Microbial Warning Signs from the Arctic: Tracking Antibiotic Resistance in Adventfjorden
- 12:15 – 13:00
- the Nash auditorium, VilVite
Abstract
The Arctic ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to climate change and pollution. Rapid climate change, increasing human activity, and long-range transport of pollutants are exposing these fragile ecosystems to new and unexpected pressures. Some of the most important indicators of these changes are invisible to the naked eye: microorganisms that drive essential ecosystem processes and respond rapidly to environmental disturbance.
In a recent study of sediments from Adventfjorden, Svalbard, we discovered surprisingly high levels of antibiotic resistance genes, revealing a hidden and poorly understood threat in the High Arctic. These genes can be spread by resistant bacteria and may serve as indicators of both environmental change and human influence. This lecture explores the emerging challenge of antibiotic resistance in Arctic environments and highlights how microbial communities can provide early warning signals of environmental change. I will argue that coordinated microbial monitoring should become an integral part of Arctic observing systems, helping us better understand, protect, and manage rapidly changing Arctic ecosystems.
