Research surveys are planned in spring 2017 & 2018 and summer/fall 2017 & 2019. The spring surveys will collect samples in the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Seas (as far north as Cape Lisburne) during a time of year for which information is currently scarce. These surveys will involve measuring the rates of growth, advection, respiration, and deposition of plankton to allow better parameterization of ecosystem models. The summer/fall surveys will sample the entire U.S. Chukchi Sea shelf and will focus on the factors driving the abundance and distribution of fish—particularly Arctic & saffron cod, and pink & chum salmon. Bio/physical moorings will be placed throughout the study area to collect data year-round. Some will include passive acoustic recorders to document the vocalizations of marine mammals and allow examination of the migration timing of various species. Vessel noise will also be documented by these acoustic recorders. Some moorings will include water samplers and sediment traps as well.
A social science study on Chukchi Coastal Communities’ Understanding of and Responses to Environmental Change will integrate Local and Traditional Knowledge with other aspects of the research program. This project will examine the relative influences of environmental and socio-economic factors on the food security of Arctic residents. NPRB is coordinating and collaborating with several separately-funded national and international projects, and new collaborations are welcome. NPRB staff actively participate in the U.S. Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee’s marine ecosystem collaboration team and discuss coordination with Federal agencies on a regular basis. The Arctic IERP will contribute samples to the Distributed Biological Observatory, and NPRB staff participate in the Pacific Arctic Group to coordinate sampling efforts with other nations, including Canada, China, Japan, Korea, and Russia. NPRB is also developing collaborations with the Nansen Legacy Program that will collect a similar suite of data in the northern Barents Sea.
15
2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker