Data Protocol Project Description * SHEBA * Sea Ice Biology * Igor A. Melnikov, P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovsky pr., 36, Moscow, 117851, Russia E-mail: melnikov@glasnet.ru * Goal: To demonstrate the cross-sectional and longitudinal distribution of salinity, temperature, biogeochemical components, chlorophyll and species number within the thickness of multi-year and first year ice in the Beaufort Sea where the SHEBA Ice Camp was drifted during a period of 1997-1998. Data Set Description * Round-year observations of the sea ice structure were organized in the region of the SHEBA Ice Camp drift. Implementation of continuous small-scale and cross-sectional observations allowed the identification and quantification of changes in the physical, chemical and biological properties of the sea ice cover during the winter and summer (small-scale observations). The non-uniform large-scale survey revealed uniformity in the distribution of the sea ice characteristics within the SHEBA region drift (large-scale observations). Sea ice cores were collected at two small-scale polygons located in a vicinity of a home ice floe, where the CCCG "Des Groseilliers" was frizzed during a drift. Sampling strategy was focused on collections of multy-year sea ice and first-year ice cores. * Polgygon #1 for the round-year observations of multi-year sea ice dynamic was located 300 m off of the icebreaker: samplings were carried out from October 24, 1997, through September 23, 1998. Total multi-year sea ice collection includes 16 cores. Date and position of Multi-Year ice cores (MY) samplings at Polygon #1 are given in Table 1. Table 1. Type of ice Thickness, Date of Latitude, Longitude and core # (cm) Sampling (N) (W) MY #1 244 27 Oct 97 75 17.0 143 31.1 MY #2 235 12 Nov 97 76 09.5 146 26.2 MY #3 185 28 Nov 97 75 07.4 147 33.7 MY #4 216 10 Dec 97 75 44.2 150 25.8 MY #5 178 29 Dec 97 75 17.1 149 59.5 MY #6 177 12 Jan 98 74 51.6 150 25.0 MY #7 260 27 Jan 98 74 51.8 155 38.0 MY #8 281 18 Feb 98 74 54.6 157 50.3 MY #9 417 09 Mar 98 75 28.2 160 18.3 MY #10 287 29 Apr 98 75 57.8 166 13.5 MY #11 291 25 May 98 76 24.1 167 11.3 MY #12 202 27 Jun 98 77 47.0 167 58.9 MY #13 276 11 Jul 98 78 06.4 166 05.4 MY #14 137 20 Aug 98 78 09.5 158 30.7 MY #15 382 13 Sep 98 79 34.4 161 40.6 MY #16 302 21 Sep 98 80 14.5 164 42.7 Polygon #2 for the observations of the first-year sea ice dynamic was located at distance 3 km from the icebreaker. Samplings were carried out from October 18, 1997, through May 12, 1998, and were stopped in June due to an active melting of the ice. It was collected 12 first-year sea ice cores. Date and Position of the First-Year ice cores (FY) samplings at Polygon #2 are given in Table 2. Table 2. Type of ice Thickness, Date of Latitude, Longitude and core # (cm) Sampling (N) (W) FY #1 62 19 Oct 97 75 20.2 144 29.0 FY #2 66 27 Oct 97 75 17.0 143 31.1 FY #3 77 11 Nov 97 76 09.5 146 23.9 FY #4 79 26 Nov 97 76 13.2 147 43.7 FY #5 116 12 Dec 97 75 41.3 150 44.2 FY #6 95 27 Dec 97 77 17.7 149 57.7 FY #7 137 11 Jan 98 74 53.4 150 12.9 FY #8 150 24 Jan 98 74 38.8 153 25.1 FY #9 132 16 Feb 98 74 53.4 157 50.3 FY #10 171 09 Mar 98 75 28.2 160 18.3 FY #11 142 29 Apr 98 75 57.8 166 13.5 FY #12 138 25 May 98 76 24.1 167 11.3 Sea ice cores were also collected from different parts of the SHEBA region distanced 3-5 miles in points around Des Groseilliers in directions: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW, correspondingly, ice cores ## 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8. Samplings were conducted through February-March (large-scale polygon #3). Date and position of the sea ice core samplings at the large-scale polygon #3 are given in Table 3. Table 3. Type of ice Thickness, Date of Latitude, Longitude and core # (cm) Sampling (N) (W) MY #1 287 27 Feb 98 75 05.0 159 47.6 FY #2 134 27 Feb 98 75 05.0 159 47.6 FY #3 151 27 Feb 98 75 05.0 159 47.6 MY #4 394 27 Feb 98 75 05.0 159 47.6 FY #5 140 03 Mar 98 75 08.7 159 40.0 FY #6 152 03 Mar 98 75 08.7 159 40.0 MY #7 257 04 Mar 98 75 09.2 159 40.0 MY #8 194 04 Mar 98 75 09.2 159 40.0 Samplings conducted in Feb-Mar 1998 were repeated in September 1998 (polygon #4) in points close to points in polygon 3. Date and Position of the sea ice core samplings at the large-scale polygon #4 are given in Table 4. Table 4. Type of ice Thickness, Date of Latitude, Longitude and core # (cm) Sampling (N) (W) MY #1 167 20 Sep 98 80 11.4 164 40.4 MY #2 147 20 Sep 98 80 11.4 164 40.4 FY #3 67 20 Sep 98 80 11.4 164 40.4 MY #4 302 21 Sep 98 80 14.5 164 40.4 MY #5 223 22 Sep 98 80 15.4 164 54.7 MY #6 251 23 Sep 98 80 21.5 165 32.2 * Ice corings were performed with an ice auger 120 cm in diameter from the upper snow-ice surface until the lower one. The total ice core length was measured, a surface was cleaned and the whole ice core was divided into equal 10 or 20 cm parts depending on the total length. Every ice section was crushed into small pieces, put into plastic bottles and melted at room temperature. * Samples of the ice were tested in the field laboratory at the board of the Des Groseilliers for the following: salinity, silicate, phosphate, and chlorophyll concentrations. Samples for the species identifications were preserved in 4% formalin and processed in the Institution laboratory by methods used in planktonology. Both field and labs methods and sampling strategy used during the SHEBA experiment are described in: Melnikov (1997). Data Structure In these data sets, the following abbreviations are used: MY - multi-year sea ice; FY - first-year sea ice; H - sea ice thickness; L - layer of the ice core; Sal - salinity of ice; Tem - temperature of ice; Si - silicate; P - phosphate; Chl - chlorophyll; ND - non-detected; NI - non-indicated. * Data of sea ice cores are divided into four files organized in the Excel format. (1) Ice cores from Polygon #1 where there are 3 sub-files stored in Excel spreadsheet books: (i) physical-chemical characteristics of MY ice, (ii) species composition of the MY sea ice flora, and (iii) species composition of the MY sea ice fauna. (2) Ice cores from Polygon #2 where there are 3 sub-files stored in Excel spreadsheet books: (i) physic-chemical characteristics of FY ice, (ii) species composition of the FY sea ice flora, and (iii) species composition of the FY sea ice fauna. (3) Ice cores from Polygon #3 where there are 3 sub-files stored in Excel spreadsheet books: (i) physic-chemical characteristics of different type of ice, (ii) species composition of the sea ice flora, (iii) species composition of the sea ice fauna. (4) Ice cores from Polygon #4 where there are 3 sub-files stored in Excel spreadsheet books: (i) physic-chemical characteristics of different type of ice, (ii) species composition of the sea ice flora, (iii) species composition of the sea ice fauna. Supporting Information * Melnikov I.A. 1997. The Arctic Sea Ice Ecosystem. Gordon and Breach Science Publisher. p. 201.