Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Synoptic Studies of Contaminants in Polar Environments  (SYNSCOPE)

Outline
SYNSCOPE will establish an international circumpolar network to document contaminant deposition to terrestrial Arctic/Antarctic environments using the moss/lichen monitoring approach coupled with passive POPs samplers. This network will complement atmospheric monitoring projects that characterize ecosystem exposure but do not include ecosystem receptor components. It builds on the work of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) in advancing our understanding of spatial patterns of contaminant deposition in the Arctic, and adds an Antarctic module. Despite advances under AMAP, understanding of spatial patterns of contaminant deposition to Arctic environments is still somewhat limited, especially when information is desired for (1) several different classes of contaminants (e.g., trace elements/heavy metals, POPs, PAHs, radionuclides), and (2) a small (e.g., 1 year) sampling window, in order to control for both atmospheric forcing and contaminant emissions (both of which will affect spatial patterns of deposition). Antarctic studies are at a much earlier stage of development. We focus on cryptogams as they generally reflect deposition to the terrestrial compartment without issues of uptake and translocation. The method is well developed and is currently the subject of lower latitude UNEP-ICP monitoring efforts. Sampling locations will build on AMAP and UNEP-ICP projects as well as additional existing circumpolar networks of national field stations. Links will also be made to the global (but spatially sparse) network of passive POPs samplers. Several sites will be co-located with existing Arctic/Antarctic precipitation stations in order to calibrate tissue concentrations to landscape deposition. Particular efforts will be made to implement spatially extensive surveys in regions where such data are currently sparse (Canada, Russia). Atmospheric transport modeling will be used to guide site selection, discern source-receptor relationships, interpolate among sites, and analyze the influence of interannual variability in atmospheric forcing on deposition. Close attention will be paid to data harmonization via joint protocols (including QA/QC) and/or field and laboratory intercalibration exercises. A secretariat and scientific steering committee will be developed to organize and coordinate SYNSCOPE. Phase I (2006) will be organizational, Phase II (2007) will be the pilot, and Phase III (2008) will be the synoptic Arctic/Antarctic field sampling campaign, with analysis in outyears. All data will be made available to participating institutions as a basis for joint publications and reports. Project activities will be coordinated with other relevant proposed IPY 2007/2008 activities (e.g., ATMOPOL). Legacy infrastructure will be intellectual capital (see 2.4) augmented by a network of established polar contaminant sampling sites.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
SYNSCOPE will provide the first circumpolar survey of contaminant deposition to be entirely accomplished within a compressed sampling window representing a single state of atmospheric forcing. Further, as data collection will not be time-transgressive, it will not have the disadvantage of being gathered across fluctuating emission scenarios. This will establish polar baselines of spatially-explicit variability in contaminant deposition to polar terrestrial environments against which future changes can be compared. The modeling component will use the raw data produced from the synoptic survey as input to increase our global understanding of controls over fate and transport of different classes of contaminants.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
AMAP will be a key player. The British Antarctic Survey will serve as the SYNSCOPE Antarctic node. To date, science and science managers from 8 countries have expressed interest. We expect to link to additional Arctic field stations through CEON (Circumarctic Environmental Observatories Network).

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Interest is confirmed for Cherskii, Valkarkai, Amderma, Tiksi, Cape Schmidta, and the Yamal Peninsula (Russia), Zeppelin (Svalbard), Qeqertarsuaq and Zackenberg (Greenland), Barrow (USA), the Faroe Islands, and the 5 field stations of the British Antarctic Survey. Other key areas are the Kola and Taimyr Peninsulas (Russia) and the Canadian Arctic.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: June-August 2007      June-August 2008      
Antarctic: December 2006 -Feb 2007      December 2007-Feb 2008      

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Field collections do not require instrumentation. Primary logistics needs include: *Existing field stations/environmental observatories augmented by *Helicopter support for grid-based sampling around a subset of these stations/observatories *Transport of personnel, supplies, and (cold transport) samples *Ground transportation at some field stations *Communications systems for interactive web access

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
SYNSCOPE will stimulate increased global interest in and attention to the geography of polar contaminant landscapes. Field activities lend themselves to participation at college and high school (teachers/students) levels; real-time updates of field collections and student/teacher weblogs will be key early dissemination vehicles. Primary legacy “infrastructure” will be intellectual capital.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
Another national polar operator
National agency
Military support
Commercial operator
Own support
Other sources of support

We envision primary logistic support from consortia of national polar operators, supplemented if/as necessary by other national and individual sources.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
SYNSCOPE is in the process of being considered along with other US IPY proposals by the U.S. National Committee (USNC) for IPY. We have been advised that the US approval process will begin immediately following this initial IPY deadline.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
New

The SYNSCOPE project is a new initiative that is intended to build on a network of existing field stations and environmental observatories as well as cooperative Arctic and Antarctic programs.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Because the need for coordination is high, a secretariat will be established, and a scientific steering committee appointed. The details of the management structure will be developed by the core group pending IPY approval. It may be advantageous to link management directly with AMAP, which has considerable experience in this area. An initial organizing meeting will be held in late 2005 to lead off SYNSCOPE activities and negotiate the final management structure.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Conventional university education will be covered at the national level. Other intended outreach and communication activities include: 1) linkages to K-12 education (teacher/student field teams), 2) interactive field-accessible web interfaces, and 3) invitations to indigenous peoples organizations to participate in shaping and advising SYNSCOPE (including participation on scientific steering committee).

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Contaminant data will be the property of institutions/investigators/funding agencies. Participants will be expected to sign data-sharing agreements that treat data access, joint publication, etc. Data will be housed internally and released to one or more international data centers at the conclusion of the project.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Cooperators will apply for funding at their respective national funding agencies. It is expected that individual proposals will identify a line item to contribute a small percentage of total funding to support the SYNSCOPE secretariat as well as regular meetings of the scientific steering committee.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
A focused effort will be made to understand First Nations interests and concerns regarding these proposed activities, particularly as these affect Arctic homelands. Following IPY approval, SYNSCOPE will invite indigenous peoples organizations to partner in project development for the June 2005 proposal deadline (specifically: the Alaska Native Science Commission, Aleut International Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwitch’in Council International, Inuit Circumpolar Conference, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, and the Saami Council). The scientific steering committee will include First Nations representation if/as interest warrants, but at a minimum field planning will include primary contacts with appropriate First Nations organizational entities.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr M. Jesse Ford
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
104 Nash Hall
Corvallis, OR
97331-3803
USA

Tel: (541)737-1960
Mobile: no
Fax: (541)737-1980
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation