SAS synthesis workshop report

Group photo of participants of the SAS synthesis workshop in Woods HoleThe SAS synthesis phase was initiated with a workshop in Woods Hole, June 7-9, 2023. Almost 40 participants brainstormed ideas for synthesis papers and how to establish an online SAS atlas of the Artic Ocean (as has been done for all the other oceans in the WOCE atlas).

Carin Ashjian hosted the workshop at the top floor of the Clark building at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute with a magnificent view of the Atlantic Ocean. A selection of the wonderful images taken by photographer Leonard Sussman on the Healy cruise to the North Pole were displayed during the workshop.

On the first day of the workshop, Øyvind Paasche introduced the background of the SAS initiative and the need to move forwards. All country representatives gave overviews of cruises contributing to the SAS data collection, and suggestions for pan-Arctic themes to study. Several participants presented results from individual cruises. The second day was used for discussions in break-out groups and in plenary. On the third day, we compiled a list of synthesis papers with assigned working groups and agreed on the road ahead. The full SAS synthesis workshop report describes this in more details.

Overview presentations

Individual presentations

A list of planned synthesis papers was compiled at the workshop.

Screenshot of online particpants (Karen and Jeehoon)

Screenshot of online participants (Pauline and Kumiko)
Screenshot of four online participants

Pre-registration for SAS synthesis workshop

Illustrative photo of harbor area in Woods Hole

Pre-registration for the International SAS Synthesis Workshop in Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on June 7-9, 2023, has opened. Please fill out the pre-registration form to show us your interest so that we can plan for the number of attendees.

The workshop aims to discuss how to move forward with synthesis of data and of results, in order to achieve the baseline understanding of the fundamental structure and function of the linked carbon-ecosystem-physical systems in the Arctic Ocean. The goals are to overview the cruise results, establish networks of archived datasets, identify teams to address the key SAS research questions, and draft synthesis papers. It also provides an opportunity for teams of modelers and observationalists to identify projects that would use the SAS data in modeling efforts that expand understanding of the Arctic system.

The workshop is set up as a two- and a half-day program (until lunch on Friday June 9th), likely with plenary presentations in the morning and different break-out discussions in the afternoon. There will be opportunities for a modest number of posters to be available on each of the first two days. A registration fee of up to 100 USD to cover expenses on coffee breaks and lunch may be needed. Each participant must cover their own travel and accommodation costs.

For recommendations on travel and accommodation, please see the SAS Workshop Travel Information sheet.

SAS workshop June 7-9 2023 in Woods Hole

Illustrative photo of research cruise in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean

Save the dates!

The next international Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) workshop will be held June 7-9, 2023, in Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA, USA.

Here we can share cruise reports, scientific results and discuss plans for collaborative studies. The workshop will include both oral presentations, poster sessions, discussions and smaller break-out sessions. Everyone relating to SAS is welcome to participate.

More information on registration and abstract submission will come.

Hope to see you in Woods Hole in June!

SAS session at ISAR-7 in Tokyo

Image of call-for-abstracts flyer of ISAR-7

On March 6-10, 2023, the Seventh International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR-7) will take place in Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan.

SAS has organized a special session (S4) to discuss the results from SAS cruises and provide an opportunity to start the synthesis phase.

All researchers related to SAS are encouraged to attend the SAS session. Please submit your abstract at the ISAR-7 webpage before October 31, 2022:

https://www.jcar.org/isar-7/abstract/

We hope to see you in Tokyo next year!

 

ISAR-7 session description:

(S4) Synoptic Arctic Survey – international collaboration for Arctic Ocean transdisciplinary studies

Main convener: Shigeto Nishino; Co-conveners: Carin Ashjian, Kumiko Azetsu-Scott, Kyoung-Ho Cho, Jacqueline Grebmeier, Jianfeng He, Motoyo Itoh, Sung-Ho Kang, Are Olsen, Øyvind Paasche, William Williams, Michiyo Yamamoto-Kawai

Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) is a coordinated multi-ship, multi-nation, pan-Arctic, ship-based sampling campaign during 2020-2022 to study pan-Arctic ocean-circulation, biogeochemical cycles, and marine ecosystems. In this session, we discuss the results from SAS cruises and transdisciplinary scientific issues ultimately to assess risks and to develop policies that allow effective management.

Synoptic Arctic Survey community meeting

A Synoptic Arctic Survey community meeting was held on March 31st, in conjunction with the Arctic Science Summit Week in Tromsø. This was a hybrid meeting, with altogether approximately 40 scientists, program managers and early career scientists attending. Everyone thought it was really nice to meet and interact in person again, after two years with only virtual meetings.

The SAS has evolved into a massive effort with a lot of cruises conducted in 2020 and 2021, and some planned for 2022. Partners from Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Sweden and the USA presented past and future cruises. We were in particular impressed by the unique data collected on the German/Russian/Swiss “Arctic Century expedition” to the Barents and Laptev Seas, and troubled by the challenges that this important collaboration is facing in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

We further discussed how to proceed with the synthesis phase that the Synoptic Arctic Survey is now entering. Data sharing and authors for the different papers are issues that need to be resolved in the coming year. We ended the day by enjoying freshly caught cod – or skrei – from the Lofoten area.

The report from the meeting is available here and most of the presentations are available below:

Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) Meeting on Biological Protocols

04/06/2020, 15:00 – 17:00 (UTC+2)

Welcome to the virtual SAS meeting on the 4th of June. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss biological sampling/storing protocols for the upcoming SAS cruises. Are Olsen will give a brief presentation on existing protocols for physical and chemical sampling. Then, the main presentation will be given by Pauline Snoeijs Leijonmalm (SU) who will address the necessity and the associated challenges with developing biological protocols for SAS cruises. After this presentation, we will open for a discussion on how to best proceed in developing such a protocol.

Pauline has prepared a document for SAS on how to move forward on DNA and RNA sampling:  Oden-SAS OMICS proposal PSL 200220. We encourage participants to read and consider this prior to the meeting.

Hopefully, by the end of the meeting there will be an agreement on how to proceed with regard to standardized SAS biological protocols.

Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

Meeting details:

When: 4th of June, 15:00 – 17:00 local time (UTC +2:00)

Where: Teams, join by clicking this link: Join Teams Meeting