Questions addressed:
- Are there novel species not yet formally described? Which?
- Are any species endemic for the Arctic, and what are their geographical distribution?
- Under which environmental conditions do they occur?
- How does the protist community composition vary through the seasons in the Atlantic Arctic Ocean?
- Can we detect changes in species composition and distribution compared to the past 30 years or more?
- If so what are these changes, and what are possible consequences?
Hypotheses:
- Protist communities in the Arctic Ocean are unique, and include taxa endemic for the Arctic.
- There are novel protist species that have not yet been formally described in the Arctic Ocean and sea ice.
- The geographical distribution of selected protists in the Arctic Ocean has changed the last 30-100 years.