The programme was initiated in 2005 and comprises a consecutive monthly dataset of pelagic physical, chemical and biological parameters along with seasonal recordings of sea ice, benthic flux, fauna and flora, marine mammals and seabirds in Godthåbsfjord. The programme aims to link physiochemical conditions, marine production, re-mineralization, benthic-pelagic exchange and species abundance and composition with climatic forcing in Godthåbsfjord in a long-term perspective.

Satellite monitoring of sea ice conditions showed a prolonged maximum sea ice extent in Baffin Bay and a more extensive sea ice cover in parts of Godthåbsfjord during winter 2007/2008, compared to the two previous years. Nevertheless, minimum sea ice cover was as previously still observed in July/August in 2008 throughout the region. The ice cover in Baffin Bay is influenced by the West Greenland Current, which conveys warm water masses northwards.

Monthly monitoring of hydrographical conditions, at the main station near the entrance to Godthåbsfjord, showed a stratification of the water column lasting until May. Moreover, the annual monitoring at the length section conducted in May showed an inflow of coastal waters protruding as a sub-surface layer towards the inner parts of the fjord. Similar to the two previous years, release of melt water and heating of surface waters during the summer produced a fresher and warmer surface layer, thus reflecting a seaward export of freshwater along the northern coastline (Akia). This surface layer also sustains the highest phytoplankton biomass recorded throughout the year. Seasonally the phytoplankton biomass show two distinctive peaks occurring in May and July-September, which generally coincide with two separate bloom events in pelagic primary production. The pelagic primary production in summer depletes the different nutrients in the surface layer to varying degrees.

The complete dataset since 2005 of surface water pCO2 shows levels consistently below the atmospheric content, indicating that Godthåbsfjord is a strong CO2 sink. Moreover, surface pCO2 levels declines towards the head of the fjord, reflecting a potentially increasing CO2 uptake in surface waters along the fjord.

Vertical sinking flux of particulate material, measured monthly, showed a low organic material content dominated by lithogenic material. Although sinking fluxes of total particulate material show no clear seasonal patterns, sinking of phytoplankton based material coincided with the two distinctive peaks in phytoplankton biomass. Re-mineralization of organic matter in the sediment can be estimated by the oxygen flux, with the lowest rates generally observed in winter and highest rates in late summer/early autumn.

The phytoplankton community was dominated by diatoms throughout the year, except during the spring bloom in May/June when Phaeocystis sp. (Haptophyceae) dominated. The most abundant phytoplankton species observed throughout the year are typical species of arctic coastal waters.

Similar to the previous years, the zooplankton community showed a seasonal succession seemingly following the life cycle of copepods, with the abundance of eggs, nauplii and copepods peaking in that order. Microsetella sp. remained the most abundant copepod species throughout the year, except in June when Calanus spp. and Oithona spp. dominated.

The highest abundance of ichthyoplankton (fish larvae) was observed in March, with sand eel dominating from March to July followed by capelin in July/August. Cod larvae were only present in low numbers throughout the year, and at all stations along the length sections of the fjord. Furthermore, the species composition of ichthyoplankton along the fjord changed between the length sections conducted in May and July/August.

Monitoring of crab and shrimp larvae was included in the MarineBasis programme for the first time in 2008, although data was obtained from ichthyoplankton samples collected in 2006-2008. In 2006 and 2007, the highest abundance of crab and shrimp larvae occurred in May, while only low numbers were found in 2008. Shrimp larvae dominated from March to July, followed by snow crab in August and sand crab in September/October during 2008. Along the length sections sampled in May 2006-2008, shrimp larvae dominated on the shelf slope, sand crab on Fyllas Banke, while both sand crab and snow crab were more abundant than shrimp larvae at the entrance to the fjord.

The physiological status of the two dominant benthic fauna species sea urchin Chlamys islandica and scallop Strongolycentros droebachiensis were studied in May 2007 and 2008. Indices of both species reflected a general reduction in their physiological fitness from 2007 to 2008.

The annual monitoring of the macroalgal community distribution showed that brown macroalga Agarum clathratum is the most widely distributed macroalgal species in the fjord, although other species are abundant. The annual monitoring of the macroalgal species Laminaria longicruris showed a similar annual blade production in 2007 and 2008.

Seabirds are annually monitored at different locations in and around Godthåbsfjord. Qeqertannguit showed a decrease in the number of breeding kittiwake and arctic tern from 2006 and 2007 to 2008. In parallel, Nunngarussuit showed a lower number of guillemots in 2008 than in 2006 and 2007.

Observations of humpback whales were conducted from May to October overlooking a cross-section of the entrance to Godthåbsfjord. Fewer whales were observed in 2008 than in 2007, although most were sighted between June and August in both years. Photo-ID indicates that the humpback whales are moving in and out of Godthåbsfjord during the season, thus representing an ‘open population’.