International Siberian Shelf Study

The International Siberian Shelf Study (ISSS-08) project seeks to improve understanding of the enormous fluxes of carbon, material and water on their way from the Siberian tundra to the interior of the Arctic Ocean, particularly in terms of the effects of a changing climate. Research groups from Russia and the US took part in the expedition, carried out on a Russian ice-breaker over 45 days. The ship carried sophisticated measuring equipment to monitor sediment, water, air and ice as well as tools to check variations in salinity and temperature. The East Siberian shelf seas have experienced the biggest springtime warming of any region on earth at the start of this century when compared to the preceding 30-year average. Future effects will include a depletion of ocean ice coverage in summer, the thawing and diminished spread of permafrost on land and increased coastal erosion.

Film: Carbon fluxes in the East Siberian Sea
www.su.se/english/research/2.439/arctic_ocean_siberia