Collaborative Research: Annual Observations of the Biological and Physical Marine Environment in the Chukchi and nearshore Beaufort Seas near Barrow, AK

北冰洋生态系统可能通过已经观测到的物理环境（例如，水文和冰盖）的变化对气候变化作出巨大反应。为了更好地预测和理解气候变化对北极生态系统的潜在影响，有必要更好地了解耦合的海洋生物-物理生态系统及其年际变率。AK州巴罗附近的楚科奇-波弗特海地区，包括沿海水域，已被确定为关键，因为它位于几个海洋区域的交界处和太平洋北极门户的下游，因此受到白令海峡输入的物理和生态影响。研究人员对楚科奇海和近岸波弗特海的海洋物理和生物耦合环境进行了五年(2005 ？2009年)，包括沿海水域，在夏末和短期（月）和一年的底部系泊期间使用船载调查，并观察到显著的年际变化。他们现在将建立对远洋海洋环境的年度调查，并在巴罗峡谷部署全年系泊，作为北极观测网络（AON）的组成部分。这些调查将测量一系列生物和物理参数，包括水文、洋流、浮游生物存量、营养物质和浮游生物遗传。该系泊将测量巴罗峡谷的洋流、近底温度和盐度以及声波反向散射（浮游动物代用物），巴罗峡谷通常位于阿拉斯加海岸流内部或下方。这一AON分量的结果将提供10年的记录，并使人们能够更好地了解巴罗地区海洋合流的物理和生物特征的年际变化。根据这些数据，可以探测到对更大的气候变化作出反应的生物特征的变化。该提议的AON组件包括测量关键的海洋生物和化学参数，以及它们与气候变化敏感区域的物理参数的耦合。研究人员将通过正式和非正式的讨论和演讲，积极地与Barrow社区交流计划和结果。他们还将支持一名教师参加两年的实地考察。

The Arctic Ocean ecosystem may respond dramatically to climate change through already observed modification of the physical environment (e.g., hydrography and ice cover). A better understanding of the coupled biological-physical ocean ecosystem, and its interannual variability, is necessary to predict and understand these potential impacts of climate change on the Arctic ecosystem. The Chukchi-Beaufort Sea region near Barrow, AK, including coastal waters, has been identified as key because it lies at the junction of several ocean regions and downstream of the Pacific Arctic gateway and hence is influenced physically and ecologically by input from Bering Strait. Researchers have conducted oceanographic sampling of the coupled physical and biological marine environment in the Chukchi and near-shore Beaufort Seas for five years (2005 ? 2009), including coastal waters, using boat-based surveys during late summer and short-term (month) and year-long bottom-mounted moorings, and have observed significant interannual variability. They will now establish annual surveys of the pelagic marine environment and deploy a year-round mooring in Barrow Canyon as components of the Arctic Observing Network (AON). The surveys will measure a range of biological and physical parameters including hydrography, currents, plankton standing stocks, nutrients, and plankton genetics. The mooring will measure ocean currents, near bottom temperature and salinity, and acoustic backscatter (zooplankton proxy) in Barrow Canyon at a location typically within or beneath the Alaska Coastal Current.Results from this AON component will provide a 10-year record and enable a better understanding of inter-annual variability in the physical and biological characteristics of the Barrow area ocean confluence. Based on these data, changes in biological characteristics that respond to larger climate change can be detected. This proposed AON component includes measurements of key oceanic biological and chemical parameters, and their coupling to physical parameters from a region sensitive to climate change. The researchers will actively communicate plans and results with the community of Barrow through formal and informal discussions and presentations. They will also support the participation of a teacher in fieldwork for two of the years.