“Significant Challenges” for life in the Arctic Ocean, says report

[Dead_Parrot]

Last edited Wed Apr 25, 2012, 06:01 PM - Edit history (1)

Climate change could be reducing biodiversity and posing “significant challenges” to the survival of marine life in the Arctic Ocean, according to a new study.

The unique research – the first to study the effects of global warming on the Arctic Ocean across all seasons – aimed to learn more about the impacts on the polar marine ecosystem of the “most rapid warming trend in at least the past 1,450 years”.

The some 350 researchers from 10 science teams across 27 countries spent 293 days in 2007-8 in the Southern Beaufort Sea onboard the research icebreaker Amundsen examining everything from ocean current to ice algae and beluga whales.

The study, released at the Polar Year conference in Montreal this week (April 22–27) found that as ice coverage and thickness have reached record lows in the last decade, the energy dynamic of the Arctic Ocean has changed, producing profound effects for weather, ocean current and plant and animal life.

More: http://www.rtcc.org/learning/%E2%80%9Csignificant-challenges%E2%80%9D-for-life-in-the-arctic-ocean-says-report/

[OnlinePoker]

1. I'm confused on dates here

The study has a date of 1/6/07 on it. Why would they wait 5 years to release it this week? The study refers to numerous other studys from the first 5 years of this century.

[Dead_Parrot]

2. Looks like they linked to the wrong paper...

There doesn't seem to be an online version of the new one yet. Well spotted - good job one of us is paying attention...

[OnlinePoker]

3. I've emailed to see if they have another link.

I'll post if I get it.

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Thanks...

...I tried a quick google but drew a blank. grr.

[OnlinePoker]

5. Here is the response I got

Unfortunately, the linked report is the only report being released. It seems bizarre that it's taken 5 years to collate 7 and 8 year old data. From the response:

Hi XXX,

The reporter on the story tells me the following...

-The data was collected in 2007
-It was only released this year
-The report she linked to is the report as published, but clearly data is a few years old.

It is I admit slightly confusing, and I will investigate further. But many of these studies are based on data a few years old, as it takes time to collate it all.

Thanks for letting me know in any event.

Best
ed

[kristopher]

6. You are talking about a very large amount of data

"The some 350 researchers from 10 science teams across 27 countries spent 293 days in 2007-8 in the Southern Beaufort Sea onboard the research icebreaker Amundsen examining everything from ocean current to ice algae and beluga whales. "


It takes a lot of time to process it into relevant categories and it requires analysis. Add in the fact that the effort involves 10 teams averaging 35 members each and you have a very time consuming logistical process of arriving at conclusions that can withstand peer review. There are almost certainly a multitude of individual papers from the same data that have been long ago published by smaller groups and individuals.

ETA: duplicate post deleted

[Dead_Parrot]

8. Curiouser and curiouser

I could understand data from '07 just being a long time in processing, but the date stamps on the document are also '07 (And the report ends with "The field program will be conducted between 01 November 2007 and 01 August
2008, with the fast-ice camp from 01 January 2007 to 15 June 2008.&quot

[kristopher]

9. Thats the research proposal they accomplished and are reporting on