Provided
by the NOAA Arctic
Research Office
Intro | Leg1
| Leg2 | Cruise
Report | Station Log | Photos
The Russian-American Long-term Census of the
Arctic (RUSALCA)
General Cruise Objectives
A series of hydrographic transects were taken to allow sampling of all water masses during this summer period. A high priority of the hydrographic survey was to collect samples across Bering Strait in support of the Russian and American mooring(s) in western Bering Strait, to collect a series of high-speed transects across Herald Valley and to enhance the knowledge of faunal distributions for census of marine life. The long-term goal is to obtain continuous and comprehensive monitoring within Bering Strait for several years, which would require routine access to the eastern and western portions of the study area for scientific operations. The hydrographic, biochemical and productivity sampling was integrated from all stations sampled and the data from US and Russian collaborators were combined for the joint assessment of climate change, water mass properties and census of marine life in the Arctic.