Arctic | Lower Trophic Levels
Benthic studies during the 2022 US Synoptic Arctic Survey Presenter: Jacqueline Grebmeier , jgrebmei@umces.edu, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Lee Cooper , cooper@umces.edu Christina Goethel , cgoethel@umces.edu
Brian Marx , bmarx@umces.edu Clare Gaffey , cgaffey@clarku.edu JOna Silberberg , jonasilberberg@gmail.com Michael Tepper-Rasmussen , tepper.rasmussen@gmail.com
Benthic population and carbon cycling studies were part of the US Contribution to the Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS), supported by the US National Science Foundation, on USCGC Healy in September-October 2022. Goals of the US SAS include determining the current state of the Pacific Arctic ecosystem from the Chukchi continental shelf into the Canada Basin and up to the North Pole, specifically water masses, the marine ecosystem and carbon cycling. Macrofaunal population and sediment respiration rates were highest on the Chukchi shelf, declining to extremely low levels in the high Arctic, consistent with lower water column chlorophyll biomass in both the water column and surface sediments under more persistent ice cover. However, significant chlorophyll biomass was present on the shelf and slope as late as mid-October. Benthic images showed marine snow on the outer shelf and slope, with little detritus in the deep Arctic Basin. Sediments were collected for total organic carbon and nitrogen content, grain size, and meiofaunal and microbial community studies. We outline here the benthic SAS program details and preliminary results that will be shared with international SAS partners. Overall the SAS will contribute to understanding the present state of the ecosystem on a pan- Arctic basis.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 150
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