Deliverable 3.7 First implementation and data: North of Svalbard

The main goal of Task 3.2 is to deliver in situ ocean and sea ice observations collected during two INTAROS field seasons and to provide recommendations for future implementation of the moored observing system north of Svalbard that can be applied to define a roadmap for observing future changes in the Arctic. The aim is to make comprehensive observations of the ongoing climate and environmental change that can be also applied as a validation tool for conceptual and three-dimensional modelling. This report describes the first implementation and operational use of the observing systems. Data delivery and report on results of the observing systems North Svalbard.

The first implementation was deployed successfully in August 2018 using the Coast Guard icebreaker KV Svalbard and retrieved with KV Svalbard in August/September and with the research icebreaker RV Kronprins Håkon in September and November 2019. All recovered instrument and sensor provided full data return therefore a full annual cycle of multidisciplinary data was obtained that can be employed to address the following goals:

−Document the performance of instruments and systems selected/integrated for measurements of key ocean physical variables on INTAROS moorings, including temperature, salinity and ocean currents

−Document the performance of instruments and sensors selected/integrated for measurements of key biogeochemical variables including dissolved oxygen, nutrients and carbonate system parameters on the multidisciplinary BGC11mooring

−Document the performance of novel instruments selected for sea ice measurements on the moorings along the INTAROS (22°E) and A-TWAIN (31°E) lines north of Svalbard

−Document the performance of novel combination of ADCP with echo sounder selected for ocean currents and zooplankton/small fish abundance measurements

−Document the performance and the state of technical development for a moored multisensor Octopus system for biological measurements, including an Underwater Vision Profiler, nutrient sensor and chlorophyll-a and CDOM fluorometer

−Document the performance and technical development for microplastic samplers

−Document the performance of technologies and deployment methodology for the sensors mounted at the seafloor, including Ocean Bottom Pressure sensors and Ocean Bottom Seismometers