DC1 ALESSANDRO CUZZERI OCTOBER 24 - MARCH 25
Months 19-21 (October - December 2024): Participation in the Tawani 2025 Lake Untersee Expedition, Antarctica (Oct – Dec 2024).
November 2024: Tawani 2025 Lake Untersee Expedition, Antarctica. Sampling and preliminary sample preparation procedures. Biostatistical analyses for own paper (Intra-seasonal trends of cryoconite bacterial communities on an Alpine Glacier).
December 2024: Tawani 2025 Lake Untersee Expedition, Antarctica. Sampling and preliminary sample preparation procedures. Biostatistic analyses for own paper (Intra-seasonal trends of cryoconite bacterial communities on an Alpine Glacier).
Month 22 (January 2025): Data analysis planning for Antarctica samples in collaboration with Team Anesio and drafting of policy brief on “Geotextiles on Alpine glaciers: science-driven recommendations and good practices”.
February 2025)– Total-RNA pipeline setup for upcoming analyses on local HPC cluster. Biostatistical analyses and beginning of drafting of own paper (Intra-seasonal trends of cryoconite bacterial communities on an Alpine Glacier).
Month 24 (March 2025) – Drafting of deliverable “An estimation of the microbial biomass and activity originating from the atmosphere and deposited on glacier surfaces”. Sequencing and bioinformatics of samples from 2023 Antarctica expedition..
DC6 KLARA KOHLER NOVEMBER 24 - APRIL 25
At the beginning of November, I attended the Nordic Branch Meeting, an annual conference of the Scandinavian branch of the International Glaciological Society (IGS). In mid-November, I had my midterm evaluation, which included a 45- minute presentation about my work and the status of my PhD, followed by approximately one hour of questions from my external examiner, Professor Kate Hendry (Ocean Climate Scientist at the British Antarctic Survey).
In December, I carried out the first round of a crushing experiments with sediment samples from Ilulissat, Greenland, and measured the difference in concentration of nutrients (N, P, Si, Fe) released into solution from the crushed and non- crushed sediments. At the end of December, I visited the GFZ in Potsdam, Germany, for a week to carry out XRD measurements on these crushed and uncrushed sediment samples.
At the beginning of January, I attended the Greenland Ice Sheet Seminar at our Risø Campus in Roskilde, Denmark. For the rest of the month I concentrated on organising and preparing the lab experiments that I started at the end of January.
In February, I spent most of the days in the lab. I started a time series on the nutrient dynamics between glacier sediments and pore water, measuring how the concentrations of N, P, Si and Fe change over time between dissolved in the pore water and available at the sediment surface. This time series will last about six months. In mid-February, I also attended the PhD Bundle Meeting, a meeting for all PhD students and supervisors in our department; this year's topic was “Insights and Reflections on the PhD Experience.”
In March I continued lab work. I continued working on the time series and conducted a second crushing experiment, where I crushed sediments and measured the concentration of released nutrients from the sediment into solution. For this experiment I used glacial sediments that I collected in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland in the summer of 2024. I also took care of the preparations for my fieldwork in September and October this year, for which I had to pack and ship all the equipment I need for the expedition.
In April, I started processing the data from this year's lab work. At the end of April, I attended the EGU Conference in Vienna, Austria, together with other PhD students from our IceBio network. At the conference, I gave a talk about my research topic, glacial flour, and how it serves as a nutrient source for the subglacial and downstream environment.
DC7 MARCO AJMAR JAN 25 - June 25
Month 18 (January 2025): I started writing my PhD transfer report and prepared sampling gears for Svalbard fieldwork.
Month 19 (February 2025): I measured dissolved silica, phosphate and alkalinity of Iceland 2024 river water samples. I also carried out ICP-OES analyses of the same river samples plus snow and ice samples from Svalbard 2023 fieldwork. I analysed and processed all data gathered during lab-work.
Month 20 (March 2025): I finished writing my PhD transfer report and prepared its presentation. I also set up a suitable power source for nutrient sensor deployment. I then tested phosphate and nitrate sensors in a lake in Potsdam and started packing for the Iceland fieldwork in April.
Month 21 (April 2025): After presenting my PhD transfer report, I completed fieldwork packing and preparation. From 09/04 to 17/04 I was on secondment/fieldwork in Iceland near the Langjokull glacier. We deployed for five days in a glacial river (Hvita) nitrate, phosphate and dissolved silica sensors from ClearWater Sensors, alongside pH, turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and dissolved organic matter sensors. We also sampled the glacial river from the glacier to the fjord for both inorganic and organic dissolved nutrients.
Month 22 (May 2025): I conducted a three week long secondment at Aarhus University for low level dissolved P and N species analysis on samples from Svalbard 2025 and Greenland 2024 fieldworks. I did DNA extractions (together with DC5 Anirban Majumder) of samples from Iceland 2024 and Svalbard 2025 fieldwork.
Month 23 (June 2025) I was on secondment (with DC6 Klara Koehler) at ClearWater Sensors in Southampton for sensors testing, maintenance and deployment planning. We processed data obtained during the secondment at Aarhus University and started packing for the August Summer fieldwork. I also completed a draft of the nutrient sensors deliverable
DC8 SILJE WAALER FEBruary 25 - JULY 25
Month 19 (Feb. 2025): I went to the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge to undertake the analysis of DSi collected in Svalbard and mainland Norway as well as sequential extraction on sediments from Kongsfjorden. This involved learning how to operate a SEAL AA500 Segmented Flow Analyser and adjust to accommodate matrix of seawater.
Month 20 (March 2025): I focused on analysing data retrieved through my visit at BAS and NTNU. Moreover, I looked into the CTD data retrieved from our field campaigns in Kongsfjorden using a RStudio script provided by NPI researcher Allison Bailey.
Month 21 (April 2025): The work conducted in March continued into April. Time was also spent on planning out my upcoming secondment at AU in May.
Month 22 (May 2025): I made a thorough plan for my secondment at AU and read up on literature related to the topic. Half way into May went to AU and started extracting DNA from my samples. Moreover, I also did amplicon sequencing for 16s in collaboration Assistant Prof. Thanassis Zervas.
Month 23 (June 2025): I continued the work on microbial molecular techniques as part of my secondment at AU. Moreover, I started doing qPCR on target genes involved with nitrogen cycling. During my secondment at AU, I also started writing on my introduction and method section for my first paper.
Month 24 (July 2025): I went back to AU despite my secondment being over, to conduct my dissolution experiment at AU in collaboration with ICEBIO DC Klara Koehler and Postdoc. Beatriz Gill Olivas. In this period, I also worked on my deliverable for ICEBIO on glacial flours ability to increase crop yield.
