Overview

Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (also called UMF) offers a one-week international advanced course on Arctic marine and coastal biology, ecology and biogeochemistry. This advanced course will familiarise students with Arctic marine environments, their ecology and biogeochemistry and consider their fate in a changing world. This advanced course is suitable for postgraduate students, postdoctoral scholars and career professionals seeking to strengthen their overall Arctic marine knowledge.

Why come to Umeå Marine Sciences Centre?

We offer the unique experience for a marine scientist to experience sea ice and the polar winter - something few other marine stations can offer within easy reach of central Europe! Further, Umeå University is home of the European Polar Board, the leading organisation for coordinating European polar research, so you will be immersed in an environment steeped in Arctic passion and at the heart of Arctic marine research. And of course, you will get the opportunity to directly interact with our highly experienced instructors who between them have worked extensively in Arctic marine environments around the world!

Find out more about Umeå Marine Sciences Centre here: UMF website, including how our research answers cutting-edge environmental grand challenges: UMF research

Come to UMF!

Course Dates and location

The course will be held in-person (residential) at Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, between the 15-20 February 2026. Umeå Marine Sciences Centre is in the picturesque Swedish village of Norrbyn just 30 minutes south of Umeå.

Course pre-requisites

Pre-requisites for the course are:

  1. The language of the course is English. If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you have either completed an undergraduate degree in English or meet the Umeå University English proficiency requirements detailed here: English requirements.
  2. Have competed an undergraduate degree in biology, chemistry environmental science or equivalent.
  3. Academic experience of the marine environment. This could for example be evidenced by having undertaken an undergraduate level course on introductory marine science or similar. You will need to provide evidence of this.

Detailed Course Content

Each day is divided into two sessions and includes lectures as well as workshops. Over 40 contact hours are provided during the week.

  • Saturday/Sunday: Arrival. Welcome and team activities on Sunday afternoon are weather dependent, but might include sea ice-associated activities such as cross country skiing, sledging, sauna or similar
  • Monday (08:00 – 17:00): Arctic Ocean and coastal structure, Arctic marine ecosystems, sea ice and circulation
  • Tuesday (08:00 – 17:00): Arctic marine ecology, biology, biodiversity and food webs
  • Wednesday (08:00 – 17:00): Arctic carbon and nutrient cycling. Arctic marine photosynthesis and primary production; Arctic blue carbon and the role of the Arctic seas in climate change mitigation
  • Thursday (08:00 – 17:00): Changing Arctic marine frontiers; warming, deoxygenation and exploitation
  • Friday (08:00 – 12:00): Arctic marine governance and the future Arctic marine environment
  • Friday (12:00 to late): Departure
  • Saturday: Additional departure if needed for travel schedules

Number of students

15 student limit, ensuring a high instructor to student ratio

Primary instructors

The primary instructors on the course are Drs Jenny Ask, Alexandra Rouillard, Siv Huseby and Prof. Nick Kamenos. Jenny is an Environmental Analyst specialising in the role of Arctic microphytobenthos on aquatic ecology and biogeochemistry. Alexandra is a Staff Scientist and has extensive experience conducting research in the Arctic with a focus on long term changes in Arctic marine biogeochemistry and ecosystem structure. Siv is an Environmental Analyst with extensive expertise on Arctic marine phytoplankton dynamics, particularly during transitions between sea ice domination and the spring melt. Nick is a Professor of Marine Ecosystem Science and Director of Umeå Marine Sciences Centre. Nick has extensive expertise conducting research in the Arctic, in particular the impacts of glacial discharge on Arctic marine ecology and biogeochemistry.

Course fee and details:

The advanced course fee is 8500 Swedish Kronor (SEK) (ca. 760 Euro; for up-to-date exchange rate see here: currency rate) This course fee includes the following:

  • All taught components
  • Shuttle from and back to Umeå airport or train station
  • Introductory welcome activities
  • Accommodation at the UMF hostel in Norrbyn. See more information about the hostel here
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner (from Saturday dinner to Saturday breakfast)
  • Access to the local gym and Umeå Marine Sciences Centre bastu / sauna

Note: the fee does not include travel to/from Umeå and personal expenditure during the week.

Bursaries

Umeå Marine Sciences Centre is pleased to offer two accommodation & food bursaries which will reduce the cost fee to 4500 SEK (ca. 400 Euros). If you would like to be considered for a bursary, please indicate this in your application. Priority will be given to applicants from Lower and Lower-Middle Income Countries as defined by the World Bank: Countries list

Learning Outcome

Upon completing the course, you will have an understanding of Arctic marine ecosystems and biogeochemical processes, Arctic oceanographic and ecological dynamics and well as understanding possible trajectories of Arctic marine environments and ecosystems in a changing world.

Accommodation

You will be housed in the Umeå Marine Sciences Centre Hostel which is just around the bay from Umeå Marine Sciences Centre. More details on the hostel can be found here: UMF hostel

Visa information

Many countries do not require a visa for a short visit to Sweden. Please check requirements here: Immigration website

Terms and conditions

Advanced courses at Umeå Marine Sciences Centre are governed by the terms and conditions of Umeå University courses: UMF rule for tuitions fees

Note: We follow the Umeå University cancellation policy. For this course, if the minimum participation level of 5 students has not been reached by the standard application deadline then the course will be cancelled.

Course contact

The contact for this course is Prof. Nick Kamenos.

Nicks contact details are here: Nick’s page

Application deadline

The deadline for applying for this advanced course is 17:00 on the 15 September 2025.


How to apply

Please send the following documents as a single PDF with the title format: “surname_forename_A2026”:

  1. A CV (up to 2 pages)
  2. A one-page personal statement including: 1) why you want to attend the course, 2) how the course will contribute to your professional development and 3) why you think an in-person over an online course is more suited to your needs. Please indicate if you would like to be considered for a course bursary
  3. Proof of English proficiency (see details above)
  4. Proof of a biology, ecology or biogeochemistry (or equivalent) undergraduate degree (see details above)
  5. Bachelors, Masters and PhD certificates and transcripts, as completed

Sent the single PDF document to: umf@umu.se