Underway measurement of ∆Oxygen/Argon (∆(O₂/Ar)) data collected on the Research Vessel Xuelong in the western Arctic Ocean, 2016

At present, we lack adequate knowledge of how the seasonal progression of sea ice alters the timing and magnitude of Arctic net community production (NCP) in the different physical and biogeochemical regimes (e.g., nutrient-rich shelf versus oligotrophic basin, or ice-covered versus ice-free regions). Bridging the occasional snapshot views provided by field observations is important to achieving a coherent overview of seasonal NCP evolution in the Arctic Ocean, summer to fall. The goal of this project was to examine seasonal and regional variabilities in metabolic status and net community production (NCP) in the western Arctic Ocean using the cruise opportunities of the Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE, RV Xuelong) in two years (2016 and 2018). Our data cover a range of ecological regimes, including the ice-covered central Arctic, the highly dynamic marginal ice zone (the Mendeleev Ridge and Chukchi Plateau), the nutrient-rich Chukchi Shelf, and the oligotrophic ice-free Canada Basin. The result could provide an unprecedented view of the spatial variability of western Arctic Ocean biological production. The wide coverage of the observations also enables us to examine NCP under rapidly changing ice conditions, thus better elucidating important control mechanisms. Here, we report underway observations of biological oxygen saturation ∆(O₂/Ar), from which NCP can be derived, in the western Arctic Ocean during the summers of 2016 (this data). The ∆(O₂/Ar) data were collected between July 24, 2016 and September 4, 2016, using an equilibrated inlet mass spectrometer (EIMS) connected to the underway surface water supply.