Kobbefjord Research Station
The Kobbefjord Research Station is located in Kobbefjord/ Kangerluarssunguaq (64°07’ N, 51°21’ W) ca. 20km south-east of Nuuk in low Arctic West Greenland. The station aims to facilitate ecosystem research in a low Arctic setting. This is done by providing facilities and logistics for accommodation, transport to and from the site as well as providing access to a range of biological and physical data from e.g., the long-term monitoring program Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring (GEM). The GEM site in Nuuk/Kobbefjord was initiated in 2005 and fully implemented by 2008. The station is managed by the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.
The station
The station has four buildings: 1) a building with kitchen, dining room, lab room and toilet (with shower), 2) accommodation building with up to eight people under roof. Tents can be set up if needed, 3) storage building mainly for GEM personnel, though the sample fridge can be used by all projects, and 4) generator hut with the battery bank for the solar panel system as well as generators if needed. Access to the station is arranged by contacting the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Katrine Raundrup (kara@natur.gl). More information can be found in the Kobbefjord site manual.
The monitoring area
The Kobbefjord monitoring area (corresponding to the area allotment) is approx. 32 km2 located at the bottom of Kangerluarssunguaq/Kobbefjord. The area is characterised by three major valleys surrounded by steep hills reaching approx. 1300 m.
The area is often used as a recreational site by locals during weekends and holidays. In order to minimise human impact and prevent disturbances to the study area, researchers visiting the area must give the utmost consideration to the natural environment and to the interests of others working in the area. Hence, disturbance of soil and plants must be kept to a minimum. Researchers are also strongly encouraged to use walking tracks whenever possible.
GEM programmes running at the station
MarineBasis – though the programme mainly operates in Nuup Kangerlua.
International cooperation
The monitoring taking place at the station provide data to relevant stakeholders both nationally and internationally. These include e.g., AMAP and CAFF as well as several international scientific networks including ITEX, ICOS, POLARIN, INPA, and GAPS.
Education
Due to its location only approx. 30 minutes by boat from Nuuk the station is an ideal location for visiting students (high school and university), teachers, and researchers. Especially the students get direct access to a low arctic setting where they can do their own experiments and compare (and include) the results with data from the long-term monitoring programs making their studies relevant in a larger perspective.
See also the high school educational material (in Danish and Greenlandic) based on data from Kobbefjord: Virtuel rejse i arktiske økosystemer - dyk ned i klimaforandringerne .
For further information about the GEM Monitoring Programme please contact the programme managers or the GEM secretariat at g-e-m.dk.
