The distribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the western Arctic Ocean is greatly influenced by conservative riverine DOC flux into the northern Bering Sea, Bering Strait and Beaufort Sea, as indicated by an inverse correlation with salinity. Based on the relations between DOC, salinity and seawater temperature, several water masses could be identified. These included riverine water, ice-melt water, surface mixed water, cold and saline shelf water, and Atlantic Ocean water. High concentrations of chlorophyll a and DOC were found in some parcels of dense shelf water in Barrow Canyon. In addition, labile DOC compounds, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), were found in the dense shelf water, suggesting the dense shelf water contains a product (marine organic matter) of the biological CO2 pump.