Biogeochemical and water chemistry measurements from freshwater inflows and fjord transects in Kongsfjorden, Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, July-August 2023
GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/02198
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Summary
Abstract:
This dataset contains biogeochemical and water chemistry measurements collected from freshwater inflows and fjord transects in Kongsfjorden, Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, during July-August 2023. The data include in situ physicochemical parameters, dissolved nutrients, dissolved organic matter properties, trace metals, particulate matter, greenhouse gases, and phytoplankton abundances. Sampling was conducted across 21 discrete freshwater sites, 5 salinity transects, and additional fjord stations influenced by glacial and non-glacial inputs. Samples were collected using standardised field protocols and analysed using a range of laboratory techniques including flow cytometry, spectrophotometry, ICP-MS/OES, gas chromatography, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The dataset was generated as part of the BIOPOLE project to investigate how nutrient fluxes from polar regions influence global carbon cycling and primary productivity. Data were collected and processed by a multidisciplinary research team during the first BIOPOLE polar campaign.
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), BIOPOLE National Capability Multicentre Round 2, Grant number: NE/W004933/1.
Keywords:
Arctic biogeochemistry, Kongsfjorden, dissolved organic matter, freshwater inflows, nutrient cycling
Citation
Grant, A., Callaghan, N., Armstrong, L., Arrowsmith, C., Barry, C., Bowes, M., Eades, L., Evans, C., Fournier, I., Hendry, K., Lofts, S., Mawji, E., Nicholls, D., O'Brien, A., Olszewska, J., Pickard, A., Tandy, S., & Spears, B. (2026). Biogeochemical and water chemistry measurements from freshwater inflows and fjord transects in Kongsfjorden, Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, July-August 2023 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/1c8fb7fb-aa2d-467e-bff4-66b93cc033ac
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Constraints
| Access Constraints: | Under embargo until publication of associated manuscript. |
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| Use Constraints: | These data are governed by the NERC data policy http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/sites/data/policy/ and supplied under Open Government Licence v.3 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/. |
Basic Information
| Creation Date: | 2026-05-01 |
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| Dataset Progress: | Complete |
| Dataset Language: | English |
| ISO Topic Categories: |
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| Parameters: |
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| Personnel: | |
| Name | UK Polar Data Centre |
| Role(s) | Metadata Author |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Name | Alanna L Grant |
| Role(s) | Investigator, Technical Contact |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Nathan Callaghan |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Linda K Armstrong |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Carol Arrowsmith |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | British Geological Survey |
| Name | Christopher Barry |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Michael J Bowes |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Lorna J Eades |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Name | Christopher Evans |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Isabelle Fournier |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Katharine R Hendry |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Name | Stephen Lofts |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Edward Mawji |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | National Oceanography Centre |
| Name | David Nicholls |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Alex O'Brien |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Justyna P Olszewska |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Amy E Pickard |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Susan Tandy |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Name | Bryan M Spears |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology |
| Parent Dataset: | N/A |
Additional Information
| Reference: | Hendry, K., Arrowsmith, C., Bowes, M., Callaghan, N., Fournier, I., Grant, A., Lofts, S., Mawji, E., O'Brien, A., Olszewska, J., Pickard, A., Spears, B. (2023). BIOPOLE Cookbook: Parameters and analysis V5. January 2023. https://biopole.ac.uk/fieldwork/biopole-cookbook/. | |
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| Quality: | Data quality was ensured through rigorous calibration and quality control procedures. Field instruments were regularly calibrated using certified standards (e.g. pH buffers, conductivity standards). Laboratory analyses included the use of blanks, replicates, and certified reference materials (e.g. KANSO nutrient standards). Analytical precision and accuracy were verified through repeated measurements and comparison with certified values. Detection limits are specified for many variables, with values below detection limits indicated accordingly. Missing values are recorded as "NA", indicating either no sample collected or unreliable measurements due to instrument uncertainty. CO2 data were excluded due to known instrument uncertainty. |
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| Lineage/Methodology: | Water samples were collected from freshwater inflows, salinity transects, and fjord stations in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, between 7 July and 3 August 2023. Sampling locations included glacial and non-glacial sources, as well as marine transects across the fjord. Bulk water samples were collected in acid-washed HDPE containers and subsampled for a range of chemical and biological analyses. More details are available in the supplementary dataset supporting information document. In situ measurements of pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature were recorded using a calibrated multimeter. Dissolved greenhouse gases were collected using the headspace equilibration method. Laboratory processing included filtration, preservation, and storage under controlled conditions (refrigeration or freezing depending on analyte). Analytical techniques included: - Flow cytometry for phytoplankton enumeration - Gran titration for alkalinity - ICP-MS and ICP-OES for trace metals and major ions - Continuous flow analysis for nutrients - UV-Vis spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectroscopy for dissolved organic matter - Gas chromatography for CH4 and N2O - Isotope ratio mass spectrometry for delta 18O - Gravimetric and colorimetric methods for particulate matter and chlorophyll Data processing included calibration against certified reference materials, blank corrections, and standardised analytical protocols. |
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Locality
| Temporal Coverage: | |
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| Start Date | 2023-07-07 |
| End Date | 2023-08-03 |
| Spatial Coverage: | |
| Latitude | |
| Southernmost | 78.87953 |
| Northernmost | 79.04894 |
| Longitude | |
| Westernmost | 11.4267 |
| Easternmost | 12.5666 |
| Altitude | |
| Min Altitude | N/A |
| Max Altitude | N/A |
| Depth | |
| Min Depth | surface, 5 m, 30 m, near bottom |
| Max Depth | N/A |
| Location: | |
| Location | Arctic |
| Detailed Location | Kongsfjorden |
| Location | Arctic |
| Detailed Location | Ny-Alesund |
| Location | Arctic |
| Detailed Location | Spitsbergen |
| Location | Arctic |
| Detailed Location | Svalbard |
Instrumentation
| Data Collection: | - HACH HQ4300 Portable Multimeter (pH, conductivity, DO) - Niskin bottles (2.5 L and 10 L) - Beckman-Coulter Gallios flow cytometer - Metrohm titration system (Gran alkalinity) - Agilent 8900 ICP-MS/MS - Perkin Elmer Optima 8300 ICP-OES - Seal Analytical QuAAtro 39 segmented flow analyser - SEAL Auto Analyser 500 - Dionex ICS1100 ion chromatograph - Cary 60 UV-Vis spectrophotometer - Cary Eclipse fluorescence spectrophotometer - Agilent 7890B gas chromatograph - Isoprime 100 isotope ratio mass spectrometer - R software (v4.4.0) with staRdom (v1.1.8) |
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Storage
| Data Storage: | The dataset consists of a single (csv, 108 KB) file containing structured tabular data. The file includes sampling metadata, field measurements, and laboratory analytical results across >180 variables. Data are organised by sampling site, with clearly defined column headings, units, and descriptions. Further details on sampling are available in the supporting documents (pdf, 862 KB and txt, 9KB). |
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