Total inorganic carbon, alkalinity, total organic carbon, and salinity measured in melted ice core sections. Full core profiles with 10-cm resolution taken weekly at Takatuk. Partial pressure of CO2 measured 2-3 times per week through peepers at three depths at each of 6 locations, 3 at Takatuk and 3 at Bruney Island. Total inorganic carbon measured coulometrically, alkalinity by potentiometric titration, organic carbon by high temperature catalytic combustion, and salinity by diffraction. pCO2 measured by gas chromatograph.

Samples collected by rosette or hand-deployed niskin, directly transferred into acid-washed and backed glass vials with teflon-lined silicone septa caps, and frozen at -20 or -80 C. Analyses conducted by high-temperature catalytic combustion and calibrated again standards provided by the University of Miami. In 2002, all samples were total organic carbon (TOC), and in 2003-04, all samples were dissolved organc carbon (DOC, filtered through combusted GFF), and TOC was also collected at full stations at in surface waters at the overwintering site.

Sediment from Hudson Bay was collected with boxcores deployed from the CCGS Amundsen. The boxcores were immediately sectioned at 1 cm (top 10 cm), 2 cm (10 cm to 20 cm depth), or 5 cm (depth > 20 cm) intervals, and aliquoted for a variety of analyses. Sediment samples were then frozen (-20 Celsius) while onboard for approximately 1 month, followed by freeze-drying at the Freshwater Institute, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Freeze-dried sediment was stored at room temperature in the dark. Rock Eval pyrolysis of freeze dried sediment samples was performed at the Geological Survey of Canada using a Rock Eval 6 pyrolysis.

We are seeking answers to two key questions regarding the influence of marine processes on Arctic climate: 1) How will the increased flow of Pacific waters through the Canadian Archipelago affect the dynamics of climate-active gases in the ocean, and 2) How will these gases be affected by a reduction of sea-ice cover, and increased areas of open water? These questions have been addressed by our multidisciplinary team during two expeditions on the Canadian research ice-breaker Amundsen as part of the International Polar Year. The expeditions took place during the fall of 2007 and 2008. Eleven (2007) and ten (2008) Arctic SOLAS scientists from 7 Canadian institutions participated to these expeditions which allowed a unique and extensive longitudinal survey of these trace gases and aerosols in the High Canadian Arctic, from Baffin Bay to the Beaufort Sea. The missions enabled us to collect new oceanographic and atmospheric data on the distribution and cycling of DMS, N2O, and VOCs across the Canadian Archipelago and to relate these measurements to the distribution and chemical characteristics of aerosol particles. Activities of this program where coordinated with those of the IPY programs CFL, the Canadian program ArcticNet, and the international programs OASIS and SOLAS.

Benthic fauna were sampled at 78 stations between June and October from 2007 to 2011 onboard the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen. Station depths ranged from 34 to 1024 m, all below the average ice scouring zone. All faunal samples were collected with an Agassiz trawl (effective opening of 1.5 m and a 40 mm net mesh size, with a 5 mm cod end liner) with average trawling time and speed of 5 min and 1.5 knots, respectively.