Voyage of the RCMP St. Roch 11: A Journey of Scientific Re-Discovery

University Of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville TN

Investigators

Abstract

This project involves participation in an historic cruise through the Northwest Passage on a Canadian icebreaker accompanying a second ship that is sailing in celebration of the anniversary of several Canadian historical events. A marine biologic sampling program and associated environmental measurements will be conducted in coastal waters of the Northwest Passage, Canada. The samples collected during the cruise will be used to examine biogeographical patterns and the biocomplexity of benthic faunal populations. The baseline information of environmental factors and benthic populations in this area is critical for comparative studies of an area undergoing dramatic warming during the past decade. The warming may be causing significant changes in the quality and quantity of carbon reaching the seafloor. The comparison of these data to future distributions of faunal assemblages will allow examination of long-term ecosystem change in a area that may be undergoing significant climate change driven by anthropological effects on the environment.