Palmer, Antarctica Long Term Ecological Research Project

自1990年以来，Palmer LTER（PAL）研究一直以极地海洋生态系统的变化与海冰的年度前进，后退和空间范围的变化机械耦合的假设为指导。自那时以来，这一假设已被修改，以纳入气候迁移，即在PAL区域的北方部分，寒冷、干燥的极地气候被温暖、潮湿的气候状况所取代，造成食物网结构和元素循环的根本变化。观测到的北方变化正在影响所有营养水平和元素循环，变化的主要机制涉及匹配-失配动态。拟议的研究建立在以前的研究结果，新的重点是过程研究和建模，以阐明遥相关，气候变化，物理海洋强迫和生态系统动力学之间的机制联系。拟议的研究将检验这样一种假设，即与研究区域北方历史上和正在进行的气候迁移有关的区域变暖和海冰减少已经改变了关键的物候关系，导致物种分布的变化，增加营养不匹配以及生境、食物供应、生态系统动态和生物地球化学循环的变化。通过与数值模型模拟相关联的有针对性的过程研究，该研究还将测试这样一种假设，即核心研究区域的深跨大陆架峡谷是生态系统过程的重点区域，这些生态系统过程为顶级捕食者提供了可预测的、高水平的食物资源。这项工作包括增加3名新的专业研究员：一名具有海洋地球化学通量专门知识的浮游动物生态学家，一名侧重于生物光学和使用滑翔机进行自主观测的浮游植物生态学家，以及一名专门研究海洋环流、浮游生物生态和海洋地球化学循环耦合全球模型的数值模拟建模师。该方案将增加痕量金属取样和分析、系泊物理海洋学传感器、南部系泊沉积物捕集器、漂流沉积物捕集器和稳定碳（del 13 C）和氮（del 15 N）同位素分析。在夏季巡航之前、期间和之后使用滑翔机进行长达45天的飞行任务，沿着系泊和对海冰、海洋颜色、海面温度和风场的卫星遥感，将大大延长观测方案的空间和时间。自成立以来，PAL一直是信息管理的领导者，以促进南极，海洋和LTER社区内外的知识建设。PAL设计并部署了一个新的信息基础设施，采用关系数据库架构，以促进数据分发和共享。教育和外联方案利用公众对南极洲的迷恋，促进从幼儿园学生到关心气候变化和环境可持续性的成年公民的科学素养。通过向公众通报结果和与科学评估机构（例如，为了保护地球最后的边疆，PAL的研究人员为国家科学议程和更大的公共利益做出了贡献。

Since 1990, Palmer LTER (PAL) research has been guided by the hypothesis that variability in the polar marine ecosystem is mechanistically coupled to changes in the annual advance, retreat and spatial extent of sea ice. Since that time, the hypothesis has been modified to incorporate climate migration, i.e. the displacement of a cold, dry polar climate by a warm, moist climate regime in the northern component of the PAL region, producing fundamental changes in food web structure and elemental cycling. The observed northern changes are affecting all trophic levels and elemental cycling, and the primary mechanism of change involves match-mismatch dynamics. The proposed research builds on previous findings, with a new emphasis on process studies and modeling to elucidate the mechanistic links between teleconnections, climate change, physical oceanographic forcing and ecosystem dynamics. The proposed research will examine the hypothesis that regional warming and sea ice decline associated with historical and on-going climate migration in the northern part of the study area have altered key phenological relationships, leading to changes in species distributions, increasing trophic mismatches and changes in habitat, food availability, ecosystem dynamics and biogeochemical cycling. Through targeted process studies linked to numerical model simulations, the research also will test the hypothesis that deep cross-shelf canyons characterizing the core study region are focal areas for ecosystem processes that result in predictable, elevated food resources for top-predators. The effort includes the addition of 3 new PIs: a zooplankton ecologist with expertise in biogeochemical fluxes, a phytoplankton ecologist focusing on bio-optics and autonomous observations using gliders, and a numerical simulation modeler specializing in coupled global models of ocean circulation, plankton ecology and biogeochemical cycles. The program will add trace metal sampling and analysis, moored physical oceanographic sensors, a moored sediment trap in the south, drifting sediment traps and stable carbon (del 13C) and nitrogen (del 15N) isotope analyses. Missions lasting up to 45 days using gliders deployed before, during and after summer cruises will, along with moorings and satellite remote sensing of sea ice, ocean color, sea surface temperatures and wind fields, greatly extend the observational program in space and time. Since its inception, PAL has been a leader in Information Management to enable knowledge-building within and beyond the Antarctic, oceanographic and LTER communities. PAL has designed and deployed a new information infrastructure with a relational database architecture to facilitate data distribution and sharing. The Education and Outreach program capitalizes on the public's fascination with Antarctica to promote scientific literacy from kindergarten students to adult citizens concerned with climate change and environmental sustainability. Through communicating results to the public and working with scientific assessment bodies (e.g., IPCC) and Antarctic Treaty parties to protect Earth's last frontier, PAL researchers contribute to the national scientific agenda and the greater public benefit.