The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation
The polar seas play a critical role in the climate system, forming important links between all oceans and between the atmosphere and deep sea. In addition, they support vital and unique ecosystems containing important living resources. Yet despite their importance, the physical environment and ecosy...
Published in: | Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography |
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Online Access: | https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/the-impact-of-animal-platforms-on-polar-ocean-observation(2a36ea61-49a6-4765-acd3-e23f42b793dd).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2012.07.007 |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/2a36ea61-49a6-4765-acd3-e23f42b793dd 2024-06-23T07:50:54+00:00 The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation Fedak, Mike 2013-04 https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/the-impact-of-animal-platforms-on-polar-ocean-observation(2a36ea61-49a6-4765-acd3-e23f42b793dd).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2012.07.007 eng eng https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/the-impact-of-animal-platforms-on-polar-ocean-observation(2a36ea61-49a6-4765-acd3-e23f42b793dd).html info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Fedak , M 2013 , ' The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation ' , Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography , vol. 88-89 , 1 , pp. 7-13 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2012.07.007 Oceanographic equipment CTD profilers Marine mammals Polar oceanography Instrument platforms Data collections Data loggers Ocean-ice-atmosphere system article 2013 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2012.07.007 2024-06-13T00:35:18Z The polar seas play a critical role in the climate system, forming important links between all oceans and between the atmosphere and deep sea. In addition, they support vital and unique ecosystems containing important living resources. Yet despite their importance, the physical environment and ecosystems of the polar regions are still under-sampled and, as a result, relatively poorly understood. At the 1st Symposium on Biologging Science in Tokyo, 2003, I reported on the initiation of the first large scale deployment of newly developed ocean profiling tags that used marine mammals as observation platforms (the SEaOS project). I expressed the hope that this approach would provide a rich new source of oceanographic data, creating a “win/win” opportunity with tags not only providing new insights into the behaviour of the equipped animals but also dramatically increasing ocean data availability in general. Now, almost a decade later, this hope has been realized. Instruments attached to animals have now delivered more than 270,000 CTD profiles, many from under-sampled parts of the polar regions where little or no oceanographic sampling had previously occurred. The data have been incorporated into global and regional models and have resulted in a range of publications on physical ocean processes as well as on the biology of the species that carried the tags. The magnitude of the contribution can be appreciated by querying the World Ocean Data Base (WOD). Animals have now provided approximately 70% of all oceanographic profiles south of 60°S and are beginning to have a similar impact in the Arctic. The geographical coverage of the animal data fills in large tracts of previously under represented sectors of the polar oceans. Animals also have provided data during the polar winter when no other sources were available. As a comparison, the almost 900,000 CTD profiles provided by the Argo Program are considered to have revolutionized our understanding of the physical function of the oceans. The contribution of animal-borne ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic University of St Andrews: Research Portal Arctic Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 88-89 7 13 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Oceanographic equipment CTD profilers Marine mammals Polar oceanography Instrument platforms Data collections Data loggers Ocean-ice-atmosphere system |
spellingShingle |
Oceanographic equipment CTD profilers Marine mammals Polar oceanography Instrument platforms Data collections Data loggers Ocean-ice-atmosphere system Fedak, Mike The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation |
topic_facet |
Oceanographic equipment CTD profilers Marine mammals Polar oceanography Instrument platforms Data collections Data loggers Ocean-ice-atmosphere system |
description |
The polar seas play a critical role in the climate system, forming important links between all oceans and between the atmosphere and deep sea. In addition, they support vital and unique ecosystems containing important living resources. Yet despite their importance, the physical environment and ecosystems of the polar regions are still under-sampled and, as a result, relatively poorly understood. At the 1st Symposium on Biologging Science in Tokyo, 2003, I reported on the initiation of the first large scale deployment of newly developed ocean profiling tags that used marine mammals as observation platforms (the SEaOS project). I expressed the hope that this approach would provide a rich new source of oceanographic data, creating a “win/win” opportunity with tags not only providing new insights into the behaviour of the equipped animals but also dramatically increasing ocean data availability in general. Now, almost a decade later, this hope has been realized. Instruments attached to animals have now delivered more than 270,000 CTD profiles, many from under-sampled parts of the polar regions where little or no oceanographic sampling had previously occurred. The data have been incorporated into global and regional models and have resulted in a range of publications on physical ocean processes as well as on the biology of the species that carried the tags. The magnitude of the contribution can be appreciated by querying the World Ocean Data Base (WOD). Animals have now provided approximately 70% of all oceanographic profiles south of 60°S and are beginning to have a similar impact in the Arctic. The geographical coverage of the animal data fills in large tracts of previously under represented sectors of the polar oceans. Animals also have provided data during the polar winter when no other sources were available. As a comparison, the almost 900,000 CTD profiles provided by the Argo Program are considered to have revolutionized our understanding of the physical function of the oceans. The contribution of animal-borne ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fedak, Mike |
author_facet |
Fedak, Mike |
author_sort |
Fedak, Mike |
title |
The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation |
title_short |
The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation |
title_full |
The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation |
title_fullStr |
The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation |
title_full_unstemmed |
The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation |
title_sort |
impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/the-impact-of-animal-platforms-on-polar-ocean-observation(2a36ea61-49a6-4765-acd3-e23f42b793dd).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2012.07.007 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Fedak , M 2013 , ' The impact of animal platforms on polar ocean observation ' , Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography , vol. 88-89 , 1 , pp. 7-13 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2012.07.007 |
op_relation |
https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/the-impact-of-animal-platforms-on-polar-ocean-observation(2a36ea61-49a6-4765-acd3-e23f42b793dd).html |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2012.07.007 |
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