i Acknowledgements

First of all I would like to thank my supervisors Associate Professor Åse Krøkje (NTNU) and PhD candidate Anette Fenstad (NTNU), for good help and guidance. Special thanks to Åse for all the help throughout this period, with good advise, good spirits, and solid expertise. Thanks to Anette for letting me use the material that was collected at Svalbard during the spring of 2011, good guidance, all the extra help with statistics, and nice conversations about the thesis. I would also like to thank Syverin Lierhagen at the Department of Chemistry, NTNU, for conducting the metal analysis with the ICP-MS. I would like to give a special thanks to my sisters in Trondheim, Eli Ane and Nora, for all fun, support, patience and cheerfulness. Lene and Magnus, my nieces Signe Elise and Matilde Oline, and my nephew Jakob Emrik for being fantastic to come home to and visit, you bright up even the greyest day. My parents deserve a large thanks – relaxation in Loddotrøa, great trips and building of the cabin is something I really appreciate, and has been invaluable throughout my study period. To all my wonderful friends, thanks for always being there – no matter what. A special thanks to Ingunn, for five years trough storms and sunshine, I could not have done this without you! Jenny is great, thanks for diversions, master talks, and great dinners, Kari and Olav for your nice visits, Kristin for all advice about studies and life, Tonje and Emil for being so great, Jeroen you wonderful tullebok, to Silje, Mari and Marianne who I see to seldom, but is just a phone call away