Аннотация:Arctic summer and winter sea-ice extent is continuously declining as a result of climate change, affecting thehydrography and biogeochemical cycles on the seasonally ice-free Eurasian Shelves. The prolongation of theopen-water season causes higher sediment resuspension and coastal erosion due to larger wind fetch and waveheights. This impacts the optical properties of the water column and hence biological productivity in this region.During Transarktika-2019 leg 1 in late winter 2019, a comprehensive dataset of and optical data was collectedthroughout the central and northern Barents Sea. Combining suspended particulate matter concentrations obtainedfrom water samples and optical data revealed a pronounced bottom nepheloid layer on the Barents Sea shelfeven under ice-covered conditions. Moreover, the data indicate that the Franz Viktoria Trough could be a majorpathway for sediment transport into the Eurasian Basin. Therefore, to link changes in sediment distributionand its impact on the ecosystem under a warming climate, further studies of sediment dynamics are required,particularly during winter.