An overview of the High Arctic Ocean Observation System (HiAOOS)

Today there is severe lack of in situ observations in the Arctic Ocean which are needed to understand the physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes and support the development of ocean forecasting services. These services will be important as ship traffic, tourism and other marine industries develop in the region. To sustain long-term observations in the Arctic, robust platforms equipped with autonomous sensors are required to collect high-quality measurements in the whole water column from the seafloor to the sea ice surface. In the present HiAOOS project, we demonstrate the integration of different observing systems in the central Arctic Ocean, including ice-based observatories with subsurface instruments, floats drifting under the ice, and bottom-anchored ocean moorings with oceanographic, acoustic sources and hydrophones. The HiAOOS observations will be used for research on sea ice, physical oceanography, ocean acoustics, marine ecosystems, and geohazards (e.g.detection of earthquakes). The acoustic transmissions will be used for geo-positioning of floats, and acoustic thermometry . Collaboration between subsea industry and ocean research communities will be further developed and plans for IPY 2033-34 will be outlined.