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  • 1 August: Abstracts due for Eastern Pacific Ocean Conference (EPOC) 22-25 September, 2010.
  • 5 August:  PI teleconference
  • 17 August: SAB teleconference
  • 30 November: deadline for manuscript submission to first BEST-BSIERP special
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Bering Sea Project

Moran reports on changes in Bering Sea carbon cycling at Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Workshop

Bering Sea Project investigator Bradley Moran presented some research findings at this year's Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Workshop, held in July 2010 at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Together with co-PI Mike Lomas, Moran is focused on two projects within the benthic focal area of the Bering Sea Project: Carbon Export in the Eastern Bering Sea Water Column and The Impact of Changes in Sea Ice Extent on Primary Production, Phytoplankton Community Structure, and Export.

carbon cycling hypotheses Moran et al.The team hypothesizes (right) that changes in sea-ice extent shift the autotrophic community between:

  • Open-water blooms, which are characterized by lower biomass, flagellate blooms, low pelagic export, and reduced pelagic-benthic coupling; and
  • Marginal ice-zone (MIZ) blooms, which are characterized by high biomass, diatom-dominated blooms, high pelagic export and tighter pelagic-benthic coupling. See larger image

Moran presents early findings

The Arctic was one of the themes in this year's OCB workshop. Moran summarized carbon cycling in the lower trophic levels from data obtained from cruises that occurred in spring and summer of 2008 and 2009.  Specifically, he reported on seasonal and interannual changes in primary productivity, phytoplankton community composition, particulate organic carbon export, net community composition, and sediment oxygen utilization in the Bering Sea Project study region. 

Early results indicate that primary production and export seem to vary with changes in the autotrophic community structure between the ice edge and open water conditions.

What does it mean for this ecosystem?

Recent ice coverage was much more extensive compared to 2001-06. The old saying "spring ahead" seems to apply here -- ice retreat was later than expected at the outset of this project; indeed, the ice had only just retreated by the summer cruises in July.

changing sea ice extentChanging sea ice extent has a potentially large impact on the Bering Sea ecosystem, as evidenced by decreasing seasonal sea ice extent in the Bering Sea from 1976-2009 (left; graphic by Sigler et al). See larger image

This is an important development in the Bering Sea, one of the world's most productive ecosystems:

  • The Bering Sea is the source of half the U.S. fish landings annually (pollock, salmon, crab).
  • Over past several decades, shifts have occurred in pelagic and benthic ecosystems, decreasing the abundance of commercially important organisms. This shift has been partly linked to global climate change, decreasing sea ice extent, and related physical forcing mechanisms.
  • Climate change could also be affecting lower trophic levels and food web structure, and it turn feeds back to higher trophic levels.

 

pollock and capelin distribution, 2008 and 2009Forage fish surveys show re-distribution of pollock, capelin

The combination of acoustics, trawling, and oceanography gives us a powerful tool to see how fish distribute themselves in a dynamic ocean.

We can interpret these changes in the context of the overall Bering Sea Project, which seeks to understand the mechanisms creating and sustaining life in the Bering Sea.

Bering Sea Project oceanographers have classified 2008 as a "cold" year and 2009 as a "colder" year in the Bering Sea. Rapid changes seem to be occurring in the Bering Sea: in 2008, most of young pollock were found in the top 30m of the water column, and capelin were scarce throughout the study region. Figure 1 (right) shows pollock distribution. See larger image

capelin distributionBy 2009 pollock were not found in the near-surface waters in favor of waters near the bottom (>80m depth), and capelin occupied the upper 30m of the water column in larger, more distinctive groups. We expect 2010, predicted to be a "coldest" year, to be much the same.

Figure 2 (right) shows capelin distribution. See larger image

Fish distribution matters to what eats them

Fish can respond to their environment and change their distribution. This affects not just the fish themselves -- young pollock's shift to deeper water puts them closer to their predators -- but the availability of a meal for surface or shallow-diving predators like black-legged kittiwakes.

For more information

Richard ChewningTeachers assist with summer pollock surveys

Educators from NOAA's Teacher at Sea (TAS) program are assisting Bering Sea Project scientists with the acoustic pollock survey in the Bering Sea and are blogging about life aboard the ship. Learn more about the pollock, the surveys, and the teachers.

TRACK THE OSCAR DYSON: Mapped position and meteorological data are updated a few times per day at this page.

Bering Sea Project at a Glance 2010About the Bering Sea Project

The Bering Sea Project, a $52 million partnership between the North Pacific Research Board and the National Science Foundation, seeks to understand the impacts of climate change and dynamic sea ice cover on the eastern Bering Sea ecosystem.

More than one hundred scientists are engaged in field research and ecosystem modeling to link climate, physical oceanography, plankton, fishes, seabirds, marine mammals, humans, traditional knowledge and economic outcomes to better understand the mechanisms that sustain this highly productive region.

The Bering Sea Project is a collaborative team effort, led by an elected group of six scientists working together with NPRB and NSF program managers. We invite you to explore this website to learn more about the Bering Sea Project's hypotheses, focal areas of study, integrated goals, participants, and ecological and social context.

Our recently-updated Bering Sea Project "at-a-glance" brochure introduces and explains the program. Download (PDF) or contact us for a hard copy.