2004 RUSALCA Cruise

A joint U.S.-Russia research cruise to the Bering and Chukchi Seas took place in the summer of 2004. It was the first activity under the Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA), which is funded through NOAA's Arctic Research Initiative. Among RUSALCA's objectives are support to the U.S. interagency Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Program ( http://psc.apl.washington.edu/search/) and the NOAA Ocean Exploration Program ( http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov), including the Census of Marine Life.

The cruise occurred on a Russian ice-strengthened (not ice-breaking) research ship, the R/V Khromov, and included sampling and instrument deployment in both U.S. and Russian territorial waters. The primary study area was the Northern Bering Sea (north of 60 degrees North Latitude) and the Chukchi Sea to the extent that ice conditions permitted.

Because of the trend in reduction of ice cover in the Arctic and the possibility of permanent loss in seasonal ice cover in the study region as shown by climate models, it is thought that this area might be subject to significant ecosystem change. A program of ecosystem-oriented exploration will help provide a foundation for detecting future ecosystem change, and also provide the potential for discovery of new marine resources.

In July of 2003, CIFAR released an Announcement of Opportunity soliciting proposals from U.S. investigators. These proposals were evaluated with the help of an expert review panel, and in March 2004 ten projects were selected for funding (Of the 10 projects, 7 were funded through CIFAR). The interdisciplinary mix of physical and biological oceanographic studies included an investigation of water flow through the Western Chukchi Sea, deployment of moorings in both U.S. and Russian waters, and benthic, zooplankton, and fisheries investigations. The U.S. Chief Scientists for the cruise were Terry Whitledge, University of Alaska Fairbanks (Nome to Nome leg) and Kevin Wood, NOAA (Vladivostok to Nome leg).

Many of the U.S. projects included Russian collaborators. In addition, Russian PIs from the Shirshov Institute, Roshydromet and other institutions studied benthic biota, microbial activity, physical and chemical oceanography, and also looked for hydrothermal-methane vents.

To learn more about the summer 2004 RUSALCA cruise, view photos from the cruise and meet the researchers, see: http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/aro/russian-american/