Speaker: Senior Scientist Robert Pickart from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Title: "Impact of Ice and Wind on Phytoplankton Blooms in the Chukchi Sea in a
Changing Climate"

Abstract: Primary production in the Chukchi Sea, north of the Bering Strait, has increased dramatically over the past few decades. This is due in part to the decline in summertime sea ice cover in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean, allowing more sunlight to penetrate the open water. Perhaps more striking is the fact that multi-year ice has been replaced by relatively thin first-year ice that is subject to ponding earlier in the season when nutrients are more prevalent on the shelf. In this talk, the physical processes that lead to phytoplankton blooms in the Chukchi Sea are discussed using a combination of in-situ data, atmospheric re-analysis fields, and idealized modeling. It is shown how recent changes in sea ice and wind forcing can lead to enhanced primary production that may become even more pronounced as the climate continues to warm.