Oceanography | Vol.35, No.3–4
satellite missions, and discusses the impli-
cations of this ice loss for global sea level.
In another sidebar, Briner compares the
current rate of Greenland ice loss to ice
losses over the past 12,000 years. Straneo
et al. describe how this glacial discharge,
along with numerous other interacting
factors, impacts local coastal ecosystems
and Greenland’s Indigenous peoples.
The loss of sea ice and changes in its
seasonality have profound influences on
the Arctic Ocean’s ecosystems and bio-
geochemical cycles, with consequences
for the peoples who rely on these eco-
systems for their sustenance, culture,
and livelihood. Juranek discusses how
spatially and temporally varying factors
within sub-regions of the Arctic give rise
to a complex suite of biogeochemical and
ecological responses relevant to nutri-
ent cycling, trophic transfers, pelagic-
benthic coupling, ocean acidification,
and the capacity for biologically medi-
ated air-sea CO2 exchange. As one exam-
ple of a regional change, a sidebar by
Frey et al. shows that primary produc-
tivity is declining in Bering Strait due to
earlier ice retreat and hence earlier nutri-
ent consumption in the northern Bering
Sea, with a consequent reduction in
the nutrient supply to the Chukchi Sea.
Stafford et al. review recent changes in
the temporal and spatial distributions of
the upper trophic level components of
the Pacific Arctic region and the link-
ages of these changes to alterations in
prey fields, the warming atmosphere and
ocean, and the decrease in duration and
extent of sea ice. In their sidebar, Kaler
and Kuletz describe how such changes
are also manifested in the increasing fre-
quency of seabird die-offs in this region.
In another article, Anderson et al.
warn that the increase in ocean warm-
ing and the northward transport of cells
from lower latitudes in the Pacific Arctic
region is increasing the frequency and
size of harmful algal blooms that threaten
the food resources of Arctic residents.
Rapid Arctic environmental change
requires improved collaboration among
scientists
and
Indigenous
popula-
tions in observing activities that sup-
port adaptation, and in the develop-
ment of appropriate responses to such
changes. Druckenmiller’s sidebar dis-
cusses the National Science Foundation’s
Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) ini-
tiative. The NNA is ushering in a new
period of convergent research across a
diverse range of societal challenges tied
to Arctic warming— in which there is
greater emphasis on co-production of
knowledge, equity, and holding research
and researchers accountable for whether
their work is benefiting Arctic Peoples.
Erickson and Mustonen document
some of the concerns, difficulties, and
adjustments that Indigenous communi-
ties face based on interviews and histori-
cal references with residents in Erickson’s
home village of Unalakleet in the north-
ern Bering Sea. Several sidebars describe
efforts to engage Indigenous communities
in research and in documenting their cul-
ture in response to a changing climate.
Fienup-Riordan focuses on efforts to
record the history and oral traditions of
the Yup’ik people of Nelson Island, located
on the southeast Bering Sea coast. Ryan
et al. describe a novel program that pro-
vides value to both scientists and the resi-
dents of Uummannaq Bay, Greenland, by
combining remote sensing, ethnographic
data, and community- based monitor-
ing to study changes in landfast sea ice.
Chythlook et al. discuss networking pro-
cesses in support of Indigenous-led proj-
ects on food security. This is part of the
Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks
(SAON) program, an international col-
laboration among scientists, Arctic res-
idents, and government agencies to
develop a long- term pan- Arctic observ-
ing system that serves societal needs.
The loss of sea ice and the increased
duration of the open water season in sec-
tors of the Arctic Ocean allow for a poten-
tial increase in marine use by a diversity
of users and vessels. Such a development
raises concerns about safety and protect-
ing this ocean’s ecosystems. Brigham and
Gamble review strategies for using pol-
icy measures developed through an array
of organizations to protect the Arctic
Ocean into the future. They also provide
a guide to the International Maritime
Organization Code, a new governance
regime that addresses marine safety and
environmental protection challenges for
ships operating in the Arctic Ocean. A