Polar Hands-On Laboratory
Toolik Lake, Alaska
Hands-On Science at Toolik
At Toolik Lake, fellows will team up with leading Arctic researchers to investigate cutting-edge issues of polar environmental change. This research spans terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the physical and biological sciences.
- What are the effects of changes in temperature and moisture on tundra vegetation and the feedbacks that lead to releases of the Arctic’s tremendous reserves of soil carbon to the atmosphere?
- What is the role of increased shrub and tree cover on the energy balance of tundra ecosystems and how will these changes feed backs to arctic and global climate?
- How much permafrost is disappearing and what are the consequences of increased thawing for Arctic nutrient cycles and vegetation?
- How will changing climate, soils and vegetation influence the movement of water and nutrients from tundra into Arctic’s pristine fresh waters?
- How will changes to climate, water runoff and nutrients affect populations of fish and other aquatic life in Arctic streams and rivers?
Fellows will participate in a one-week field course at the Toolik Field Station in which they will be guided by researchers from MBL and other institutions who conduct research in Northern Alaska. Each fellow will collect data, analyze samples in the laboratory, interpret scientific results and communicate results, to his or her course peers. Following the course, fellows will have a one-week period at Toolik during which they will have many opportunities to accompany and interview a wide range of Arctic scientists during the active summer field season.
What to Expect at Toolik Lake
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