Re-visiting The Limnology of Tundra Ponds: Re-sampling historic sites to track global change in Arctic aquatic ecosystems

This project involves a resampling of several small ponds in the tundra near Barrow, Alaska that were studied intensively in the early 1970s as part of the International Biological Project (IBP) Tundra Biome Project. The principal objective of this proposal is to re-sample historic sites and, together with additional sampling methodologies, determine if the physical, chemical and biological environment of tundra ponds on Alaska?s coastal plain have changed in response to recent warming and/or anthropogenic alteration. Key activities will include: 1. Re-sampling IBP tundra ponds for physical, chemical and biological variables last surveyed nearly 40 years ago. 2. Comparing IBP tundra ponds, now being affected by a warming climate and encroaching development, to similar habitats in the region to determine whether they represent the best regional sites to monitor in the long-term, or if they have been overly impacted by development. 3. Investigating possible drivers of change for tundra pond ecosystems under several possible warming scenarios. 4. Establishing new protocols for continuous measurement of parameters of interest. 5. Educating the next generation of polar scientists about Arctic aquatic ecology, data rescue and scientific reporting. This project will support a graduate student and several undergraduates, and include outreach to the Barrow community and schools.