Mira Hughes
BA Environmental Science and Art
Study Abroad Program in Svalbard
Looking back at the photos I took this summer over study abroad, I still can’t believe that I had the opportunity to go to the arctic. The photos I took document my field studies sampling water and conducting vegetation surveys, boat excursions and long hikes to places that you can only reach on foot in Svalbard. I collected images rigorously, feeling a sense of urgency that this place may not look the same if I were to ever come here again. Here I was, standing within the arctic circle, 800 miles from the north pole with my class, and we were here to study the ecosystems that we had been learning about for a little over a week. I never thought I would do something like this. I will forever be in awe with the things I saw, and I could not be more grateful to have had this experience.
Thanks to the Arctic Internship Fellowship, I took an arctic ecology class through the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) taught by Sanne Moedt. I obtained first-hand experience conducting field work in the Arctic studying marine fjord and terrestrial ecosystems, focusing on producers and 1st level consumers. For five days, I lived in the arctic, exploring by boat and on foot, and taking in everything I possibly could.
Our first field day, we explored the fjord around Longyearbyen, learning about seabirds and observing marine organisms as we made our way to glacier, where we would take water samples. I remember thinking that I never thought there would be so many birds! Many bird species migrate to the arctic during the summers to breed. There are fewer predators and less competition for food. From the boat, we learned to identify birds as they flew by. I was captivated by sea birds call guillemot that we observed nesting on cliffsides along the fjord. On the land underneath their nesting sites, vegetation thrived, because the guillemot carries nutrients from sea to land through their droppings. The bright color green of the hillside was striking against the landscape around it, dark gray and brown exposed soil and rock. When we made it to the glacier, we began our sampling. The glacier was marine terminating, meaning that it ends over the water. This creates conditions that allows for sediments to flow into the water. The composition of the water is also different in this area, since the fresh glacier water is less dense that the salt water, creating a nutrient elevator in the water column that allows for these nutrients to rise. We used nets to collect samples of phytoplankton and zooplankton and measured water clarity, pH, salinity, and temperature. As our boats settled, the birds returned, feeding off the zooplankton in the water. It was incredibly interesting to see how productive this environment is, making it so important to the health of the fjord ecosystem.
On our second field day, we hiked around 16 km to a herd of walruses, documenting the species of plants we saw and collecting water samples on the way while exploring the arctic tundra. It was a dramatic scene: we hiked across flat terrain, dappled with wetlands and polygon patterns - an area that had once been the sea floor. In the background, a sharp-peaked mountain loomed over us. We made our way to the walruses, walking pass massive whale bones, evidence of the whaling practices that occurred on the archipelago for over 200 years. Further along, we also passed old trapper cabins, from the fur trading years on Svalbard. Then, we made it to the walruses. Around 50 walruses lay on the shore together, staying warm. Older walruses with long tusks lay in the middle, the warmest area of the pile, while younger walruses had to work their way in. It was so interesting to observe this seniority dynamic. They rolled around and sat up, stretching their necks to look over at us. As we watched them, we learned about the layer of blubber fat, and adaptation that helps keep them warm in the harsh arctic conditions.
On our third field day, we hiked a mountain to observe vegetation changes. We stopped at three locations: at the bottom, halfway up, and on top of the mountain to survey and identify the plants as the conditions became more extreme. The vegetation became smaller as elevation increased up the mountain, where the wind was stronger and the cold temperatures became more bitter. We found fewer species as we hiked up the mountain, finding only a few moss and lichen species at the summit. We observed adaptations that allow plants to tolerate the harsh conditions of the arctic, such as cushion plants, that grow in the shape of a dome to help retain heat. Moss champion is one example that we found everywhere across Svalbard, turning the landscape purple with its flowers. During our hike, we came also across sunken patches of land where permafrost had melted on top of the mountain, another indicator of how climate change is dramatically impacting the arctic. It was shocking to see these visible changes that I had read about in news articles and scientific journals.
Every moment in Svalbard felt special: Observing species that I had studied in the classroom in Copenhagen out in the field, feeling the wind on my face at the top of a mountain, looking out into the distance where ice sheets are visible over the mountain ranges. It was an emotional experience for me, to bear witness a place that is warming faster than any other place on Earth, to learn about the histories of extraction, and study how food chains are set off balance due to climate change. The Arctic Internship Fellowship allowed me to completely immerse myself in the arctic environment and changed the way that I think about arctic ecosystems.
Romir Jha
BS in Anthropology
Study Abroad Program in Svalbard
Receiving the Arctic Fellowship Award was immensely supportive in advancing my educational goals. Studying abroad in Copenhagen and Svalbard this summer was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I will undoubtedly carry with me what I learned in my future academic endeavors.
The combination of classroom and field experience was especially exciting. In Copenhagen, we spent two weeks learning in the classroom and field (locally) about the Arctic, from the glacial landscapes, terrestrial and marine wildlife, geopolitical history and current affairs, human actions, changing definitions of the arctic, and the lasting impacts of colonialism on indigenous people. Though my course focused primarily on Svalbard and the High Arctic, I also gained a broader understanding through an interdisciplinary lens of contemporary arctic issues across the globe. In class, after each lecture, we would participate in either an open discussion, or a problem-solving activity in groups. Sometimes we’d be presented with ecological questions, such as cascading impacts on food webs, but other times, we’d discuss policy, social science, or humanities focused scenarios. I most enjoyed our case-study day focused on incorporating and collaborating with indigenous voices in complicated decisions related to climate change, such as policies on hunting, research, and more. We also learned from policy experts about the contemporary issues surrounding Svalbard, as it is uniquely home to no indigenous people, is demilitarized, and is open economic access to all countries on the Arctic Council (Canada, Denmark, United States of America, Russia, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) despite being Norwegian territory. Tensions are especially high given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the Trump administration's agenda focused on Greenland. Svalbard is also primarily inhabited by students and researchers, raising questions about what kinds of regulations should, or shouldn’t be put in place. It is also home to many Thai and Filipino immigrants, who I’ve learned have faced prejudice and disparities in access to healthcare. I am curious to learn more about this. I was not previously aware, to the level of detail I now am, of the complex political and social landscape that will decide so much of the Arctic’s future.
Beyond learning exciting knowledge about arctic ecosystems, I was forced to confront the ethics of humanity in the arctic, and our obligations to the life—both human and nonhuman—that it sustains. Contrary to how it is often depicted, the Arctic is not a desolate, unchanging, completely barren place, and in actuality, is extremely seasonal and lively. However, it is extremely vulnerable, considering it experiences more drastic temperature changes (sea ice melt and dark water combine for increased light absorption). Additionally, much of the wildlife is not used to people all around. Ecosystems are always reacting to human impact. It begs the question of whether arctic (and antarctic) tourism should happen at all. Though I believe research and education purposes feel more justified, it is still ethically ambiguous, and I am constantly questioning my own actions. These reflections are equally integral in the field of global health, where the who and why are deeply important. I feel very passionately that we have an obligation to protect our world, which means we must learn from our world. But, at the same time, we carry the same responsibility of minimizing our impact, which demands a delicate balance, and a deep intentionality, in our actions.
In Svalbard, I loved learning about the migratory birds + the Rock Ptarmigan, which is the sole year-round resident of the islands. I strongly believe that part of my promise to protect human life as a physician comes with the recognition that all life is equally valuable. The worthiness of life is not conditional, and immersing myself in other beings’ world in Svalbard forced me to challenge the human tendency to to hierarchize life and suffering, whether it’s devaluing certain human suffering relative to others, or placing human life above other forms of life. I know I will carry my reflections from my experience with me during my thesis this fall, and forever. I hope to make the arctic a region of focus in my career in global health, medicine, and anthropology.
