BOEM Funded Research and the DBO Lines in the Beaufort Sea. Dan Holiday, Ken Dunton, Bodil Bluhm, John Trefry, Jeremy Kasper

Transcription

1 BOEM Funded Research and the DBO Lines in the Beaufort Sea Dan Holiday, Ken Dunton, Bodil Bluhm, John Trefry, Jeremy Kasper 10 March

2 Linking Physics to Biology: the Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) DBO sites (red boxes) are regional hotspot transect [international interest extending DBO network] lines and stations located along a latitudinal gradient DBO sites are considered to exhibit high productivity, biodiversity, and overall rates of change DBO sites will serve as a change detection array for the identification and consistent monitoring of biophysical responses [modified by Karen Frey from Grebmeier et al. 2010, EOS 91] Sites occuppied by national and international entities with shared data plan 2

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4 For the purpose of this talk, these stations will not be mentioned again. BOEM has no studies that would add directly to knowledge of this site. 4

5 Structure of BOEM Environmental Studies Program The protection of the marine and coastal environment is mandated by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the OCS Lands Act Amendments of BOEM Environmental Studies Program - Formally established in 1973 under Section 20 of OCS Lands Act - $450 million to date Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program - OCSEAP began in 1973 as an interagency agreement between NOAA and BLM Alaska Coastal Marine Institute - Alaska CMI created in 1993 by agreement between UAF and MMS Arctic Nearshore Impact Monitoring In the Drilling Area - ANIMIDA began in 1999, canimida in 2006, and ANIMIDA III in Will continue on an approximate 5-year periodic schedule 5

6 Aagaard, K., The Beaufort Undercurrent. In: The Alaskan Beaufort Sea: Ecosystems and Environment, edited by P. Barnes and E. Reimnitz, pp , Academic Press, New York, Temperature on density surface corresponds to Bering Sea Water - Furthest eastern influence on shelf break approximately 144 W - Eastward flowing undercurrent (Bering water) with westward flowing Beaufort water at surface 6

7 Hufford, On Apparent Upwelling in the Southern Beaufort Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research, 79(9) Collections of Temperature, salinity, DO, nutrients (phosphates, nitrates, silicates) Dissolved nutrient concentrations were 3-17 times greater in the bottom shelf waters near Bartter Island than in adjacent waters to the west The horizontal distribution of chemical properties in the bottom waters on the continental shelf revealed anomalously high values entering the shelf region near 145øW, then spreading westward over the mid portion of the shelf. One of first studies to deduce upwelling occurs and deposits nutrients on the nearshore shelf 7

8 Schell, et.al., 1982 OCSEAP Report - Observed temporal and spatial scales of primary productivity along the nearshore arctic coast appear to be related to hot spots of secondary productivity, hydrology, and nearshore/shelf circulation 8

9 Provided by S. Schonberg, U Texas Marine Science Institute 9

10 2010, Logerwell and Rand, BOEMRE Final Report Beaufort Sea Marine Fish Monitoring 2008: Pilot Survey and Test of Hypotheses Survey area from 152º W - 155º W, and 71º N 72º N - Quantify the distribution of benthic and pelagic fish in a subset of the Beaufort Sea Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Planning Area - benthic and pelagic trawls recorded data for fish, invertebrate, and zooplankton collections - Bathythermograph recorded depth and temperature of water on both nets, - CTD casts, sigma-t density and salinity recorded at benthic and 1 m below surface 10

11 Source of map -Norcross, Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium, 2013 (from conference website) U.S.-Canada Transboundary Fish and Lower Trophic Communities - Sampling of fish, invertebrate, phytoplankton, zooplankton communities, sediments - Isotope analyses, otolith collections, analysis of food web/carbon sources - Oceanography, CTD and water column data, - From 141 W to 147 W in the U.S. and Canadian waters to 138 W 11

12 Konar, Ravelo, Epibenthic Community Variability on the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Continental Shelf, CMI final report. - Characterize the epibenthic communities in the central Beaufort Sea, N and W to N and W - CTD, pelagic Chla water sample analysis - Sediment grain size analysis, Chla, TOC, TON, C/N ratios 12

13 Konar, Ravelo, Epibenthic Community Variability, CMI final report. - Compare communities within and between Beaufort and Chukchi Sea collections 13

14 Marine ARctic Ecosystem Study (MARES) - NOPP project, in partnership with BOEM, NOAA, ONR, USGS, USFWS, others through 2019, RFP awarded to Stantec Consulting Services, LLC - Will involve scientists and research vessels from both Canada and USA - BOEM Environmental Studies Program is steward of the project Overarching Goals - Understanding the interrelationships between physical, chemical, biological, and human influences on the ecology of the Beaufort Sea, with attention to traditional knowledge - Understanding the quantification of McKenzie River Plume and effects on Beaufort circulation - Describe coastal circulation, seasonality of water masses and upwelling, plume intrusion - Quantify primary productivity and identify factors leading to temporal and spatial variability - In general, provide data to aid BOEM goals and mission of understanding environmental impacts of the responsible development of energy in the Beaufort Sea OCS Location - Two proposed longitudinal spans for collections, 144º W 141.5º W or 140º W 137º W 14

15 Beaufort Sea Monitoring Program , served as a feasibility study of collections on the Beaufort Sea and precursor to ANIMIDA - Understanding environmental fate and effects of intentional or accidental discharges and activities - Determining whether changes in key toxic and source chemical concentrations were occurring and determine probable cause if changes in base levels were noted - Began long term monitoring program of biological, chemical, physical, and anthropogenic environment 15

16 Historical ANIMIDA/cANIMIDA collection sites - More than 100 collection sites - Biological, chemical, physical oceanography - Salinity and temperature water column profiles - Observations of whaling cultures and success rates 16

17 ANIMIDA III 2014 field season collections August 1 7, 56 total stations 17

18 Citta, John, Lori T Quakenbush, Stephen R Okkonen, Matthew L Druckenmiller, Weslaw Maslowski, Jaclyn Clement-Kinney, John C George, Harry Brower, Robert J Small, Carin J Ashjian, Lois A Harwood, Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen (In Press), Ecological characteristics of core-use areas used by Bering-Chukchi- Beaufort (BCB) bowhead whales, Progress in Oceanography, in press (available online). The three primary objectives of the SOAR program are to: 1) increase scientific understanding of the biophysical environment; 2) enhance capability to predict future conditions; and 3) effectively transmit findings of the synthesis to local residents, resource managers, science societies, and the general public. 18

19 Final Slide with Collection Stations Not included above are CMI data from Konar and Ravelo, and Schell, et. Al. 19