Atlantic-origin water extension into the Pacific Arctic induced an anomalous biogeochemical event.

The Arctic Ocean is facing dramatic environmental and ecosystem changes. In this context, an international multiship survey project was undertaken in 2020 to obtain current baseline data. During the survey, unusually low dissolved oxygen and acidified water were found in a high-seas fishable area of the western (Pacific-side) Arctic Ocean. Herein, we show that the Beaufort Gyre shrinks to the east of an ocean ridge and forms a front between the water within the gyre and the water from the eastern (Atlantic-side) Arctic. That phenomenon triggers a frontal northward flow along the ocean ridge. This flow likely transports the low oxygen and acidified water toward the high-seas fishable area; similar biogeochemical properties had previously been observed only on the shelf-slope north of the East Siberian Sea.

Distribution and survival strategies of endemic and cosmopolitan diazotrophs in the Arctic Ocean.

Dinitrogen (N2) fixation is the major source of reactive nitrogen in the ocean and has been considered to occur specifically in low-latitude oligotrophic oceans. Recent studies have shown that N2 fixation also occurs in the polar regions and thus is a global process, although the physiological and ecological characteristics of polar diazotrophs are not yet known. Here, we successfully reconstructed diazotroph genomes, including that of cyanobacterium UCYN-A (Candidatus 'Atelocyanobacterium thalassa'), from metagenome data corresponding to 111 samples isolated from the Arctic Ocean. These diazotrophs were highly abundant in the Arctic Ocean (max., 1.28% of the total microbial community), suggesting that they have important roles in the Arctic ecosystem and biogeochemical cycles. Further, we show that diazotrophs within genera Arcobacter, Psychromonas, and Oceanobacter are prevalent in the <0.2 µm fraction in the Arctic Ocean, indicating that current methods cannot capture their N2 fixation. Diazotrophs in the Arctic Ocean were either Arctic-endemic or cosmopolitan species from their global distribution patterns. Arctic-endemic diazotrophs, including Arctic UCYN-A, were similar to low-latitude-endemic and cosmopolitan diazotrophs in genome-wide function, however, they had unique gene sets (e.g., diverse aromatics degradation genes), suggesting adaptations to Arctic-specific conditions. Cosmopolitan diazotrophs were generally non-cyanobacteria and commonly had the gene that encodes the cold-inducible RNA chaperone, which presumably makes their survival possible even in deep, cold waters of global ocean and polar surface waters. This study shows global distribution pattern of diazotrophs with their genomes and provides clues to answering the question of how diazotrophs can inhabit polar waters.

Horizontal distribution of surface microplastic concentrations and water-column microplastic inventories in the Chukchi Sea, western Arctic Ocean.

The recent influx of microplastics into the Arctic Ocean may increase environmental stress on the western Arctic marine ecosystem, which is experiencing significant sea-ice loss due to global warming. Quantitative data on microplastics in the western Arctic Ocean are very limited, and the microplastic budget of the water column is completely unknown. To fill in gaps in our knowledge of Arctic microplastics, we observed surface concentrations (number of particles per unit volume of seawater) of meso- and microplastics using a neuston net, and we observed wind speeds and significant wave heights in the Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait, and Bering Sea. From these observations, we estimated the total number (particle inventory) and mass (mass inventory) of microplastics in the entire water column by taking into account the effect of vertical mixing. The particle inventory of microplastics in the Chukchi Sea ranged from 0 to 18,815 pieces km-2 with a mean and standard deviation of 5236 ± 6127 pieces km-2. The mass inventory ranged from 0 to 445 g km-2 with a mean and standard deviation of 124 ± 145 g km-2. Mean particle inventories for the Chukchi Sea were one-thirtieth of those for the Arctic Ocean on the Atlantic side and less than one-tenth of the average for the global ocean, suggesting that the Chukchi Sea is less polluted. However, the annual flux of microplastics from the Pacific Ocean into the Chukchi Sea, estimated from microplastic concentrations in the Bering Strait, was about 5.5 times greater than the total amount of microplastic in the entire Chukchi Sea water. This suggests that microplastic inflows from the Pacific Ocean are accumulating in large amounts in reservoirs other than the Chukchi Sea water (e.g., sea ice and seafloor sediments) or in the downstream regions of the Pacific-origin water.

Bottom-associated phytoplankton bloom and its expansion in the Arctic Ocean.

Phytoplankton production in the Arctic Ocean is increasing due to global warming-induced sea ice loss, which is generally assessed through satellite observations of surface chlorophyll. Here we show that a diatom bloom can occur near the seafloor rather than at the surface in the open Arctic Ocean. Light can reach the seafloor underlying nutrient-rich bottom water after the spring bloom because the surface water becomes oligotrophic and increases transparency in the region of shallow Arctic shelf. Our microcosm experiment demonstrated that diatoms formed a bloom when sediments on the shelf region, which contained abundant viable diatom cells, were exposed to even weak light reaching the seafloor (~1% of the surface irradiance). Repeated shipboard observations in the shelf region suggested that such bottom-associated blooms occurred occasionally and the primary production was significantly underestimated by satellite observations. The average bottom irradiance (2003-2017) in the Arctic Ocean is particularly promoted in summer in the eastern East Siberian Sea and the Foxe Basin, which were ice-covered throughout the year until the 1990s. Our results imply that hidden bottom-associated blooms are now widespread across the shallow Arctic shelf region.

Characteristics of atmospheric black carbon and other aerosol particles over the Arctic Ocean in early autumn 2016: Influence from biomass burning as assessed with observed microphysical properties and model simulations.

We conducted ship-based measurements of marine aerosol particles (number concentration, size distribution, black carbon (BC), autofluorescence property, and PM2.5 composition) and trace gases (ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO)) during a cruise of the R/V Mirai (23 August to 4 October 2016) over the Arctic Ocean, Northwest Pacific Ocean, and Bering Sea. Over the Arctic Ocean at latitudes >70°N, the averaged BC mass concentration was 0.7 ± 1.8 ng/m3, confirming the validity of our previously-reported observations (~1 ng/m3) over the same region during September 2014 and September 2015. The observed levels over the Arctic Ocean need to be used as a benchmark when testing the atmospheric transport models over the ocean, while they are substantially lower than those reported at Barrow (Utqiagvik), a nearby ground-based station. We identified events with elevated BC mass concentrations and CO mixing ratios over the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea as influenced by biomass burnings, with evidences from elevated levoglucosan levels, mixing states of BC particles, and particle size distributions. With WRF-Chem model simulations, we confirmed Siberian Forest fire plumes traveled over thousands of kilometers and produced substantially high BC and CO levels over the Bering Sea. The ΔBC/ΔCO ratios during these periods were estimated as ~1 ng/m3/ppbv, which are lower than those values reported, indicating that the results might have been affected by the wet removal process during transportation and/or by emission in smoldering conditions.

Fukushima-derived radiocesium in the western subarctic area of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean in 2019 and 2020.

We measured dissolved radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) in surface seawater collected in the western subarctic area of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean in 2019 and 2020. The radiocesium released from the accident of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FNPP1) in 2011 was still observed in these areas (∼2 Bq m-3 decay-corrected to the date of the accident). In 2019/2020, the FNPP1-derived radiocesium concentrations in the Bering Sea and the Chukchi Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean connecting the Bering Sea to the Arctic Ocean, were within the range of those observed in 2017/2018. On the other hand, the FNPP1-derived radiocesium was detected in the Arctic Ocean farther north of the Chukchi Sea in 2019/2020 for the first time. This was probably derived from the long-range transport of the FNPP1-derived radiocesium from the North Pacific coastal area of Japan to the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Sea during the past decade. The transport of the FNPP1-derived radiocesium from the Bering Sea to the western subarctic area in 2019/2020 is not clear, which implies the retainment of the FNPP1-derived radiocesium within the Bering Sea.

Seasonal Water Mass Evolution and Non-Redfield Dynamics Enhance CO2 Uptake in the Chukchi Sea.

The Chukchi Sea is an increasing CO2 sink driven by rapid climate changes. Understanding the seasonal variation of air-sea CO2 exchange and the underlying mechanisms of biogeochemical dynamics is important for predicting impacts of climate change on and feedbacks by the ocean. Here, we present a unique data set of underway sea surface partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and discrete samples of biogeochemical properties collected in five consecutive cruises in 2014 and examine the seasonal variations in air-sea CO2 flux and net community production (NCP). We found that thermal and non-thermal effects have different impacts on sea surface pCO2 and thus the air-sea CO2 flux in different water masses. The Bering summer water combined with meltwater has a significantly greater atmospheric CO2 uptake potential than that of the Alaskan Coastal Water in the southern Chukchi Sea in summer, due to stronger biological CO2 removal and a weaker thermal effect. By analyzing the seasonal drawdown of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and nutrients, we found that DIC-based NCP was higher than nitrate-based NCP by 66%-84% and attributable to partially decoupled C and N uptake because of a variable phytoplankton stoichiometry. A box model with a non-Redfield C:N uptake ratio can adequately reproduce observed pCO2 and DIC, which reveals that, during the intensive growing season (late spring to early summer), 30%-46% CO2 uptake in the Chukchi Sea was supported by a flexible stoichiometry of phytoplankton. These findings have important ramification for forecasting the responses of CO2 uptake of the Chukchi ecosystem to climate change.

Tracking long-distance migration of marine fishes using compound-specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids.

The long-distance migrations by marine fishes are difficult to track by field observation. Here, we propose a new method to track such migrations using stable nitrogen isotopic composition at the base of the food web (δ15 NBase ), which can be estimated by using compound-specific isotope analysis. δ15 NBase exclusively reflects the δ15 N of nitrate in the ocean at a regional scale and is not affected by the trophic position of sampled organisms. In other words, δ15 NBase allows for direct comparison of isotope ratios between proxy organisms of the isoscape and the target migratory animal. We initially constructed a δ15 NBase isoscape in the northern North Pacific by bulk and compound-specific isotope analyses of copepods (n = 360 and 24, respectively), and then we determined retrospective δ15 NBase values of spawning chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) from their vertebral centra (10 sections from each of two salmon). We then estimated the migration routes of chum salmon during their skeletal growth by using a state-space model. Our isotope tracking method successfully reproduced a known chum salmon migration route between the Okhotsk and Bering seas, and our findings suggest the presence of a new migration route to the Bering Sea Shelf during a later growth stage.

Evidence of increased toxic Alexandrium tamarense dinoflagellate blooms in the eastern Bering Sea in the summers of 2004 and 2005.

The eastern Bering Sea has a vast continental shelf, which contains various endangered marine mammals and large fishery resources. Recently, high numbers of toxic A. tamarense resting cysts were found in the bottom sediment surface of the eastern Bering Sea shelf, suggesting that the blooms have recently occurred. However, little is known about the presence of A. tamarense vegetative cells in the eastern Bering Sea. This study's goals were to detect the occurrence of A. tamarense vegetative cells on the eastern Bering Sea shelf and to find a relationship between environmental factors and their presence. Inter-annual field surveys were conducted to detect A. tamarense cells and environmental factors, such as nutrients, salinity, chlorophyll a, and water temperature, along a transect line on the eastern Bering Sea shelf during the summers of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2013. A. tamarense vegetative cells were detected during every sampling year, and their quantities varied greatly from year to year. The maximum cell densities of A. tamarense observed during the summers of 2004 and 2005 were much higher than the Paralytic shellfish poisoning warning levels, which are greater than 100-1,000 cells L-1, in other subarctic areas. Lower quantities of the species occurred during the summers of 2009, 2012, and 2013. A significant positive correlation between A. tamarense quantity and water temperature and significant negative correlations between A. tamarense quantity and nutrient concentrations (of phosphate, silicate, and nitrite and nitrate) were detected in every sampling period. The surface- and bottom-water temperatures varied significantly from year to year, suggesting that water temperatures, which have been known to affect the cell growth and cyst germination of A. tamarense, might have affected the cells' quantities in the eastern Bering Sea each summer. Thus, an increase in the Bering Sea shelf's water temperature during the summer will increase the frequency and scale of toxic blooms and the toxin contamination of plankton feeders. This poses serious threats to humans and the marine ecosystem.

Radiocesium in the western subarctic area of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean in 2013 and 2014.

We measured radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) in seawater from the western subarctic area of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean in 2013 and 2014. Fukushima-derived 134Cs in surface seawater was observed in the western subarctic area and Bering Sea but not in the Arctic Ocean. Vertical profile of 134Cs in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean implies that Fukushima-derived 134Cs intruded into the basin from the Bering Sea through subsurface (150m depth) in 2014.

Laterally spreading iron, humic-like dissolved organic matter and nutrients in cold, dense subsurface water of the Arctic Ocean.

The location and magnitude of oceanic iron sources remain uncertain owing to a scarcity of data, particularly in the Arctic Ocean. The formation of cold, dense water in the subsurface layer of the western Arctic Ocean is a key process in the lateral transport of iron, macronutrients, and other chemical constituents. Here, we present iron, humic-like fluorescent dissolved organic matter, and nutrient concentration data in waters above the continental slope and shelf and along two transects across the shelf-basin interface in the western Arctic Ocean. We detected high concentrations in shelf bottom waters and in a plume that extended in the subsurface cold dense water of the halocline layer in slope and basin regions. At σθ = 26.5, dissolved Fe, humic-like fluorescence intensity, and nutrient maxima coincided with N* minima (large negative values of N* indicate significant denitrification within shelf sediments). These results suggest that these constituents are supplied from the shelf sediments and then transported laterally to basin regions. Humic dissolved organic matter probably plays the most important role in the subsurface maxima and lateral transport of dissolved Fe in the halocline layer as natural Fe-binding organic ligand.

Enhanced role of eddies in the Arctic marine biological pump.

The future conditions of Arctic sea ice and marine ecosystems are of interest not only to climate scientists, but also to economic and governmental bodies. However, the lack of widespread, year-long biogeochemical observations remains an obstacle to understanding the complicated variability of the Arctic marine biological pump. Here we show an early winter maximum of sinking biogenic flux in the western Arctic Ocean and illustrate the importance of shelf-break eddies to biological pumping from wide shelves to adjacent deep basins using a combination of year-long mooring observations and three-dimensional numerical modelling. The sinking flux trapped in the present study included considerable fresh organic material with soft tissues and was an order of magnitude larger than previous estimates. We predict that further reductions in sea ice will promote the entry of Pacific-origin biological species into the Arctic basin and accelerate biogeochemical cycles connecting the Arctic and subarctic oceans.

Aragonite undersaturation in the Arctic Ocean: effects of ocean acidification and sea ice melt.

The increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and attendant increase in ocean acidification and sea ice melt act together to decrease the saturation state of calcium carbonate in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean. In 2008, surface waters were undersaturated with respect to aragonite, a relatively soluble form of calcium carbonate found in plankton and invertebrates. Undersaturation was found to be a direct consequence of the recent extensive melting of sea ice in the Canada Basin. In addition, the retreat of the ice edge well past the shelf-break has produced conditions favorable to enhanced upwelling of subsurface, aragonite-undersaturated water onto the Arctic continental shelf. Undersaturation will affect both planktonic and benthic calcifying biota and therefore the composition of the Arctic ecosystem.