Summary
The Arctic region’s rapid warming during the past decades has led to substantial perturbations of atmospheric, ice and ocean physics including a reduction in sea-ice extent and an increase in river discharge. The impact of such changes on physical and mechanical sea-ice properties, ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles remains profoundly understudied especially in the difficult-to-reach central Arctic. Atlantification, Arctic Amplification, Ocean Acidification, deoxygenation and emerging contaminants are additional stressors altering carbon cycling and ecosystems in the Arctic Ocean today and in the future.
CHARCOT project will employ a multidisciplinary approach with an international team to document the current state and ongoing changes of the physical, chemical, biological and biogeochemical systems of the Arctic Ocean. Emphasis of the project will be devoted to understanding the major ongoing transformations in water masses, sea-ice, marine ecosystems (pelagic, sea-ice and bioaerosol), carbon cycling and plastisphere. Furthermore, the ship’s performance and its structural response will be analyzed in the context of environmental conditions.

Project Partners
• CNRS (France);
• Takuvik Laboratory (France, Canada);
• Hamburg University of Technology (Germany);
• GEOMAR (Germany);
• Duke University (United States);
• Yale University (United States);
• Northeastern University (United States);
• JAMSTEC (Japan);
• Northumbria University (United Kingdom)