Tag Archives: Phytoplankton

Diatoms and silica: a shell of glass

It was to study diatoms, the microalgae that dominate phytoplankton blooms, that the “silica and diatom” team came to Qikiqtarjuaq. To follow the evolution of the phytoplankton bloom, successive Green Edge teams focused their efforts on measuring how fast diatoms form silica shells (frustules) and the rate at which the frustules dissolve. Aude Leynaert  was the first to reach the ice camp on May 5, 2016. A month later, Véronique Cornet-Barthaux and Morgane Gallinari took over! Justine Legras, Bernard Quéguiner and Brivaela Moriceau are the last to arrive at the camp!

Continue reading Diatoms and silica: a shell of glass

The dark side of ice coring

Ice coring, a central activity at the Ice Camp

One of the major habitats GreenEdge researchers are studying is the sea-ice. We are interested in its optical, physical and chemical features, as well as the life it supports. As such, one of the essential activities at the ice camp is the ice coring. We actually spend the full morning coring the entire ice thickness (which currently varies from 1.15 m to 1.50 m at the study site) with different cores (14.5 and 9 cm diameters) for different purposes, i.e. measurement of temperature and salinity gradients, nutrient content, chlorophyll a biomass, spectral properties, microbial genetic diversity, etc.

Continue reading The dark side of ice coring

Scientists took up the challenge of “les 24 heures de Science”

Once again, the Takuvik Joint International Laboratory  rose to the challenge of the recent 24 heures de Science. With the participation of Québec-Océan, researchers and students volunteered for this event, sharing their knowledge witthe primary and secondary school students.

Continue reading Scientists took up the challenge of “les 24 heures de Science”