Northington and colleagues conduct research in South Greenland

Elizabethtown College Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences Dr. Robert Northington recently received a $200,470 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue his collaborative research, “Quantifying Biogeochemical Cycles of Sub-Arctic Agroecosystems and Forecasting Future Scenarios.” 

The project will investigate how farming practices and freshwater changes spanning the United States and Greenland affect Arctic and Sub-Arctic ecosystems, addressing concerns of Arctic farmers and furthering international connections with the scientific community. Engaging local Arctic farmers, Northington’s project will train multiple early-career scholars, meeting the aims of translational research in Arctic contexts.

“My colleagues and I have been developing relationships with Greenlandic sheep farmers over the last few years to address the farmers’ concerns over the amount and quality of freshwater resources in South Greenland, and how this may affect their livelihood over the coming years,” Northington said. “This work is important not only because it examines climate change on the ground in real-time but also provides a truly collaborative relationship among scientists and indigenous stakeholders in the region.”

Northington’s research examines climate-driven expansion of agriculture occurring across the Arctic system as accelerated warming has lengthened growing seasons, allowing for more intensive farming practices and crop diversity.

This northward agricultural shift presents potential benefits such as food security in the region, but the threats to the biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem resilience from the changes in land use and hydrology are not yet fully understood.

The project provides opportunities for Etown Biology and Environmental Science undergraduate students to gain hands-on fieldwork experience and firsthand insight into the implications of environmental issues frequently discussed in their curriculum. This summer, Environmental Science and Public Health major Elizabeth Wasylyk ’26 will accompany Northington to Greenland to conduct on-site research with collaborators from the University of Maine.

The NSF grant began in January 2026 and is expected to continue through December 2028.