Background

One of the pressing needs for evaluating climate change impacts on biological systems in the Arctic (and globally) is the need for sustained observations of changes in biological systems. Biological observations cannot be automated to the same extent as many physical measurements can (e.g. salinity on moorings, etc.). As a result, there is much less scientific documentation of how biological systems are changing and/or adapting as a result of environmental change. Through science planning process supported by multiple US agencies (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation), the international Pacific Arctic Group, and the International Arctic Science Committee, to initiate more systematic biological observations in the Pacific Arctic sector as part of a Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) taking advantage of increased multi-national interest in the larger Bering Strait region. The DBO is an international effort spanning six countries, including Canada, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, the United States, and many agencies within those countries. Sampling for the DBO is focused on transects centered on locations of high productivity, biodiversity and rates of biological change. The DBO is now focused on bringing together data from 2010-2019, as well as future, sampling efforts.

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Links of Interest

►On the 27-30 November 2023, there was an Atlantic-DBO (A-DBO) meeting hosted by IOPAN in Sopot, Poland (see flyer), to discuss recent activities and findings, and how to collectively strengthen our work onward – in terms of results, sampling plans, and common routines. Results from the workshop will be used for discussions during the pan-Arctic DBO Community meeting at ASSW2024 in Edinburgh, UK next spring.

For productive discussions we hope to gather most participants in-person in Sopot, Poland. However, the first and last days will be online too. Register your participation and presentation until 20 October, and spread the word! Also, we are happy to announce a possibility for travel support for Early Career Researchers and Indigenous Knowledge Holders to join our meeting. The funding is made available through the IASC Marine Working Group. See the Arctic PASSION website for more information on how to apply.

►Jackie Grebmeier, Lee Cooper, and Christina Goethel presented at the ASSW2023.

►Read about the The Atlantic-Arctic Distributed Biological Observatory (A-DBO), which is under development and "...envisioned as a comprehensive marine observing system for climate and environment in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic Ocean - one of the key gateway areas of the Arctic, currently experiencing rapid environmental, climate and ecosystem changes."

►See a presentation and discussion from the Marine Ecosystems Collaboration Team Meeting from April 2022 here.

►The 5th DBO Data Meeting was held January 22-23, 2020 in Seattle, WA, USA. The final report can be downloaded here. Presentations can be downloaded here.

►The 4th DBO Data Meeting was held November 8-9, 2017 in Seattle, WA, USA.

Presentations from the 2017 4th and 2016 3rd Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) Workshops as well as the 2014 Pacific Arctic Group (PAG) Meeting (http://pag.arcticportal.org/) are posted below:

● 4th Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) Workshop
November 8-9, 2017; Seattle, WA:

Click here for final report
Click here for presentations

● 3rd Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) Workshop
March, 9-10, 2016; Seattle, WA:

Click here for final report
Click here for presentations

►Pacific Arctic Group (PAG) Meeting
October 28th - 29th, 2014; Seattle, WA
Click here for presentations

►Dr. Monika Kędra from the Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Science, is an international collaborator in the DBO, working with Dr. Jackie Grebmeier on benthic taxonomic issues. She has prepared a benthic taxonomic portal for organisms collected in the Pacific Arctic region. To access the site, see: http://www.iopan.gda.pl/projects/DBO/

DBO Data

► Download DBO Marine Mammal Watch Protocol-Sue Moore/UW, Jan 2023 version:

► Download station and regional DBO coordinates for the 2023 cruise season:

►You can access DBO-specific data from ADC's DBO portal. To access other datasets related to Arctic research, click here and to submit data, click here.

DBO Participation

If you are collecting data within the DBO region or have in the past, please consider particpating in our effort to document the type and location of data and research.