The Catlin Arctic Survey 2010 is focused on what is widely considered to be the ‘other’ carbon problem beyond climate change – that of ocean change, researching how greenhouse gases could affect the marine life of the Arctic ocean. Laura Edwards, a researcher from Bangor University in Wales, and Rod Macrae, Head of Communications at Geo Mission, are blogging for WWF throughout the Survey from the Catlin Arctic Survey Ice Base in Nunavut, northern Canada – please come back regularly for their updates.
By Laura Edwards
Early on Wednesday 3rd March I headed to Aberdeen airport to begin my journey to the sea ice of Deer Bay off the coast of Isachsen, Ellef Rignes Island, Canada. I was finally on my way to carry out some novel and exciting fieldwork attempting to answer questions on the topic of ocean acidification.
I was nervous about the fieldwork and how I would cope in the cold temperatures (averaging around -30 to -35 °C at this time of year) but also excited about the prospect of being involved in the Catlin Arctic Survey 2010 and obtaining rare data in this arctic location during the winter-spring transition period. There are very few measurements on ocean acidification at this time of year in the Arctic and yet it’s a very interesting period when there are large changes occurring within the biology, chemistry and sea ice of the Arctic ocean.
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Monthly Archives: March 2010
Alaska/Chukotka walrus and polar bear community exchanges
In early February, WWF and the US Fish and Wildlife Service partnered to facilitate community-based meetings between village conservation leaders from Chukotka, Russia and Alaskan communities along the Chukchi Sea coast. Although the people who live across the Chukchi Sea from each other are relatively close in miles, our Chukchi partners had to travel around the world to reach the other side and meet their neighbors for the first time.
For WWF, this was also an opportunity to highlight the work of the Chukchi Umky Patrol Program we support in Russia, a grassroots effort to minimise negative polar bear human interactions. The Umky program has, in addition, cultivated efforts to eliminate poaching and manage a relatively new problem: walrus hauling out near villages in huge numbers. Continue reading