Sampling at Kongsfjorden

27-28 June 2013

The field sampling campaign has started. Fortunately with nice weather: mostly sunny skies and not too strong winds. The first day we sampled organisms living in the sediments (shell fish and worms) from the harbour of Ny-Ålesund and surroundings. Both sediment and organisms will be used to assess contaminant concentrations. Buckets full of contaminated sediments were also collected to be used in Ariadna’s exposure study in the lab. The second day this procedure was repeated, only then at a clean reference site on the other side of the bay. The hard work was rewarded by the visit of a walrus, belugas and puffins to our boat and stunning views of ice blue coloured icebergs and magnificent glaciers. All samples are now safe and well in the freezer or cold room, awaiting further process.

Van  Veen Grab used for sampling of species
© Ruben Kocx

Ben and Ariadna working
in front of a glacier
© Bas Bolman