scholarly journals Preferential sinking export of biogenic silica during the spring and summer in the North Water Polynya (northern Baffin Bay): Temperature or biological control?

2002 ◽  
Vol 107 (C7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Michel
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biogenic Silica ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
The North ◽  
North Water Polynya ◽  
North Water

scholarly journals Biomarker characterization of the North Water Polynya, Baffin Bay: Implications for local sea ice and temperature proxies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Harning ◽  
Brooke Holman ◽  
Lineke Woelders ◽  
Anne E. Jennings ◽  
Julio Sepúlveda
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Sea Ice Extent ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
The North ◽  
North Water Polynya ◽  
Lipid Biomarker ◽  
North Water ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract. The North Water Polynya (NOW, Greenlandic Inuit: Pikialasorsuaq), Baffin Bay, is the largest polynya and one of the most productive regions in the Arctic. This area of thin to absent sea ice is a critical moisture source for local ice sheet sustenance and coupled with the inflow of nutrient-rich Arctic Surface Water, supports a diverse community of Arctic fauna and indigenous people. Although paleoceanographic records can provide critical insight into the NOW’s past behavior, it is critical that we fully understand the modern functionality of the paleoceanographic proxies beforehand. In this study, we analyzed lipid biomarkers, including algal highly-branched isoprenoids and sterols for sea ice extent and pelagic productivity, and algal alkenones and archaeal GDGTs for ocean temperature, in a suite of modern surface sediment samples from within and around the NOW. Our data show that all highly-branched isoprenoids exhibit strong correlations with each other and show highest concentrations within the NOW, which suggests a spring/autumn sea ice diatom source rather than a combination of sea ice and open water diatoms as seen elsewhere in the Arctic. Sterols are also highly concentrated in the NOW and exhibit an order of magnitude higher concentration here compared to sites south of the NOW, consistent with the order of magnitude higher primary productivity observed within the NOW relative to surrounding waters in spring/summer months. Finally, our temperature calibrations for alkenones, GDGTs and OH-GDGTs reduce the uncertainty present in global temperature calibrations, but also identify some additional variables that may be important in controlling their local distribution, such as salinity, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen. Collectively, our datasets provide new insight into the utility of these lipid biomarker proxies in high-latitude settings and will help provide a refined perspective on the Holocene development of the NOW with their application in downcore reconstructions.

scholarly journals Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summer

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert EA Stewart ◽  
Erik W Born ◽  
Rune Dietz ◽  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
Frank Farsø Rigét ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Surface ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Nares Strait ◽  
The North ◽  
North Water Polynya ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
North Water ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) belonging to the Baffin Bay subpopulation occur year round in the North Water polynya (NOW) between NW Greenland and eastern Ellesmere Island (Canada). They are hunted for subsistence purposes by residents of the Qaanaaq area (NW Greenland) bordering the NOW to the east and by Canadian Inuit at the entrance to Jones Sound in Nunavut. During the open-water period NW Greenland is virtually devoid of walruses which concentrate along eastern and southern Ellesmere Island at this time of the year. To determine the abundance of walruses in the NOW area, aerial surveys were conducted in August of 1999, 2008, and 2009. In July 2009, nine satellite-linked transmitters were deployed in nearby Kane Basin. Surveys on 9 and 20 August 2009 along eastern Ellesmere Island were the most extensive and were augmented with concomitant data on haul-out and at water surface activity from three (1 F, 2 M) of the nine tags that were still functioning. We therefore focus on the 2009 surveys. Walruses were observed on the ice and in water primarily in Buchanan Bay and Princess Marie Bay where the remaining functional tags were located. The Minimum Counted population (MCP) was 571 on 20 August. Adjusting the MCP of walruses on ice for those not hauled out, the estimate of abundance of walruses in the Baffin Bay stock was 1,251(CV=1.00, 95% CI = 1,226) when adjusted by the proportion of tags ‘dry’ at the time of the survey and 1,249 (CV=1.12, 95% CI = 1,370) when adjusted by the average time tags were dry. The surveys did not cover all potential walrus summering habitat along eastern Ellesmere Island and are negatively biased to an unknown degree.

scholarly journals Late Holocene sea-surface changes in the North Water polynya reveal freshening of northern Baffin Bay in the 21st century

2021 ◽  
pp. 103642
Author(s):  
Kelsey Koerner ◽  
Audrey Limoges ◽  
Nicolas Van Nieuwenhove ◽  
Thomas Richerol ◽  
Guillaume Massé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
The North ◽  
North Water Polynya ◽  
North Water ◽  
Surface Changes

Change at the margin of the North Water Polynya, Baffin Bay, inferred from organic matter records in dated sediment cores

2013 ◽  
Vol 341 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joscelyn N.-L. Bailey ◽  
Robie W. Macdonald ◽  
Hamed Sanei ◽  
Peter M. Outridge ◽  
Sophia C. Johannessen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
The North ◽  
North Water Polynya ◽  
North Water
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