2014•Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut)Requires access
International cooperation for the development of an Arctic biogeochemical observatory network
Catherine Lalande, Alexandre Forest, Eva‐Maria Nöthig, Louis Fortier
Open publisher page 0 citations
Abstract
As our current knowledge of biological and biogeochemical processes in the Arctic Ocean is mostly based on snapshots measurements obtained during summer and mostly limited to shelf regions, baseline information is missing to assess the impact of climate change on the biological carbon pump, particularly in the Central Arctic Ocean. Measurements on larger spatial and temporal scales are therefore urgently needed to monitor the response of the carbon cycle to warmer conditions in the Arctic Ocean. In this context, a call to maintain, develop and coordinate observing activities relying on bio-mooring arrays and long-term sequential sediment traps, key tools to detect change in the biogeochemical and ecological functioning of Arctic marine ecosystems, was made in a community white paper presented at the Arctic Observing Summit in 2013 (Forest et al., 2013). To answer this call, international cooperation for the development of an Arctic biogeochemical observatory network is needed. The development of such an international observatory network may be implemented through joint projects among existing programs and expanded to joint deployments of multidisciplinary moorings to fill geographical gaps, combine efforts and expertise, and share instruments and costs. To highlight the relevance of international collaboration, results from an ongoing joint project comparing export fluxes obtained in the Siberian Arctic Ocean by the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany and ArcticNet, a Network of Centre of Excellence in Canada are presented. The combination of export flux measurements obtained at different periods and locations help to accurately assess the impact of reduced ice cover on primary productivity and carbon export in the Siberian Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Observing Summit 2014 represents a good opportunity to identify additional potential partners and discuss future collaborative projects.