|
JUNEAU, ALASKA - The nation's largest icebreaker, USCGC HEALY, commanded by CAPT Ted Lindström, will arrive in Juneau today. HEALY is stopping for liberty on her return from the first Arctic West Summer 2008 Deployment, which had the cutter in the Bering Sea for two months. During the deployment, HEALY traveled over 7,000 nautical miles and conducted over 1,100 individual science evolutions in the course of completing two separate science missions.
HEALY's missions this spring were part of the National Science Foundation's Bering Ecosystem Study (or BEST) and the North Pacific Research Board's Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Program. They were timed to study ecological processes as sea ice retreats through the Bering Sea. The recent decline in the extent and duration of Arctic Sea ice has stimulated scientific as well as public interest in how the productive Bering Sea ecosystem will change if current warming trends continue. HEALY scientists conducted a suite of studies to provide insights about how marine microorganisms, plants and animals, including fish, marine mammals, and birds, as well as local human communities, will be affected by the on-going changes in the region. The two chief scientists who coordinated the missions explain that this work at the ice edge used different sampling strategies, but focused on a common goal of improving the ecological understanding of the Bering Sea.
HEALY is the newest and largest of the nation's three heavy icebreakers and the only one with extensive scientific capabilities. The 420-foot cutter was commissioned in 2000 and has a permanent crew of 80. Scientific support is her primary mission, but as a Coast Guard Cutter, HEALY is also a capable platform for supporting other potential missions in the Polar Regions, including logistics support, search and rescue, ship escort, environmental protection, and the enforcement of laws and treaties. Many people have begun to speculate what will happen in the Arctic if less ice leads to more shipping and human activity in the region. When speaking of the future, Admiral Thad Allen, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, has said that "Icebreakers will have an important role to play."
HEALY will be in Juneau until Tuesday. The ship will not be open for public tours.
Photo available:
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=271837
For more information about HEALY, please check:
http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy
http://www.icefloe.net
Or contact the public affairs officer at:
stephen.m.elliott@healy.uscg.mil
(808) 434-4897 Ext. 0 after tone
For more information on BEST, please check:
http://www.arcus.org/bering/
http://bsierp.nprb.org/
For more information on PolarTrec, please check:
http://www.polartrec.com/
Dr. Lee Cooper, the chief scientist for the first mission, can be contacted at:
lcooper1@utk.edu
Dr. Carin Ashjian, the chief scientist for the second mission, can be contacted at :
cashjian@whoi.ed
|
printer friendly