About

During 2022–2025, Arctic PASSION provides the means for increased coordination capabilities to establish the Atlantic-Arctic Distributed Biological Observatory (A-DBO) network and the common practices for sampling, analysis and data sharing. The establishment process is open to scientists and institutions with interest to collaborate in this region, as well as to end-users who will benefit from results from the A-DBO.

The A-DBO is envisioned as a comprehensive marine observing network for climate and environment in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic Ocean – one of the key gateway areas of the Arctic, currently experiencing rapid environmental, climate and ecosystem changes. Together with the pioneering observatory in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean (DBO), and developing DBOs in Davis Strait/Baffin Bay and the Siberian seas, the Atlantic DBO contributes to the pan-Arctic network of DBOs (PAN-DBO).

The fundamental motivation for the DBO sampling concept is to work across disciplines in dedicated geographical areas toward better integrated and available observations. The DBOs are shaped to:

Cover key ocean phenomena and processes under rapid change
Bring together all disciplines needed to understand the marine ecosystem functioning
Increase the data coverage within the focal areas
Utilize common, harmonized procedures for data sampling and sharing
Facilitate both dedicated (long-term) and opportunistic sampling
Encourage technological development for improved multidisciplinary coupling
Be sustainable and overarch shorter observational efforts

Seasonal activities

The implementation work is carried through based on the DBO annual cycle with seasonal activities:

Seasonal activities

Further reading