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Two Decades of Long-Term Sediment Trap Studies Across the Arctic Ocean: Evidences for Change or Continuity?

Two Decades of Long-Term Sediment Trap Studies Across the Arctic Ocean: Evidences for Change or Continuity?
Type: 
Parallel
Time: 
17 March 2010 - 11:10am - 11:25am
Alexandre Forest1, Makoto Sampei2, Catherine Lalande3, Louis Fortier4, Hiroshi Sasaki5, Eduard Bauerfeind6, Eva-Maria Nöthig7, Michael Klages8, Paul Wassmann9
1Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique ETE, Université du Québec, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada, alexandre [dot] forest [at] uit [dot] no
2Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
3Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
4Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
5Senshu University of Ishinomaki, Ishinomaki, 986-8580, Japan
6Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, 27570, Germany
7Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, 27570, Germany
8Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, 27570, Germany
9Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, 9037, Norway

In marine environments, long-term sediment traps are moored interceptors which collect sinking particles in sequence on monthly-to-yearly time scales. The quantification and characterization of downward particle fluxes are crucial to our understanding of ecosystem functioning, since they can be seen as the ultimate output of food web activities in the water column. In this sense, sinking fluxes are key indicators of climate-related changes in biological production and organic matter transport. Given the harsh conditions of high-north latitudes and for logistic reasons, long-term particle flux dataset in the Arctic have been traditionally scarce. Nevertheless, in the last two decades, a respectable amount of multi-year sediment trap time-series have been published for distinct regions of the Arctic Ocean (i.e. Beaufort Sea, Baffin Bay, Greenland Sea, Fram Strait, Laptev Sea, and central Arctic basins). Here, we adopt an open perspective and we take a critical look at these disparate time-series. Specifically, we ask the question if any measurable changes in the magnitude and nature of downward particles fluxes have been actually related to sea ice decline in the last 20 years. Our main objective is to give an overview of our current understanding of where, when and why changes in particle flux dynamics occurred or, conversely, were not observed. In addition to sea ice retreat, we aim at listing other potential physical and biological drivers of abrupt shifts in terms of vertical and lateral particle fluxes. Aspects related to timing of events, geographical heterogeneity and depth-specific export will also be addressed in order to depict how Arctic marine ecosystems respond to short- and long-term environmental transitions.

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National Science Foundation | Division of Arctic Sciences
National Science Foundation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere
International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere
Study of Environmental Arctic Change
Study of Environmental Arctic Change
Arctic System Science Program
Arctic System Science Program
US Arctic Research Commission
US Arctic Research Commission
North Slope Science Initiative
North Slope Science Initiative
International Arctic Science Committee
International Arctic Science Committee
Arctic Ocean Sciences Board
Arctic Ocean Sciences Board
Alaska Ocean Observing System
Alaska Ocean Observing System
Department of Energy
Department of Energy
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
World Wildlife Fund
WWF
Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
International Study of Arctic Change
International Study of Arctic Change
ArcticNet
ArcticNet
DAMOCLES
Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the ARCUS Cooperative Agreement ARC-0618885. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.