HARVEY, RODGER UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
This project will utilize existing samples in the Beaufort Sea to determine if the organic matter in the Arctic Ocean can be "fingerprinted" to reveal its source. If so, the distribution patterns may be estimated and the availability of the organic matter for support of primary production may be assessed. The project is very important to understanding the way carbon is transported between the continental shelf and deep basin and into the sediment. The results will also be important for analysis of organic matter in the sediment as a clue to the history of biogenic production in the basin. The sedimentary record could reveal changes that have occurred in response to climate change. The results of this project will provide input for planning a large Phase 2 field program of the Shelf Basin Interactions project in 2002 in the same geographic area.
