BEST: Denitrification and global change in Bering Sea shelf sediments
March 27 - May 6, 2008 | Bering Sea
David Shull
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Emily Davenport
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The Live from IPY event on May 1, 2008 w/ Emily Davenport and the research team with the Bering Sea Benthic Studies, is archived. Check out the archive here.
Emily Davenport, a second year graduate student in the Environmental Science Department at Western Washington University, is participating in the research cruise to conduct her thesis research on benthic communities, nutrient cycling, and climate change. Ms. Davenport has been working with sixth grade students at the Nooksack Valley Middle School in Everson, WA and will utilize the PolarTREC Virtual Base Camp to interact with students while on the cruise.
David Shull, an Assistant Professor at Western Washington University, studies invertebrate communities in estuaries and continental shelf sediments. He is particularly interested in the roles that benthic organisms play in the function of coastal ecosystems.
Al Devol, a Research Professor at the University of Washington studies biogeochemistry. He is interested in the nutrient chemistry and denitrification process in Bering Sea shelf sediments.
A diverse research team aboard the icebreaker, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Healy will conduct sampling along a series of transects over the eastern Bering Sea. Research on the ship is multidisciplinary, and is part of the Bering Ecosystem Study. The scientists onboard will be using a variety of techniques to measure the productivity of the Bering Sea ecosystem. Measurements include temperature, salinity and nutrient content of the sea water, changes in sea ice cover, and the concentration of nutrients used and released by phytoplankton. They also conducted surveys of zooplankton, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals such as walrus and seal, to assess the health of these populations. These measurements will give scientists an indication of the current status of the Bering Sea ecosystem and any potential changes occurring in the marine environment that might change the continued use of its resources, and the economic, social and cultural sustainability of the people who depend on it.
The team will travel on the USCGC Healy in the Bering Sea. The Bering Sea lies to the west of Alaska and to the east of Russia. The team will depart from and return to the port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, the most productive fishing port in the United States.
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Biogeochemistry:
The study of processes in the natural environmental using interdisciplinary tools from biology, chemistry and geology.
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Continental Shelf:
Extension of each continent covered by shallow seas.
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Denitrification:
A part of the nitrogen cycle, where biologically available nitrogen is converted to an unusable nitrogen form.
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Icebreaker:
An icebreaker is a special purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters.
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Invertebrate:
Animals that do not have a vertebrae.