Arctic Observing Network (AON) Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) data collcted by United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Healy (HLY1303), Barrow Canyon, Chukchi Sea, 2013

The Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean is experiencing major reductions in seasonal sea ice extent and increases in sea surface temperatures. One of the key uncertainties in this region is how the marine ecosystem will respond to seasonal shifts in the timing of spring sea ice retreat and/or delays in fall sea ice formation. Variations in upper ocean water hydrography, planktonic production, pelagic-benthic coupling and sediment carbon cycling are all influenced by sea ice and temperature change. To more systematically track the broad biological response to sea ice retreat and associated environmental change, an international consortium of scientists have developed a coordinated Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) that includes selected biological measurements at multiple trophic levels, along with satellite and mooring measurements. The DBO currently focuses on five regional biological hotspot locations along a latitudinal gradient that allows for consistent sampling and monitoring at five biologically productive locations across a latitudinal gradient: DBO 1 (SLIP)-south of St. Lawrence Island (SLI), DBO2 (Chirikov)-north of SLI, DBO3 (southern Chukchi Sea), DBO4-NE Chukchi Sea, and DBO5-Barrow Canyon.
This data has been collected and submitted as part of the Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) program. Data were originally collected as part of the AON project, headed by Robert Pickart ([e-mail]). Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) data were taken aboard the USCGC Healy during HLY1303. During this cruise, data were taken along the established repeat hydrography transects, DBO5 and DBO6. This submission includes CTD data from the DBO5 transect. There are ten cnv data files containing the following parameters: pressure, depth, temperature, conductivity, oxygen, fluorescence, practical salinity, density, and potential temperature.