Project Background

 

OVERVIEW   BACKGROUND   SUMMARY   SCOPE OF WORK


Image Credit

The Arctic is warming faster than any other region on Earth (approximately 3.4°F from 1949-2007) resulting in changing seasonality and precipitation patterns leading to alterations in above ground vegetation, permafrost integrity and summer sea ice extents. Many of these ecosystem changes are occurring in at-risk zones where military contaminants have been and/or continue to be deposited (yellow dots).

There are considerable gaps in our knowledge of indigenous microbial community compositions, potential catabolic activities, and the relationships that exist between above ground vegetation and subsurface landscapes. Incomplete knowledge of the degradation capabilities of indigenous Arctic microbiota currently limits the ability to manage the risk of contaminants in this austere, remote environment.