AON: Continuation of the of Ice-Tethered Profiler contribution to the Arctic Observing Network

The major goal of this proposed project is to continue sustained sampling of the Arctic Ocean water properties during all seasons using Ice-Tethered Profiler (ITP) instruments in conjunction with companion instrument systems (proposed separately) sampling meteorological, sea ice and ocean mixed layer parameters. This combined Ice-Based Observatory monitoring program represents a major contribution to the Arctic Observing Network. It is specifically proposed here to construct and deploy 6 ITP instrument systems annually throughout the Arctic Ocean and to acquire, process and make the data from these instruments open, free and immediately available to all interested parties to support science and operational activities (as has been done in previous years). At regular intervals throughout each year the PIs will continue to produce calibrated, edited data products to support detailed science activities which will be made available on the WHOI ITP web site and archived at Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service (CADIS) and other U.S. national data archives. Over the course of this project, the PIs will work to transition support of the basic U.S. ITP program to an operational agency (ideally NOAA). In parallel, they will continue to evolve the ITP instrument design and capability to both improve long-term functionality and to return additional oceanographic information. A particular focus for the latter effort will be adding sensors to monitor biogeochemically-relevant ocean properties such as dissolved oxygen levels, phytoplankton biomass, and dissolved organic matter concentrations in addition to the properties already sampled by the current generation of ITPs.