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Assessing Ocean Acidification Variability in the Pacific–Arctic Region

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Assessing Ocean Acidification Variability in the Pacific–Arctic Region OceTHE OFFICIALa MAGAZINEn ogOF THE OCEANOGRAPHYra SOCIETYphy CITATION Bates, N.R. 2015. Assessing ocean acidification variability in the Pacific- Arctic region as part of the Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic. Oceanography 28(3):36–45, http://dx.doi.org/ 10.5670/oceanog.2015.56. DOI http://dx.doi.org/ 10.5670/oceanog.2015.56 COPYRIGHT This article has been published in Oceanography, Volume 28, Number 3, a quarterly journal of The Oceanography Society. Copyright 2015 by The Oceanography Society. All rights reserved. USAGE Permission is granted to copy this article for use in teaching and research. Republication, systematic reproduction, or collective redistribution of any portion of this article by photocopy machine, reposting, or other means is permitted only with the approval of The Oceanography Society. Send all correspondence to: [email protected] or The Oceanography Society, PO Box 1931, Rockville, MD 20849-1931, USA. DOWNLOADED FROM HTTP://WWW.TOS.ORG/OCEANOGRAPHY RUSSIAN-AMERICAN LONG-TERM CENSUS OF THE ARCTIC Assessing Ocean Acidification Variability in the Pacific-Arctic Region as Part of the Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic By Nicholas R. Bates Launch of rosette from Russian research vessel Professor Khromov during a 2009 RUSALCA expedition. Photo credit: Aleksey Ostrovskiy 36 Oceanography | Vol.28, No.3 ABSTRACT. The Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) to icebreaker surveys conducted on the project provides a rare opportunity to study the Russian sector of the Pacific Arctic Arctic shelves during the summertime sea Region (PAR), which includes the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas. RUSALCA data ice retreat. In recent years, increased inter- from 2009 and 2012 allow fuller understanding of changes in ocean chemistry across national efforts have focused on the region this the region and, in particular, provide perspectives on the ocean carbon cycle, air- in response to rapid changes in the ocean sea CO2 gas exchange, and ocean acidification variability. Summertime surface waters environment (e.g., sea ice loss, warming). of the western Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea mostly exhibited low pCO2 (<100 to As a contribution to the efforts to 400 µatm) and high pH (8.0 to 8.4) conditions during sea ice retreat. As earlier studies understand environmental change in the of the adjacent eastern Chukchi Sea show, this area of the PAR had a strong potential for Arctic, seawater CO2-carbonate chem- ocean uptake of atmospheric CO2, with saturation states for calcium carbonate (CaCO3) istry observations were collected as part minerals such as calcite and aragonite (Ωcalcite and Ωaragonite, respectively) having values of the Russian-American Long-term generally greater than two, thereby facilitating CaCO3 production. In contrast, fresher Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) proj- surface waters flowing into the Chukchi Sea from the East Siberian Sea and bottom ect. The primary goal of RUSALCA is waters on the PAR shelves exhibited high pCO2 and low pH, Ωcalcite, and Ωaragonite to collect long-term, multidisciplinary, conditions. Low Ω surface waters near the Russian coast and nearly 70% of waters next ocean-climate-relevant physical, biologi- to the seafloor were corrosive to CaCO3 minerals such as aragonite, with this change cal, and biogeochemical data in the PAR, seemingly occurring at a more rapid rate than typical global open-ocean changes in ocean especially in the Russian sector of the chemistry. The exposure of subsurface benthic communities and nearshore ecosystems Chukchi and East Siberian Seas. As such, near the Russian coast to potentially corrosive water is likely exacerbated by the ocean RUSALCA focuses on improving scien- uptake of anthropogenic CO2 and gradual ocean acidification. The RUSALCA project tific understanding of the region’s ocean also highlights the complexities and uncertainties in the physical and biogeochemical dynamics and feedbacks and identify- drivers of the ocean carbon cycle and ocean chemistry in this region of the Arctic. ing changes in key pelagic and benthic marine ecosystems. This paper describes INTRODUCTION pump (e.g., Nishino et al., 2011), as well RUSALCA’s contribution to a fuller During the last several decades, Arctic as enhanced export of carbon to the understanding of the physical and bio- climate conditions have changed rap- deep ocean (Lalande et al., 2009, 2014) geochemical variability and drivers of the idly, resulting in complex regional and and ultimately ocean carbon dioxide ocean carbon cycle and ocean chemistry global environmental impacts. Major (CO2) uptake resulting in ocean acidifi- in this region of the Arctic. changes in the physical domain of the cation (OA) in the region (e.g., Bates and region, such as decreased summer sea Mathis, 2009; Steinacher et al., 2009). THE ARCTIC OCEAN ice cover and increasing air tempera- The issues and uncertainties about CARBON CYCLE AND ture, are well documented (e.g., Perovich the marine carbon cycle and ocean acid- OCEAN ACIDIFICATION et al., 2007; Stroeve et al., 2007, 2014; ification in the Arctic Ocean are com- The polar and subpolar regions of both Markus et al., 2009; Perovich and Richter- plex and unresolved. This paper focuses hemispheres have large impacts on the Menge, 2009; Wang and Overland, 2009; on a descriptive assessment of seawater exchange of CO2 between atmosphere Overland and Wang, 2013; Screen et al., CO2-carbonate chemistry and OA vari- and ocean, and particularly on the global 2013; Simmonds and Goverkar, 2014). ability in the Pacific Arctic Region (PAR), ocean uptake of anthropogenic CO2. Low However, large uncertainties remain an area that includes the shallow shelves temperatures and the low buffering capac- in observed and anticipated responses of the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas ity of these waters facilitate ocean uptake in the biology and biogeochemistry of and the periphery of the deep Canada of CO2 from the atmosphere (Bates, the Arctic Ocean (e.g., Grebmeier et al., Basin (Figure 1). Compared to many 2006). In the high latitudes, ocean CO2 2010; Wassmann et al., 2011). For exam- other open-ocean and coastal environ- sinks represent a significant contribution ple, increased ice-free area and warmer ments, relatively few studies of seawater to the global ocean sink of ~1.4 Pg C yr–1 15 temperatures may have caused changes CO2-carbonate chemistry and marine (Pg C = 10 g C); perhaps 5–10% of global in rates of primary production in the carbon cycle dynamics and assessments ocean CO2 uptake occurs in the Arctic deep Arctic (e.g., Arrigo et al., 2008, of air-sea CO2 exchange rates and ocean Ocean (e.g., Bates and Mathis, 2009; 2014; Arrigo and van Dijken, 2011) and acidification impacts have been con- Takahashi et al., 2009; Schuster et al., associated shelves (e.g., Ardyna et al., ducted in the shelf seas and deep basin 2013; Manizza et al., 2013; MacGilchrist 2014), timing of the annual phytoplank- of the Arctic Ocean. This is due in part to et al., 2014). Quantifying and understand- ton bloom (e.g., Kahru et al., 2010), com- the harsh polar climate and resulting dif- ing the dynamics of ocean-atmosphere position of phytoplankton (e.g., Li et al., ficulty in providing logistical support that exchanges of CO2 in permanently and 2009), and functioning of the biological have limited most research opportunities seasonally ice-covered regions has been Oceanography | September 2015 37 and the benthos (e.g., Mathis et al., 74°N Canada 2014; Cai et al., 2014). Vulnerabilities Basin 100 m of the Arctic marine carbon cycle relate 100 m 50 m to such factors as sea ice loss, warm- 72°N ing, and other physical changes, biolog- HV4 ical and ecosystem changes, and changes East in regional hydrology and freshwater Siberian HV3 50 m Sea input to the Arctic Ocean. Ocean acid- 70°N HV2 Chukchi ification impacts have already been Sea LS observed in the western Arctic Ocean HV1 Long (e.g., Chukchi Sea, Bates et al., 2009, SSC? Strait 2013; East Siberian Sea, Semiletov et al., 68°N SN US 2004, 2007; Anderson et al., 2009, 2011; Winter Sea-Ice Extent 50 m Summer I.P. Semiletov, University of Alaska, pers. Sea-Ice CS2 comm., March 2015) and Bering Sea 66 ACC °N Chukchi CS1 (Bates et al., 2011; Mathis et al., 2011a,b; Bering Sea Canada Basin Sea RUSSIA Bering Cross et al., 2013, 2014). 1 70°E INFLOW SHELF BSStrait 160°W AW BSW THE GEOGRAPHIC SETTING OF 180°E 170°W Station Location THE PACIFIC ARCTIC REGION and Year FIGURE 1. Map of the Pacific Arctic Region (PAR) showing approxi- 2009 The physical and biogeochemical prop- mate circulation streamlines across the Chukchi Sea. The locations of 2012 erties of various PAR marine settings are hydrocast-CTD stations from the Russian-American Long-term Census 2009/2012 of the Arctic (RUSALCA) project are shown for 2009 and 2012. AW, BSW, highly influenced by seasonal ice cover and ACC refer to Anadyr Water, Bering Shelf Water, and Alaskan Coastal Current water, and retreat, complex physical circulation respectively. The hydrographic sections in the southern Chukchi Sea are denoted as BS and mixing of seawater, freshwater and (Bering Strait), CS1, and CS2. Sections across Herald Valley are denoted as HV1, HV2, HV3, sea ice melt source waters, and marine and HV4. A section across Long Strait is denoted by LS. Anadyr Water flows northward from biogeochemical variability. The “inflow” Bering Strait and out through Herald Valley. The Siberian Sea Current (SSC) is an intermittent summertime current that brings surface waters from the East Siberian Sea into the Chukchi shelf (sensu Carmack and Wassmann, Sea (Weingartner et al., 1999). INSET: Schematic of the “inflow” shelf (sensu Carmack and 2006) of the broad and shallow (<70 m) Wassmann, 2006) for the Chukchi Sea. Chukchi Sea (Figure 1 inset) is highly influenced by the Pacific inflow through Bering Strait of three nutrient-rich water difficult to assess owing to lack of data gradual acidification of seawater (Caldeira masses (e.g., Anadyr Water [AW], Bering (e.g., Bates and Mathis, 2009).
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