RESEARCH CRUISE OPPORTUNITY IN ARCTIC WATERS
Dr. Igor Semiletov of the Oceanological Institute in Vladivostok has an
agreement with the custodian (Tiksi Branch of the Northern Route Office)
to rent a Civil Hydrograpical Ship that was built specially to work in
the Arctic. The costs are very modest ($120K for two months). A cruise
from Vladivostok to the Bering-Chukchi-East Siberian-Laptevs Seas aboard
the RV "Sukhotsky" (1700t) is planned this summer. The ship can
accomodate up to 25 researchers. Russian plans include oceanographic
system research by hydrologists, hydrochemists, geophysists
(seismoprofiling), and biologists. The area of special interest
includes the Herald canyon (Chukchi Sea), and Sadko canyon (Laptev Sea).
If US or Canadian scientists participate, research in Barrow canyon can
also be included. The main scientific goal is to investigate the main
features of CO2 and CH4 exchange in the seabed-water-air system in the
Western Arctic marginal seas.
Funding will be obtained from different Russian Agencies: Russian
Foundation for Basic Research, Ministry of Sciences and Technologies,
and a Federal program for integration between High Schools and the
Academy of Sciences. It is also hoped that other countries can share
the expeditional expenses. This cruise has the potential of
demonstrating real international cooperation between West and East.
For further information, please contact Dr. Igor Semiletov at
arctic [at] online.marine.su.