A research team from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) is now researching on board of the science and outreach sailing yacht Malizia Explorer how incoming Atlantic Water spreads through the Kangertittivaq fjord systems on the east coast of Greenland and how noises from ships affects underwater life in the fjord.
Greenland’s glaciers are retreating in part due to warming ocean waters entering the glacial fjords at subsurface levels and melting the glaciers. In East Greenland, the warming subsurface waters originate from the North Atlantic Current (and ultimately from the Gulf Stream), recirculating in Fram Strait and spreading over the Greenland shelf toward the glacial fjords. However, the extent of the Atlantic Water’s influence varies: “Our research has shown that the warming of these so-called Atlantic Water is not occurring gradually; rather, there are strong warming and cooling cycles superimposed on the long-term trends”, says Martina Zapponini from the AWI. The climate modeler is co-leading the expedition on board of the Malizia Explorer that brings them to the Kangertittivaq system – the largest fjord system in the world. “Recent observations show that the Atlantic Water here markedly cooled after 2018 and have been in a cold phase since, possibly reaching a turning point toward warmer conditions in 2024.”
Over the next weeks, the team will collect data to map the spread and evolution of Atlantic Water in Kangertittivaq, including whether its recent cold phase is shifting, as well as the outflow of fresh glacier meltwater from the fjord system to the shelf. Evidence from numerical model simulations and remote sensing suggests that semi-permanent eddies at the fjord mouth are responsible for exchanging ocean waters between the shelf and the fjord. Eddies are circular moving water masses, which vary in sizes from only a few meters to several kilometers. They can extend from the surface to the seabed, mix the water layers and thereby effect the local ecosystem. The team will therefore survey the circulation regime at the fjord mouth to investigate the eddies' existence and geometry.
In a second project, the AWI-team will focus on the underwater soundscape: “We will collect passive acoustic monitoring data to characterise ambient underwater sound conditions, especially the vessel activity in the fjord”, says Dr. Svenja Wöhle from AWI’s ocean acoustics group and co-leader of the expedition. “Underwater noise caused by humans is increasingly recognized as an important environmental pressure in marine ecosystems, particularly for acoustically sensitive animals such as marine mammals and fish.” In Arctic fjord systems such as Kangertittivaq additional anthropogenic noise inputs from vessel traffic may therefore have effects on animals that are adapted to silent conditions.
“Polar cruise tourism has expanded rapidly in recent years, increasing vessel presence in these remote environments”, says Svenja Wöhle. “In this context, we aim to collect acoustic data both in the absence of cruise vessels and during encounters with different types of cruise vessels.” Combined with available Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, the researchers seek to link observed sound levels to vessel presence, type, distance, and operational mode to assess how tourism-related vessel traffic contributes to spatial and temporal variability in the underwater soundscape of the fjord system.
About the Malizia Explorer
The scientific research will be carried out aboard the Malizia Explorer, a robust 85-foot sailing yacht purpose-built for long-range, low-emission ocean expeditions, including to shallow areas and polar regions. Team Malizia, an international offshore racing team committed to inspiring ambitious climate action since 2018, has collaborated closely with the AWI for many years. Through this partnership, the team has collected valuable ocean data from remote regions using an autonomous laboratory aboard its racing yacht. Building on this long-standing commitment to ocean science, Team Malizia expanded its research activities in 2025 with the launch of the Malizia Explorer, a second sailing vessel dedicated to ocean research, education, and outreach. The vessel provides scientific institutions and research groups with the opportunity to conduct research at sea. It is equipped with scientific equipment and space for up to eight researchers and their materials.
