Export fluxes of biogenic matter in the Siberian Arctic Ocean

• Main Authors: Lalande, Catherine, Nöthig, Eva-Maria, Bauerfeind, Eduard, Fortier, Louis
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic Ocean; laptev; Laptev Sea; Lomonosov Ridge; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/35415/; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.43416

The unprecedented sea ice retreat that occurred in recent years in the Siberian Arctic Ocean possibly led to rapid changes in primary production and export fluxes of biogenic matter in this rarely sampled region. In 2011-2012, long-term sediment traps were deployed near the Gakkel Ridge in the Siberian sector of the Arctic Ocean. Export fluxes of biogenic matter obtained from this deployment indicated the export of a large quantity of Melosira arctica in June 2012. These export fluxes will be compared to fluxes obtained from previous long-term sediment traps deployments conducted over the shelf break of the northern Laptev Sea in 2005-2007, and over the Lomonosov Ridge in 1995-1996. This comparison of export fluxes obtained from the only 3 long-term sediment trap deployments performed in the Siberian Arctic Ocean will allow us to assess the factors affecting the timing, magnitude, and composition of the biogenic matter exported from upper waters to the seafloor in this region, and to estimate how earlier ice melt affected the export fluxes of biogenic matter in this sector of the Arctic Ocean.