| NSF Org: |
OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | September 8, 2010 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | September 8, 2010 |
| Award Number: | 1041102 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Henrietta Edmonds
hedmonds@nsf.gov (703)292-7427 OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | January 1, 2011 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2015 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $564,370.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $564,370.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2145 N TANANA LOOP FAIRBANKS AK US 99775-0001 (907)474-7301 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
2145 N TANANA LOOP FAIRBANKS AK US 99775-0001 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | ANS-Arctic Natural Sciences |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.078 |
ABSTRACT
The investigators will assess ocean acidification in the western Arctic Ocean, using ship time that is currently scheduled for annual mooring turnarounds in the Beaufort Sea. On these cruises, in September of 2011-2013, the investigators will collect samples for measurement of carbonate system parameters, inorganic nutrients, dissolved oxygen, oxygen isotopes, and oxygen/argon ratios, as well as continuous underway measurements of dissolved oxygen, oxygen/argon ratios, and pCO2. These data will be used to gain insights and perspectives into the extent of ocean acidification in the western Arctic Ocean; the key physical, chemical, and biological processes influencing the saturation states of aragonite and calcite; and potential impacts to pelagic and benthic communities. Water column observations will be synthesized with data from the associated NSF AON (Arctic Observing Network)-funded mooring, including temperature, salinity, nitrate, oxygen, pCO2, and pH, as well as carbon and hydrographic data collected on other cruises in the region. During each field season the PI will travel to several native villages to discuss the potential impacts of ocean acidification at town meetings and in classrooms. The work will contribute to carbon cycle studies coordinated under a variety of science plans and implementation structures that aim to establish accurate estimates of carbon budgets and fluxes and the underlying mechanisms that regulate them. A postdoctoral scientist will participate directly in this work, and results will be incorporated in one undergraduate level course and two graduate level courses taught by the lead investigator.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Ocean acidification (OA), driven by rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere, is one element of rapid change presently occurring in the Arctic. It has been shown to compound natural variability in carbonate chemistry, producing conditions that could be harmful to biologically important processes. During this project, we carefully study the chemistry of Arctic Ocean waters to investigate how ocean acidification is impacting the Arctic. The results show that ocean acidification is happening faster in the Arctic than nearly anywhere else on the planet and these changes in water chemistry may have a profound and lasting effect on marine ecosystems and the human populations that rely on them. Our data records indicate that potentially harmful waters are already present in the western Arctic Ocean during 80% of the year and we estimate that these persistent ocean acidification effects are a recent phenomenon that appeared between 1975 and 1985 due to the intrusion of human-emitted carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These potentially harmful waters that originate over the continental shelves of the Western Arctic Ocean have been observed as far as the entrances to Amundsen Gulf and M’Clure Strait in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The formation and transport of corrosive waters may have widespread impact on the Arctic biogeochemical system reaching all the way to the North Atlantic.
Last Modified: 02/17/2017
Modified by: Jeremy T Mathis
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