Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Arctic Ocean Diversity (ArcOD): Linking biodiversity with the structure and function of the Arctic marine ecosystems  (ArcOD-IPY)

Outline
The tremendous ongoing changes in the Arctic make an effort to identify the structure and diversity of life in the major three realms of sea ice, water column and sea floor a critical and urgent requirement for recording current change and predicting future states. Although biogeochemical processes in the Arctic have received increasing attention in the past decade, the composition of the unique life forms that drive these processes remains poorly known. The proposed activity, therefore, aims at documenting the present Arctic biodiversity on an international Pan-Arctic scale. Ongoing work consolidates what is known and remaining gaps shall be filled through dedicated efforts in the IPY 2007/2008. The main questions to be addressed are: 1) What is the current biodiversity, structure and function of Arctic ecosystems? 2) How is biodiversity linked to biogeochemical fluxes? 3) How is/might these be altered by ongoing changes in the Arctic? The primary focus will be sampling the Arctic shelves (specifically the Barents, Chukchi and Greenland shelves), where change is currently occurring. The benthic biota will be sampled at high resolution in 1x1 km areas of seafloor, the associated water body and sea ice for all size classes on larger horizontal scales. Historic data on species composition and processes is partly available from these areas for comparison and evaluation of change and linkages, respectively. Secondarily, in the deep basins biodiversity baseline data is virtually missing, hence it will be collected by our program to evaluate change in the future. Our initiative ArcOD, part of the Census of Marine Life program, will be implemented through a network of collaborating national and international projects that will collect information using similar sampling approaches and the best taxonomic expertise available. The program will be coordinated by the recently established ArcOD program office in Fairbanks, Alaska, which acts as the interface between the national and international activities, and interacts with the international Census of Marine Life. It will ensure that the collected information will be available through the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) for a comprehensive analysis and legacy of the collected material. ArcOD will interact very strongly with the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML), drawing comparisons between differences in ecological structure and dynamics between the Arctic and Southern Oceans.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
ArcOD will extend the status quo inventory of the Arctic biodiversity on the species, community and population level on a pan-Arctic scale. Species ranges and community composition will provide the baseline for future change studies. With a change in temperature twice that than anywhere else, the Arctic is the adequate vantage point for this research. New frontiers will be touched in filling gaps in size classes (e.g., microbes), taxa (e.g., gelatinous zooplankon), geographic areas (e.g., deep-sea, sea ice), and sampling technology. This natural research will leave its legacy in the publicly accessible Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS).

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
ArcOD is currently steered through an international scientific steering group (SSG; 12 scientists, 6 countries: Norway, Russia, Germany, USA, Canada, Denmark/Greenland). The SSG ensures a co-ordinated network of sample collection and biodiversity analysis around the Arctic.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The proposed field activities will focus on 1x1 km areas of seafloor and broader sampling in associated water body and sea ice (1) on the shelf seas with seasonal ice cover, specifically the Barents shelf (east of Svalbard), central Chukchi and Greenland shelves, currently undergoing major change, and (2) in the multi-year ice cover domains of the deep Canadian and the Eurasian Basins.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 04/2007 – 10/2007      04/2008 – 10/2008      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Icebreakers are required for Arctic deep-sea studies, ice-strengthened vessels for shelves seas. ROVs and SCUBA operations are needed. Sampling will be conducted on dedicated cruises, with sharing options with other activities. Co-operation with process related studies is envisioned. Access to land-based stations allows for sampling in the near-shore waters.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
This study is a benchmark in Arctic biology and provides the first solid foundation to follow changes in the Arctic marine life over the next decades. Data will be accessible through the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS, see 3.4), the legacy of the international Census of Marine Life.

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

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The project has been endorsed by the Census of Marine Life (CoML) program (www.coml.org). CoML is a growing global network of researchers in more than 70 nations engaged in a ten-year initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life in the oceans - past, present, and future.

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?
Exp

ArcOD was accepted as a Census of Marine Life (CoML) field project in 2004. The proposed sampling for IPY is a specific part within an existing multi-step plan. Steps 1 and 2 (pre-IPY) comprise sample and data mining and entry, while step 3 would encompass the proposed IPY activities.

How will the project be organised and managed?
ArcOD is advised by an international steering group (SSG) comprised of currently 12 members from 6 nations with relevant Arctic programs. Both the co-ordinating project office at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the SSG have already been established and are funded through the Sloan Foundation until September 2006 with the likelihood of extension through 2010. An associated taxonomic center is located in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia, and is funded for the same period. Historic data and data collected during ArcOD IPY - and other activities will be made available through OBIS (see 3.4).

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Outreach activities will include K-12 lesson plan development, educational exhibits on CDs and in museums, student training, and web presence. Outreach on the CoML-level is co-ordinated through the Office of Marine Programs at the University of Rhode Island, while specific ArcOD outreach will be co-ordinated through the ArcOD office.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
All collected information will be stored in a database accessible through the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS, www.iobis.org), a component of the Census of Marine Life. OBIS also provides links to the data contributors and a variety of educational and technical resources.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
We anticipate continued funding of the program office including SSG meetings through the Sloan foundation/CoML, while the field activities will need to be funded through national and international agencies.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This submission is closely tied to other IPY submissions such as Shelf-Basin-Exchange, Canadian CoML, and CAML. Sampling efforts for ArcOD can potentially be combined with other efforts.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Pro Rolf Gradinger
245 O’Neill Building
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
University of Alaska Fairbanks
99775-7220
USA

Tel: 907 474 7407
Mobile: no
Fax: 907 474 7204
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation