The Distributed Biological Observatory in the Pacific Arctic: A Community Status Report

Town Hall Meeting at the Ocean Science Meeting 2016

The Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) was initiated in the Pacific Arctic in 2012 to track marine biological responses to changing physical conditions. The observatory consists of internationally-coordinated, multi-trophic level sampling, including physical, biogeochemical and biological measurements. These observations are made annually along transects that have been identified as biologically significant in the Chukchi Sea and more recently in the Beaufort Sea. The approaches being used include hydrographic surveys, satellite observations, pelagic and benthic sampling and biophysical moorings. We will highlight initial results from DBO activities in relation to retrospective and ongoing process-oriented studies in the region.