The Barrow Strait Real Time Observatory: Under-ice Monitoring in the Canadian High Arctic

Abstract

Oceanographic monitoring in the Arctic is important for understanding the physical, chemical, and biological environments, particularly given the enhanced warming of high latitude regions compared with the global average. Ongoing in situ monitoring in Barrow Strait, in the Northwest Passage, by Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography have established a baseline of the physical environment that has been used for assessing Arctic ocean freshwater export, the role of sea-ice freeze-up and break-up on ecosystem dynamics, and prediction of sea-ice processes based on water property measurements. In recent years, the deployment of an underwater observatory has permitted the retrieval of year-round near real-time data from Barrow Strait using an underwater network comprised of acoustic modems, a sub-sea cable, and an Iridium connected shore station. A strength of the system design is that it permits real-time data retrieval even during Arctic winter conditions. In this paper, we present an overview of the Barrow Strait real-time observatory system, the scientific goals motivating the real-time data stream, and examples of the newest instruments integrated into the system (including ice draft and passive acoustics).