scholarly journals From sea ice to seals: a moored marine ecosystem observatory in the Arctic

Ocean Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1423-1433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudine Hauri ◽  
Seth Danielson ◽  
Andrew M. P. McDonnell ◽  
Russell R. Hopcroft ◽  
Peter Winsor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Zooplankton Abundance ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Ecosystem Monitoring ◽  
Cold Temperatures

Abstract. Although Arctic marine ecosystems are changing rapidly, year-round monitoring is currently very limited and presents multiple challenges unique to this region. The Chukchi Ecosystem Observatory (CEO) described here uses new sensor technologies to meet needs for continuous, high-resolution, and year-round observations across all levels of the ecosystem in the biologically productive and seasonally ice-covered Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. This mooring array records a broad suite of variables that facilitate observations, yielding better understanding of physical, chemical, and biological couplings, phenologies, and the overall state of this Arctic shelf marine ecosystem. While cold temperatures and 8 months of sea ice cover present challenging conditions for the operation of the CEO, this extreme environment also serves as a rigorous test bed for innovative ecosystem monitoring strategies. Here, we present data from the 2015–2016 CEO deployments that provide new perspectives on the seasonal evolution of sea ice, water column structure, and physical properties, annual cycles in nitrate, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton blooms, and export, zooplankton abundance and vertical migration, the occurrence of Arctic cod, and vocalizations of marine mammals such as bearded seals. These integrated ecosystem observations are being combined with ship-based observations and modeling to produce a time series that documents biological community responses to changing seasonal sea ice and water temperatures while establishing a scientific basis for ecosystem management.

scholarly journals From sea ice to seals: A moored marine ecosystem observatory in the Arctic

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudine Hauri ◽  
Seth Danielson ◽  
Andrew M. P. McDonnell ◽  
Russell R. Hopcroft ◽  
Peter Winsor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Zooplankton Abundance ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Ecosystem Monitoring ◽  
Cold Temperatures

Abstract. Although Arctic marine ecosystems are changing rapidly, year-round monitoring is currently very limited and presents multiple challenges unique to this region. The Chukchi Ecosystem Observatory (CEO) described here uses new sensor technologies to meet needs for continuous, high resolution, and year-round observations across all levels of the ecosystem in the biologically productive and seasonally ice-covered Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. This mooring array records a broad suite of parameters that facilitate observations, yielding better understanding of physical, chemical and biological couplings, phenologies, and the overall state of this Arctic shelf marine ecosystem. While cold temperatures and eight months of sea ice cover present challenging conditions for the operation of the CEO, this extreme environment also serves as a rigorous test bed for innovative ecosystem monitoring strategies. Here, we present data from the 2015–16 CEO deployments that provide new perspectives on the seasonal evolution of sea ice, water column structure and physical properties, annual cycles in nitrate, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton blooms and export, zooplankton abundance and vertical migration, the occurrence of Arctic cod, and vocalizations of marine mammals such as bearded seals. These integrated ecosystem observations are being combined with ship-based observations and modeling to produce a time-series that documents biological community responses to changing seasonal sea ice and water temperatures while establishing a scientific basis for ecosystem management.

Using art to explore children’s perceptions of their Arctic community in a changing climate 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lipson ◽  
Kim Reasor ◽  
Kååre Sikuaq Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Subsistence Hunting ◽  
Sea Ice Decline

<p>In this project we analyze artwork and recorded statements of 5<sup>th</sup> grade students from the community of Utqiaġvik, Alaska, who participated in a science-art outreach activity. The team consisted of a scientist (Lipson), an artist (Reasor) and an outreach specialist (Erickson) of Inupiat heritage from a village in Alaska. We worked with four 5th grade classes of about 25 students each at Fred Ipalook Elementary. The predominantly Inupiat people of Utqiaġvik are among those who will be most impacted by climate change and the loss of Arctic sea ice in the near future. Subsistence hunting of marine mammals associated with sea ice is central to the Inupiat way of life. Furthermore, their coastal homes and infrastructure are increasingly subject to damage from increased wave action on ice-free Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. While the people of this region are among the most directly vulnerable to climate change, the teachers reported that the subject is not generally covered in the elementary school curriculum.</p><p>The scientist and the local outreach specialist gave a short presentation about sea ice and climate change in the Arctic, with emphasis on local impacts to hunting and infrastructure. We then showed the students a large poster of historical and projected sea ice decline, and asked the students to help us fill in the white space beneath the lines. The artist led the children in making small paintings that represent things that are important to their lives in Utqiaġvik (they were encouraged to paint animals, but they were free to do whatever they wanted). We returned to the class later that week and had each student briefly introduce themselves and their painting, and place it on the large graph of sea ice decline, which included the dire predictions of the RCP8.5 scenario. Then we added the more hopeful RCP2.6 scenario to end on a positive note.</p><p>Common themes expressed in the students’ artwork included subsistence hunting, other aspects of traditional Inupiat culture, nature and family. Modern themes such as sports and Pokémon were also common. The students reacted to the topic of climate change with pictures of whales, polar bears and other animals, and captions such as “Save the world/ice/animals.” There were several paintings showing unsuccessful hunts for whales or seals. Some students displayed an understanding of ecosystem science in their recorded statements. For example, a student who painted the sun and another who painted a krill both succinctly described energy flow in food webs that support the production of whales (for example, “I drew krill because without krill there wouldn’t be whales”). Some of the students described the consequences of sea ice loss to local wildlife with devastating succinctness (sea ice is disappearing and polar bears will go extinct). The overall sense was that the children had a strong grasp of the potential consequences of climate change to their region and way of life.</p>

scholarly journals Seasonal sea ice prediction based on regional indices

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Walsh ◽  
J. Scott Stewart ◽  
Florence Fetterer
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Piecewise Linear ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Linear Quadratic ◽  
Predictive Skill ◽  
Arctic Ice

Abstract. Basic statistical metrics such as autocorrelations and across-region lag correlations of sea ice variations provide benchmarks for the assessments of forecast skill achieved by other methods such as more sophisticated statistical formulations, numerical models, and heuristic approaches. However, the strong negative trend of sea ice coverage in recent decades complicates the evaluation of statistical skill by inflating the correlation of interannual variations of pan-Arctic and regional ice extent. In this study we provide a quantitative evaluation of the contribution of the trend to the predictive skill of monthly and seasonal ice extent on the pan-Arctic and regional scales. We focus on the Beaufort Sea where the Barnett Severity Index provides a metric of historical variations in ice conditions over the summer shipping season. The variance about the trend line differs little among various methods of detrending (piecewise linear, quadratic, cubic, exponential). Application of the piecewise linear trend calculation indicates an acceleration of the trend during the 1990s in most of the Arctic subregions. The Barnett Severity Index as well as September pan-Arctic ice extent show significant statistical predictability out to several seasons when the data include the trend. However, this apparent skill largely vanishes when the data are detrended. No region shows significant correlation with the detrended September pan-Arctic ice extent at lead times greater than a month or two; the concurrent correlations are strongest with the East Siberian Sea. The Beaufort Sea’s ice extent as far back as July explains about 20 % of the variance of the Barnett Severity Index, which is primarily a September metric. The Chukchi Sea is the only other region showing a significant association with the Barnett Severity Index, although only at a lead time of a month or two.

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 Holocene dynamics in the Bering Strait inflow to the Arctic and the Beaufort Gyre circulation based on sedimentary records from the Chukchi Sea

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masanobu Yamamoto ◽  
Seung-Il Nam ◽  
Leonid Polyak ◽  
Daisuke Kobayashi ◽  
Kenta Suzuki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Circulation System ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Middle Holocene ◽  
Beaufort Gyre

Abstract. The Beaufort Gyre (BG) and the Bering Strait inflow (BSI) are important elements of the Arctic Ocean circulation system and major controls on the distribution of Arctic sea ice. We report records of the quartz/feldspar and chlorite/illite ratios in three sediment cores from the northern Chukchi Sea providing insights into the long-term dynamics of the BG circulation and the BSI during the Holocene. The quartz/feldspar ratio, a proxy of the BG strength, gradually decreased during the Holocene, suggesting a long-term decline in the BG strength, consistent with orbitally-controlled decrease in summer insolation. We suppose that the BG rotation weakened as a result of increasing stability of sea-ice cover at the margins of the Canada Basin, driven by decreasing insolation. Millennial to multi-centennial variability in the quartz/feldspar ratio (the BG circulation) is consistent with fluctuations in solar irradiance, suggesting that solar activity affected the BG strength on these timescales. The BSI approximated by the chlorite/illite record shows intensified flow from the Bering Sea to the Arctic during the middle Holocene, which is attributed primarily to the effect of an overall weaker Aleutian Low. The middle Holocene intensification of the BSI was associated with decrease in sea ice concentrations and increase in marine production, as indicated by biomarker concentrations, suggesting an influence of the BSI on sea ice distribution and biological production in the Chukchi Sea.

scholarly journals Exploring the utility of quantitative network design in evaluating Arctic sea-ice thickness sampling strategies

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1735-1768 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Kaminski ◽  
F. Kauker ◽  
H. Eicken ◽  
M. Karcher
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Network Design ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
Arctic Sea

Abstract. We present a quantitative network design (QND) study of the Arctic sea ice-ocean system using a software tool that can evaluate hypothetical observational networks in a variational data assimilation system. For a demonstration, we evaluate two idealised flight transects derived from NASA's Operation IceBridge airborne ice surveys in terms of their potential to improve ten-day to five-month sea-ice forecasts. As target regions for the forecasts we select the Chukchi Sea, an area particularly relevant for maritime traffic and offshore resource exploration, as well as two areas related to the Barnett Ice Severity Index (BSI), a standard measure of shipping conditions along the Alaskan coast that is routinely issued by ice services. Our analysis quantifies the benefits of sampling upstream of the target area and of reducing the sampling uncertainty. We demonstrate how observations of sea-ice and snow thickness can constrain ice and snow variables in a target region and quantify the complementarity of combining two flight transects. We further quantify the benefit of improved atmospheric forecasts and a well-calibrated model.

scholarly journals Exploring the utility of quantitative network design in evaluating Arctic sea ice thickness sampling strategies

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1721-1733 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Kaminski ◽  
F. Kauker ◽  
H. Eicken ◽  
M. Karcher
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Network Design ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
Arctic Sea

Abstract. We present a quantitative network design (QND) study of the Arctic sea ice–ocean system using a software tool that can evaluate hypothetical observational networks in a variational data assimilation system. For a demonstration, we evaluate two idealised flight transects derived from NASA's Operation IceBridge airborne ice surveys in terms of their potential to improve 10-day to 5-month sea ice forecasts. As target regions for the forecasts we select the Chukchi Sea, an area particularly relevant for maritime traffic and offshore resource exploration, as well as two areas related to the Barnett ice severity index (BSI), a standard measure of shipping conditions along the Alaskan coast that is routinely issued by ice services. Our analysis quantifies the benefits of sampling upstream of the target area and of reducing the sampling uncertainty. We demonstrate how observations of sea ice and snow thickness can constrain ice and snow variables in a target region and quantify the complementarity of combining two flight transects. We further quantify the benefit of improved atmospheric forecasts and a well-calibrated model.

Underwater noise and Arctic marine mammals: review and policy recommendations

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 438-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. Halliday ◽  
Matthew K. Pine ◽  
Stephen J. Insley
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Auditory Masking ◽  
Underwater Noise ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Ambient Sound

Underwater noise is an important issue globally. Underwater noise can cause auditory masking, behavioural disturbance, hearing damage, and even death for marine animals. While underwater noise levels have been increasing in nonpolar regions, noise levels are thought to be much lower in the Arctic where the presence of sea ice limits anthropogenic activities. However, climate change is causing sea ice to decrease, which is allowing for increased access for noisy anthropogenic activities. Underwater noise may have more severe impacts in the Arctic compared with nonpolar regions due to a combination of lower ambient sound levels and increased sensitivity of Arctic marine animals to underwater noise. Here, we review ambient sound levels in the Arctic, as well as the reactions of Arctic and sub-Arctic marine mammals to underwater noise. We then relate what is known about underwater noise in the Arctic to policies and management solutions for underwater noise and discuss whether Arctic-specific policies are necessary.

scholarly journals Daily transcriptomes of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus during the summer solstice at high Arctic latitudes

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Payton ◽  
Céline Noirot ◽  
Claire Hoede ◽  
Lukas Hüppe ◽  
Kim Last ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Calanus Finmarchicus ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Summer Solstice ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Ice Coverage

AbstractThe zooplankter Calanus finmarchicus is a member of the so-called “Calanus Complex”, a group of copepods that constitutes a key element of the Arctic polar marine ecosystem, providing a crucial link between primary production and higher trophic levels. Climate change induces the shift of C. finmarchicus to higher latitudes with currently unknown impacts on its endogenous timing. Here we generated a daily transcriptome of C. finmarchicus at two high Arctic stations, during the more extreme time of Midnight Sun, the summer solstice. While the southern station (74.5 °N) was sea ice-free, the northern one (82.5 °N) was sea ice-covered. The mRNAs of the 42 samples have been sequenced with an average of 126 ± 5 million reads (mean ± SE) per sample, and aligned to the reference transcriptome. We detail the quality assessment of the datasets and the complete annotation procedure, providing the possibility to investigate daily gene expression of this ecologically important species at high Arctic latitudes, and to compare gene expression according to latitude and sea ice-coverage.

scholarly journals The Clock Keeps Ticking: Circadian Rhythms of Free-Ranging Polar Bears

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine V. Ware ◽  
Karyn D. Rode ◽  
Charles T. Robbins ◽  
Tanya Leise ◽  
Colby R. Weil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Behavioral Plasticity ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Cold Temperatures ◽  
Daily Movement

Life in the Arctic presents organisms with multiple challenges, including extreme photic conditions, cold temperatures, and annual loss and daily movement of sea ice. Polar bears ( Ursus maritimus) evolved under these unique conditions, where they rely on ice to hunt their main prey, seals. However, very little is known about the dynamics of their daily and seasonal activity patterns. For many organisms, activity is synchronized (entrained) to the earth’s day/night cycle, in part via an endogenous (circadian) timekeeping mechanism. The present study used collar-mounted accelerometer and global positioning system data from 122 female polar bears in the Chukchi and Southern Beaufort Seas collected over an 8-year period to characterize activity patterns over the calendar year and to determine if circadian rhythms are expressed under the constant conditions found in the Arctic. We reveal that the majority of polar bears (80%) exhibited rhythmic activity for the duration of their recordings. Collectively within the rhythmic bear cohort, circadian rhythms were detected during periods of constant daylight (June-August; 24.40 ± 1.39 h, mean ± SD) and constant darkness (23.89 ± 1.72 h). Exclusive of denning periods (November-April), the time of peak activity remained relatively stable (acrophases: ~1200-1400 h) for most of the year, suggesting either entrainment or masking. However, activity patterns shifted during the spring feeding and seal pupping season, as evidenced by an acrophase inversion to ~2400 h in April, followed by highly variable timing of activity across bears in May. Intriguingly, despite the dynamic environmental photoperiodic conditions, unpredictable daily timing of prey availability, and high between-animal variability, the average duration of activity (alpha) remained stable (11.2 ± 2.9 h) for most of the year. Together, these results reveal a high degree of behavioral plasticity in polar bears while also retaining circadian rhythmicity. Whether this degree of plasticity will benefit polar bears faced with a loss of sea ice remains to be determined.

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