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ARCTIC marine ecosystem
PROGRAM

To better understand the mechanisms and processes that structure the Arctic marine ecosystem and influence the distribution, life history, and interactions of biological communities in the Chukchi Sea. To support research that addresses phenology and the alignment in space and time of primary production, secondary producers, and upper trophic level predators.

About the arctic research Program

The North Pacific Research Board’s (NPRB) Arctic Program is the newest integrated ecosystem research program (IERP) to date. The Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Research Program (IERP) will invest approximately $18.6 million in studying marine processes in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas in 2017-2021, beginning in the summer of 2017. The program is sponsored by NPRB, Collaborative Alaskan Arctic Studies Program (formerly the North Slope Borough/Shell Baseline Studies Program), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the Office of Naval Research Marine Mammals and Biology Program. Generous in-kind support has been contributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This coordinated program was developed in cooperation with the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Ecosystem Collaboration Team and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.

Why are we studying the Arctic?

What We Were Studying and the Results

How Communities Played a Role in the Research

Research Ships & Science Tools

PRogram Details

Click here to learn more about the program—where, why and how we studied the Arctic marine ecosystem.

MORE INFO

DATA & ReSULTS

Find out what we learned from the Arctic IERP, including links to data portals, summaries, and final reports.

MORE INFO

OUtreach

Outreach and communication are important pieces for every successful IERP program. Learn more here.

MORE INFO

Resources for Investigators

Find relevant links, programmatic requirements, and additional info about the program.

MORE INFO

requESt For proposals

Every IERP goes through a Request for Proposal process. Click here to learn how the Arctic IERP got started.

MORE INFO

WHY STUDY THE ARCTIC marine ecosystem?

Arctic research has been ongoing for several decades, yet there is still a clear need for additional studies to better understand the processes driving the Arctic marine ecosystem as a whole—even more so as Arctic sea ice continues to retreat at an increasing rate. Changes in sea ice timing, presence, extent, or thickness will have profound influences on coastal communities, marine mammals, seabirds, fishes, plankton, and oceanography. For more information about the Arctic marine ecosystem, read the Arctic Program’s Implementation Plan.

PROGRAM GOALS

The goal of the program is to better understand the mechanisms and processes that structure the Arctic marine ecosystem and influence the distribution, life history, and interactions of biological communities in the Chukchi Sea.

Main Hypothesis

How will reductions in Arctic sea ice and the associated changes in the physical environmental influence the flow of energy through the ecosystem in the Chukchi Sea?

Research Interest

NPRB was interested in research that addressed phenology and the alignment in space and time of primary production, secondary producers, and upper trophic level predators.

WHere WE STUDIED arctic waters

NPRB defines the southern boundary of the Arctic Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) as Bering Strait and treats the Aleutian Islands/Bering Sea separately. The Arctic Program will adopt the southern boundary of the Chukchi LME as redefined by the Arctic Council PAME working group (PAME 2013) and will include the northern Bering Sea (above 61.5 ° N) as it influences dynamics in the Chukchi Sea, with greater focus on the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea. The program will include the Arctic basin and Beaufort Sea insofar as processes in the Chukchi Sea are influenced by these adjacent areas.

IES SURVEY
ASGARD SURVEY

During summer and fall, a team of scientists led by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will conduct observations of oceanography, lower trophic levels, fish, and seabirds over the U.S. Chukchi Sea shelf from Bering Strait to Barrow. They will examine in detail the physical and ecological factors that influence the distribution of fish.

A team from the University of Alaska Fairbanks will use the icebreaker Sikuliaq to conduct process studies of oceanography and lower trophic levels during late May-early June as sea ice retreats from the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Seas. They will conduct onboard incubations to measure growth, respiration and deposition rates of phytoplankton and zooplankton and will examine how physical processes structure the Chukchi Sea shelf ecosystem. Moored instruments will record oceanographic conditions and the presence of vocalizing marine mammals in the study area year-round.

Focus of Arctic Studies

The program integrated observations collected during spring, summer, and fall in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to better understand how reduced Arctic sea ice and associated environmental changes influence the flow of energy through the marine ecosystem from plankton to fish, seabirds, marine mammals, and humans. Late spring and early summer sampling occurred in 2017 and 2018 aboard the R/V Sikuliaq. Late summer and early fall sampling occurred in 2017 and 2019 aboard the R/V Ocean Starr. Social science was conducted by a team that includes Principal Investigators from the North Slope and Northwest Arctic Boroughs and the Bering Strait region. This project will develop meaningful interaction with Alaska Native communities to explore changing patterns of access to subsistence resources and food security.

An Integrated Work Plan was developed by the Principal Investigators at the beginning of the program. It explains the scientific direction of the Arctic IERP and the study design, including details about planned field measurements. It served as a resource for those planning other research that might leverage the Arctic IERP and lead to fruitful collaborations.

Focus of Arctic Ocean RESEARCH

NPRB defines the southern boundary of the Arctic Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) as Bering Strait and treats the Aleutian Islands/Bering Sea separately. The Arctic Program will adopt the southern boundary of the Chukchi LME as redefined by the Arctic Council PAME working group (PAME 2013) and will include the northern Bering Sea (above 61.5 ° N) as it influences dynamics in the Chukchi Sea, with greater focus on the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea. The program will include the Arctic basin and Beaufort Sea insofar as processes in the Chukchi Sea are influenced by these adjacent areas.

Transport, seasonal composition, distribution, and production of phytoplankton, particulate matter, zooplankton, fishes, benthic invertebrates, seabirds, and marine mammals

Assemblages, distributions, abundances, and condition of larval and early juvenile fishes that influence the recruitment success of later life stages

Partitioning/flux of energy between pelagic and benthic realms

Distribution, condition, and standing stocks of large crustacean zooplankton that serve as the prey base for upper trophic level fishes and seabirds

Timing, magnitude and fate of the primary and secondary productivity

Density of marine mammals and seabirds

Human use of and interaction with the marine environment

Coordination & Collaboration

NPRB is collaborating and coordinating with several other U.S. agencies and organizations that fund Arctic marine research. NPRB staff work closely with the U.S. Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission. As the Arctic IERP was developed, NPRB secured commitments for collaboration from twenty-two existing research projects that were detailed in Appendix A of our request for proposals. NPRB is interested in expanding such collaborations as new research projects are funded.

International researchers are collaborating with the Arctic IERP via the Pacific Arctic Group (PAG) as well as collaborations developed by individual investigators. PAG participants, including researchers from Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States, coordinate to sample standard stations in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas termed the Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO), and the Arctic IERP is contributing. Colleagues from Hokkaido University, the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), and the Russian Pacific Scientific Fisheries Research Center (TINRO) have expressed interest in collaborating on specific aspects of the Arctic IERP. NPRB will continue to explore opportunities for international collaboration.

PROGRAM HISTORY: PACMARS

Each of NPRB’s integrated ecosystem research programs involves three distinct phases of operation: assessment, implementation, and synthesis. NPRB initiated the implementation phase of this program in May 2016. In the assessment phase that preceded it, NPRB funded the Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS) to assess the current state of knowledge and make recommendations to NPRB about the direction of the Arctic IERP. NPRB and the North Pacific Marine Research Institute (NPMRI) coordinated PacMARS in consultation with the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs. The $1.5 million-dollar synthesis was funded by Shell and ConocoPhillips. PacMARS was coordinated with the BOEM Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR). Several products of PacMARS are available to the public, including a final report, a report on local community input, and an extensive data archive.

PACMARS WEBSITE

PACMARS Final Report

PACMARS Data Archive

Community Input Report

ARCTIC PROGRAM Data & Results

Principal investigators who have completed NPRB-funded research are required to provide datasets and metadata records for all data collected under NPRB grants as per the NPRB Metadata and Data Policy. Final reports are also required at the conclusion of the program. Peer-reviewed publications will be posted here as they become available.

Arctic studies data clearinghouse

Axiom Data Science provided data management services for the Arctic IERP and developed a data discovery portal to facilitate the exploration of data collected by the program. Click the button below to access the data portal. Axiom Data Science works with organizations to improve the long term management, reuse and impact of their scientific data resources.

Arctic Program Final Reports

Principal investigators who have completed NPRB-funded research are required to provide datasets and metadata records for all data collected under NPRB grants as per the NPRB Metadata and Data Policy. These files are due within 60 days of the project end date. NPRB has teamed with Axiom Data Science to best manage data transfer and metadata submission. The NPRB online project workspace is designed to facilitate project management, data storage, security, collaboration, and reporting. The workspace is also linked to this public website where users can obtain general information about each project.

Arctic Shelf Growth, Advection, Respiration, and Deposition Rate Experiments (ASGARD)
Integrating Marine Mammal Presence into ASGARD
Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Survey Phase II: Oceanography and Lower Tropic Levels
Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Survey Phase II: Upper Trophic Levels
Chukchi Coastal Communities Understanding of and Responses to Environmental Change

Publication Library &
Deep Sea Research
Special Issues

The Arctic IERP will support publication of a series of special journal issues, aimed at sharing peer-reviewed project results across a broad audience and facilitating project integration and synthesis.  Two volumes have already been published and a third is underway. Additional publications and manuscripts separate from Deep Sea Research Part II will also be posted to our publication library.

Arctic Program Cruise Reports

Principal Investigators will share a selection of their preliminary results here throughout the course of the research program. These preliminary results may also be shared at scientific conferences and at meetings of stakeholder groups, including the Arctic Waterways Safety Committee and marine mammal co-management organizations. Final results will be published in reports and peer-reviewed articles, and links to those will be provided as they are published.

2017 ASGARD CRUISE REPORT
2018 ASGARD CRUISE REPORT
2017 ASGARD OBSERVER REPORT
2017 AIES CRUISE REPORT
2019 AIES CRUISE REPORT

Arctic research program OUTREACH

NPRB manages the outreach funds for the Arctic Program, but input from partners, organizations, and scientists have all been encouraged throughout the program’s duration. NPRB has obligated $150,000 for outreach and communications for the Arctic Program ending 2022. NPRB staff are in the process of creating meaningful, engaging deliverables for various target audiences and stakeholders, including coastal communites, interested public, educators, fisheries management, and policy makers.

integrated cooperation

North Pacific Research Board and funding partners Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Collaborative Alaskan Arctic Studies Program (formerly North Slope Borough/Shell Baseline Studies Program), and Office of Naval Research Marine Mammal and Biology Program, are committed to ensuring that effective communication occurs throughout the course of the Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Research Program (IERP). The Arctic IERP will communicate about plans for field programs, seek to involve coastal communities in research, and will share preliminary and final results.

Many research institutions support dedicated staff, resources, and budget for education and outreach deliverables, including NPRB. However, NPRB maintains only one staff member to support outreach with a fixed budget of $150,000 to be allocated for the duration of the project. To ensure the greatest level of transparency, avoid any duplication, and maximize efforts, it will be important to leverage resources among institutions and funding partners, especially those organizations that have specialized experience in certain fields of outreach (e.g., K‐12 outreach). It will also be critical to include local and coastal community resources for coordination, logistical support, and delivery of outreach products. Local Alaska Sea Grant officials, along with North Slope Borough representatives will be instrumental in achieving any direct engagement outreach activities.

Communication Goal

Transparent communication with stakeholders about plans for field campaigns early enough to allow dialogue and adjustments to plans as necessary to avoid conflicts with subsistence harvests

Communication Goal

Meaningful interaction between Arctic IERP Principal Investigators (PIs) and residents of coastal communities to foster inclusion of Local and Tradtional Knowledge (LTK) and the perspectives of coastal communities in analyses

Communication Goal

Consistent communication of preliminary and final results in language written for the interested public that acknowledges the full breadth of the Arctic IERP

Staying Social in the field: Arctic IERP Blog

NPRB launched a blog and social media platform completely dedicated to the Arctic Program for the Program’s research cruises from 2017-2019. Scientists and communicators shared their stories, photos, and more aboard the R/V Sikuliaq and R/V Ocean Star. Join the voayges and read along as the Arctic IERP sampled the Arctic seas!

Science & Logistics Meetings

Principal Investigator meetings were held annually and representatives of the collaborating projects listed in Appendix A of the request for proposals were invited to participate. Members of the Coastal Communities team representing eight Alaska communities participated in these meetings. The meetings provided a forum for the exchange of information and served as a nexus for developing new collaborations. In addition to annual meetings, monthly meetings were hosted via Zoom to maintain regular communication.

Principal Investigator Meetings

March 2017
March 2018
March 2019
February 2020
November 2020

Logistics Meetings

October 2016
October 2017
October 2018

Resources for Investigators

The Arctic Program will involve the integration of multiple streams of marine data, from physical forcing factors to the processes driving marine ecology, human dimensions and consideration of ecosystem services. Success of the program will rely on careful coordination and effective collaboration. In developing the broad direction for this program, recommendations provided by a wide variety of stakeholders and scientific experts were considered.

Online Arctic Marine Ecosystem Resources

Below are some helpful resources related to the Arctic marine ecosystem and marine research.

Available Reports
Data Archives & Map Servers
Related Links

Alaska Ocean Observing System's Arctic Portal

This portal integrates various types of Arctic data from sensor feeds, operational oceanographic and atmospheric models, satellite observations and GIS data sets describing the biological and physical characteristics of the Arctic region.

Distributed Biological Observatory

The “Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO)” is envisioned as a change detection array along a latitudinal gradient extending from the northern Bering Sea to the Barrow Arc.

Chukchi Sea Environmental Studies Program

During 2008-2014, Shell, ConocoPhillips, and Statoil funded the multi-disciplinary Chukchi Sea Environmental Studies Program (CSESP). Reports, peer-reviewed publications, and access to the data collected by the program may be found on the CSESP website.

National Science Foundation Arctic Data Center

The NSF Arctic Data Center will help the research community reproducibly preserve and discover all products of NSF-funded science in the Arctic, including data, metadata, software, documents, and provenance that link these in a coherent knowledge model. 

The North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) Science Catalog

The North Slope Science Catalog has been developed by the North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) to facilitate the discovery and distribution of science based data and information products.

Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS) Data Archive and Map Server

The PacMARS data archive and map server is hosted by the Earth Observing Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Environmental Studies Program Information System

This site presents information about ongoing and completed BOEM ESP studies. Additionally the site allows text and map-based queries to find relevant study information. Study information includes downloadable electronic documents of study profiles, technical summaries, and final reports, and links to associated publications and digital data.

North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management

The NSB-DWM conducts research on subsistence resources on the North Slope, including their biology and natural history as well as their subsistence use.

Office of Naval Research Initiatives

Several Departmental Research Initiatives (DRI) funded by the Office of Naval Research are collecting data relevant to NPRB's Arctic IERP. These include Sea State and Boundary Layer Physics of the Emerging Arctic Ocean Marginal Ice Zone, and Stratified Ocean Dynamics in the Arctic DRIs.

Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC)

IARPC Collaborations provides a space for scientists and others from Federal, State, academic, non governmental, industry, and other organizations to collaborate to share knowledge and resources to accelerate the progress of Arctic research.

Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS)

The Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS) was a research synthesis effort that assembled up-to-date written documentation that contributes to understanding the Pacific-influenced coastal shelf ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean. PacMARS provided recommendations for the direction of future research in the region that were referenced in developing NPRB's Arctic IERP. 

Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR)

Synthetic papers on a variety of subjects from oceanography to marine mammals were produced by the BOEM-funded Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR) project. 

Select Your Option Below:

Available Reports
Data Archives & Map Servers
Related Links

Alaska Ocean Observing System's Arctic Portal

This portal integrates various types of Arctic data from sensor feeds, operational oceanographic and atmospheric models, satellite observations and GIS data sets describing the biological and physical characteristics of the Arctic region.

Distributed Biological Observatory

The “Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO)” is envisioned as a change detection array along a latitudinal gradient extending from the northern Bering Sea to the Barrow Arc.

Chukchi Sea Environmental Studies Program

During 2008-2014, Shell, ConocoPhillips, and Statoil funded the multi-disciplinary Chukchi Sea Environmental Studies Program (CSESP). Reports, peer-reviewed publications, and access to the data collected by the program may be found on the CSESP website.

National Science Foundation Arctic Data Center

The NSF Arctic Data Center will help the research community reproducibly preserve and discover all products of NSF-funded science in the Arctic, including data, metadata, software, documents, and provenance that link these in a coherent knowledge model. 

The North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) Science Catalog

The North Slope Science Catalog has been developed by the North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) to facilitate the discovery and distribution of science based data and information products.

Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS) Data Archive and Map Server

The PacMARS data archive and map server is hosted by the Earth Observing Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Environmental Studies Program Information System

This site presents information about ongoing and completed BOEM ESP studies. Additionally the site allows text and map-based queries to find relevant study information. Study information includes downloadable electronic documents of study profiles, technical summaries, and final reports, and links to associated publications and digital data.

North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management

The NSB-DWM conducts research on subsistence resources on the North Slope, including their biology and natural history as well as their subsistence use.

Office of Naval Research Initiatives

Several Departmental Research Initiatives (DRI) funded by the Office of Naval Research are collecting data relevant to NPRB's Arctic IERP. These include Sea State and Boundary Layer Physics of the Emerging Arctic Ocean Marginal Ice Zone, and Stratified Ocean Dynamics in the Arctic DRIs.

Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC)

IARPC Collaborations provides a space for scientists and others from Federal, State, academic, non governmental, industry, and other organizations to collaborate to share knowledge and resources to accelerate the progress of Arctic research.

Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS)

The Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS) was a research synthesis effort that assembled up-to-date written documentation that contributes to understanding the Pacific-influenced coastal shelf ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean. PacMARS provided recommendations for the direction of future research in the region that were referenced in developing NPRB's Arctic IERP. 

Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR)

Synthetic papers on a variety of subjects from oceanography to marine mammals were produced by the BOEM-funded Synthesis of Arctic Research (SOAR) project. 

p

Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (Pacmars)

The Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS) is a research synthesis effort underwritten by the North Pacific Marine Research Institute to assemble by mid-year 2013 up-to-date written documentation that contributes to understanding the Pacific-influenced coastal shelf ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) established Collaboration Teams in 2013 whose activities advance the research outlined in the IARPC 5-year plan. IARPC Collaboration Teams are open to scientific contributors from both inside and outside the Federal government.

Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO)

The Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) is envisioned as a change detection array arranged along a latitudinal gradient from Bering Strait northward to Barrow Canyon, and more recently, extending eastward into the Beaufort Sea. International members of the Pacific Arctic Group, including the U.S.A., sample standard transects and share data.

Requests For Proposals

In May 2015, the board issued a call for pre-proposals for the Arctic Program with a submission deadline of July 31, 2015. The board considered pre-proposals based on science and advisory panel recommendations and invited a subset of investigators to submit full proposals in October 2015. Full proposals were received in January 2016 and underwent peer review prior to review by the science and advisory panels and the board. The board made final funding decisions in May 2016.

Opening Dialogue

After the RFP for pre-proposals was released, an informational teleconference was held on May 28, 2015, and 127 callers participated. An audio recording is available for download below. Following the teleconference, a list of interested parties was developed for the scientific research community to facilitate identifying potential collaborators and those individuals who expressed interest were included.

Appendix A Collaborations

When NPRB issued the RFP for pre-proposals for the Arctic Program, an appendix (Appendix A) was included to list existing projects that had committed to collaborate with the Arctic IERP. As additional projects volunteer to collaborate, we will post an updated version of Appendix A*. Please return to this webpage periodically to download the updated version.

credit: Brendan Smith/NPRB

credit: Brendan Smith/NPRB

credit: Brendan Smith/NPRB

credit: Brendan Smith/NPRB

credit: Brendan Smith/NPRB

credit: Brendan Smith/NPRB

Arctic studies proposal Templates

Proposers invited to submit full proposals were required to use an online Arctic proposal submission system. Several components in the online system required proposers to upload specific documentation. Templates are available for download.

Budget Templates

Budget Form
Budget Narrative

Logistics Templates

Logistics Budget
Logistics Budget Narrative

Administration Templates

Linked Package Cover Letter
Timeline and Milestones
Current and Pending Support
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For almost twenty years, NPRB has been issuing Requests for Proposals. Over that time, NPRB has adjusted processes and methods to make the RFP better available our broad stakeholder user groups. Making these groups aware of these changes is important to NPRB. These are some of the regular questions NPRB program managers often receive when applicants are submitting their RFP to our programs.

Can I propose a project that lasts only one or two years?

Field sampling or other analyses can last for shorter periods of time, but the individuals funded through this call for proposals will be required to remain engaged through at least spring 2021 (i.e., participate in annual PI meetings, contribute to multi-disciplinary analyses and publications).

What types of institutions are eligible to receive funds?

Any institution is eligible to receive funds, including academic institutions, government agencies, and private for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Must I be a U.S. citizen or be affiliated with a U.S. institution to be eligible to receive funds?

International colleagues are eligible to receive funds.

Is there a limit to the number of pre-proposals (or full proposals) an individual can be associated with as a principal or co-investigator?

There is no limit to the number of proposals an individual or institution can be associated with.

Are those involved with the collaborating projects listed in appendix a eligible to apply for funds?

Those involved with the existing projects listed in Appendix A are eligible to compete for funds.

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