USAP-DC

{"dp_type": "Project", "free_text": "OCEAN MIXED LAYER"}

[{"awards": "2026045 Schofield, Oscar; 2224611 Schofield, Oscar", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-79.65 -63.738,-77.9728 -63.738,-76.29560000000001 -63.738,-74.61840000000001 -63.738,-72.94120000000001 -63.738,-71.26400000000001 -63.738,-69.58680000000001 -63.738,-67.9096 -63.738,-66.2324 -63.738,-64.5552 -63.738,-62.878 -63.738,-62.878 -64.3683,-62.878 -64.9986,-62.878 -65.6289,-62.878 -66.25919999999999,-62.878 -66.8895,-62.878 -67.5198,-62.878 -68.1501,-62.878 -68.7804,-62.878 -69.41069999999999,-62.878 -70.041,-64.5552 -70.041,-66.2324 -70.041,-67.9096 -70.041,-69.5868 -70.041,-71.26400000000001 -70.041,-72.94120000000001 -70.041,-74.61840000000001 -70.041,-76.29560000000001 -70.041,-77.9728 -70.041,-79.65 -70.041,-79.65 -69.41069999999999,-79.65 -68.7804,-79.65 -68.1501,-79.65 -67.5198,-79.65 -66.8895,-79.65 -66.25919999999999,-79.65 -65.6289,-79.65 -64.9986,-79.65 -64.3683,-79.65 -63.738))", "dataset_titles": "Expedition Data of LMG2301; Expedition Data of NBP2113; Palmer LTER data in the Environmental Data Initiative Repository", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200371", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of LMG2301", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/LMG2301"}, {"dataset_uid": "200370", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition Data of NBP2113", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP2113"}, {"dataset_uid": "200367", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "EDI", "science_program": null, "title": "Palmer LTER data in the Environmental Data Initiative Repository", "url": "https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/browseServlet?searchValue=PAL"}], "date_created": "Wed, 26 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The goal of all LTER sites is to conduct policy-relevant ecosystem research for questions that require tens of years of data and cover large geographical areas. The Palmer Antarctica Long Term Ecological Research (PAL-LTER) site has been in operation since 1990 and has been studying how the marine ecosystem west of the Antarctica Peninsula (WAP) is responding to a climate that is changing as rapidly as any place on the Earth. The study is evaluating how warming conditions and decreased ice cover leading to extended periods of open water are affecting many aspects of ecosystem function. The team is using combined cutting-edge approaches including yearly ship-based research cruises, small-boat weekly sampling, autonomous vehicles, animal biologging, oceanographic floats and seafloor moorings, manipulative lab-based process studies and modeling to evaluate both seasonal and annual ecosystem responses. These combined approaches are allowing for the study the ecosystem changes at scales needed to assess both short-term and long-term drivers. The study region also includes submarine canyons that are special regions of enhanced biological activity within the WAP. This research program is paired with a comprehensive education and outreach program promoting the global significance of Antarctic science and research. In addition to training for graduate and undergraduate students, they are using newly-developed Polar Literacy Principles as a foundation in a virtual schoolyard program that shares polar instructional materials and provides learning opportunities for K-12 educators. The PAL-LTER team is also leveraging the development of Out of School Time materials for afterschool and summer camp programs, sharing Palmer LTER-specific teaching materials with University, Museum, and 4-H Special Interest Club partners.\r\n\r\nPolar ecosystems are among the most rapidly changing on Earth. The Palmer LTER (PAL-LTER) program builds on three decades of coordinated research along the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) to gain new mechanistic and predictive understanding of ecosystem changes in response to disturbances spanning long-term decadal (press) drivers and changes due to higher-frequency (pulse) drivers, such as large storms and extreme seasonal anomaly in sea ice cover. The influence of major natural climate modes that modulate variations in sea ice, weather, and oceanographic conditions to drive changes in ecosystem structure and function (e.g., El Nio Southern Oscillation and Southern Annular Mode) are being studied at multiple time scales from diel, seasonal, interannual, to decadal intervals, and space scalesfrom hemispheric to global scale investigated by remote sensing, the regional scales. Specifically, the team is evaluating how variability of physical properties (such as vertical and alongshore connectivity processes) interact to modulate biogeochemical cycling and community ecology in the WAP region. The study is providing an evaluation of ecosystem resilience and ecological responses to long-term press-pulse drivers and a decadal-level reversal in sea ice coverage. This program is providing fundamental understanding of population and biogeochemical responses for a marine ecosystem experiencing profound change.", "east": -62.878, "geometry": "POINT(-71.26400000000001 -66.8895)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "SEA ICE; PLANKTON; PELAGIC; West Antarctic Shelf; R/V NBP; OCEAN MIXED LAYER; COMMUNITY DYNAMICS; PENGUINS; R/V LMG", "locations": "West Antarctic Shelf", "north": -63.738, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Schofield, Oscar; Steinberg, Deborah", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V LMG; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "R2R", "repositories": "EDI; R2R", "science_programs": "LTER", "south": -70.041, "title": "LTER: Ecological Response and Resilience to \u201cPress-Pulse\u201d Disturbances and a Recent Decadal Reversal in Sea Ice Trends Along the West Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "p0010426", "west": -79.65}, {"awards": "1745009 Kohut, Josh; 1745018 Fraser, William; 1744884 Oliver, Matthew; 1745011 Klinck, John; 1745081 Bernard, Kim; 1745023 Hennon, Tyler", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-75 -60,-73 -60,-71 -60,-69 -60,-67 -60,-65 -60,-63 -60,-61 -60,-59 -60,-57 -60,-55 -60,-55 -61,-55 -62,-55 -63,-55 -64,-55 -65,-55 -66,-55 -67,-55 -68,-55 -69,-55 -70,-57 -70,-59 -70,-61 -70,-63 -70,-65 -70,-67 -70,-69 -70,-71 -70,-73 -70,-75 -70,-75 -69,-75 -68,-75 -67,-75 -66,-75 -65,-75 -64,-75 -63,-75 -62,-75 -61,-75 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Antarctic ACROBAT data; CTD Data from IFCB Sampling; Finite Time Lyapunov Exponent Results, Calculated from High Frequency Radar Observed Surface Currents; High Frequency Radar, Palmer Deep; IFCB Image Data; Relative Particle Density; SWARM AMLR moorings - acoustic data; SWARM Glider Data near Palmer Deep; WAP model float data; Winds from Joubin and Wauwerman Islands", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200398", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "IOOS Glider DAAC", "science_program": null, "title": "SWARM Glider Data near Palmer Deep", "url": "https://gliders.ioos.us/erddap/search/index.html?page=1\u0026itemsPerPage=1000\u0026searchFor=swarm"}, {"dataset_uid": "200395", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.872729.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "SWARM AMLR moorings - acoustic data", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/872729"}, {"dataset_uid": "200397", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.865098.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Winds from Joubin and Wauwerman Islands", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/865098"}, {"dataset_uid": "200389", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Antarctic ACROBAT data", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/916046"}, {"dataset_uid": "200394", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.917926.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Relative Particle Density", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/917926"}, {"dataset_uid": "200396", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.867442.2", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "WAP model float data", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/867442"}, {"dataset_uid": "200393", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.865002.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "IFCB Image Data", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/865002"}, {"dataset_uid": "200391", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.917914.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Finite Time Lyapunov Exponent Results, Calculated from High Frequency Radar Observed Surface Currents", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/917914"}, {"dataset_uid": "200390", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.865030.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "CTD Data from IFCB Sampling", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/865030"}, {"dataset_uid": "200392", "doi": "10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.917884.1", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "High Frequency Radar, Palmer Deep", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/917884"}], "date_created": "Tue, 05 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Undersea canyons play disproportionately important roles as oceanic biological hotspots and are critical for our understanding of many coastal ecosystems. Canyon-associated biological hotspots have persisted for thousands of years Along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, despite significant climate variability. Observations of currents over Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, indicate that surface phytoplankton blooms enter and exit the local hotspot on scales of ~1-2 days. This time of residence is in conflict with the prevailing idea that canyon associated hotspots are primarily maintained by phytoplankton that are locally grown in association with these features by the upwelling of deep waters rich with nutrients that fuel the phytoplankton growth. Instead, the implication is that horizontal ocean circulation is likely more important to maintaining these biological hotspots than local upwelling through its physical concentrating effects. This project seeks to better resolve the factors that create and maintain focused areas of biological activity at canyons along the Western Antarctic Peninsula and create local foraging areas for marine mammals and birds. The project focus is in the analysis of the ocean transport and concentration mechanisms that sustain these biological hotspots, connecting oceanography to phytoplankton and krill, up through the food web to one of the resident predators, penguins. In addition, the research will engage with teachers from school districts serving underrepresented and underserved students by integrating the instructors and their students completely with the science team. Students will conduct their own research with the same data over the same time as researchers on the project. Revealing the fundamental mechanisms that sustain these known hotspots will significantly advance our understanding of the observed connection between submarine canyons and persistent penguin population hotspots over ecological time, and provide a new model for how Antarctic hotspots function.\u003cbr/\u003e \u003cbr/\u003e \u003cbr/\u003eTo understand the physical mechanisms that support persistent hotspots along the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), this project will integrate a modeling and field program that will target the processes responsible for transporting and concentrating phytoplankton and krill biomass to known penguin foraging locations. Within the Palmer Deep canyon, a representative hotspot, the team will deploy a High Frequency Radar (HFR) coastal surface current mapping network, uniquely equipped to identify the eddies and frontal regions that concentrate phytoplankton and krill. The field program, centered on surface features identified by the HFR, will include (i) a coordinated fleet of gliders to survey hydrography, chlorophyll fluorescence, optical backscatter, and active acoustics at the scale of the targeted convergent features; (ii) precise penguin tracking with GPS-linked satellite telemetry and time-depth recorders (TDRs); (iii) and weekly small boat surveys that adaptively target and track convergent features to measure phytoplankton, krill, and hydrography. A high resolution physical model will generalize our field measurements to other known hotspots along the WAP through simulation and determine which physical mechanisms lead to the maintenance of these hotspots. The project will also engage educators, students, and members of the general public in Antarctic research and data analysis with an education program that will advance teaching and learning as well as broadening participation of under-represented groups. This engagement includes professional development workshops, live connections to the public and classrooms, student research symposia, and program evaluation. Together the integrated research and engagement will advance our understanding of the role regional transport pathways and local depth dependent concentrating physical mechanisms play in sustaining these biological hotspots.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThis award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": -55.0, "geometry": "POINT(-65 -65)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CONDUCTIVITY SENSORS \u003e CONDUCTIVITY METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RADIATION SENSORS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "MOORED; WATER TEMPERATURE; CONDUCTIVITY; FLUORESCENCE; UNCREWED VEHICLES; Palmer Station; PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY ACTIVE RADIATION; PELAGIC; OCEAN MIXED LAYER; SURFACE; SALINITY; WATER PRESSURE; LIVING ORGANISM; MODELS; ACOUSTIC SCATTERING", "locations": "Palmer Station", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": "NOT APPLICABLE", "persons": "Bernard, Kim; Oliver, Matthew; Kohut, Josh; Fraser, William; Klinck, John M.; Statcewich, Hank", "platforms": "LIVING ORGANISM-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e LIVING ORGANISM; OTHER \u003e MODELS; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e BUOYS \u003e MOORED; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e UNCREWED VEHICLES; WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE", "repo": "IOOS Glider DAAC", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; IOOS Glider DAAC", "science_programs": null, "south": -70.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Physical Mechanisms Driving Food Web Focusing in Antarctic Biological Hotspots", "uid": "p0010346", "west": -75.0}, {"awards": "2149500 Chambers, Don", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -30,-144 -30,-108 -30,-72 -30,-36 -30,0 -30,36 -30,72 -30,108 -30,144 -30,180 -30,180 -36,180 -42,180 -48,180 -54,180 -60,180 -66,180 -72,180 -78,180 -84,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -84,-180 -78,-180 -72,-180 -66,-180 -60,-180 -54,-180 -48,-180 -42,-180 -36,-180 -30))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Mon, 14 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Southern Ocean accounts for ~40% of the total ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2 despite covering only 20% of the global ocean surface, and is particularly rich in long-lived eddies. These eddies, or large ocean whirlpools which can be observed from space, can alter air-sea fluxes of CO2 in ways that are not yet fully understood. New observations from autonomous platforms measuring ocean carbon content suggest that there is significant heterogeneity in ocean carbon fluxes which can be linked to these dynamic eddy features. Due to computational and time limitations, ocean eddies are not explicitly represented in most climate models, limiting our ability to understand the role eddies play in the ocean carbon cycle. This work will explore the impact of eddies on ocean carbon content and air-sea CO2 fluxes in the Southern Ocean using both model- and observation-based strategies and the findings will improve our understanding of the ocean\u2019s role in the carbon cycle and in global climate. While this work will primarily be focused on the Southern Ocean, the results will be globally applicable. The researchers will also broaden interest in physical and chemical oceanography among middle school-age girls in the University of South Florida\u2019s Oceanography Camp for Girls by augmenting existing lessons with computational methods in oceanography. \r\n\r\nThis project aims to quantify the impacts of mesoscale eddy processes on ocean carbon content and air-sea carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes in the Southern Ocean. For the modeling component, the investigators will explore relationships between eddies, ocean carbon content, and air-sea CO2 fluxes within the 1/6-degree resolution Biogeochemical Southern Ocean State Estimate (B-SOSE). They investigators will produce high-resolution composites of the carbon content and physical structure within both cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies by region, quantify the influence of these eddies on the overall simulated air-sea CO2 flux, and diagnose the physical mechanisms driving this influence. For the observational component, the investigators will match eddies observed via satellite altimetry to ocean carbon observations and characterize observed relationships between eddies and ocean carbon content with a focus on Southern Ocean winter observations where light limits biological processes, allowing isolation of the contribution of physical processes. This work will also provide motivation for higher resolution and better eddy parameterizations in climate models, more mesoscale biogeochemical observations, and integration of satellite SSH data into efforts to map air-sea fluxes of CO2. Each summer, the PI delivers a lab lesson at the University of South Florida Oceanography Camp for Girls (OCG), recognized by NSF as a \u201cModel STEM Program for Women and Girls\u201d focused on broadening participation by placing emphasis on recruiting a diverse group of young women. As part of this project, the existing interactive Jupyter Notebook-based Python coding Lab lesson will be augmented with a B-SOSE-themed modeling component, which will broaden interest in physical and chemical oceanography and data science, and expose campers to computational methods in oceanography.\r\n", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Amd/Us; Southern Ocean; PH; BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; AMD; OCEAN CHEMISTRY; OCEAN MIXED LAYER; USA/NSF; NITROGEN; OCEAN CURRENTS; SALINITY/DENSITY; USAP-DC; OCEAN TEMPERATURE; MODELS; CHLOROPHYLL; DISSOLVED GASES; NUTRIENTS", "locations": "Southern Ocean", "north": -30.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Williams, Nancy; Chambers, Don; Tamsitt, Veronica", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e MODELS \u003e MODELS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Diagnosing the Role of Ocean Eddies in Carbon Cycling from a High-resolution Data Assimilating Ocean Biogeochemical Model", "uid": "p0010309", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "2048840 Chambers, Don", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((0 -30,15 -30,30 -30,45 -30,60 -30,75 -30,90 -30,105 -30,120 -30,135 -30,150 -30,150 -33.5,150 -37,150 -40.5,150 -44,150 -47.5,150 -51,150 -54.5,150 -58,150 -61.5,150 -65,135 -65,120 -65,105 -65,90 -65,75 -65,60 -65,45 -65,30 -65,15 -65,0 -65,0 -61.5,0 -58,0 -54.5,0 -51,0 -47.5,0 -44,0 -40.5,0 -37,0 -33.5,0 -30))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 16 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "We propose to better characterize the role of eddies in wintertime air-sea carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean using two autonomous sailing vehicles called Saildrones during austral winter 2021. The Saildrones will carry sensors to directly measure atmospheric and oceanic concentrations of CO2 (pCO2), atmospheric pressure, and wind speed to allow calculation of air-sea CO2 flux at 5-km resolution and similar accuracy to an underway ship-based measurement. The Saildrone data from this mission, a 2019 mission, and BGC Argo float data from 2014\u20132020 will be co-located with eddies derived from satellite altimetry to quantify the relationships between eddies and ocean carbon content. The overall objectives of this project are to determine the relationship between wintertime pCO2 variability and the presence and structure of eddies and to use these relationships to create a better representation of mesoscale variability in Southern Ocean CO2 flux.\r\n", "east": 150.0, "geometry": "POINT(75 -47.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USA/NSF; OCEAN MIXED LAYER; Southern Ocean; SHIPS; PH; OCEAN CHEMISTRY; CO2; Argo Float; DISSOLVED GASES; USAP-DC; Saildrone; AMD; Amd/Us", "locations": "Southern Ocean", "north": -30.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Williams, Nancy; Chambers, Don; Lindstrom, Eric; Carter, Brendan", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e SHIPS", "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": -65.0, "title": "The Role of Cyclonic Upwelling Eddies in Southern Ocean CO2 Flux", "uid": "p0010191", "west": 0.0}, {"awards": "1643901 Zhang, Weifeng; 1643735 Li, Yun; 2021245 Li, Yun", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Dynamic fine-scale sea-icescape shapes adult emperor penguin foraging habitat in East Antarctica; Monthly Stratification Climatology (1978-2021) in Antarctic Coastal Polynyas", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601628", "doi": "10.15784/601628", "keywords": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Coastal Polynyas; Polynya", "people": "Li, Yun; Zhang, Weifeng; Shunk, Nathan", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Monthly Stratification Climatology (1978-2021) in Antarctic Coastal Polynyas", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601628"}, {"dataset_uid": "601209", "doi": "10.15784/601209", "keywords": "Animal Behavior Observation; Antarctica; Biota; East Antarctica; GPS; Oceans; Penguin; Southern Ocean", "people": "Pinaud, David; Resinger, Ryan; Bost, Charles-Andr\u00e9; Ropert-Coudert, Yan; Barbraud, Christophe; Wienecke, Barbara; Porter-Smith, Rick; Fraser, Alexander; Jonsen, Ian; Kirkwood, Roger; Tamura, Takeshi; Sumner, Michael; Labrousse, Sara; Ji, Rubao; Jenouvrier, Stephanie", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Dynamic fine-scale sea-icescape shapes adult emperor penguin foraging habitat in East Antarctica", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601209"}], "date_created": "Wed, 07 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "During winter, sea-ice coverage along the Antarctic coast is punctuated by numerous polynyas--isolated openings of tens to hundreds of kilometer wide. These coastal polynyas are hotspots of sea ice production and the primary source regions of the bottom water in the global ocean. They also host high levels of biological activities and are the feeding grounds of Emperor penguins and marine mammals. The polynyas are a key component of the Antarctic coastal system and crucial for the survival of penguins and many other species. These features also differ dramatically from each other in timing of formation, duration, phytoplankton growth season, and overall biological productivity. Yet, the underlying reasons for differences among them are largely unknown. This project studies the fundamental biophysical processes at a variety of polynyas, examines the connection between the physical environment and the phytoplankton and penguin ecology, and investigates the mechanisms behind polynya variability. The results of this interdisciplinary study will provide a context for interpretation of field measurements in Antarctic coastal polynyas, set a baseline for future polynya studies, and examine how polynya ecosystems may respond to local and large-scale environmental changes. The project will include educational and outreach activities that convey scientific messages to a broad audience. It aims to increase public awareness of the interconnection between large-scale environmental change and Antarctic coastal systems.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe main objectives of this study are to form a comprehensive understanding of the temporal and spatial variability of Antarctic coastal polynyas and the physical controls of polynya ecosystems. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach and seeks to establish a modeling system centered on the Regional Ocean Modeling System. This system links the ice and ocean conditions to the plankton ecology and penguin population. Applications of the modeling system in representative polynyas, in conjunction with analysis of existing observations, will determine the biophysical influences of individual forcing factors. In particular, this study will test a set of hypothesized effects of winds, offshore water intrusion, ice-shelf melting, sea-ice formation, glacier tongues, and ocean stratification on the timing of polynya phytoplankton bloom and the overall polynya biological productivity. The project will also examine how changing polynya state affects penguin breeding success, adult survival, and population growth. The team will conduct idealized sensitivity analysis to explore implications of forcing variability, including local and large-scale environmental change, on Antarctic coastal ecosystems.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Southern Ocean; Animal Behavior; Penguin; FIELD INVESTIGATION; USAP-DC; COASTAL; PENGUINS; SEA ICE; Antarctica; OCEAN MIXED LAYER", "locations": "Southern Ocean; Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Zhang, Weifeng; Ji, Rubao; Jenouvrier, Stephanie; Maksym, Edward; Li, Yun", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Polynyas in Coastal Antarctica (PICA): Linking Physical Dynamics to Biological Variability", "uid": "p0010044", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1543483 Sedwick, Peter; 1341725 Guest, Peter; 1341513 Maksym, Edward; 1341717 Ackley, Stephen; 1341606 Stammerjohn, Sharon", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -55,-177 -55,-174 -55,-171 -55,-168 -55,-165 -55,-162 -55,-159 -55,-156 -55,-153 -55,-150 -55,-150 -57.3,-150 -59.6,-150 -61.9,-150 -64.2,-150 -66.5,-150 -68.8,-150 -71.1,-150 -73.4,-150 -75.7,-150 -78,-153 -78,-156 -78,-159 -78,-162 -78,-165 -78,-168 -78,-171 -78,-174 -78,-177 -78,180 -78,178 -78,176 -78,174 -78,172 -78,170 -78,168 -78,166 -78,164 -78,162 -78,160 -78,160 -75.7,160 -73.4,160 -71.1,160 -68.8,160 -66.5,160 -64.2,160 -61.9,160 -59.6,160 -57.3,160 -55,162 -55,164 -55,166 -55,168 -55,170 -55,172 -55,174 -55,176 -55,178 -55,-180 -55))", "dataset_titles": "ASPeCt Visual Ice Observations on PIPERS Cruise NBP1704 April-June 2017; Expedition data of NBP1704; Impact of Convective Processes and Sea Ice Formation on the Distribution of Iron in the Ross Sea: Closing the Seasonal Cycle; NBP1704 CTD sensor data; NBP1704 Expedition Data; PIPERS Airborne LiDAR Data; PIPERS Meteorology Rawinsonde Data; PIPERS Meteorology Time Series; PIPERS Noble Gases; Sea Ice Layer Cakes, PIPERS 2017; SUMO unmanned aerial system (UAS) atmospheric data", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "601184", "doi": "10.15784/601184 ", "keywords": "Air Temperature; Antarctica; Atmosphere; Meteorology; Near-Surface Air Temperatures; PIPERS; Radiation; Sea Ice Temperatures; Temperature; Weather Station Data; Wind Direction; Wind Speed", "people": "Guest, Peter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PIPERS Meteorology Time Series", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601184"}, {"dataset_uid": "001363", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1704 Expedition Data", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1704"}, {"dataset_uid": "002663", "doi": null, "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "R2R", "science_program": null, "title": "Expedition data of NBP1704", "url": "https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/NBP1704"}, {"dataset_uid": "601609", "doi": "10.15784/601609", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Mass Spectrometer; NBP1704; Noble Gas; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer", "people": "Loose, Brice", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PIPERS Noble Gases", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601609"}, {"dataset_uid": "200150", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "BCO-DMO", "science_program": null, "title": "Impact of Convective Processes and Sea Ice Formation on the Distribution of Iron in the Ross Sea: Closing the Seasonal Cycle", "url": "https://www.bco-dmo.org/project/815403"}, {"dataset_uid": "601183", "doi": "10.15784/601183", "keywords": "Antarctica; Glaciology; Ice Concentration; Ice Thickness; Ice Type; NBP1704; Oceans; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sea Ice; Snow Depth; Snow/ice; Snow/Ice; Visual Observations", "people": "Ackley, Stephen", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "ASPeCt Visual Ice Observations on PIPERS Cruise NBP1704 April-June 2017", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601183"}, {"dataset_uid": "601185", "doi": "10.15784/601185 ", "keywords": "Air Temperature; Antarctica; Atmosphere; Atmospheric Surface Winds; Meteorology; NBP1704; PIPERS; Pressure; Radiosonde; Rawinsonde; Relative Humidity; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Wind Direction; Wind Speed", "people": "Guest, Peter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PIPERS Meteorology Rawinsonde Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601185"}, {"dataset_uid": "601188", "doi": "10.15784/601188", "keywords": "Aerogeophysics; Airborne Laser Altimetry; Antarctica; LIDAR; PIPERS; Ross Sea; Sea Ice", "people": "Dhakal, Tejendra; Xie, Hongjie; Bertinato, Christopher; Locke, Caitlin; Bell, Robin", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "PIPERS Airborne LiDAR Data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601188"}, {"dataset_uid": "601191", "doi": "10.15784/601191", "keywords": "Air Temperature; Antarctica; Atmosphere; Meteorology; NBP1704; PIPERS; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Southern Ocean; Temperature Profiles; UAV; Unmanned Aircraft", "people": "Cassano, John", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "SUMO unmanned aerial system (UAS) atmospheric data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601191"}, {"dataset_uid": "601207", "doi": "10.15784/601207", "keywords": "Antarctica; Digital Elevation Model; Glaciology; Ice; Ice Thickness; Ice Thickness Distribution; LIDAR; NBP1704; PIPERS; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Sea Ice; Snow; Snow Depth; Surface Elevation", "people": "Jeffrey Mei, M.; Maksym, Edward; Mei, M. Jeffrey", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Sea Ice Layer Cakes, PIPERS 2017", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601207"}, {"dataset_uid": "601422", "doi": "10.15784/601422", "keywords": "Antarctica; CTD; CTD Data; NBP1704; Ocean Profile Data; Ross Sea; R/v Nathaniel B. Palmer; Salinity; Temperature", "people": "Stammerjohn, Sharon", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "NBP1704 CTD sensor data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601422"}], "date_created": "Mon, 10 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The one place on Earth consistently showing increases in sea ice area, duration, and concentration is the Ross Sea in Antarctica. Satellite imagery shows about half of the Ross Sea increases are associated with changes in the austral fall, when the new sea ice is forming. The most pronounced changes are also located near polynyas, which are areas of open ocean surrounded by sea ice. To understand the processes driving the sea ice increase, and to determine if the increase in sea ice area is also accompanied by a change in ice thickness, this project will conduct an oceanographic cruise to the polynyas of the Ross Sea in April and May, 2017, which is the austral fall. The team will deploy state of the art research tools including unmanned airborne systems (UASs, commonly called drones), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs). Using these tools and others, the team will study atmospheric, oceanic, and sea ice properties and processes concurrently. A change in sea ice production will necessarily change the ocean water below, which may have significant consequences for global ocean circulation patterns, a topic of international importance. All the involved institutions will be training students, and all share the goal of expanding climate literacy in the US, emphasizing the role high latitudes play in the Earth\u0027s dynamic climate.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eThe main goal of the project is to improve estimates of sea ice production and water mass transformation in the Ross Sea. The team will fully capture the spatial and temporal changes in air-ice-ocean interactions when they are initiated in the austral fall, and then track the changes into the winter and spring using ice buoys, and airborne mapping with the newly commissioned IcePod instrument system, which is deployed on the US Antarctic Program\u0027s LC-130 fleet. The oceanographic cruise will include stations in and outside of both the Terra Nova Bay and Ross Ice Shelf polynyas. Measurements to be made include air-sea boundary layer fluxes of heat, freshwater, and trace gases, radiation, and meteorology in the air; ice formation processes, ice thickness, snow depth, mass balance, and ice drift within the sea ice zone; and temperature, salinity, and momentum in the ocean below. Following collection of the field data, the team will improve both model parameterizations of air-sea-ice interactions and remote sensing algorithms. Model parameterizations are needed to determine if sea-ice production has increased in crucial areas, and if so, why (e.g., stronger winds or fresher oceans). The remote sensing validation will facilitate change detection over wider areas and verify model predictions over time. Accordingly this project will contribute to the international Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) goal of measuring essential climate variables continuously to monitor the state of the ocean and ice cover into the future.", "east": -150.0, "geometry": "POINT(-175 -66.5)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e CTD; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e LIDAR/LASER SOUNDERS \u003e LIDAR; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e FLUOROMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e MAGNETIC/MOTION SENSORS \u003e GRAVIMETERS \u003e GRAVIMETERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e RECORDERS/LOGGERS \u003e AWS; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e POSITIONING/NAVIGATION \u003e GPS \u003e GPS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e XBT; EARTH REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENTS \u003e ACTIVE REMOTE SENSING \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e ECHO SOUNDERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e ACOUSTIC SOUNDERS \u003e MBES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e PROFILERS/SOUNDERS \u003e THERMOSALINOGRAPHS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "OCEAN MIXED LAYER; TRACE ELEMENTS; CARBON DIOXIDE; ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION; ICE GROWTH/MELT; AMD; BOUNDARY LAYER TEMPERATURE; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; NBP1704; HEAT FLUX; ICE DEPTH/THICKNESS; R/V NBP; USA/NSF; BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS; SNOW DEPTH; VERTICAL PROFILES; METHANE; POLYNYAS; CONDUCTIVITY; SEA ICE; Ross Sea; WATER MASSES; TURBULENCE; USAP-DC; Amd/Us", "locations": "Ross Sea", "north": -55.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences; Antarctic Integrated System Science; Antarctic Instrumentation and Support; Antarctic Integrated System Science", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Ackley, Stephen; Bell, Robin; Weissling, Blake; Nuss, Wendell; Maksym, Edward; Stammerjohn, Sharon; Cassano, John; Guest, Peter; Sedwick, Peter; Xie, Hongjie", "platforms": "WATER-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e VESSELS \u003e SURFACE \u003e R/V NBP", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "BCO-DMO; R2R; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: Seasonal Sea Ice Production in the Ross Sea, Antarctica", "uid": "p0010032", "west": 160.0}]

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