will harp seals go when the climate changes? - Changes in extent of suitable habitat for harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) at the end of the 21st century due to climate-driven changes in basic environmental parameters.

antonia.thielecke@awi.de

Alfred Wegener Institut
Am Handelshafen 12
27570 Bremerhaven

E-1015