Organic carbon pathways across the fluvial-marine transition zone of the Mackenzie River Delta – Beaufort Sea region and implications on ocean color remote sensing

McCall, Annabeth; Hieronymi, Martin; Overduin, P. Paul; Bröder, Lisa; Lattaud, Julie; Röttgers, Rüdiger; Overeem, Irina; Morgenstern, Anne; Grosse, Guido; Juhls, Bennet

doi:10.5194/bg-23-5921-2026

Articles | Volume 23, issue 16

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5921-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5921-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 23, issue 16

Research article

|

26 Aug 2026

Research article |

| 26 Aug 2026

Organic carbon pathways across the fluvial-marine transition zone of the Mackenzie River Delta – Beaufort Sea region and implications on ocean color remote sensing

Annabeth McCall, Martin Hieronymi, P. Paul Overduin, Lisa Bröder, Julie Lattaud, Rüdiger Röttgers, Irina Overeem, Anne Morgenstern, Guido Grosse, and Bennet Juhls

Data sets

Hydrographical, biogeochemical and biooptical water properties in the Mackenzie Delta Region during 4 expeditions from spring to fall in 2019 B. Juhls et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.937587

The Malina oceanographic expedition: How do changes in ice cover, permafrost and UV radiation impact biodiversity and biogeochemical fluxes in the Arctic Ocean? P. Massicotte et al. https://doi.org/10.17882/75345

Short summary

This study examines how carbon and sediments move from the Mackenzie River, through its delta, and into the Beaufort Sea. We use data from 2009–2024 and show that major changes in carbon concentrations unfold in low-salinity mixing zones. As the optical properties of the water also shift, satellite estimates of carbon will require more tailored methods. These findings will improve our understanding of Arctic carbon fluxes and influences on the greater Arctic Ocean carbon budget.