The Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets cover over 10% of the Earth’s surface and export over 500 km3 of meltwater to the surrounding oceans annually. This accounts for around 25% of riverine discharge to the polar oceans. This glacial runoff input to the ocean is predicted to increase in future decades as rising air temperatures enhance rates of ice sheet melting. Ocean water freshening and stratification, enhanced nearshore sedimentation and alterations in nutrient export from ice sheets are all likely consequences of increased meltwater fluxes. However, the impact of these changes upon on the productivity and biodiversity of marine ecosystems is poorly constrained at present.

Of particular relevance are recent data which demonstrate that glacially-exported meltwater is rich in highly bioavailable dissolved organic carbon and other major nutrients such as iron, phosphorus and nitrogen.  This is a direct consequence of microbial activity within the ice sheet, which accelerates chemical weathering and causes the bio-accumulation of organic matter.  Coastal marine ecosystems receiving direct meltwater inputs from the ice are therefore essentially “subsidised” by this glacial nutrient contribution.

Changes in the fluxes and composition of dissolved and sediment-bound nutrients from the ice sheet have the potential to alter the productivity of neighbouring ocean ecosystems, which is often limited by the availability of these nutrients. Many polar coastal ecosystems have important socio-economic value via fisheries (e.g. krill and shrimp in seas bordering the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets). In both the Southern Ocean and North Atlantic, the productivity of phytoplankton on the surface of the ocean draws down CO2 from the atmosphere and they have an important regulatory effect on global climate.  The addition of glacially-sourced nutrients to the ocean via icebergs and runoff may be important in altering marine primary productivity and hence, influencing climate via their effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide.

‌While these concepts are becoming established, there is currently poor understanding of:

1. The nature and magnitude of the impact of glacially exported runoff and associated nutrients upon both the productivity and biodiversity of marine ecosystems in the polar and sub-polar oceans.
2. The response of coastal marine productivity and biodiversity to rising meltwater fluxes from ice sheets in future decades;
3. The wider significance of these impacts, both for global climate and the future health of fish stocks in glacially-fed oceans.

This project used an interdisciplinary team of experts in Glaciology, Engineering, Oceanography and Social Sciences to look at the impact of enhanced ice sheet melting upon glacially-fed oceans. These were Jemma Wadham (Geographical Sciences), co-applicants Fanny Monteiro, Sandra Arndt, Mark Jackson, Martyn Tranter, Jonathan Bamber, Johanna Laybourn-Parry, Alex Anesio (Geographical Sciences), Stephen Burrow and Elizabeth Bagshaw (Aerospace Engineering).

From the funding, a one day themed inter-disciplinary workshop focusing on ice sheet - ocean biological interactions and socio-economic consequences was held and included presentations on specified topics across the disciplines of science, engineering and social science in addition to scoping activities and proposal planning (January, 2013).

The project also established Greenland field sites and collaborations with the aim to establish two new marine field sites at the margins of the Greenland Ice Sheet in Spring 2013 and the collecting of pilot data to support a subsequent NERC Large Grant proposal.  Pilot data included the collection of phytoplankton species data, measure nutrient concentrations in runoff, and establishing satellite data coverage. A new collaboration with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (Nuuk, W Greenland) was established and was vital to increasing the strength of follow-on funding bids.