GEOTRACES is an international research program focused on understanding the cycling of trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) in the oceans. Since the inception of this program, there has been strong interest in carrying out studies in the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean is at the epicenter of climate change, and warming climate will likely have a profound impact on the carbon budget, geochemical cycles, and ecosystem of the Arctic. Furthermore, these changes will ultimately be felt globally, through feedbacks related, for example, to melting ice and release of carbon from permafrost.
