Late-Season Arctic Research Cruise Reveals Warm Ocean Temperatures, Active Ecosystem

“The water and air temperatures were warmer, and we had ecosystem activity that normally doesn’t occur late in the season,” said University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Professor Jacqueline Grebmeier, chief scientist on the research cruise and a national and international leader in Arctic research.

This October’s Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) Cruise returned with surprising results leading to media coverage in the Eureka Alert and Alaska Native News. Researchers found warmer air and water temperatures, open water where an icebreaker ship is usually required and an active ecosystem. Arctic researcher Jacqueline Grebmeier is quoted in the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science news release, which was published Nov. 11, 2020 and picked up by the Eureka Alert (AAAS) and the Alaska Native News. This research was funded by GOMO, NOAA’s IOOS, NOPP, NPRB, and BOEM.