Svalbard Research Articles

Seasonality and interannual variability of an arctic marine time series, IsA

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet, in the European Arctic mainly driven by exalted Atlantic Water inflow. Microbial eukaryotes are diverse and essential to the functioning of marine ecosystems, thus environmental perturbations altering their communities influence the entire ecosystem. To study seasonal and interannual variation and the potential effects of Atlantification, a long-term marine time series has been established in Isfjorden-Adventfjorden (IsA), West Spitsbergen. We here present three years of high-resolution data including hydrography, nutrients, photosynthetic biomass, flow cytometry and community composition of microbial eukaryotes (0.45–10μm, based on Illumina metabarcoding of 18S rDNA and rRNA). The timing, magnitude and species composition of the spring bloom varied interannually, with the more Atlantic spring 2014 being distinctly different from the two other years. A strong recurring seasonal pattern was evident in biodiversity, cell abundances and community composition. Winter communities were characterized by high alpha diversity and very low cell numbers with a dominance of heterotrophic and parasitic taxa. Despite large intra- and interannual differences in communities during the productive time of the year, winter communities were always highly similar, suggesting that the polar night represents a strong environmental forcing that resets the microbial communities.

In-situ observations of gelatinous zooplankton aggregations in inshore and offshore Arctic waters

AbstractGelatinous zooplankton (GZ), play a crucial role in marine food webs, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration, however, quantifying their abundances remains challenging due to their delicate body structure, complex life cycles and variable population dynamics. Their tendency to form sporadic, large-scale aggregations further complicate the differentiation between true ecosystem alterations and stochastic variations in their abundance. In the Arctic Ocean, our understanding of GZ aggregations remains generally incomplete. Using in-situ observations from a towed pelagic camera system, we assessed the diversity and vertical distributions of GZ in fjord and offshore environments in northern Norway and the Svalbard archipelago. We found that Atlantic water masses harbored the highest GZ abundance, while intermediate waters showed the highest diversity. We documented dense aggregations of Beroe spp. in Van Mijenfjorden in Svalbard (observed during ascent of the camera system, not quantified in ind. m−3) and Bolinopsis infundibulum in the open Barents Sea (> 2.67 ind. m−3 at 100 m). Other observed taxa included the hydrozoans Aglantha digitale, Melicertum octocostatum, Solmundella bitentaculata, Pandeidae sp. and Physonectae spp., the scyphozoan Cyanea capillata and the ctenophores Mertensia ovum and Euplokamis sp. By linking the vertical distribution and observations of local aggregations with physical and biotic factors, we described the potential drivers of the distributional patterns observed. Towed camera surveys contribute to accurate in-situ observations, thereby improving our understanding of GZ aggregations and distributions in the Arctic Ocean.

Variability of inherent optical properties of seawater in relation to the concentration and composition of suspended particulate matter in the coastal Arctic waters of western Spitsbergen

Inherent optical properties (IOPs) and characteristics of suspended particles in surface seawater samples were measured in summer months of 2021 and 2022 in Arctic fjords and coastal waters of western Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. The measured IOPs included the spectral backscattering and scattering coefficients of suspended particulate matter, as well as the spectral absorption coefficients of suspended particulate matter and its non-algal particulate and phytoplankton components. The particulate assemblages were characterized by measuring the mass concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM), particulate organic matter (POM), particulate inorganic matter (PIM), and phytoplankton pigments including chlorophyll-a (Chla). The investigated coastal waters exhibit high variability of particulate characteristics and associated IOPs. We observed more than two orders of magnitude variation in SPM and particulate IOPs, and Chla varied from below the detection limit to more than 3 mg m−3. The contribution of organic fraction to SPM (POM/SPM ratio) varied from 0.05 to 0.6, and the Chla/SPM ratio spanned more than three orders of magnitude with a maximum value of the order of 10−3. As a result, the mass-specific optical coefficients, especially the mass-specific backscattering and scattering coefficients of particles and mass-specific absorption coefficient of non-algal particulate matter, exhibit large variations. In addition, our study demonstrates the influences of changes in composition of suspended particulate matter parameterized in terms of POM/SPM and Chla/SPM ratios on IOPs. Various variants of spectral parametrizations of optical coefficients in terms of univariate or multivariable relationships with particulate characteristics are provided. These parameterizations are representative of the investigated coastal Arctic waters in Svalbard region and can be used for better interpretation of optical measurements, both in-situ and remote, in this Arctic environment.

Emergence of Potential Anadromous Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus) Habitats in the Svalbard Archipelago After the End of the Little Ice Age

AbstractGlaciers in the Svalbard Archipelago are retreating rapidly in response to climate change. This retreat leads to the alteration of the hydrological and thermal regimes of freshwater ecosystems. In this delicate context, existing anadromous Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) populations are at severe risk and might disappear from the archipelago. However, the retreat of glaciers also promotes the formation of new lake systems that might be suitable for colonization by anadromous Arctic charr. These systems may provide a substantial opportunity for the establishment of new populations of anadromous charr, potentially buffering the decline in existing systems. To date, there is a lack of information on the number of recently deglaciated lake systems that have emerged since the end of the Little Ice Age (ca. 1920) that might be suitable for charr colonization. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to provide an initial assessment of the number of these lakes. To this end, and in accordance with previously published research, this study assesses whether a recently deglaciated lake system is potentially open to colonization based on gradient, river length, and lake surface area. Depending on the applied threshold (four in total), up to 24 lake systems are classified as potentially open to colonization by anadromous Arctic charr, with Spitsbergen emerging as a potential hotspot for colonization. The findings of this paper might serve as basis for new studies and for implementing proactive management and conservation strategies to protect anadromous charr populations.

Mastering Snow Analysis: Enhancing Sampling Techniques and Introducing ACF Extraction Method with Applications in Svalbard.

Semi-volatile organic contaminants (SVOCs) are known for their tendency to evaporate from source regions and undergo atmospheric transport to distant areas. Cold condensation intensifies dry deposition, particle deposition, and scavenging by snow and rain, allowing SVOCs to move from the atmosphere into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in alpine and polar regions. However, no standardized methods exist for the sampling, laboratory processing, and instrumental analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in snow. The lack of reference methods makes these steps highly variable and prone to errors. This study critically reviews the existing literature to highlight the key challenges in the sampling phase, aiming to develop a reliable, consistent, and easily reproducible technique. The goal is to simplify this crucial step of the analysis, allowing data to be shared more effectively through standardized methods, minimizing errors. Additionally, an innovative method for laboratory processing is introduced, which uses activated carbon fibers (ACFs) as adsorbents, streamlining the analysis process. The extraction method is applied to analyze polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides (α-HCH, γ-HCH, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDT, HCB, and PeCB). The entire procedure, from sampling to instrumental analysis, is subsequently tested on snow samples collected on the Svalbard Islands. To validate the efficiency of the new extraction system, quality control measures based on the EPA methods 1668B and 1699 for aqueous methods are employed. This study presents a new, reliable method that covers both sampling and lab analysis, tailored for detecting POPs in snow.

Socio-economic transformation follows environmental change on Svalbard

The European Arctic, which includes the Svalbard archipelago, is situated in one of the areas showing most notable changes due to global warming and associated cascade events and processes. The main driving factor, temperature rise, is continuing to cause a large-scale overall decline in ice, from glacier retreating, less coastal land-fast ice to thinning and shrinking of open-sea pack ice. This, together with increased inflow of Atlantic waters, is causing profound changes in the local fauna, food web and biodiversity. In parallel, changes in landscape are also notable, mainly due to increasing coastal erosion and glacial melt. Over the past decades, both the traditional hunting-trapping lifestyle and mining have declined almost to the point of non-existence. At the same time, destination tourism and scientific research have become the major industries, both associated with an increase in the size of the main settlement of Longyearbyen, and thus also service jobs and local administration. Along with the shrinking of the glaciated Arctic landscape, the archipelago exemplifies the broadest level of nature protection in Europe. Strict environmental regulations that restrict and even prohibit human activities in large areas contribute to Svalbard being one of the best formally protected wilderness environments in the entire Arctic. Thus, as Svalbard marine ecosystems continue to change, they also are becoming more accessible to humans, and so also anthropogenic pressures are both changing and increasing in extent. We provide a compilation of both ecosystem components and human activities, together with indications of how these are, in parallel, changing. This forms the basis for future ecosystem and societal valuation assessments.

On the terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate diversity of the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard: a revised species inventory and synopsis of the community composition

On the terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate diversity of the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard: a revised species inventory and synopsis of the community composition

Global quantification and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in oceans and seas: Anthropogenic impacts and regional variability

The global spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the marine environment poses a significant threat to public health and natural ecosystems. This study quantified and analysed the distribution and co-occurrence patterns of ARGs in a wide range of oceans and high seas, including the Atlantic, Arctic and Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. Focusing on beta-lactamases (blaOXA-48, blaCTX-M-1 group, and blaTEM), sulfonamides (sul1) and tetracycline (tetA), our results showed that sul1 was ubiquitous, indicating widespread dissemination. Notably, the Mediterranean Sea exhibited higher levels of multiple ARGs in single samples, suggesting significant anthropogenic impact. Interestingly, the Arctic Ocean, particularly around the Svalbard Islands, also showed the presence of multiple ARGs, highlighting the pervasive occurrence of antibiotic resistance in remote areas. We employed two clustering approaches to explore ARG patterns, primarily focusing on identifying geographic trends and differences in ARG abundance. Additionally, we investigated potential sources of contamination, including proximity to wastewater treatment plants, ports, marine traffic, and currents.These findings clearly demonstrate that antibiotic resistance gene contamination is widespread across diverse marine environments, with significant regional variations. This underscores the urgent need for tailored intervention strategies and global collaboration to mitigate the spread of ARGs and manage their complex dynamics in marine ecosystems.

Oceanographic monitoring in Hornsund fjord, Svalbard

Abstract. Several climate-driven processes take place in the Arctic fjords. These include ice–ocean interactions, biodiversity and ocean circulation pattern changes, and coastal erosion phenomena. Conducting long-term oceanographic monitoring in the Arctic fjords is, therefore, essential for better understanding and predicting global environmental shifts. Here we address this issue by introducing a new hydrographic dataset from Hornsund, a fjord located in the southwestern part of the Svalbard archipelago. Hydrographic properties have been monitored with vertical temperature, salinity and depth profiles in several locations across the Hornsund fjord from 2015 to 2023. From 2016 onward, dissolved oxygen and turbidity data are available for the majority of casts. The dataset contributes to the so far infrequent observations, especially in spring and autumn, and extends the observations, typically concentrated in the central fjord, to the areas adjacent to the tidewater glaciers. Because sediment discharge from glaciers and land is an inseparable part of the glacier–ocean interactions, the suspended sediment concentration in the water column and the daily sedimentation rate adjacent to the tidewater glaciers are monitored with regular water sampling and bottom-moored sediment traps. Here we present the planning and execution of the monitoring campaign from the collection of the data to the postprocessing methods. All datasets are publicly available in the repositories referred to in the “Data availability” section of this paper.

Dense Water Production in Storfjorden, Svalbard, From a 1‐Year Time Series of Observations and a Simple Model: Are Polynyas in a Warming Arctic Exporting Heat to the Deep Ocean?

AbstractThe formation of dense Brine‐enriched Shelf Water (BSW) in Storfjorden is analyzed during Winter 2016–2017 from mooring observations, a polynya model nudged to satellite observations, and an original BSW production model. The ice season was two months shorter than average, yet 44.2 of sea ice were formed, in line with estimates for the period preceding the atlantification of the Barents Sea in the mid‐2000s: A thinner, more fragile ice may favor polynya openings and frazil ice production. A saline specimen of BSW was produced in large volumes, corresponding to an annual mean transport of 0.042 Sv, larger than previous estimates. The important production is due to the preconditioning of the polynya with a more saline source water, exceeding the pre‐2005 values by 0.37. The BSW overflow was observed on the West Spitsbergen shelf slope from hydrographic sections down to 750 m, thus entering the Norwegian Sea Deep Water layer. Its core temperature was about C warmer than the pre‐2005 values owing to the entrainment of a warmer water in Storfjordrenna, suggesting that a part of the excess surface heat of the Barents Sea could be exported into the deep ocean. Overall our results suggest that dense water formation in the Storfjorden polynya may not, at least for now, be hampered by the atlantification of the Barents Sea, and perhaps even temporarily favored by the more saline source water. Anomalous atmospheric warming during the Winter‐Spring may however disrupt the production, as was observed 1 year before.

Investigating Arctic Permafrost Dynamics Using Electrical Resistivity Imaging and Borehole Measurement in Svalbard

This study utilized electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) to investigate subsurface characteristics near Nicolaus Copernicus University Polar Station on the western Spitsbergen-Kaffiøyra Plain island in the Svalbard archipelago. Surveys along two lines, LN (148 m) collected in 2022 and 2023, and ST (40 m) collected in 2023, were conducted to assess resistivity and its correlation with ground temperatures. The LN line revealed a 1- to 2-m-thick resistive unsaturated outwash sediment layer, potentially indicative of permafrost. Comparing the LN resistivity result between 2022 and 2023, a 600 Ohm.m decrease in the unsaturated active layer in 2023 was observed, attributed to a 5.8 °C temperature increase, suggesting a link to global warming. ERI along the ST line depicted resistivity, reaching its minimum at approximately 1.6 m, rising to over 200 Ohm.m at 4 m, and slightly decreasing to around 150 Ohm.m at 7 m. Temperature measurements from the ST line’s monitoring strongly confirmed that the active layer extends to around 1.6 m, with permafrost located at greater depths. Additionally, water content distribution in the ST line was estimated after temperature correction, revealing a groundwater depth of approximately 1.06 m, consistent with measurements from the S4 borehole on the ST line. This study provides valuable insights into Arctic subsurface dynamics, emphasizing the sensitivity of resistivity patterns to climate change and offering a comprehensive understanding of permafrost behavior in the region.

Stratigraphic Chronology and Mechanisms of Formation of Bottom Sediments at the Mouth of the Grøndalen River (Grøn-Fjord, West Spitsbergen) during the Period of Climatic Changes

Stratigraphic Chronology and Mechanisms of Formation of Bottom Sediments at the Mouth of the Grøndalen River (Grøn-Fjord, West Spitsbergen) during the Period of Climatic Changes

Source, bioavailability, and toxicity of metals in modern fjord sediments, west Spitsbergen, and their influence on sediment-associated biota

Metal contamination in the Arctic region has increased over the years despite its remote and isolated location. Thus, to evaluate the bioavailable fractions of various metals and their effects on sediment-associated biota, the surface sediments from the fjords were analyzed for bulk concentration of metals and their speciation in different fractions. Metals concentrations were higher in the inner fjord region and decreased towards the outer fjord, supported by the terrigenous influence (TI%) calculated. Cr and Pb showed higher excess values attributed to their additional source other than the catchment rocks. So, to assess the metal-related ecological risk, the bulk concentration of metals was compared with Arctic sediment quality guidelines (ASQGs). Cr, Cd, and Pb concentrations were high, indicating potential adverse biological effects in the study. To avoid the risk of overestimation, metal speciation was conducted, showing that overall metal concentrations were higher in the residual fraction; however, higher concentrations of Mn in labile phases pose a moderate risk to the sediment-associated biota. Additionally, the population density of foraminifera in the sediments was calculated to assess the influence of bioavailable metal on benthic foraminifera. It was found that the presence of metals in bioavailable fractions affected the abundance of the foraminifera. However, no morphological abnormalities were observed in the species.

Rethinking the exercise of sovereignty in the Anthropocene: From extraction to environmental protection in Arctic Svalbard

This paper explores the implications of the Anthropocene and its associated planetary awareness on the concept and exercise of sovereignty, particularly through the lens of the Svalbard Treaty. The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is not only a space undergoing rapid environmental change today, but its treaty-based governance arrangements are based on an early-twentieth century spatial imaginary of fishery, coal, and resource extraction. By examining Norway's governance shift from resource extraction to environmental stewardship on Svalbard, this paper reflects on transformations of the practice of sovereignty in response to global environmental challenges. Through interviews with local stakeholders, the research highlights the contentious nature of these shifts, revealing how increased environmental regulations, while necessary, may paradoxically entrench existing power structures and complicate the presence of non-Norwegian entities. This case study of the Svalbard Treaty serves as a normative microcosm for broader issues of sovereignty, treaty obligations, and international governance as they may evolve due to planetary change, pointing to the urgent need to rethink these evolving dynamics. The paper underscores the pressing and complex challenges facing the international system in the Anthropocene, suggesting that while Svalbard's geopolitical stability may be maintained and Norwegian sovereignty remains uncontested, the instability of global environmental realities is already leading to changes to the ways in which sovereignty is exercised in the present.

Power and interests in environmental policy processes: the Svalbard case

ABSTRACT Climate and environmental changes pose tremendous challenges to ecosystems worldwide. While this underscores the need for more significant conservation efforts, these measures often clash with human activities. Participation and transparency may be key to reducing conflict and ensuring high-quality decisions, but facilitating such processes has proven difficult with many interests and stakeholders involved. This often leads to disputes over environmental policies but may also reflect a more profound debate about the definition of wilderness and who it is for. This article, therefore, explores what interests prevail and why in environmental policy processes and how this relates to perceptions of wilderness. Drawing on Lukes’ (2021) three-dimensional view of power and the case of the political process of new environmental regulations in the Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, the author examines how the power to frame the public discourse about wilderness influences the issues and actors included in the discussion (see also McConnell and Hart 2019, 647). The insights provided are relevant not only to local stakeholders on Svalbard navigating the policy process but also to practitioners and academics elsewhere working in environmental governance, protected areas, and environmental policy and legislation.

Dynamics of the Polar Front in the southwestern area of Svalbard, Norway

We have investigated the dynamics of the Polar Front (PF) in the southwestern area of Svalbard, where the dynamics are defined by the interaction between the Sørkapp Current (transporting cold and fresh Arctic-type water) and the West Spitsbergen Current (carrying the warmer and more saline Atlantic Water from the Norwegian Sea). Our approach was based on the global circulation model predictions. In accord with the model, the cold and fresher Arctic water masses originated from the eastern side of Svalbard and were flowing along the southern-most point of Svalbard into the southwestern area of Svalbard. This cold and fresher water was spreading and pushing warmer and more saline Atlantic water offshore. The model currents indicated that cold and fresher water masses were mostly transported northward along the south-western coast of Svalbard. In accord with the model and observed density profiles, the PF is a density compensated front with the density gradient mostly in the top 50-75 m. Presence of strong density gradients in the upper 50-75 m of the PF leads to the development of the submesoscale processes as surface frontogenesis and nonlinear Ekman transport. We found strong presence of surface frontogenesis at the PF in the model. The second submesoscale process, the nonlinear Ekman transport, is due to the forcing interaction. During the considered time frame, the winds were blowing mostly from the north-east to south-west across the PF, and therefore, the along-front wind component was very small, resulting in weak non-linear Ekman transport at the PF front.

The influence of spatial variability of solar radiation on the mass balance of glaciers in the Grønfjorden Bay area (the Svalbard archipelago)

In this article, we investigate how the irregular insolation of two low-elevated Svalbard glaciers exerts effect on rates of their surface melting. We compare the spatial distribution of rates of the surface lowering of glaciers Vøringbreen (0.76 km2) and Aldegondabreen (5.5 km2), both are located near Barentsburg settlement in the western part of Nordenskiöld Land (the Spitsbergen Island). As an approximation of the solar radiation flux, we used the potential incoming solar radiation calculated by the ArcticDEM digital elevation model for the period July 15–September 15, which is a typical time of ice ablation in the region under consideration. Motions of both glaciers are extremely slow, which allows assuming that lowering of their surfaces are identical to the rates of surface melting. We have found that both glaciers are distinctly divided into two parts, more and less sunlit. The spatial pattern of insolation of the Vøringbreen glacier is controlled by the shading of the walls surrounding the cirque, while the Aldegondabreen one due to its concave shape has two different areas with a more southern and more northern exposure. The lowering of the surface shows that the more and less illuminated parts differ significantly in ice ablation. The maximum differences in melting caused by the irregular insolation are 2.1 m of ice depth over five years for the Aldegondabreen Glacier (2008–2013 and 2013–2018) and 2.2 m over six years for the Vøringbreen Glacier (2013–2019), that is 40, 30 and 25% of the total values of the surface depression for the corresponding periods. Within every 50-meter altitude interval, correlation coefficients between surface ablation and insolation vary from –0.33 to –0.62 for the Aldegondabreen and from –0.50 to –0.92 for the Vøringbreen glacier. When compared with the vertical gradient of the ice melting, the variability of ablation caused by the irregular insolation correspond to a difference in altitudes of 45–50 m in vertical for the Aldegondabreen and 60 m for Vøringbreen. These values are significant taking into account the small altitudinal range of the glaciers in that part of Spitsbergen.

Climate warming impacts on ringed seal breeding habitat in Svalbard

Global warming is occurring at an accelerated rate in the Arctic compared to other parts of the planet with sea-ice declines being among the most striking manifestations of Arctic climate-related changes. Impacts of ongoing Arctic environmental change have been documented for biota throughout marine ecosystems from protists to top predators. Ice-dependent species with specific habitat needs are particularly vulnerable to the ongoing changes. The ringed seal (Pusa hispida) is an ice-associated Arctic endemic species that gives birth and rests in snow caves built in drifts of snow over holes in the sea ice created and maintained by these seals. In this study we create a snow-on-sea-ice reproductive lair habitat model for ringed seals in the Svalbard Archipelago (Norway), a hot-spot of Arctic warming. We use SnowModel, a physics-based snow distribution and evolution simulation system, as the core for a lair habitat model. The model quantifies snow depth and blowing snow fluxes and also relates these variables to snow availability for seal lair habitat. This was accomplished by developing an ecologically informed snow variable that quantifies potential seal lair habitat availability as a function of blowing snow fluxes. Model simulations were performed for the period September 1987 – August 2021 (34 years) on a 500 m × 500 m grid using a daily time-step. Field observations of snow depth and gridded analyses of sea-ice concentration and near-surface (+10 m) atmospheric forcing (air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and wind speed and direction) were incorporated within the model simulations. The results show that both snow depth and potential seal lair habitat have been decreasing in Svalbard for the last two decades. If current trends continue, as expected, ringed seal lair habitat will cease to exist across much of the Svalbard Archipelago in the next decade, putting this important Arctic species at risk of regional extirpation.

Implications of Timanian thrust systems in the Barents Sea and Svalbard on using paleontological constraints for plate tectonics reconstructions

Background The Svalbard Archipelago is commonly believed to have been located at comparable latitude and, possibly, to have been attached to Laurentia in the early Paleozoic (500–420 Ma) based on trilobite assemblage similarities. Trilobite assemblage differences and lack of mixing between Laurentia–Svalbard and Baltica were further used to propose that these continents were separated by the Iapetus Ocean at that time. However, recent structural correlation of Timanian (650–550 Ma) thrust systems throughout the Barents Sea show that Svalbard was already attached to Baltica in the latest Neoproterozoic and remained so during the Phanerozoic. Methods The present study presents a new interpretation of seismic reflection data from the DISKOS database, which were tied to nearby exploration wells. The study uses recently acquired knowledge of the seismic facies of intensely deformed pre-Caledonian rocks and principles of seismic stratigraphy to interpret the data. Results The present study reconciles the proximity of Svalbard and Laurentia with the early accretion of Svalbard to Baltica in the latest Neoproterozoic. It also describes the influence of Timanian thrust systems on paleoenvironments and possible effects on trilobite assemblages, e.g., the lack of mixing between those of Laurentia–Svalbard and Baltica. Conclusions The identification of elongate, emerged topographic highs in the Barents Sea and Svalbard in the late Neoproterozoic–early Paleozoic suggest that paleontological constraints should be considered with greater care when discussing continent separation since thrust systems may act as major faunal barriers within a single tectonic plate. Other factors to consider when discussing plate separation include paleoclimatic belts.

Interannual site fidelity by Svalbard walruses

The Arctic is experiencing rapid reductions in sea ice, affecting all ice-dependant species. In the present study we examine interannual seasonal movements and habitat use in relation to sea ice coverage for one of the Arctic endemic marine mammals. We tagged 40 male walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) in the Svalbard Archipelago with custom-designed tusk-mounted GPS loggers. Twelve of these animals provided tracks that lasted 1–6 years. Eleven of the walruses displayed clear seasonal migratory behaviour between summer foraging areas and winter breeding areas. Individuals showed high inter-individual variation, but clear site fidelity, using the same areas in consecutive years despite variable sea ice conditions. The walruses swam 5225–10,406 km per year and travelled remarkably similar distances between years on an individual basis. The phenology of migration was not impacted by sea ice concentrations or daylight length but was consistent at the individual level, suggesting endogenous drivers. Sea ice concentrations influenced movement behaviour with animals showing more tortuous paths when in areas with heavy sea ice, possibly searching for polynyas where females reside. Ongoing climate change is expected to drastically change walrus habitat, and it remains to be seen if walruses will be able to shift from their fixed seasonal migratory routines.