Field work reports

Status report 2023

Between 21-24 th of August 2023 the reconaissance survey for the project have been completed from the r/v OCEANIa in Isfjorden area. We have checked seven locations, in the outer and inner Isfjorden, collecting photos of the coast (driftwood) and manually collecting macroplastic on the 100 m long units of the shore.

The localities visited:
placelatitudelongitudenotephoto
Wilkinsbukta 78°12.319’ N 13°09.054 E four plastic transects  
Tryghamna 78°15.537’ N 13°46.475 E three plastic transects  
Randvika 78°03.692’ N 13°37.644 E six plastic transects  
Fredheim 78°21.315’ N 16°55.938 E five plastic transecs  
Bjonapynten 78°23.115’ N 16°50.900 E five plastic transecs  
Tunabreen 78°25.735’ N 17o22.498 E five plastic transecs  
Gipsvika 78°25.621’ N 16°35.729 E eight plastic transecs  


Status report 2024

Between 15th and 30th August 2024 four groups were collected data for the project in the field.

Fig. 1 Sampling stations maps



Sampling stations and route covered by boat team North West Spitsbergen
18-26th August 2024, RIS 12284


Sampling stations covered by team
South Spitsbergen 12-17th August 2024


Sampling stations covered
by team East Spitsbergen
15-30th August 2024


Gammarus species distribution:
blue G.setosus
yellow G. oceanicus

Table 1. Data from sampling on NW Spitsbergen coast.

nr place name latitude longitude GPS
nr
day hour coast type plastic count area Mytilus - living Fucus Littorina Gamm.
oceanicus %
Gamm.
setosus %
remarks photo
1 Grahuken hytte 79.47.274 14.27.421 55 2024.08.18 07.03 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone 0 100  
2 Grahuken Tip 79.48.045 14.32.019 56 2024.08.18 10.15 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x 3 97  
3 Grahuken E 79.47.833 14.32.602 57 2024.08.18 10.37. flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x  
4 Bangehuk 79.48.455 15.37.562 59 2024.08.18 14.23 steep stony beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x  
5 Velkomspynten E 79.51.549. 13.51.778 60 2024.08.19 09.26 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x 7 93 number of Ascophyllum fronds drifted ashore  
6 Velkomspynten Tip 79.51.682 13.51.595 61 2024.08.19 10.10 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x  
7 Velkomspynten W 79.52.632 13.43.855 62 2024.08.19 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x  
8 Velkomspynten WW 79.52.343 13.41.918 63 2024.08.19 12.37 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x  
9 Biskayarhuken E 79.55.006 12.22.751 64 2024.08.20 14.20 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x walruses 2 ind. Haul out  
10 Biskayarhuken
- Lingbukta
79.50.009 12.22.741 65 2024.08.20 14.25 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x Mytilus on fishing box  
11 Raudfjordhytta 79.44.581 12.12.065 66 2024.08.20 15.41 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x Ivory gull at the hut  
12 Flathuken 79.50.463 11.47.449 67 2024.08.21 09.55 steep stony beach with boulders 100m along dift zone x x 91 9  
13 Hundneset 79.48.321 11.50.844 69 2024.08.21 10.25 steep stony beach with boulders 100m along dift zone x x 25 75  
14 Raudfjord
- Snotinden
79.45.037 11.55.865 70 2024.08.21 12.30 sandy beach with boulders 100m along dift zone x  
15 Fuglefjorden
skjerra
79.46.719 11.27.458 71 2024.08.22 11.05 high skjerra, rocky walls 100m along dift zone x x 19 81  
16 Fuglepynten 79.46.936 11.12.874 72 2024.08.22 11.46 steep stony beach with boulders 100m along dift zone x  
17 Smeerenbukta 79.44.711 10.57.756 73 2024.08.22 12.45 sandy beach with boulders 1 m2 series of photos  
18 Smeerenburgodden 79.44.055 10.58.893 79 2024.08.22 13.37 sandy beach with boulders 100m along dift zone  
19 Bjornhamna 79.38.449 10.58.974 80 2024.08.22 14.37 steep stony beach 100m along dift zone x  
20 Gravnesoden 79.33.637 11.02.065 81 2024.08.23 07.17 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x 26 74  
21 Alkekongen beach camp 79.34.311 11.03.934 82 2024.08.23 08.25 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x 52 48  
22 Hamburgbukta S shore 79.31.575 10.41.637 83 2024.08.24 09.18 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x x x 97 3 Phoca vitulina 8-11 ind.  
23 Hamburgbukta N shore 79.31.895 10.43.222 85 2024.08.24 13.18 flat, gravel and stones beach with low skjerra 100m along dift zone x polar bear moving S alongshore  
24 Magdalenafjorden
- Methenbreen
79.33.558 11.13.195 86 2024.08.25 10.25 steep stony beach with boulders 100m along dift zone x 40 60  
25 Magdalenafjorden
- Alkebreen
79.33.875 11.09.688 87 2024.08.25 12.23 steep stony beach with boulders 100m along dift zone x peat sample  
26 Magdalenafjorden
- Gullybukta
79.33.462 79.33.558 88 2024.08.25 16.12 sandy beach with boulders 100m along dift zone walruses 11-12 ind. Haul out  
27 Hamburgbukta
open sea shore
79.31.686 10.40.173 83A 2024.08.24 11.30 steep stony beach with boulders, rocky walls 100m along dift zone x peat sample  
46 Hornbaeckbukta 1
Kaffioyra
78.40,869 11.49,971 0 100
47 Hornbaeckbukta 2
Kaffioyra
78.40,869 11.49,971 0 100
48 Hornbaeckbukta 3
Kaffioyra
78.40,869 11.49,971 0 100
49 Hornbaeckbukta 4
Kaffioyra
78.40,869 11.49,971 0 100
50 Woodfjorden 2
Oceania
79.6,522' 14.03,767' 0 100
51 Woodfjorden 6
Oceania
79.6,522' 14.03,767' 56 44
52 Woodfjorden 7
Oceania
79.6,522' 14.03,767' 0 100
53 Woodfjorden 9
Oceania
79.6,522' 14.03,767' 0 100
54 Woodfjorden 11
Oceania
79.6,522' 14.03,767' 0 100

North West Spitsbergen team, operated from yacht r/v OCEANIA and two zodiac boats collected 27 sampling stations (see the map and the table).
Team consisted of: Jan Marcin Węsławski, Lech Kotwicki, Jakub Witek, Marcin Górski and Błażej Kotwicki.

Table 2. Data from sampling on South Spitsbergen coast.

nrplace namelatitudelongitudeGPS
nr
dayhourcoast typeplastic count areaMytilus - livingFucusLittorinaGamm.
oceanicus %
Gamm.
setosus %
remarksphoto
28 Sorkappoya Sorkappvatnet W 76° 27.995'16° 34.241' 2024.08.12 flat, stony beach 10 areas 10 x 15 m, four photos each x  
29 Sorkappoya Sorkappvatnet E 76° 28.164'16° 35.045' 2024.08.12 flat, gravel, stony beach with skjerra 10 areas 10 x 15 m, four photos each 4 x  
30 Sorkappoya 76° 27.866'16° 34.613' 2024.08.12 flat, stony beach none x 9010  
31 Palffyodden 76° 53.906'15° 31.162' 2024.08.15 skjerra with stony beach none x 1000  
32 Hyttevika 77° 02.910'15° 08.317' 2024.08.17 flat stony beach with skjerra none x 95 5  

South Spitsbergen team operated with the support of yacht Ocean B, and one zodiac team consisted of Ryszard Siwecki, Adam Siwecki and Paweł Paździor.

Table 3. Data from sampling on East Spitsbergen coast.

nrplace namelatitudelongitudeGPS
nr
dayhourcoast typeplastic count areaMytilus - livingFucusLittorinaGamm.
oceanicus %
Gamm.
setosus %
remarksphoto
33 Hambergbukta (Spits. East) N 77°02’19’’ E 17°04’38’’ 2024.08.20 low moraine beach, sand, gravel, stones3 (100 x 20m) freshwater outfloiw  
34 Russebukta (Edgeøya) N 77°35’16’’ E 21°00’05’’ 2024.08.21 low gravel beach, rocks 100 x 30m x 0 100skjerra  
35 Diskobukta (Edgeøya) N 77°49’24’’ E 21°21’44’’ 2024.08.22 low, gravel and stony beach 2 (100 x 10m) no driftwood  
36 Kapp Waldburg (Barentsøya) N 78°15’31’’ E 21°56’13’’ 2024.08.23 low gravel beach 100 x 10m strong currents  
37 Kapp Waldburg (Barentsøya) N 78°15’44’’ E 22°03’49’’ 2024.08.23 narrow, low, initial stony beach 0 100 no driftwood, strong currents  
38 Sundbukta (Barentsøya)N 78°13’08’’ E 20°59’31’’ 2024.08.24 low, gravel and stony beach 3 (10 x 100m) 0 100  
39 Anderssonbukta (Barentsøya)N 78°18’50’’ E 20°37’27’’ 2024.08.25 low, gravel and stony beach 100 x 5m x narrow driftline  
40 Edlundhamna (Spits. East)N 78°37’17’’ E 20°00’39’’ 2024.08.26 low, boulder, sand and stony beach 100 x 10m 0100  
41 Kapp Weyprecht (Spits. East)N 78°53’39’’ E 20°53’20’’ 2024.08.27 low, boulder, sand and stony beach 100 x 20m 0 100  
42 Straumslandet (Spits. East)N 78°41’02’’ E 21°06’47’’ 2024.08.28 long narrow bay, low driftwood
43 Von Otterøya (Hinlopen Straits)N 79°15'04" E 19°59'42" 2024.08.26 stony beach 2 (100 x 20m) 0100  
44Murchisonfjorden (Nordaustlandet)N 79°55'29" E 18°10'23" 2024.08.27 narrow, sand and gravel beach no driftwood  
45 Verlegenhuken (Spits. North)N 80°02'57" E 16°11'18" 2024.08.28 low, sand and gravel beach 2 (100 x 30m) 694lots of driftwood  

East Spitsbergen team operated with the support of yacht Ocean A, and collection was performed by Maciej Chełchowski between 15-30th August 2024.
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