Winner 2026

ALIVE, 2026 winner

The beneficiary of the 2026 ITOPF R&D Award is the ALIVE project: Arctic Life Impact Vulnerability Evaluation – Ecotoxicology of Contaminants in Arctic Char Across Polar Systems. The project is led by researchers at the University of Alberta, in collaboration with the Huntsman Marine Science Centre and the support of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.

ALIVE is a PhD project, and the first doctoral research project to be supported through the ITOPF R&D Award. The project will investigate the fate, behaviour and toxicity of alternative marine fuels under Arctic conditions, with particular focus on water-accommodated fractions from low-sulphur fuel oils, very low-sulphur fuel oils, very low-sulphur diesel and biodiesel.

The research aims to improve understanding of how these fuels interact with Arctic marine environments and affect species of ecological and cultural importance. By developing species-specific toxicity thresholds, seasonal vulnerability profiles and biomarker tools, ALIVE will support spill-response planning, environmental damage assessment and decision-making in high-latitude marine environments.