This award will support two workshops, including one in the Bering Strait region, that will bring together representatives from the scientific research, local/native and operational observing communities to develop a science plan and recommend priorities for the implementation of a sustained, long-term Bering Strait environmental observing system that is an integral part of the Arctic Observing Network (AON). The Bering Strait is a vital element of the Arctic Ocean environmental system, as it is the only conduit for Pacific Water inflow that carries with it salt water, freshwater, heat and nutrients that affect the ocean and sea ice system further downstream. A Bering Strait environmental observing system would obtain data necessary for documenting seasonal, inter-annual and spatial variability in Pacific Water and related environmental variables, and supporting research into understanding their role in the physical and biological oceanography, and marine ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean and their response to environmental system change.
