1. Arctic Ocean n Most inaccessible n Widest continental shelf – 1, 210 km (750 mi) n Smallest ocean basin – 14 million sq km (5.4 million sq mi) n Average depth – 3,658 m (12,000 ft) n Deepest part (Canada Basin) – 5,441 m (17,850 ft) n Least studied

2. Last Frontier on Earth n Not easily explored n Almost entirely covered with ice – 8 months n Drifting polar ice pack covers central and western portions year-round n Sea temperatures seldom rise above 0ºC

3. NOAA Ocean Exploration Arctic Expeditions n 2002-2006 n US, Russia, Canada, Japan, China n Canada Basin, Melville Bay, and Beaufort and Chukchi Seas n Mapping, Long-term Census, Biological Realms, Microbes, Productivity, Sound, and Tracking Narwhals

4. Three Distinct Biological Communities n Sea-Ice Realm – diatoms, algae, bacteria, viruses, fungi, amphipods, polar bears, seals, birds n Pelagic Realm – crustaceans, jellies, fishes, squids, seals, whales n Benthic Realm – sponges, bivalves, crustaceans, polychaete worms, sea anemones, bryozoans, tunicates, ascidaceans, fishes, whales, and seals

5. Sea-ice Realm n Sea ice = Ice crystals + brine channels n Sympagic – “minute vegetable forms of exquisite beauty,” Sutherland (1852) n Life within the brine channels intricately linked to physical processes n “Level” sea ice ranges in thickness from 2-4 m n Pack ice or fast ice – undeformed level or heavily ridged stamuki zones n Only 50% melts in summer

6. A Microscopic Haven

7. …that Fuels the Entire Arctic System

8. Arctic Sea Ice  Decreased 3% per decade over last 25 years  Loss in ice thickness in all parts of Arctic  Arctic sea ice cover might be lost by 2100  Species ranges and extinctions

9. NOAA Ocean Exploration Lessons  Life in the Crystal Palace – Biological Communities  Polar Bear Panic! – Climate Change  Being Productive in the Arctic Ocean – Primary Productivity and Limiting Factors

10. Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts, 2005 1.The Earth has one big ocean with many features. 2.The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of the Earth. 3.The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. 4.The ocean makes Earth habitable. 5.The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems. The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected. 6.The ocean is largely unexplored.