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Aurora borealis from deck of R/V Sikuliaq
The Aurora borealis as seen from the deck of the R/V Sikuliaq during a September 2016 research cruise to study how a changing climate may be affecting the entire way of life in the Arctic.
More about this image
In September 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded an Arctic research cruise aboard the R/V Sikuliaq that included scientific teams from Oregon State University (OSU) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).
The purpose of the expedition was to understand how a changing climate may be affecting the entire way of life in the Arctic. Oceanographers from OSU and VIMS took water samples from the Beaufort and Chukchi seas to observe how microscopic plants, called phytoplankton, are living and dying in the late summer, when there is less sea ice and more frequent storms. The scientists worked alongside the Sikuliaq crew to collect data, which they will continue to analyze and interpret in their labs back home.
The Sikuliaq is owned by NSF and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Read more about the September 2016 cruise in the OSU news story Altered Arctic: As the ice recedes, scientists seek signs of life in warming seas.
Or view a video Here. [Research supported by NSF grant OPP 15-04394.] (Date image taken: September 2016; date originally posted to NSF Multimedia Gallery: Jan. 23, 2018)
Credit: Kim Kenny
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