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Breaking the Ice

In October, scientists and crew aboard the US Coast Guard ice breaker Healy in the Beaufort Sea encountered strong winds that blew thick pieces of multi-year sea ice into their path. The cruise is being led by WHOI physical oceanographer Robert Pickart as part of a five-year study to assess the state of the Pacific water boundary current in the western Arctic Ocean and its impact on the region’s ecosystem. On the most recent cruise, the team recovered and deployed a set of moorings in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas that will provide a long-term look at the properties of the current. (Photo by Donglai Gong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)