ARISE- Arctic isotopes and seals

The ARISE project is looking at how environmental change affects Arctic food webs. We will use novel biological markers or ‘biomarkers’ present in phytoplankton and zooplankton at the base of the food chain and Arctic seals at the top of the food chain. The biomarkers will allow us to understand how well these parts of the food chain are connected and the extent to which the environment is altering the food chain as the Arctic climate changes. The data we collect during the project will contribute to larger datasets collected by our international collaborators across the Arctic. We will use output from statistical and biogeochemical models to assess how much change has occurred in the food webs across the Arctic and the reasons for the change.