Benthic Community Structure and Biomass in the Western Arctic: Linkage to Biological and Physical Processes

该项目将利用楚科奇海和波弗特海底栖生物的生物量、密度和组成的现有数据集，作为提供维持底栖生物群落能量的有机物下沉模式的指标。除了生物数据集，水柱、沉积物和海冰的物理性质将被用作控制分布模式的环境变量。地理信息系统（GIS）软件将用于检查和图形显示主要的物理强迫过程和生态系统生产力之间的关系。由此产生的数据集将允许检查气候条件变化对北冰洋生物生产力模式分布的影响。该项目的结果将为2002年陆架盆地相互作用项目的大型第2阶段实地方案的规划提供投入。

This project will utilize existing data sets on the biomass, density, and composition of benthic organisms in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas as an indicator of the patterns of sinking organic matter that provides the energy to sustain the benthic community. In addition to the biologic data sets, physical properties of the water column, sediments, and sea ice will be used as environmental variables controlling distribution patterns. Geographic Information System (GIS) software will be used to examine and graphically display relationships between predominant physical forcing processes and ecosystem productivity. The resulting data set will allow examination of the effects of changing climate conditions on the distribution of biologic productivity patterns in the Arctic Ocean. The results of this project will provide input for planning a large Phase 2 field program of the Shelf Basin Interactions project in 2002.