Organic contaminants are stored in animals fat deposits. They are transferred from prey to predator and biomagnification yields highest contaminant levels in animals on the top of the food web. Changes in air- and ocean temperature may lead to increased transport of contaminants to the Arctic, thereby altere the levels of contaminants in animals, and subsequently the effects in wildlife.

COPOL examines how climate affects exposure, uptake and effects of human-made contaminants in the Arctic marine food web.

Uptake, distribution and uptake of organic contaminant and mercury in animals is predicted to be affected by changes in climatic parameters. In polar bear and glaucous gulls, high levels of contaminants are found, along with effects on both individual specimens and on the population.

COPOL (Contaminants in Polar Regions: Dynamic range of contaminants in polar marine ecosystems) is an international project aiming to study and compare uptake and transfer of contaminants in food webs representing different water masses (Arctic and Atlantic). The Norwegian part of COPOL is a collaboration between research institutes associated to the Polar Environmental Centre (POMI), Oslo Centre for Interdisciplinary Environmental and Social Research (CIENS) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

COPOL will focus on Kongsfjorden on Svalbard. In a collaboration with an ongoing project on climate and ecology (MariClim) 3 cruises will be carried out in Kongsfjorden in 2007 and one cruise in the following two years. COPOL will in collaboration with the University studies on Svalbard arrange courses in contaminants for students on Svalbard. In collaboration with IPY Youth (Norway) COPOL intends to brung pupils and teachers along on cruises and fieldwork in Kongsfjorden.

An important task for COPOL - Norway is to document the range of concentrations and profiles of contaminants in the food web, both during the year, and between years. COPOL is organised in 4 work packages looking into:

1) Uptake and transfer of POPs and Hg in pelagic and bemthic marine food webs.

2) Uptake and effects of POPs and Hg in seabirds and ringed seals.

3) Chemical analyses. Legacy POPs, emerging POPs and mercury.

4) Synthesis and integration

The project will increase our understanding on how contaminants are transported and taken up in polar marine food webs. Knowledge from COPOL will also contribute to document effects of contaminant on wildlife in a changing environment.

For more information, contact us at copol@copol.net