Sustaining ecological and subsistence functions in conservation areas: eider habitat and access by Native hunters along landfast ice

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES R. LOVVORN ◽  
AARIEL R. ROCHA ◽  
ANDREW H. MAHONEY ◽  
STEPHEN C. JEWETT
Keyword(s):  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Open Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Cash Income ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Subsistence Hunting ◽  
Industrial Activities ◽  
Landfast Ice ◽  
Ice Edge

SUMMARYIn the Arctic, rapid climate change has kindled efforts to delineate and project the future of important habitats for marine birds and mammals. These animals are vital to subsistence economies and cultures, so including the needs of both animals and hunters in conservation planning is key to sustaining social-ecological systems. In the northeast Chukchi Sea, a nearshore corridor of open water is a major spring migration route for half a million eider ducks that are hunted along the landfast ice. Zoning areas for industrial activities or conservation should consider both eider habitat and hunter access to those habitats from the variable ice edge. Based on benthic sampling in 2010‒2012, a model of eider foraging energetics and satellite data on ice patterns in April and May 1997‒2011, we mapped the range of positions of the landfast ice edge relative to a given dispersion of habitat suitable for eider feeding. In some sectors, feeding areas were too limited or too far from landfast ice to provide regular hunting access. In other sectors, overlap of the ice edge with eider feeding habitat was quite variable, but often within a consistent geographic range. Areas accessible to hunters were a small fraction of total eider habitat, so areas adequate for conserving eiders would not necessarily include areas that meet the hunters’ needs. These results can inform spatial planning of industrial activities that yield cash income critical to subsistence hunting in less developed locations. Our study provides an approach for mapping ‘subsistence conservation areas’ throughout the Arctic and an example for such efforts elsewhere.

scholarly journals N2O dynamics in the western Arctic Ocean during the summer of 2017

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jang-Mu Heo ◽  
Seong-Su Kim ◽  
Sung-Ho Kang ◽  
Eun Jin Yang ◽  
Ki-Tae Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Western Arctic Ocean ◽  
Deep Layers ◽  
Western Arctic

AbstractThe western Arctic Ocean (WAO) has experienced increased heat transport into the region, sea-ice reduction, and changes to the WAO nitrous oxide (N2O) cycles from greenhouse gases. We investigated WAO N2O dynamics through an intensive and precise N2O survey during the open-water season of summer 2017. The effects of physical processes (i.e., solubility and advection) were dominant in both the surface (0–50 m) and deep layers (200–2200 m) of the northern Chukchi Sea with an under-saturation of N2O. By contrast, both the surface layer (0–50 m) of the southern Chukchi Sea and the intermediate (50–200 m) layer of the northern Chukchi Sea were significantly influenced by biogeochemically derived N2O production (i.e., through nitrification), with N2O over-saturation. During summer 2017, the southern region acted as a source of atmospheric N2O (mean: + 2.3 ± 2.7 μmol N2O m−2 day−1), whereas the northern region acted as a sink (mean − 1.3 ± 1.5 μmol N2O m−2 day−1). If Arctic environmental changes continue to accelerate and consequently drive the productivity of the Arctic Ocean, the WAO may become a N2O “hot spot”, and therefore, a key region requiring continued observations to both understand N2O dynamics and possibly predict their future changes.

scholarly journals Arctic Fog Detection Using Infrared Spectral Measurements

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1643-1656
Author(s):  
Li Yi ◽  
King-Fai Li ◽  
Xianyao Chen ◽  
Ka-Kit Tung
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Probability Of Detection ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Water Surface Area ◽  
Infrared Spectral ◽  
Fog Detection

AbstractThe rapid increase in open-water surface area in the Arctic, resulting from sea ice melting during the summer likely as a result of global warming, may lead to an increase in fog [defined as a cloud with a base height below 1000 ft (~304 m)], which may imperil ships and small aircraft transportation in the region. There is a need for monitoring fog formation over the Arctic. Given that ground-based observations of fog over Arctic open water are very sparse, satellite observations may become the most effective way for Arctic fog monitoring. We developed a fog detection algorithm using the temperature difference between the cloud top and the surface, called ∂T in this work. A fog event is said to be detected if ∂T is greater than a threshold, which is typically between −6 and −12 K, depending on the time of the day (day or night) and the surface types (open water or sea ice). We applied this method to the coastal regions of Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea near Barrow, Alaska (now known as Utqiaġvik), during the months of March–October. Training with satellite observations between 2007 and 2014 over this region, the ∂T method can detect Arctic fog with an optimal probability of detection (POD) between 74% and 90% and false alarm rate (FAR) between 5% and 17%. These statistics are validated with data between 2015 and 2016 and are shown to be robust from one subperiod to another.

scholarly journals Approaching Freshet beneath Landfast Ice in Kugmallit Bay on the Canadian Arctic Shelf: Evidence from Sensor and Ground Truth Data

ARCTIC ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony R. Walker ◽  
Jon Grant ◽  
Peter Jarvis
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ground Truth Data ◽  
The North ◽  
Landfast Ice ◽  
North American Arctic ◽  
Mackenzie River

The Mackenzie River is the largest river in the North American Arctic. Its huge freshwater and sediment load impacts the Canadian Beaufort Shelf, transporting large quantities of sediment and associated organic carbon into the Arctic Ocean. The majority of this sediment transport occurs during the freshet peak flow season (May to June). Mackenzie River-Arctic Ocean coupling has been widely studied during open water seasons, but has rarely been investigated in shallow water under landfast ice in Kugmallit Bay with field-based surveys, except for those using remote sensing. We observed and measured sedimentation rates (51 g m-2 d-1) and the concentrations of chlorophyll a (mean 2.2 ?g L-1) and suspended particulate matter (8.5 mg L-1) and determined the sediment characteristics during early spring, before the breakup of landfast ice in Kugmallit Bay. We then compared these results with comparable data collected from the same site the previous summer. Comparison of organic quality in seston and trapped material demonstrated substantial seasonal differences. The subtle changes in biological and oceanographic variables beneath landfast ice that we measured using sensors and field sampling techniques suggest the onset of a spring melt occurring hundreds of kilometres farther south in the Mackenzie Basin.

scholarly journals Atmospheric Conditions during the Arctic Clouds in Summer Experiment (ACSE): Contrasting Open Water and Sea Ice Surfaces during Melt and Freeze-Up Seasons

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (24) ◽  
pp. 8721-8744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia Sotiropoulou ◽  
Michael Tjernström ◽  
Joseph Sedlar ◽  
Peggy Achtert ◽  
Barbara J. Brooks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Boundary ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Lower Atmosphere ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Arctic Clouds ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Ice Edge ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract The Arctic Clouds in Summer Experiment (ACSE) was conducted during summer and early autumn 2014, providing a detailed view of the seasonal transition from ice melt into freeze-up. Measurements were taken over both ice-free and ice-covered surfaces near the ice edge, offering insight into the role of the surface state in shaping the atmospheric conditions. The initiation of the autumn freeze-up was related to a change in air mass, rather than to changes in solar radiation alone; the lower atmosphere cooled abruptly, leading to a surface heat loss. During melt season, strong surface inversions persisted over the ice, while elevated inversions were more frequent over open water. These differences disappeared during autumn freeze-up, when elevated inversions persisted over both ice-free and ice-covered conditions. These results are in contrast to previous studies that found a well-mixed boundary layer persisting in summer and an increased frequency of surface-based inversions in autumn, suggesting that knowledge derived from measurements taken within the pan-Arctic area and on the central ice pack does not necessarily apply closer to the ice edge. This study offers an insight into the atmospheric processes that occur during a crucial period of the year; understanding and accurately modeling these processes is essential for the improvement of ice-extent predictions and future Arctic climate projections.

scholarly journals The effect of changing sea ice on the physical vulnerability of Arctic coasts

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1777-1799 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Barnhart ◽  
I. Overeem ◽  
R. S. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ocean Water ◽  
Physical Vulnerability ◽  
Ice Edge ◽  
Sea Ice Edge

Abstract. Sea ice limits the interaction of the land and ocean water in the Arctic winter and influences this interaction in the summer by governing the fetch. In many parts of the Arctic, the open-water season is increasing in duration and summertime sea-ice extents are decreasing. Sea ice provides a first-order control on the physical vulnerability of Arctic coasts to erosion, inundation, and damage to settlements and infrastructures by ocean water. We ask how the changing sea-ice cover has influenced coastal erosion over the satellite record. First, we present a pan-Arctic analysis of satellite-based sea-ice concentration specifically along the Arctic coasts. The median length of the 2012 open-water season, in comparison to 1979, expanded by between 1.5 and 3-fold by Arctic Sea sector, which allows for open water during the stormy Arctic fall. Second, we present a case study of Drew Point, Alaska, a site on the Beaufort Sea, characterized by ice-rich permafrost and rapid coastal-erosion rates, where both the duration of the open-water season and distance to the sea-ice edge, particularly towards the northwest, have increased. At Drew Point, winds from the northwest result in increased water levels at the coast and control the process of submarine notch incision, the rate-limiting step of coastal retreat. When open-water conditions exist, the distance to the sea ice edge exerts control on the water level and wave field through its control on fetch. We find that the extreme values of water-level setup have increased consistently with increasing fetch.

scholarly journals Airborne Lidar Observations of a Spring Phytoplankton Bloom in the Western Arctic Ocean

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2512
Author(s):  
James H. Churnside ◽  
Richard D. Marchbanks ◽  
Nathan Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Horizontal Distribution ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Spring Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Vertical And Horizontal Distribution ◽  
Western Arctic

One of the most notable effects of climate change is the decrease in sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. This is expected to affect the distribution of phytoplankton as the ice retreats earlier. We were interested in the vertical and horizontal distribution of phytoplankton in the Chukchi Sea in May. Measurements were made with an airborne profiling lidar that allowed us to cover large areas. The lidar profiles showed a uniform distribution of attenuation and scattering from the surface to the limit of lidar penetration at a depth of about 30 m. Both parameters were greater in open water than under the ice. Depolarization of the lidar decreased as attenuation and scattering increased. A cluster analysis of the 2019 data revealed four distinct clusters based on depolarization and lidar ratio. One cluster was associated with open water, one with pack ice, one with the waters along the land-fast ice, and one that appeared to be scattered throughout the region. The first three were likely the result of different assemblages of phytoplankton, while the last may have been an artifact of thin fog in the atmosphere.

scholarly journals Phytoplankton Bloom Changes under Extreme Geophysical Conditions in the Northern Bering Sea and the Southern Chukchi Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 4035
Author(s):  
Jinku Park ◽  
Sungjae Lee ◽  
Young-Heon Jo ◽  
Hyun-Cheol Kim
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Bering Sea ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Open Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Northern Bering Sea

The northern Bering Sea and the southern Chukchi Sea are undergoing rapid regional biophysical changes in connection with the recent extreme climate change in the Arctic. The ice concentration in 2018 was the lowest since observations began in the 1970s, due to the unusually warm southerly wind in winter, which continued in 2019. We analyzed the characteristics of spring phytoplankton biomass distribution under the extreme environmental conditions in 2018 and 2019. Our results show that higher phytoplankton biomass during late spring compared to the 18-year average was observed in the Bering Sea in both years. Their spatial distribution is closely related to the open water extent following winter-onset sea ice retreat in association with dramatic atmospheric conditions. However, despite a similar level of shortwave heat flux, the 2019 springtime biomass in the Chukchi Sea was lower than that in 2018, and was delayed to summer. We confirmed that this difference in bloom timing in the Chukchi Sea was due to changes in seawater properties, determined by a combination of northward oceanic heat flux modulation by the disturbance from more extensive sea ice in winter and higher surface net shortwave heat flux than usual.

scholarly journals The effect of changing sea ice on the vulnerability of Arctic coasts

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 2277-2329 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Barnhart ◽  
I. Overeem ◽  
R. S. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Extreme Values ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Sea Ice Concentration ◽  
Ice Edge ◽  
Sea Ice Edge

Abstract. Shorefast sea ice prevents the interaction of the land and the ocean in the Arctic winter and influences this interaction in the summer by governing the fetch. In many parts of the Arctic the sea-ice-free season is increasing in duration, and the summertime sea ice extents are decreasing. Sea ice provides a first order control on the vulnerability of Arctic coasts to erosion, inundation, and damage to settlements and infrastructure. We ask how the changing sea ice cover has influenced coastal erosion over the satellite record. First, we present a pan-Arctic analysis of satellite-based sea ice concentration specifically along the Arctic coasts. The median length of the 2012 open water season in comparison to 1979 expanded by between 1.5 and 3-fold by Arctic sea sector which allows for open water during the stormy Arctic fall. Second, we present a case study of Drew Point, Alaska, a site on the Beaufort Sea characterized by ice-rich permafrost and rapid coastal erosion rates where both the duration of the sea ice free season and distance to the sea ice edge, particularly towards the northwest, has increased. At Drew Point, winds from the northwest result in increased water levels at the coast and control the process of submarine notch incision, the rate-limiting step of coastal retreat. When open water conditions exist, the distance to the sea ice edge exerts control on the water level and wave field through its control on fetch. We find that the extreme values of water level set-up have increased, consistent with increasing fetch.

North Slope Coastal Imagery Initiative: A Cloud-Based Spill Response Tool

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 110-116
Author(s):  
John Harper ◽  
Kalen Morrow
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Open Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Arctic Seas ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The North ◽  
Response Planning

AbstractThe North Slope of Alaska borders on two arctic seas, the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea, with a total shoreline length of approximately 6,000 km. Oil exploration and production facilities are close to the coast, and the risk of spilled oil reaching the coast is increasing. The North Slope coast is a challenging location for spill response as the coastal areas are ice-covered much of the year and subject to variable ice cover during the open-water season. In addition, the shoreline is highly complex and rapidly changing because of melting of permafrost. The North Slope Coastal Imagery Initiative developed an online, decision support tool for spill preparedness and Incident Command decision making. The online tool makes more than 16,000 high-resolution images and 30 hours of high-resolution videography available to Incident Command in the event of a spill. Such high-resolution imagery is extremely useful in providing situational awareness for personnel unfamiliar to the Arctic and for tactical response planning. The resolution of the imagery is much higher than typical shoreline mapping or satellite imagery and, as such, eliminates ambiguity in interpretation when developing the most appropriate response strategies. The project provides a consensus building tool for spill response.

scholarly journals Landfast sea ice stability – mapping pan-Arctic ice regimes with implications for ice use, subsea permafrost and marine habitats

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dyre O. Dammann ◽  
Leif E. B. Eriksson ◽  
Andrew R. Mahoney ◽  
Hajo Eicken ◽  
Franz J. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Sea Ice Extent ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Landfast Ice ◽  
Landfast Sea Ice ◽  
Subsea Permafrost

Abstract. Arctic landfast sea ice has undergone substantial changes in recent decades affecting ice stability with potential impacts on ice travel by coastal populations and industry ice roads. The role of landfast ice as an important habitat has also evolved. We present a novel approach to evaluate sea ice stability on a pan-Arctic scale using Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR). Using Sentinel-1 images from spring 2017, the approach discriminates between bottomfast, with critical relevance for subsea permafrost, as well as stabilized and non-stabilized floating landfast ice over the main marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean (Beaufort, Chukchi, East Siberian, Laptev and Kara Seas). The analysis draws on evaluation of small-scale lateral motion derived from relative changes in interferometric fringe patterns. This first comprehensive assessment of Arctic bottomfast sea ice extent revealed that by area most of the bottomfast sea ice is situated around river mouths and coastal shallows in the Laptev and East Siberian Seas, covering roughly 4.1 and 5.5 thousand km2 respectively. The fraction between non-stabilized and stabilized ice is lowest in the Beaufort at almost unity, and highest in the adjacent Chukchi Sea. Beyond the simple delineation of landfast ice zones, this work provides a new understanding of how stability regimes may vary between regions and over time. InSAR-derived stability data may serve as a strategic planning and tactical decision-support tool for different uses of coastal ice. Such information may also inform assessments of important sea ice habitats. In a case study, we examined an ice arch situated in Nares Strait demonstrating that interferograms may reveal early-warning signals for the break-up of stationary sea ice.

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