Conveners:
Candace Nachman (USA)
Susanne Kortsch (Norway)
Contact conveners
This session will cover issues related to Arctic marine ecosystems, ecosystem services, especially living marine resources, and the factors influencing their functioning: from oceanographic and biogeochemical processes, particularly climate change, to the many human uses of this area, including fisheries and shipping.
The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), a working group of the Arctic Council, and EU Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action EU-PolarNet will co-convene the session along with ICES. AMAP has coordinated monitoring and assessment activities in the Arctic for over 25 years and EU-PolarNet is a five-year project with the ultimate objective of developing an Integrated European Polar Research Programme (including the Antarctic) together with an implementation plan based on extensive consultations with scientists, governments, business, and other relevant stakeholders. One of AMAPs roles as a partner in this project is to hold stakeholder workshops to identify needs for Arctic research on various themes as well as to enhance international cooperation in polar research in implementation of the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance. Accordingly, following this session, a half-day stakeholder workshop will be held to discuss and identify needs for Arctic research on marine issues based on the scientific presentations in this session.
From the rapidly changing climate to the increase in human activities, there are many challenges affecting Arctic marine ecosystems. These challenges are being addressed in three Arctic regions in the ongoing Arctic Council project Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic (AACA). However, opportunities are arising as the Arctic opens up to new activities. Papers are invited on relevant topics such as:
- Arctic marine ecosystems and their living marine resources, including fish, marine mammals, benthos, etc., and their vulnerability to increased human activities and climate change
- Arctic oceanographic processes affecting ecosystems and fisheries and the influence of ongoing changes in the cryosphere on these processes
- Influence of biogeochemical processes, including ocean acidification, on Arctic ecosystems and their living resources
- Influence of human activities (for example shipping, oil and gas extraction, tourism) on Arctic ecosystems
In addition to presenting research results, it would be useful if papers also identified gaps in knowledge or related new issues that require research.
