Útskriftarnemar

Class of 2014 Graduates! On June 17, Iceland’s National Day, the University Centre of the Westfjords celebrated a University Festival at Hrafnseyri in Arnarfjörður. This is the fifth time that the University Centre celebrates the graduation of its master’s students in Coastal and Marine Management.

Congratulations to the CMM Class of 2104!

Just a peek at what we’ve been up to since formal classes ended:

Benefits and Challenges of Tourism for Village Populations in India’s Marine Protected Areas: Case Studies from the Sundarbans National Park and the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park

Impact assessment of invasive flora species in the Posidonia oceanica meadows on fish assemblage. An influence on local fisheries? The case study of Lipsi Island, Greece.

Extreme water levels in the Great Lakes : assessing a proposal for adaptive management

Impacts of area-based management on the population of northern shrimp, Pandalus borealis (Krøyer, 1838), in Isfjorden and Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

Interactions and Management of the Stakeholders-Tourists-Trails-Environment system at Látrabjarg Cliffs (Iceland): A comparative study with Moher Cliffs (Ireland).

Comparison Study of the use of Video Surveying Techniques in Estimating King Scallop (Pecten maximus) populations in the Inshore Waters of Devon, United Kingdom

Characteristics of Sandy Beaches used by Resident Shorebirds in Tasmania

Beyond Representation: Maritime Heritage as a Vessel for Ethical Engagement in the Westfjords of Iceland

Motivations of marine fishing tourists in the Westfjords, Iceland.

Caged contention : the nature and extent of perceived conflict with salmon aquaculture along the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia

Scar-based analysis and eyewitness accounts of entanglement of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in fishing gear in Iceland

Marine and Underwater Cultural Heritage Management, Robben Island, Cape Town, South Africa: Current State and Future Opportunities

A socio-economic assessment of the interaction between cruise tourism and land-based tourism in Isafjodur, Iceland.

Where Are All The Fish? – A Political Ecology Analysis of Local Fish Networks and the Gift Economy in the Westfjords of Iceland

Measuring sustainability and climate change adaptation in coastal communities : an application of the QualityCoast Indicators for Markgrafenheide/Hütelmoor

Vel gert Classmates! It was truly an amazing experience to study with all of you – in the most extraordinary place on Earth. We may have dispersed, but our collective group will change the world!!!

 

Play Time is Over

I have spent one wonderful year in Iceland… and I cannot believe 365 days have passed! This blog started exactly one year ago when I first moved to Ísafjörður so my friends and family at home could follow my adventures. The adventures and fun will not stop – but I have to spend more time on my thesis and less time blogging. I hope you learned a lot and enjoyed my year in Ísafjörður with me!

The cruise ships are gone… but always on my mind!

I chose to study cruise ships because they can have a big impact on the environment and society – both positive and negative. In order to find out the impact, I am asking the residents (who know the resources best) about the changes they see. Getting a complete picture of the changes that cruise ships are having on our community will help the municipality make informed decisions about infrastructure and tourism  development in Ísafjarðarbær.

If you are from Ísafjarðarbær, help me in my thesis by completing my survey:

Könnunin á netinu
English Survey

 

All the Best,

Megan Anne

Oaisis

Skrudur is Iceland’s oldest botanical gardens, and was founded in 1905 by a local vicar, Rev Sigtryggur Gudlaugsson. It was once a research and teaching facility, but is now open to the public free of charge. It is beautifully looked after and has a variety of interesting statues, plants and colors!

This garden stands out in Iceland where there are no trees.

If you only look closely, it seems just like the tropics!

 

A Perfect Mirror

Finally a fantastic summer day! The waters of Önundafjörður were so flat, it was nearly impossible to tell up from down!

Up Kubbi!

We made it to the top! 346m/1135ft. I promised Kim a tremendous view, but the fog rolled in! To be climbed again…

Bandý

Bandy is played on ice, using a single round ball. Two teams of 11 players each compete to get the ball into the other team’s goal using sticks. It is like hockey meets soccer.

Bandý is designed to be played on a rectangle of ice-field which is the same size as a soccer field – but we usually play in the gym inside or outside on the fake turf.

All bent over

Everyone in town is in the mountains, bent over, picking blueberries. Back when I was a baby, my mom would leave me in the blueberries with Mrs. K, where I would sit all day stuffing my face with blueberries. After my run today, I still ate many blueberries, but I also managed to pick some to bring home too!

Pilot Whales in Súgandafirði

Two pilot whales have been observed near Suðureyri the past few days. They are rarely seen in Iceland. Photo by Robert Schmidt

Infinity Waterfall

The beginning of Mongufoss is somewhere in the clouds. It was much more impressive when the fog blew away.

Around Æðey

Æðey is the largest island in the djúp and was given the name because of the eider farming. There has been a weather station since 1946 and has a good natural harbor.

We almost stopped on the island Æðey in Ísafjarðardjúp, but were told that they were hunting so we did not make landfall.