Long-term observations on the Bering Sea shelf: biophysical moorings at sites 2 and 4 as sentinels for ecosystem change (NPRB Project 203)

Biophysical measurements have been made at mooring Site 2 (56.88°N, 164.03°) almost
continuously since 1995, providing the longest near continuous time-series of
biophysical variables on the Bering Sea shelf. A series of moorings have also been
deployed at Site 4 (57.85°N, 168.87°W) since 1995, providing almost six years of
more sporadic data. Added to the biophysical data collected by the moorings, water
property measurements have been made at locations around the moorings and along the
70-m transect since 1995. Such long-term observations provide critical data that
allow characterizations of interannual variability, quantification of regime shifts
and climate change. This project partially funds continued measurements at both Sites
2 and 4, together with water samples and plankton samples around both mooring sites and
along the monitoring line
. These datasets were archived as part of the North Pacific Research Board legacy project recovery effort undertaken by Axiom Data Science and NPRB in 2025. The goal of the recovery effort was to assess the NPRB-funded data projects from 2002 to 2014 and archive final data packages that were ready for publication to increase long-term accessibility and discoverability. Data packages were archived as is given limited funding and resources.