| NSF Org: |
OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 26, 2013 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | July 23, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1304137 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Roberto Delgado
robdelga@nsf.gov (703)292-2397 OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2013 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2020 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $325,582.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $325,582.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
70 WASHINGTON SQ S NEW YORK NY US 10012-1019 (212)998-2121 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
NY US 10012-1019 |
| 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): | AON-Arctic Observing Network |
| 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
This project involves a marine-mammal sensor-tagging approach that will allow for sustained oceanographic observations along the periphery of the Greenland Ice Sheet. This effort is motivated by a successful pilot project involving ringed seals in two Greenland fjords this past summer. The pilot proved the viability of the technique, which makes use of ringed seals who spend the majority of their time in such fjords and who may be appropriately equipped with integrated, location-tracking, CTD, and satellite communication instrumentation. The observations, which will be collected in partnership with colleagues at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, will be archived in national data bases, on a project website, and made widely available to others in near real-time. This project will address a currently missing, critical component of the Arctic Observing Network, namely observations of ocean temperatures and salinities along the periphery of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The methodology will lead to a practical, sustainable data stream for hydrographic properties in the notoriously difficult to access regions of the Greenland inner fjords, thus further filling out the overall Arctic Observing Network data portfolio. Such observations are needed to develop improved physics that can subsequently be directly used in IPCC class, coupled climate models. The data collection will also be of immense value to researchers studying the behavior of the ringed seals in Greenland. Virtually no behavioral data exists for these seals in the ice-ocean fjords, and the project data can be used to learn about the habitat and distribution of the seals, and ultimately of their possible vulnerability to climate change.
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.
The major goal of this project was to observe long-term hydrographic changes in two major Greenland outlet fjords, one on the west coast in the Ilulissat fjord, and one on the east coast in Helheim fjord. The principle instrumentation for monitoring the water masses were CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) sensors attached to the back necks of ringed seals. The seal capture, instrument attachment, and seal release are performed by a project collaborator from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources. The capture and release protocols were approved by the New York University Animal Welfare Committee (UAWC).
Approximately six seals were tagged each year, starting in summer, and ending the following summer when the seal molts. Primarily, the data coverage area is the Ilulissat Ice Fjord on the west coast of Greenland, and the Helheim fjord on the east coast, although some seals occasionally strayed further afield.
The project scientists and other external collaborators used the collected data to better understand (1) how much variability in hydrographic properties occurs interannually in two typical Greenland fjords and (2) the impact of these changes on glacier dynamics and calving. Using hydrographic data from the years of seal tagging, combined with data from other projects, several publications have been written and accepted in major peer-reviewed journals. The data show that the fjords are flushed on a sub-annual basis and that the water masses in the fjords are a mixture of sources originating from both the Arctic and the sub-polar Atlantic.
Last Modified: 08/29/2020
Modified by: David M Holland
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