Station Facilities and Equipment

The Station offers a flexible environment from which to carry out your research. With new funding from NERC, the Station now has a suite of new equipment available to it’s users, in addition to the laboratory upgrade which took place in 2019. The funding also allowed for a full station refurbishment in 2021. Details of the new lab equipment and Station kit can be found below.

Please note, it is important to ensure you discuss all aspects of the station and availability of station equipment with the Station Manager before submitting your application. The section below provides further information about what facilities and equipment is available on base.

General

The Arctic Station is very well located in the Ny-Ålesund research village, where all central services, including the Kings Bay mess hall, is within walking distance of the Station. There are bicycles available for use on local gravel tracks during the summer months if required and the Station has it’s own workboat to assist with marine research and deploying field teams outside of the village. The NERC Station has six single bedrooms which are free of charge. If the NERC station bedrooms are occupied additional bedrooms owned by the Kings Bay Company can be rented. Computers, with internet, situated in the main living area. Mobile phones do not work in Ny-Ålesund, but the station has a landline telephone for work and incoming personal calls. Skype is often the preferred method of communication, the web link is generally excellent.

Laboratories

Multipurpose facilities compose of four laboratory spaces:

Large main laboratory with wide benching and double sink. Suitable for use as laboratory or electronics workshop

Annex chemical laboratory with recirculating fume hood, Class II biological safety cabinet and oven

Wet laboratory with ultra pure water system, sink and benching

Dry laboratory with benching (balances and microscopes)

Associated office space and store of general laboratory consumables

Laboratory equipment available for sample preparation, preservation and basic analysis

Spark free laboratory fridges and chest freezers

Balances (2 d.p. and 4 d.p.)

Vacuum pumps

Oven and vacuum concentrator

Microscopes (multiple light field, including blue light)

BioSpectrometer (200-830nm; with µCuvette)

pH meter

Centrifuges, heat block mixer and vortex (for 1.5ml, 15ml & 50ml tubes)

Autoclave, steriliser, and microwave

Web ports available in the laboratory

General consumable stocks (lab plastics, sample bags, etc.) available on request

A full list of equipment installed in the labs can be found in the Station laboratory equipment list. Bringing up your own equipment is possible but  this must first be discussed with the Station Manager. If you do need  to access the laboratories during your time at the Station, please ensure you discuss with the Station Manager in the first instance.

Polar Cirkel Workboat

The Station has recently aquired a new Polar Cirkel Workboat which is 5.8m long, and can carry a max load of 1000kg and usually up to a maximum of 6 people depending on conditions in the fjord. It can safely access many areas around Kongsfjord. The workboat is also regularly deployed to transport field teams and their equipment to field sites further away from the base, for example, to Kvadehuken on the furthest tip of Kongsfjord.

Science Equipment

Innovative Marine Science Capability with recent purchase of a Deep Trekker REV Remotely Operated Vehicle with associated equipment and maintenance.

Enhanced Baseline Marine Sampling Capability

Installation of New Electronics and Engineering Support Facility

A small electric load carrying vehicle with trailer which will make transportation of equipment and science kit more manageable on gravel tracks in the village and the near vicinity.

Addition of  outreach digital communication facility

Field safety equipment available at the station

The following list provides an overview of some of the equipment on base. Please note, on arrival on base, the Station Manager will provide  a general safety briefing including the use of vhf radios.

For protection from attack by polar bear, individuals or groups must carry a NERC owned rifle and flare pistol outside the immediate station area. Those people who have elected to be the rifle bearers must attend a Kings Bay weapon course. The number of rifle bearers must be discussed with the Station Manager pre arrival in Ny-Alesund. Following Kings Bay training the NERC Station Manager will introduce the rifle bearers to the NERC station rifles and flare pistols and will assess their competance.