Research Program
Description
The project goal
is to link patterns of benthic community structure and biomass in the Chukchi
and Beaufort Seas to associated physical and biological processes that can
be identified as key determinants of global change. Over the past 30 years
quantitative benthic biomass and integrated chlorophyll a samples were
collected throughout the study area. Biomass data from 1,093 stations and
chlorophyll a data for 2,344 locations were synthesized in an effort
to identify patterns of benthic biomass and the supply of organic carbon.
These data were directed into a GIS (Geographical Information Systems) program
and geostatistics applied to investigate the correlation between benthic biomass
and chlorophyll a over space and time. Below is a digital bathymetric/elevation
base map of the study area.
