greater than 1 |imole/l (Fig. 2A). The organic matter then 

 suhstantiaily falls to the bottom to fuel further processes and 

 contributes to the high organic content of the sediments ( Walsh 

 etal.. 1989). 



The e.xtended sur\ey during the 19S8 joint expedition 

 encountered an additional source of high-salinity, high-nutrient 

 water near Kolyuchin Bay. The high nitrate content of the 

 southward tlowing coastal water (Coachman & Shigaev, 

 Subchapter 2. 1 , this volume ) indicates that additional nitrogen 

 is added to the central Chukchi Sea as it joins the Bering Strait 

 water. There is some speculation about the original source of 

 this southward tlowing water but oxygen- 1 8 data indicates that 

 it may have been winter water that previously had passed 

 through Bering Strait (Grebmeier <'/«/.. 1990). The importance 

 of this additional nutrient input to the central Chukchi Sea is 

 great because it could supply an additional amount of nutrients 

 to enhance the annual primary production rates. The gains and 



losses of the Chukchi Sea are very poorly known but there is 

 some speculation that nutrients utilized here transit to the deep 

 ocean arctic basin. 



We would like to acknowledge D. Viedt for technical help in the 

 collection ot field samples and its chemical analysis. We would also 

 like to thank Dr. L. K. Coachman and the other US scientists aboard 

 the research vessel {WM ) Akademik Korolev. Finally, a special thanks 

 is given to all the Soviet scientists and especially Professor 

 A. V. Tsyban and Captain O. A. Rostovtsev of the R/V Akademik 

 Korolev. This project was part of the Third Joint US-USSR Bering 

 & Chukchi Seas Expedition aboard the Soviet R/V AA«(/em;A- AV»o/e\'. 

 We express appreciation to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, USA, 

 and the State Committee for Hydrometeorology, USSR, who made 

 our participation possible. This research was mainly supported by 

 Grant No. DPP86()56.'i9 from the Division of Polar Programs of the 

 National Science Foundation as part of the ISHTAR program. 

 Contribution No. 766 of the Marine Science Institute. University of 

 Texas at Austin. 



500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 



Dapth (m) 



12 



10 



E 8- 



i 6 

 o 



32 



33 34 



Salinity (o/oo) 



35 



500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 

 Depth (m) 



32 



33 34 



Salinity (o/oo) 



Fig. 1 1. The vertical distribution of (A) dissolved oxygen (mg/1) and (B) pH 

 for the deep Bering Sea stations. 



Fig. 12. (Al dissolved oxygen (mg/1) and salinity ["1^ ) plot (B) pH and 

 salinity ("/„,) plot for the deep Bering Sea stations. 



47 



