PISCES: Patagonian Ice field Shrinkage impacts on Coastal and fjord EcosystemS
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Geographical Sciences
Abstract
Ocean basins across a large proportion of the Earth's surface receive substantial freshwater and sediment input from glaciers and ice sheets. This freshwater input is increasing and will continue to do so as rising air and ocean temperatures enhance rates of ice melting and stimulate the collapse of floating glacier tongues. This is true of glaciers draining the Patagonian Ice Fields, the largest ice mass in the Southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica, almost all of which have thinned and retreated in recent decades. The physical impacts of Patagonian meltwater discharge on the oceans are becoming better studied, driven by a need to predict future sea level rise and future water supply for human settlements. However, the biological dimension of this freshwater export, is poorly understood. Large fjord systems act as receiving waters for glacial runoff and ice discharge in Patagonia, and together with marine waters, boast highly productive ecosystems and associated fisheries. The impact of glacial freshwater inputs to these ecosystems is likely to be important for several reasons. First, inputs of dilute glacial meltwater create a stable stratified water column for phytoplankton growth, but simultaneously may reduce nutrient supplies from vertical mixing. Second, glacial runoff and icebergs likely act as "fertilisers", being rich in highly bioavailable dissolved organic matter and other major nutrients, such as iron, phosphorus, nitrogen and silicon. Last, the high suspended particulate matter load of glacial runoff is likely to have a dual effect, adding further nutrients but creating light limiting conditions for plankton within inner fjord systems. These impacts on downstream ecosystems are likely to intensify as glacial freshwaer fluxes rise. Key unknowns at present are: 1) the magnitude, character and timing of glacial nutrient and sediment delivery to Patagonian fjord ecosystems; 2) how these inputs may alter in a warming world; and 3) the sensitivity of downstream ecosystem productivity and biodiversity to such inputs. PISCES will test the hypothesis that Patagonian Ice Field FW fluxes have a natural fertilisation impact upon downstream fjord and marine productivity, via a combination of field-based research and biogeochemical modelling. PISCES will generate the first ice-to-ocean dataset of riverine nutrient fluxes and biological response across a broad latitudinal transect in Patagonia. This will provide an important utility for policy makers managing freshwater supply, quality, marine ecosystems and fisheries in the region.
Planned Impact
We anticipate that PISCES will make a major impact on the current state of science of ice-ocean biogeochemical and biological interaction. There are three main groups of beneficiaries and we will disseminate findings of the research project to these groups in the following ways
1) Scientific research communities: there will a clear interest in the outputs of this project across a wide range of scientific disciplines. The final project meeting to be held in Chile (Huinay) will be organized as a workshop on "Terrestrial nutrient cycling in the past/present and impacts on downstream ecosystems" and we will invite a range of key scientists in this field. After the second year of the project, we will host sessions on nutrient cycling and associated downstream impact in glaciated regions at large international conferences - e.g. AGU and Goldschmidt. This will provide an opportunity for members of the project to present project work to a large number of scientists, as well as inviting others to present/discuss their work. We also plan to set up exchange programmes between institutions. This will include exchange of undergraduate, masters and PhD students for short placements and summer fieldwork placements. In the long-term we will implement study abroad ties for undergraduate degree programmes. Similar schemes have already been successfully executed in Bristol with European, North American and antipodean institutions by Co-I Anesio.
2) Policy makers: there is currently a great scientific and societal need to predict how changes in glaciated regions will impact downstream hydrology and biology. The University of Bristol's Cabot Institute (http://www.bris.ac.uk/cabot/) was established to ensure societally relevant environmental research could be linked and embedded within the social sciences, with an aim of influencing stakeholders. All the Bristol members of this project are affiliated members of Cabot Institute. We will look to leverage use of the working links that the institute has in place with the Government Office for Science, the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group, the Environment Agency and the Met Office to ensure the policy implications of our work are well read. Additionally, members of this project are active contributors to the UK Polar Partnerships Committee (Tranter sits on the committee), APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Researchers, Hawkings) and the UK Polar Network (Hawkings), and SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research; Wadham). These bodies also have connections to national and international policy makers.
3) General public: A key component of this project will be a branded website to advertise the project and communicate activates to stake holders. The website will be set up in Chile and will host information about PISCES, a live web blog, regular short video updates from the scientists, and links to partner institutions. The website will also host a "Portal to Patagonia", which will provide a media heavy background to this remote, diverse and unspoilt wilderness of outstanding natural beauty. It will be aimed at providing accessible information on the region for school children. We anticipate this will be a valuable teaching resource. A number of PISCES project members have experience with the production of short films for outreach purposes. We aim to make a short (5-10 minute) mini-documentary for 12-16 year olds with a preliminary title of "Understanding the secrets of Patagonia". We will also have regularly updated YouTube, Twitter and Facebook accounts working alongside the website.
1) Scientific research communities: there will a clear interest in the outputs of this project across a wide range of scientific disciplines. The final project meeting to be held in Chile (Huinay) will be organized as a workshop on "Terrestrial nutrient cycling in the past/present and impacts on downstream ecosystems" and we will invite a range of key scientists in this field. After the second year of the project, we will host sessions on nutrient cycling and associated downstream impact in glaciated regions at large international conferences - e.g. AGU and Goldschmidt. This will provide an opportunity for members of the project to present project work to a large number of scientists, as well as inviting others to present/discuss their work. We also plan to set up exchange programmes between institutions. This will include exchange of undergraduate, masters and PhD students for short placements and summer fieldwork placements. In the long-term we will implement study abroad ties for undergraduate degree programmes. Similar schemes have already been successfully executed in Bristol with European, North American and antipodean institutions by Co-I Anesio.
2) Policy makers: there is currently a great scientific and societal need to predict how changes in glaciated regions will impact downstream hydrology and biology. The University of Bristol's Cabot Institute (http://www.bris.ac.uk/cabot/) was established to ensure societally relevant environmental research could be linked and embedded within the social sciences, with an aim of influencing stakeholders. All the Bristol members of this project are affiliated members of Cabot Institute. We will look to leverage use of the working links that the institute has in place with the Government Office for Science, the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group, the Environment Agency and the Met Office to ensure the policy implications of our work are well read. Additionally, members of this project are active contributors to the UK Polar Partnerships Committee (Tranter sits on the committee), APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Researchers, Hawkings) and the UK Polar Network (Hawkings), and SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research; Wadham). These bodies also have connections to national and international policy makers.
3) General public: A key component of this project will be a branded website to advertise the project and communicate activates to stake holders. The website will be set up in Chile and will host information about PISCES, a live web blog, regular short video updates from the scientists, and links to partner institutions. The website will also host a "Portal to Patagonia", which will provide a media heavy background to this remote, diverse and unspoilt wilderness of outstanding natural beauty. It will be aimed at providing accessible information on the region for school children. We anticipate this will be a valuable teaching resource. A number of PISCES project members have experience with the production of short films for outreach purposes. We aim to make a short (5-10 minute) mini-documentary for 12-16 year olds with a preliminary title of "Understanding the secrets of Patagonia". We will also have regularly updated YouTube, Twitter and Facebook accounts working alongside the website.
Publications

Marshall M
(2021)
Seasonal Changes in Dissolved Organic Matter Composition in a Patagonian Fjord Affected by Glacier Melt Inputs
in Frontiers in Marine Science

Ng HC
(2022)
Benthic Dissolved Silicon and Iron Cycling at Glaciated Patagonian Fjord Heads.
in Global biogeochemical cycles

Piret L
(2020)
High-resolution fjord sediment record of a receding glacier with growing intermediate proglacial lake (Steffen Fjord, Chilean Patagonia)
in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

Pryer H
(2020)
The Effects of Glacial Cover on Riverine Silicon Isotope Compositions in Chilean Patagonia
in Frontiers in Earth Science

Pryer HV
(2020)
The Influence of Glacial Cover on Riverine Silicon and Iron Exports in Chilean Patagonia.
in Global biogeochemical cycles

Raiswell R
(2018)
Iron in Glacial Systems: Speciation, Reactivity, Freezing Behavior, and Alteration During Transport
in Frontiers in Earth Science

Villalobos V
(2021)
Depth-Dependent Diversity Patterns of Rocky Subtidal Macrobenthic Communities Along a Temperate Fjord in Northern Chilean Patagonia
in Frontiers in Marine Science

Wadham JL
(2019)
Ice sheets matter for the global carbon cycle.
in Nature communications
Title | Appearance on French National TV documentary on Patagonia |
Description | The PISCES field team were a central part of a French TV documentary about changing Patagonian ecosystems. This is now planned for international release. We hosted a TV team at the field camp in 2017, during which we participated in filming. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Impact | Public Engagement - dissemination of project results |
Title | Contribution to BBC4 documentary on Icebergs |
Description | Jemma Wadham was a core participant in a BBC4 documentary that aired in autumn 2017 on Icebergs. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Impact | High viewing ratings, re-release several months later due to popularity. |
Description | Patagonian glaciers have a fundamental influence on the fjord and marine system off the coast of Chile Glaciers in general deliver a distinct suite of nutrients to downstream environments via riverine discharge, which differ from non glacial rivers. |
Exploitation Route | To be completed later in the project |
Sectors | Environment |
Description | A follow on project has been funded in Chile to advance project findings. This is in collaboration with chilean scientists, with the goal of determining controls upon the productivity of chilean fjords, particularly in relation to the negative effects of salmon farming in the region. |
First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
Sector | Environment |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
Description | CASCADA - Toxin or Treat? |
Amount | £439,965 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/S013288/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2019 |
End | 12/2022 |
Title | Observational data and model output for sediment nutrient cycling at Patagonian fjords |
Description | Glacier meltwater supplies a significant amount of silicon (Si) and iron (Fe) sourced from weathered bedrock to downstream ecosystems. However, the extent to which these essential nutrients reach the ocean is regulated by the nature of the benthic cycling of dissolved Si and Fe within fjord systems, given the rapid deposition of reactive particulate fractions at fjord heads. The dataset is used to examine the benthic cycling of the two nutrients at Patagonian fjord heads through geochemical analyses of sediment pore waters and reaction-transport modeling for Si. The dataset contains: (i) pore water redox-sensitive nitrate (NO3-) and dissolved manganese (dMn) concentration data, nutrient dissolved silicon (DSi) and iron (dFe) concentration and isotope data (delta30 Si, delta56 Fe); (ii) mild alkaline leachable (Si-Alk) and acid leachable (Si-HCl) sediment silica content and isotope data; and (iii) reaction transport model output for the benthic cycling of Si. The pore water and sediment samples were collected from four sites: SJ (48.228o S, 73.502o W, 106 m depth), SH (47.679 S, 73.715 W, 203 m depth), SP (48.179 S, 73.347 W, 248 m depth) and SB (47.787 S, 73.610 W, 151 m depth) in the Baker-Martinez Fjord Complex on the research vessel Sur-Austral in February 2017. Funded by NERC-CONICYT grant NE/P003133/1-PII20150106. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01647 |
Description | Collaboration with Chilean research institutions |
Organisation | Research Center of Patagonian Ecosystems (CIEP) |
Country | Chile |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | CIEP - Giovani Daneri - contributed technology for monitoring of the impact of salmon farming in chilean fjords on the fjord ecosystem and water quality. |
Collaborator Contribution | CIEP provided in kind support for the fieldwork in Chile, they also have provided valuable expertise and support for fieldwork in Chilean Patagonia via this programme. |
Impact | Early stages. Disciplines - marine biology, fluvial hydrology, wireless sensing, unmanned autonomous vehicles |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Changing Patagonian Ecosystems Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Keynote lecture by Jemma Wadham on Project PISCES. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Documentary about melting Patagonian Ice French National News |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Field team in Patagonia participated in French National documentary |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Interview on Chilean National News |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Jemma Wadham gave a public lecture in Chile in August 2017, she also was interviewed on Chilean National News. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Jon Hawkings (PDRA) interviewed on regional news (Southern Chile) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Jon Hawkings, the lead PDRA on the PISCES project, was interviewed about the project on regional Chilean news. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Keynote public lecture |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited keynote at Congresso Futura - invitation by Senate of Chile |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Keynote talk at Changing Patagonian Ecosystems International conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | J.L. Wadham and J. Hawkings gave a presentation of project results at this international meeting, and discussed with regional stakeholder the impact of changing ice impact on downstream ecosystems in Patagonia |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Oral presentation at Goldschmidt Conference 2019 (Barcelona) by Pryer, Marshall and Hawkings |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Jon Hawkings et al presentation at Goldschmidt 2019 (The influence of glacier cover on trace metal input and cycling in Patagonian fjords) Helena Pryer et al presentation at Goldschmidt 2019 (Glacial cover affects Si and Fe exports from rivers in Chilean Patagonia) Marshall et al resentation at Goldschmidt 2019 (Variations in composition and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in glacially-fed river catchments in Chilean Patagonia) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Oral presentation at Ocean Sciences Meeting, USA |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Hawkings presentation at The AGU Ocean Science Meeting 2020 (The influence of glacier cover on iron cycling in Patagonian fjords) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Public Engagement with book launch |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Publication of Ice Rivers by Jemma Wadham (Penguin Press) - for a wide audience. News articles in New Scientist, The Conversation, Financial Times, Vogue Magazine, national newspapers, and podcasts/talks by Radio 4, World Economic Forum, World Bank, The Guardian, NHK Japan, ABC news Australia |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |