Resilience and Adaptive Capacity of Arctic Marine Systems under a Changing Climate

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Resilience and Adaptive Capacity of Arctic Marine Systems under a Changing Climate

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Resilience and Adaptive Capacity of Arctic Marine Systems under a Changing Climate

Sei-Ichi Saitoh

Overall understanding of marine ecosystems throughout the Arctic Rim

International workshops have been held to present individual research results of existing research projects in the pan Arctic seas (i.e., the Arctic Ocean and adjacent subarctic seas), which have been underway in Japan, the U.S., and Norway, with the aim of achieving an overall understanding of the results in each area by identifying similarities and differences.

Content of research

The objective of this study is to provide an overall understanding of the response of marine ecosystems to environmental change in the Pacific-Arctic-Atlantic region by identifying similarities and differences in the circumpolar pan Arctic seas (i.e., the Arctic Ocean and adjacent subarctic seas). The Ecosystem Studies of Sub-Arctic and Arctic Seas (ESSAS), a regional research program of the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR), is the parent organization of this project. The research is promoted mainly by the scientific steering committee members from Japan, the United States, and Norway. Between 2015 and 2018, in particular, three international workshops were held to present the results of existing research in each country and to promote an integrated understanding of marine ecosystems throughout the pan Arctic seas.

Occupancy distribution of large phytoplankton
Red indicates areas occupied by large phytoplankton such as diatoms. (a) August 2006 (b) August 2007

Potential for social implementation

・Future management of Arctic marine resources
・Development of a habitat model for subarctic fish
・Size distribution estimation of phytoplankton
・Assessment of drastic changes in sea ice and its impact on marine ecosystems

Appealing points to industry and local governments

This study is intended to bring natural scientists, social scientists, fisheries industry stakeholders in direct or indirect contact with marine biological resources, regional management organizations, and coastal community stakeholders through meetings to assess the resilience and adaptive capacity of the Arctic marine system under changing climate.