I’ve been feeling a little sad these past few days because the Healy 0701 mission is coming to a close. There’s been so much data taken, so many measurements done, and more than a few hypotheses tested.  So WHAT has been learned?

    Rough Water
    The CTDA research tool that is submerged in the water to measure conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth. was lowered and fired over 200 times.

    This research here, this Bering Sea EcosystemAn ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit. Study, has been some of the first research done with SEASONAL ice during this time of the year. SEASONAL ice is ice that melts and then reforms each year. The algae blooms occur because the seasonal ice melts, creating a stable freshwater layer, a place for the algae to grow.  The algae take up nutrients, which act as a fertilizer, and explode in numbers. The nutrients are quickly used up. The bloom for that year is over.

    Iron Rob
    Rob Rember tested the water for a key nutrient. Iron. He and his research partner Ana Aguilar-Islas are doing baseline data measuring iron as a limiting factor in the Bering Sea productivity.

    In areas of the Bering Sea that we visited that were really shallow, like around Nunivak Island, the ice has melted and the nutrients have been used. The bloom is over.

    Nancy / Dave - Bottle
    Nancy Kachel collected many samples from the CTDA research tool that is submerged in the water to measure conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth. during this research mission.

    What has been a surprise to some of the scientists is that the very productive algae blooms occur at the ice edge, not so much under the ice.

    Diatoms
    When phytoplankton reproduce very quickly they can actually turn the color of the seawater green. Photo from Ray Sambrotto.

    The algae need sunlight, and the sunlight just doesn’t seem to penetrate ice. Algae explode in large numbers when the ice, under which they have been growing, melts away.

    Wind
    Grease ice is thin ice that forms when it is very cold, and very windy. Photo by David Hyrenbach.

    Although this seems to be a small observation, it is actually HUGE!  Or at least it was for me. Look at areas of the Arctic that do not have the seasonal ice.  The flow of energy in that ecosystem is different. The energy transfer from sunlight through the high Arctic permanent ice to the algae that populate the Arctic Ocean is different. Same thing with the Antarctic permanent ice.

    Down Down Down
    This is one of the deepest drops that the CTDA research tool that is submerged in the water to measure conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth. made. Over 3000 meters!

    If the Arctic or Antarctic holds more seasonal ice, i.e. start melting; the model of how energy is transferred in the polar region will change. Knowing how seasonal ice acts as a medium to facilitate algae blooms will be very important. Right now, is a critical time to research this key component.

    Maggie - Ice Observe
    I learned a huge amount about ice. I made ice observations many, many times. The scientists on this mission to help them interpret their data will use that information.

    The science community has named this an International Polar YearThe International Polar Year (IPY) is a two year (2007-2009) program of international research and education focused on the Arctic and Antarctic. Click here for more information about IPY. (IPY). What I am doing, in trailing along with scientists, is acting to translate and understand the Bering Sea EcosystemAn ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit. Study, and to act to educate others about cutting edge scientific research of climactic change. I think I can begin to start telling you the story.

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