Remote Sensing of Environmental Change in Arctic Coastal Aquatic Ecosystems

Research activities focused on the coastal waters around Colville, Kuparuk, and Sagavanirktok rivers – three of the largest rivers in the North Slope of Alaska.

Changing riverine fluxes affect light and nutrient availability – two most critical factors affecting primary production – in a complex manner. Understanding how riverine materials transported into the coastal Arctic mix with ocean waters and affect primary production and phytoplankton community structure using a combination of in situ data, remote sensing measurements, and modeling was the overarching objective of this effort. Project funding was through NASA OBB Award: 80NSSC22K1043 (to CCNY, PI: Maria Tzortziou) and NASA OBB Award: 80HQTR21T0050 (to NRL, PI: Wes Moses).