On Jan. 21, Elizabethtown College Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Robert Northington had a paper he collaborated on titled “Abrupt transformation of West Greenland lakes following compound climate extremes associated with atmospheric rivers” published. It was published in the Proceedings for National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
“Arctic rivers and lakes in general are experiencing lots of inputs of iron due to rapid climatic change beyond just Greenland, and we felt that our story needed to be evaluated and published as soon as possible so that we could share our data quickly with the broader scientific community,” Northington said. “This particular journal is very highly ranked in terms of scientific publications, so it feels amazing to have our work accepted by the scientific community, especially on such an important and timely topic.”
Northington’s research interest in the Arctic began when he worked alongside his thesis advisor after graduating with his master’s degree. In this position, he aided in coordinating research in the Arctic, specifically Alaska. Then, after he obtained his doctoral degree, he accepted a position at the University of Maine which then led him to Greenland where he has done research since.
This is far from Northington’s first publishing opportunity. Throughout his career, Northington has published 24 articles as a lead or co-author. Additionally, he has written two chapters in aquatic ecology research methods textbooks and a research report.
Even though he has produced a multitude of research and literature throughout his career, getting published in PANAS is still a major accomplishment that took a lot of time and dedication from him and other researchers.
The research exploration that recently got published was a result of an atmospheric river that happened during September 2022.
“It reset the entire ecosystem from a dry one to one dominated by wetlands on the landscape,” Northington said. “What this meant for the lakes is that they went from being clear and lacking a lot of dissolved material to being cloudy, brown, and full of dissolved material and metals such as iron. This simple change in climate resulted in rapid thawing of the permafrost, creation of wetlands, and lots of chemical inputs from land to the lakes. The bacteria in the lakes decreased in number and diversity and algae decreased as well.”
Northington’s observation fueled this research process and informed the perspective on the Arctic ecosystem.
“Often people talk of the Arctic as this cold wasteland, but it is a dynamic ecosystem that is being rapidly affected by human actions from afar,” Northington said. “Sometimes people are informed by what they read or see on social media, whereas my colleagues and I have seen environmental change first-hand.”
This summer, Northington will be returning to Greenland to continue the data-collecting done in his recently published paper. This is to examine the long-term effects of the atmospheric rivers on the ecosystems and work with South Greenlandic farmers to address water security issues.
Outside of his Arctic efforts, Northington has also been working in the Elizabethtown Borough to assess and improve the current conditions in streams alongside students. He hopes to continue this research and further it.
On a wider scale, recognition for Northington could positively represent the Etown biology and environmental science departments.
“I’m happy for him and hopefully with this recognition the department can continue to thrive and grow. Perhaps with this, more upcoming students will be interested in both the biology and environmental science department,” sophomore biology and environmental science major Elyssa Weiss said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the sciences continue to expand.”
For students in biology and environmental science who want to get involved in research Northington is currently doing, the first step is to ask by emailing him at northingtonr@etown.edu or stopping by his office in Lyet 148.
“I’m always happy to meet with anyone interested in the work that we do either locally or in Greenland. I talk about my research a lot more in my upper-level classes, but I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without having approached a faculty member about doing some research during my undergrad years,” Northington said. For those who want to read more about what Northington found during his time in the Arctic the article can be found at https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2413855122.
