Exploring DOC in Greenland: Six Months of Discovery Report
- Enrico Braglia
- Nov 10
- 2 min read
By the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) — Supported by Augmentum
The Arctic is changing faster than almost anywhere else on Earth. Glaciers are melting, fjords are reshaping, and new flows of nutrients are transforming marine ecosystems. Over the past six months, the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) team has been working to understand how carbon moves through this fragile environment — and what that means for life in Greenland’s fjords.
Setting Sail for Greenland
In mid-2025, researchers from NOC joined the MY Akula expedition (https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/540434/) to explore the coastal waters and fjords of Greenland. Their goal: to study the links between dissolved organic carbon (DOC), phytoplankton, and bacteria, and to understand how melting glaciers shape these relationships.
The team sampled three fjords — one in East Greenland and two in the southwest — collecting data on temperature, salinity, nutrients, and organic matter from 22 stations. Harsh weather forced the cancellation of one planned site, but the mission overall was a success.
Early Findings
Back at NOC, scientists began analysing samples and found clear differences between fjords fed by marine-terminating glaciers and those fed by land-terminating glaciers.
Chlorophyll-a (a marker of phytoplankton) was higher in the southwest fjords.
DOC concentrations peaked near glacial rivers, suggesting strong inputs from melting ice.
Water layers showed sharp stratification, with cold, fresh water near the surface and saltier Atlantic water below.
Using fluorescence spectroscopy and PARAFAC modelling, the team identified five distinct types of dissolved organic compounds — each revealing clues about whether the carbon originated from land, ocean life, or aged organic material.
Life Beneath the Surface
Images from the onboard PlanktoScope showed relatively low plankton abundance, with communities dominated by dinoflagellates, diatoms, and Dinobryon. Land-terminating fjords hosted slightly more life, hinting at the influence of glacial runoff.
The next step is to match these visual observations with eDNA sequencing, which will identify the full diversity of microbes and plankton present.
Next Steps and Challenges
The team is now preparing for nutrient analysis and advanced imaging with the FlowCam system. A few reagent issues have delayed some tests, but sequencing and data integration are underway.
By early 2026, the researchers expect to publish their first scientific paper and present results at Greenland Science Week. The findings will also feed into the BIOPOLE project, which maps biological processes across polar regions.
Outlook
NOC’s Arctic Carbon project is an important step toward revealing how a warming climate is reshaping the Arctic’s carbon cycle was made possible by an Augmentum Grant and Akula Team.
To read more about NOC and artic :
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