Full Proposals for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Proposed IPY Activity Details

1.0 PROPOSER INFORMATION

(Activity ID No: 333)

1.1 Title of Activity
Arctic Ocean Diversity (ArcOD)

1.2 Short Form Title of Proposed Activity
ArcOD

1.3 Activity Leader Details
Rolf Gradinger
University of Alaska Fairbanks
USA

1.4 Lead International Organisation(s) (if applicable)
Census of Marine Life (CoML)
Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)

1.5 Other Countries involved in the activity
Canada
Russia
Norway
Denmark
Germany
Greenland
Australia
UK
France
Poland

1.6 Expression of Intent ID #'s brought together in this proposed activity
64, 18, 77, 126, 204, 293, 307, 329, 526, 602, 621, 624, 640, 713, 752, 769, 780, 814, 1087, FP# 324

1.7 Location of Field Activities
Arctic

1.8 Which IPY themes are addressed
1. Current state of the environment
2. Change in the polar regions
3. Polar-global linkages/tele-connections
4. Exploring new frontiers

1.9 What is the main IPY target addressed by this activity
1. Natural or social science

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2.0 SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITY

The Arctic currently experiences greater rates of climate change than any other region on the planet. Sea ice cover and extent are shrinking, freshwater run-off and coastal erosion are increasing, and these and other changes are felt in particular by native communities. The Arctic biota is uniquely adapted to the extreme environments in which they exist, and may be vulnerable to shifts in climate - or may be particularly resilient. There is an urgent need to document the current state of Arctic biological communities and their diversity, if we are to understand and evaluate the impact of climate change. Current knowledge of Arctic marine biodiversity is patchy, at best, with large geographic, taxonomic and seasonal gaps in time and space. For example, few data are available about biota of the slopes and deep-sea abyssal plains, about microbes and gelatinous zooplankton, about seasonal changes in Arctic marine biological communities, and about special habitats like ridges, sea mounts and seeps and their importance to the Arctic Ocean.
The lack of a comprehensive integrative program on Arctic biodiversity led to the development of the Arctic Ocean Diversity project (ArcOD). ArcOD is an international collaborative effort to inventory biodiversity in the Arctic's three realms (sea ice, water column and sea floor) from the shallow shelves to the deep basins using a three-step approach: compilation of existing data, taxonomic identification of existing samples, and new collections focusing on taxonomic, regional and other gaps. The taxonomic scope is wide ranging from microbes to mammals. ArcOD is one of the field projects of the Census of Marine Life (CoML), which is a growing global network of researchers in more than 70 nations engaged in a ten-year (2000-2010) initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life in the oceans - past, present, and future. CoML contributes to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). An ArcOD office and a centre have been operating at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and at PP Shirshov Institute in Moscow/Zoological Institute St. Petersburg, respectively, since 2004. An international scientific steering group guides ArcOD activities. Funding is provided by the Sloan Foundation for infrastructure and data management while new field work requires PIs to find their own funding.
Some of the questions ArcOD is faced with include: What is the relationship between species distribution patterns, species richness and environmental conditions and processes in a climate change framework? Is species richness in the Arctic really lower than in lower latitudes - across realms, depth strata and size-classes? What is the distribution of bio-geographic affinities (Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and cosmopolitan) in all three realms? Are regional differences significant on a molecular level? Can we provide consistent information on biodiversity across scales and model and predict it?
ArcOD researchers have already begun to tackle some of those questions through assembly of historic data, planning and conducting new expeditions, building a taxonomist network, making new discoveries through combining traditional with modern tools (e.g., ROVs, molecular methods), etc. IPY will further the expansion of this Arctic biodiversity cluster to a truly pan-Arctic effort, with involvement of collaborators in most Arctic Seas, and with a diverse and more complete array of taxonomic foci. IPY will be a unique opportunity for Arctic biodiversity-related work as proposed by the cluster EoIs to focus interest, attention, energy and funds on the topic of Arctic marine biodiversity. Networking between cluster EoIs would happen through e-meetings, newsletters, web postings, working groups, meetings and possibly an Arctic biodiversity symposium plus related publications.
ArcOD has close ties to other IPY coordination proposals such as CAML (ID#53), but also contributes to large-scale efforts outside IPY such as the Barcode of Life project.

2.1 What is the evidence of inter-disciplinarity in this activity?
Biodiversity research under ArcOD is conducted in the framework of Arctic climate change and community-processes relationships with the recognition that biological processes are driven by the species involved in them. As such, Arctic biodiversity research is intimately linked to other disciplines, in particular biological, chemical, physical and geological oceanography.
Evidence that ArcOD is taking the inter-disciplinary approach seriously can be seen from (1) the composition of the SSG and the included EoIs, (2) our collaboration with the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS), and (3) from recent interdisciplinary cruises. ArcOD data is now served through OBIS and GBIF, which further supports its international acknowledgment.
Some of recent ArcOD field-activities have been synoptic, meaning that they sampled biodiversity in all three Arctic realms (sea ice, water column and seafloor) as well as characterizing the physical and chemical environment simultaneously. We expect this approach to continue in future activities.

2.2 What will be the significant advances/developments from this activity? What will be the major deliverables? What are the outputs for your peers?
ArcOD is a collaborative pan-Arctic project that will make significant advances to several IPY research themes.
Theme 1 (current state of the environment): ArcOD will make historic and new data on the state of diversity of marine life in the Arctic widely available.
Theme 2 (change in polar regions): New ArcOD activities will provide a benchmark for tracking future change in the Arctic marine environment. Historic data to be archived through ArcOD will served for past-present-future comparisons of biodiversity information.
Theme 3 (polar-global linkages): Arctic biodiversity information can be included in analyses of global patterns such as latitudinal trends in species richness. Furthermore, Arctic biota, through its connection to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is intimately linked to the global ocean through transport of animal populations, larvae, invasive species, organic matter, pollutants etc.
Theme 4 (exploring new frontiers): ArcOD activities are expected to reveal both species new to science as well as new records for certain areas (See http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/05arctic/welcome.html). New field-going activities are particularly focused on poorly studied areas or taxonomic groups providing a high potential for new discoveries. Some ArcOD projects contribute to the Barcode of Life effort, to GENBANK as well as to GBIF, a U.N. initiative.
Deliverables anticipated include the generation of new data, data management of historic and new data (including some museum records) with open access (through OBIS and GBIF), genetic sequences, new species discoveries, scientific publications, conference presentations and likely others evolving over time.

2.3 Outline the geographical location(s) for the proposed field work (approximate coordinates will be helpful if possible)

2.4 Define the approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities?

2.5 What major logistic support/facilities will be required for this project?
Icebreaker
Existing field stations
Ice strengthened research ship
Multi-instrumented platforms
Remotely Operated Vehicle
Helicopters

Further details – Field work in this cluster is aiming to share logistics with other ship- and land-based projects.

2.6 How will the required logistics be supplied? Have operators been approached?

2.7 If working in the Arctic regions, has there been contact with local indigenous groups or relevant authorities regarding access?
Members or ArcOD are already in contact with local indigenous groups and relevant authorities for U.S. projects conducted under ArcOD in specific areas. National and international contacts will be expanded depending on funded projects and research areas.

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3.0 STRUCTURE OF THE ACTIVITY

3.1 Origin of the activity
This is a pulse of activity during 2007-2009 within an existing programme

If part of an existing programme please name the programme – Census of Marine Life

3.2 How will the activity be organised and managed? Describe the proposed management structure and means for coordinating across the cluster
ArcOD is currently advised by an international steering group (SSG) comprised of currently 13 members (listed under 4.2) from 7 nations with relevant Arctic programs. All SSG members are associated with major Arctic institutions and/or programs and several are PIs or Co-PIs on collaboration IPY EoIs. SSG meetings are annual with email communication being more frequent. Meetings could be expanded to include PIs of collaborating EoIs or a working group could be formed.

Both the co-ordinating ArcOD project office at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (part-time salaries for Gradinger, Hopcroft and Bluhm) and the SSG were established in 2004 and are funded through the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation until June 2006 with the likelihood of stepwise extension through 2010. An associated center is located in St. Petersburg (lead Sirenko) and Moscow (lead Gebruk), Russia, and is funded for the same period. The Fairbanks office would provide services to collaborating EoIs such as featuring IPY-project activities and PIs on their website and making use of the ArcOD/CoML taxonomic network, E&O network and media contacts.

A database and OBIS node for historic and new Arctic biodiversity data has been established at UAF in collaboration with AOOS. The database will serve data through OBIS, GBIF the AOOS data mining portal and be made available through data transport standards in development by IOOS and GOOS. Funding is available through the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for processing of data sets and maintenance of the data node. The collaborating EoIs are invited to contribute to the database and, thereby, fulfil IPY data management requirements.

Calls for participation in ArcOD have thus far been made through scientific meetings, poster presentations, web sites (ArcOD, CoML), media products/press releases, individual contacts, an expanding taxonomic network, mini-grants and promotion through the U.S. national CoML committee. Networking between cluster EoIs would happen through e-meetings, newsletters, web postings, meetings associated with professional meetings and possibly an Arctic biodiversity symposium.

3.3 Will the activity leave a legacy of infrastructure and if so in what form?
This study is a true benchmark in Arctic biology and provides a solid foundation to follow changes in the Arctic marine life diversity over the next decades. Data will be accessible through the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), the legacy of the international Census of Marine Life, as well as through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). ArcOD has already established its own data node in collaboration with the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) for this purpose. A legacy will also be built through preparing students for a career in polar sciences and raising public awareness of arctic biota through E&O efforts.

3.4 Will the activity involve nations other than traditional polar nations? How will this be addressed?
ArcOD primarily involves the traditional polar nations. In addition, close collaboration is evolving with CAML, the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (based in Australia), and ArcOD is planning to include Asian countries in its scientific steering group during and beyond IPY.

3.5 Will this activity be linked with other IPY core activities? If yes please specify
ArcOD will link with other core IPY activities, in particular:
CAML, ID#53: ArcOD has an SSG member in CAML; collaboration on E&O through Cousteau Society planned
ECOGREEN, ID#122: Activity leader is on ArcOD SSG
ESSAR, ID#155: ArcOD PIs have pending proposals for ESSAR activities; ArcOD PI is on SSG of BEST, an ESSAS component (EoI#305).
ArcOD SSG members and collaborators are consortium members of other coordination proposals, e.g. PAME (ID#71), PAN-AME (ID#26) and iAOOS (ID#14).

3.6 How will the activity manage its data? Is there a viable plan and which data management organisations/structures will be involved?
A data node for historic and new Arctic biodiversity data has been established at the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences in collaboration with the Alaska Ocean Observing System (part of the Global Ocean Observing System). Data and metadata standards, Darwin Core and FGDC (profile of the National Biological Information Infrastructure NBII), respectively, are in accordance with OBIS and GBIF. This node, through a DiGIR software architecture, will serve data through OBIS, GBIF and the AOOS data mining portal and be made available through data transport standards in development by IOOS and GOOS. Unique datasets will be archived at one or more IOOS data archive centers.

Continued funding is anticipated through the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for assistance with the data submission process by multiple providers and for IT maintenance of the data node until 2010. Past that date, we anticipate that IOOS (Integrated Ocean Observing System), through AOOS, will provide the maintenance of the system and its long-terms persistence and availability.

3.7 Data Policy Agreement
Will this activity sign up to the IPY draft Data Policy (see website)
Yes

3.8 How will the activity contribute to developing the next generation of polar scientists, logisticians, etc.?
ArcOD has several pathways of educating and developing the next generation of polar scientists: 1. Undergraduate and graduate students will be involved in ArcOD-relevant research through MS and PhD theses, research assistantships, internships etc.,
2. ArcOD researchers incorporate Arctic biodiversity materials into their undergraduate and graduate-level teaching,
3. Biodiversity-focused seminars will be given to students at K-12 level as well as in university-institutional seminars,
4. Lesson plans specific to Arctic biodiversity and habitats have been and will be (pending funding) developed.
5. International exposure of arctic biota through E&O efforts helps attract student interest to Arctic issues

3.9 How will this activity address education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Education and outreach activities within ArcOD will have three main venues:
1. ArcOD as part of CoML-wide E&O network: The Office of Marine Program at Rhode Island Univ. coordinates CoML E&O activities, maintains an E&O network within the Census of Marine Life, and prepares press releases and related activities.
2. ArcOD-specific activities: web site, magazine articles, posters, brochure, seminars.
3. Grant-specific E&O activities with ArcOD significance: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov etc
Collaboration in the E&O context is currently formalized with CAML and The Cousteau Society.

Within the different venues, activities may include educators-at-sea, media-at-sea, contributions to magazines, newspapers, TV & radio, involvement of artists, seminars in schools, at university institutions and on conferences, web sites etc.

3.10 What are the proposed sources of funding for this activity?
Coordination/planning and data management costs are currently (and likely until 2010) being met by the Alfred P Sloan Foundation.
The remaining costs will be for scientist and research support with ship time and salaries being the major cost. Participating nations and PIs have pending and funded proposals with state, national and international funding agencies to conduct Arctic biodiversity-relevant activities during IPY. Other RFPs will be coming out in the coming months.

3.11 Additional Comments
The coincidence of the IPY and the international Census of Marine Life puts ArcOD into a larger framework and provides for a unique opportunity to conduct a pan-Arctic study of the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of the Arctic seas.

Listed below are the EoIs (sorted by number) that have expressed interest in collaborating with this proposal. The contacts (one or several per EoI) are listed in table 4.2. (note that consortium members appearing in several EoIs are only listed once). We consider this list preliminary and growing as other projects /EoIs develop. Note that other EoIs originally listed in this cluster were interested, but did not receive funding to conduct the proposed work. We are in communication with yet other EoIs and interested groups, but have not been able to get their agreement to be listed (e.g., TOPASA EoI#801) or they have either not submitted an EoI as yet (e.g., NaGISA - a Census of Marine Life project) or have not received an EoI# (ETAA).

EoIs brought together in this proposal:
#64 (lead) Arctic Ocean Diversity (ArcOD)
#18 Synoptic Pan-Arctic Climate and Environment Study (SPACE)
#77 Marine Mammal Exploration of the Oceans - Pole to Pole (MEOP)
#126 CANADA #75:Comprehensive survey of sea floor methane seeps and related benthic ecosystem in the Beaufort Sea
#204 Arctic & Antarctic Fjord Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (AATBI)
#293 Trends in the marine environment of the Barents Sea from the first to the second IPY (TREBAR)
#307 A quantitative survey of benthic biodiversity in the deep basins of the Norwegian-Greenland Seas (NGS-ABYSS)
#329 Physical and ecological environment of the Arctic Ocean north of Greenland
#526 Northern Regional impacts and Sensitivity to Climate Change (Northern RiSCC)
#602 Zooplankton as tracers of abiotic processes in the European Arctic.
#621 Alaska Arctic and Bering Coastal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (AK Arctic Coastal EMAP)
#624 CANADA #109: Arctic marine biodiversity and ecosystem research (AMBER)
#640 CANADA #124:An Arctic Archipelago animal tracking and physical oceanographic array. (Arctic Curtain)
#713 CANADA #59: Canadian Census of Marine Life Arctic Ocean Biodiversity Program
#752 Ecosystem Processes Across Climatic Gradients in Greenland Sub-programme: Marine ecosystems
#769 Sea Ice Ecosystem in recent climate change in the Arctic (Arctic Cryal)
#780 Pan-Arctic Tracking of Beluga Whales (PATOB)
#814 Study of the Arctic benthic and pelagic biota.
#1087 Western Arctic Marine Fish Museum Records, New Collections, Taxonomic Studies, and Atlas (Arctic Marine Fishes)
# to be assigned: Ecological Transects across the Arctic by Airship (ETAA)

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4.0 CONSORTIUM INFORMATION

4.1 Contact Details

Lead Contact
Dr Rolf Gradinger
University of Alaska Fairbanks
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences P.O. Box 757220 Fairbanks
99775
USA

Tel:          +1 907 474 7407
Mobile:   N/A
Fax:         +1 907 474 7204
Email:       rgradinger@ims.uaf.edu

Second Contact
Dr Andrey Gebruk
P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology
Russian Academy of Sciences Nakhimovsky Pr., 36 Moscow
117997
Russia

Tel:          +7 095 124 8504
Mobile:   N/A
Fax:         +7 095 124 8504 (same as ph.)
Email:      agebruk@sio.rssi.ru

4.2 Other significant consortium members and their affiliation