[4] The coal mining town of Qullissat was founded on the northeast coast of Disko Island in 1924.

[6] On 15 December 1952, a major landslide on a slope of the mountain Niiortuut (70°20′56″N 53°10′41″W / 70.349°N 053.178°W / 70.349; -053.178 (Niiortuut)) on the southern coast of the Nuussuaq Peninsula generated a tsunami which traveled 30 kilometres (19 mi) across Sullorsuaq Strait and struck Qullissat, where it had a run-up height of 2.2 to 2.7 metres (7 ft 3 in to 8 ft 10 in) and inflicted damage on buildings.

[6] By 1966, Qullissat was the sixth-largest town in Greenland with a population of 1,400,[5] but it was abandoned in 1972,[7] leaving the northern coast of Disko Island uninhabited.

For instance, the gastrotrich species Diuronotus aspetos is found in Iterdla[11] and Kigdlugssaitsut[12] and is so far reported only in Disko Island.

It is associated with a rich diversity of other gastrotrichs like Chaetonotus atrox, Halichaetonotus sp., Mesodasys sp., Paradasys sp., Tetranchyroderma sp., Thaumastoderma sp.