CASES

The scientific program is focussing on a central hypothesis which states that the atmospheric, oceanic and hydrologic forcing of sea ice variability dictates the nature and magnitude of biogeochemical carbon fluxes on and at the edge of the Mackenzie Shelf. The Canadian-led projects studied: 1) Atmospheric and sea ice forcing of coastal circulation; 2) Ice-atmosphere interactions and biological linkages; 3) Light, nutrients, primary and export production in ice-free waters; 4) Microbial communities and heterotrophy; 5) Pelagic food web: structure, function and contaminants; 6) Organic and inorganic fluxes; 7) Benthic processes and carbon cycling; 8) Millennial-decadal variability in sea ice and carbon fluxes; 9) Coupled bio-physical models of the carbon flows on the Canadian Arctic Shelf (Simard et al., 2010).

Reference: Simard, A., Rail, M.E., Gratton, Y. 2010. Distribution of temperature and salinity in the Beaufort Sea during the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study sampling expeditions 2002-2004. Report No R1187, INRS-ETE, Quebec (QC), 128p.