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Bering Strait is the only ocean gateway connecting the Pacific and Arctic oceans. The ∼1 Sv northward flow of Pacific water through the strait to the Arctic Ocean has been increasing by ∼0.01 Sv/yr since 1990. Monthly dynamic ocean topography (DOT), wind, and sea‐ice data at Bering Strait are analyzed in context with the long‐term record of flow through the strait to investigate local drivers. Ocean transport is found to be proportional to the across‐strait slope in DOT, suggesting some component of the flow is in geostrophic balance. Along‐strait ocean surface stresses, which modulate the across‐strait DOT slope via Ekman transport, are analyzed in the presence of a seasonally varying ice cover. It is shown that northward interior ocean flow under sea ice in winter results in southward surface stresses, and westward Ekman transport that slows the geostrophic component of the northward ocean flow. As the number of open water days local to Bering Strait increase each year, we find no trend in the annual mean surface stress, that is, the loss of sea ice is not leading to increased northward wind stress input that would enhance northward ocean flow. This analysis is consistent with the theory that changes in both the atmosphere and ocean non‐local to Bering Strait are likely driving the increased transport from the Pacific into the Arctic via Bering Strait. 

The Central Arctic Ocean remains profoundly understudied, particularly with respect to carbon cycling, ecosystem alteration, and associated changes in atmospheric, ice and ocean physics that drive those biological and biogeochemical systems. The region is expected to experience continued marked changes over the coming decades, driven by ongoing climate warming. Yet, because of relatively limited understanding of fundamental characteristics and processes in the region, predicting these changes and their Pan-Arctic linkages remains difficult. The Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) is organized around three major research areas: (1) physical drivers of importance to the ecosystem and carbon cycle; (2) the ecosystem response and (3) the carbon cycle. The overarching questions are: “What is the present state, and what are the major ongoing transformations of the Arctic marine system?” The overall objective of this expedition was to quantify the present states of the physical, biological, and biogeochemical systems of the Pacific Arctic (here defined as the Chukchi Sea, Beaufort shelf/slope, Chukchi Borderlands) and Canadian Basin (i.e., the Makarov and Canada basins) during summer 2022. A key goal is to document temporal changes where possible by comparison with historical data and to quantify linkages among adjacent shelves, slopes, and deep basins on a Pan-Arctic scale. These objectives are part of the International Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS; 2021-2022) that seeks Pan-Arctic understanding of core ocean variables on a quasi-synoptic, spatially distributed basis using coordinated, international efforts. The findings of this expedition, a US contribution to the SAS, will be a foundation and legacy for future, quasi-decadal assessments of rapid and evolving Arctic Ocean system change." - Cruise Report USCGC Healy HLY2202/AWS2022 [Prepared by Carin Ashjian (cashjian@whoi.edu) and the HLY2202 Science Team] This data set contains measurements of water properties such as temperature, conductivity, chlorophyll fluorescence, Photosynthetically Available Radiation (PAR), oxygen, beam attenuation, and beam transmission. These measurements were collected by a Seabird 9 conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) and associated sensors on a CTD rosette lowered from the ship at discrete stations during cruise HLY2202.