International Research Network LittoARC
Funded by CNRS Ecologie & Environnement (2026-2030)
From Land to Sea: How Terrigenous Fluxes Are Reshaping the Coastal Arctic Ocean
The land-sea continuum is a transitional zone connecting continental and marine domains, forming a complex network of interconnected ecosystems. It thus serves as a true hub of interactions between the geosphere and the biosphere. What makes it particularly unique in the Arctic are its interactions with the surface and subsurface cryosphere (snow, ice). Under the influence of global warming, which is amplified in the Arctic, the properties of the cryosphere, continents, and ocean are undergoing profound changes. These changes, in turn, alter the functioning of the continuum, with major regional implications for sea ice formation, ocean stratification, heat fluxes, the underwater light regime, nutrient and matter inputs, and marine ecosystems. Permafrost-rich coasts (which store ancient carbon that can be rapidly degraded), glacier/fjord interfaces, and deltas and estuaries are therefore key areas for coastal biogeochemistry, ecosystem functioning, health (pollutants), and society (subsistence fishing). Yet, the effects of these changes remain largely underestimated in large-scale numerical models, due to often inadequate spatial scales and a lack of observations in these land-sea interface zones. To address this, this International Research Network funded by CNRS Ecologie & Environnement aims to coordinate the efforts of seven internationally recognized laboratories (France, USA, Canada, Germany, Netherlands) working on the Arctic, in order to accelerate the development of advanced coastal models integrating ocean/ice/biogeochemistry/diversity interactions at very high spatial resolution, in synergy with field observations and satellite data.
The land-sea continuum is a transitional zone connecting continental and marine domains, forming a complex network of interconnected ecosystems. It thus serves as a true hub of interactions between the geosphere and the biosphere. What makes it particularly unique in the Arctic are its interactions with the surface and subsurface cryosphere (snow, ice). Under the influence of global warming, which is amplified in the Arctic, the properties of the cryosphere, continents, and ocean are undergoing profound changes. These changes, in turn, alter the functioning of the continuum, with major regional implications for sea ice formation, ocean stratification, heat fluxes, the underwater light regime, nutrient and matter inputs, and marine ecosystems. Permafrost-rich coasts (which store ancient carbon that can be rapidly degraded), glacier/fjord interfaces, and deltas and estuaries are therefore key areas for coastal biogeochemistry, ecosystem functioning, health (pollutants), and society (subsistence fishing). Yet, the effects of these changes remain largely underestimated in large-scale numerical models, due to often inadequate spatial scales and a lack of observations in these land-sea interface zones. To address this, this International Research Network funded by CNRS Ecologie & Environnement aims to coordinate the efforts of seven internationally recognized laboratories (France, USA, Canada, Germany, Netherlands) working on the Arctic, in order to accelerate the development of advanced coastal models integrating ocean/ice/biogeochemistry/diversity interactions at very high spatial resolution, in synergy with field observations and satellite data.