Arctic coastal zones are unique ecosystems which are facing rapid environmental shifts. The Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems Long-Term Ecological Research program (BLE LTER) was established in 2017 with support from the National Science Foundation with the goal of understanding coastal systems on the northern coast of Alaska.
Emily E. and Eden are presently working with this team of interdisciplinary researchers to contribute to knowledge of the hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics in the lagoons. Lagoons are thought to serve as temporary sites of sediment storage after sediments are released from permafrost bluff erosion. The rates of sediment deposition, residence time of water in the lagoons, and rates of sediment export to the shelf through inlets are not well constrained, and will be the topic of field investigations in the next few years. We are also interested in learning more about processes of sediment entrainment in sea ice.
More information about the BLE LTER is available through the main project website: https://ble.lternet.edu/
