Cruise Plan for Bering Ecosystem Study Project (BEST) on U.S.C.G. Cutter
Healy (HLY0701); April 10 through May 12, 2007

Feb. 23, 2007 version

R. Sambrotto

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

61 Rt. 9W

Palisades, NY 10964

Phone: 845-365-8402

Email: <sambrott@ldeo.columbia.edu>

# Introduction and Overview

The initial cruise of the NSF sponsored Bering Ecosystem Study (BEST)
project will take place April-May 2007 aboard the USCG cutter Healy
(hereafter HLY0701). Similar ice-breaker cruises are planned in the
following years. BEST is part of a larger, multi-agency, integrated
effort that addresses ecosystem research in the eastern Bering Sea.
Further information on this broader context can be found at
<http://www.arcus.org/bering/>. The more specific major scientific goals
of the BEST project and the general approach to their accomplishment can
be found in the BEST Science Plan on-line at
<http://www.fish.washington.edu/research/best/>. Briefly, BEST is
concerned with understanding the ecosystem level responses to the
changes in ice extent and seasonal distribution in the eastern Bering
Sea. The availability of an icebreaker with the capabilities of the
Healy provides one of the first opportunities to sample extensively in
the marginal ice zone (MIZ) of this biologically productive marine
system.

The science efforts aboard HLY0701 consist of several groups of
researchers who will address various aspects of hydrography, nutrient
chemistry, plankton production and distribution, marine mammal
populations and bird surveys (Table 1). Cruise planning meetings were
held in September, 2006 in Washington DC and December, 2006 at the
University of Washington. The latter planning also included meetings
with the Coast Guard and a tour of the Healy. Based on these meetings
and further additional communications within the group, a sampling plan
was developed that covers most of the non-Russian waters in the eastern
Bering Sea (Fig. 1). The cruise track will begin and end in Dutch
Harbor, Alaska for the 33 day period from April 10 to May 12, 2007. Fig.
1 depicts the four major cross-shelf lines: SL, MN, PN and CN. These
lines are crossed by an extensive long-shelf section along the 70m
isobath (the 70m line).

An important factor in the planning of HLY0701 is the contemporaneous
sampling of the NOAA ship Miller Freeman in the region. This sampling
has been incorporated into the HLY0701 cruise plan and will impact upon
it in two basic ways. We plan joint sampling of the Healy and Miller
Freeman in the region of the residual southernmost MIZ front. Here the
UTOW package carried by the Freeman can map the frontal region. Also, we
expect that the Miller Freeman can sample most of the CN line, thus
leaving the Healy more time in the MIZ. For planning purposes, the
overall cruise plan has been sub-divided into 11 phases. The goals and
sampling of each of these phases is detailed in the following section.

Table 1. Science components and their major sampling activities during
HLY0701.

  ------------------------------------------ ----------------------------
  **Component, PIs**                         **Sampling activities**

  1\) Hydrography and circulation - Phyllis  CDT cast; drifter releases
  Stabeno; NOAA PMEL                         

  2\) Nutrient and oxygen fields -- Cal      Water sampling with Niskin
  Mordy; NOAA PMEL.                          bottles.

  3\) Nitrogen productivity and isotopic     Water sampling with Niskin
  budget -- Ray Sambrotto; LDEO & Dan        bottles, incubations, ice
  Sigman; Princeton                          sampling

  4\) Iron distribution - Jingfeng Wu; UAF   Water sampling with trace
                                             metal clean bottles, ice
                                             sampling

  5\) Productivity, sediment fluxes and      Water sampling with Niskin
  benthos - Al Devol; UW & David Shull; UWW  bottles, multicorer
                                             deployments

  6\) Zooplankton & meroplankton -- Jeff     Plankton net hauls
  Napp; NOAA PMEL                            

  7\) Ice Seal Project -- P. Boveng, M.      Bearded, spotted, ringed,
  Cameron, NOAA                              and ribbon seals - aerial
                                             shipboard surveys; satellite
                                             tagging

  8\) Bird observations -- Kathy Kuletz;     Observations from ship & ice
  Fish and Wildlife Service                  

  9\) Walrus observations; Carleton Ray; UVA Observations from ship,
                                             helicopter and ice

  10\) Underway bottom profile               Multibeam acoustic system
  measurements - D. Chayes; LDEO             

  11\) Echo location and estimation of fish  simrad EK60 scientific
  and krill - Chris Wilson & Alex De         echosounders
  Robertis; NOAA                             

  12\) Additional cruise operations          Helicopter surveys of ice
                                             field, collection of samples
                                             for carbonate system,
                                             teachers at sea.
  ------------------------------------------ ----------------------------

![](media/image1.wmf)

# Phase 1 -- Initial stations from Bering Canyon to Unimak Pass

Healy currently is scheduled to arrive in Dutch Harbor on 4/9/07. The
remaining loading that has not been done in Seattle will be done by the
following day and Healy departs the dock after dinner on 4/10/07 at
18:00. Four stations follow within the next 13 hrs. that are intended to
sample various source waters for the eastern shelf including the slope
water in the Bering Canyon, the North Aleutian Shelf Current (NASC),
Unimak Pass and a station close to to sample the Alaskan Coastal Current
(ACC).

  -------- --------- --------- ----------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----------- ------------- ------------- ----------
  **BEST   **addl.   **Spd     **Transit   **Water   **CTD     **Prod    **Multi   **AFSC    **Fe cast **Other -   **Arrive      **Depart      **Cruise
  stn#**   Info**    (kts)**   (hrs)**     Depth     Time      Time      core Time net time  (min)**   Ice, Helo   Local         Local         day (at
                                           (m)**     (min)**   (min)**   (min)**   (min)**             (min)**     Date/Time**   Date/Time**   end)**

  Dutch                                                                                                1080        4/10/07 0:00  4/10/07 18:00 1

  1        Bering    11        3.4         2000      60                                      60                    4/10/07 21:23 4/10/07 23:23 1
           Canyon                                                                                                                              

  2        NASC      11        1.4         70        25                            45                              4/11/07 0:45  4/11/07 1:55  2

  3        Unimak    11        1.1         80        30                            45                              4/11/07 3:01  4/11/07 4:16  2
           Pass                                                                                                                                

  4        ACC       11        1.3         70        26        60                                                  4/11/07 5:31  4/11/07 6:57  2
  -------- --------- --------- ----------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----------- ------------- ------------- ----------

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="4.847222222222222in" height="4.0in"}

Phase 2 - Initial sampling of Bristol Bay

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="4.850694444444445in"
height="3.9965277777777777in"}

Phase 3 - Long shelf section along 70 m (expected 1^st^ entry into ice)

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="4.850694444444445in"
height="3.9965277777777777in"}

Phase 4 - Northern-most cross shelf section (SL)

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="4.761111111111111in" height="4.0in"}

Phase 5 - St. Matthew -- Nunivak cross shelf section (SN)

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="4.850694444444445in"
height="3.9965277777777777in"}

Phase 6 - Nunivak Pribilof line (partial)

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="4.850694444444445in"
height="3.9965277777777777in"}

Phase 7 - Exchange of personnel and equipment on St. Paul and education
& outreach activities in St. George

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="4.761111111111111in" height="4.0in"}

Phase 8 -- Joint sampling with Miller Freeman

![](media/image9.jpeg){width="4.875in" height="3.9965277777777777in"}

Phase 9 - Reoccupy WOCE P14 stations through Zemchung Canyon

![](media/image10.jpeg){width="4.834027777777778in"
height="3.9965277777777777in"}

Phase 10 -- Work in ice along St. Matthew -- Nunivak cross shelf section
(SN)

![](media/image11.jpeg){width="4.834027777777778in"
height="3.9965277777777777in"}

Phase 11 -- Work as north as time allows on 70 m line

![](media/image12.jpeg){width="4.834027777777778in"
height="3.9965277777777777in"}

Phase 12 - Southern-most cross shelf sampling along CN line (Note:
Miller Freeman may do this and free us for more time in the ice).

![](media/image13.jpeg){width="4.834027777777778in"
height="3.9965277777777777in"}