
© Madlen Franze/AWI
During an Arctic Frontiers Seminar Abroad in Bremen, titled "Arctic biodiversity – Current state and research perspectives" the participants identified pivotal themes and challenges of future research on and conservation of Arctic marine biodiversity.
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Arctic Marine Biodiversity
Research Challenges and Priorities Arctic Marine Biodiversity
- Arctic marine biodiversity change is primarily driven by climate-triggered alterations of sea-ice dynamics, hence the cascading effects of sea-ice change on ice-associated, pelagic and benthic ecosystems need to be elucidated with priority.
- The national and international efforts in marine biodiversity research in the Arctic should be harmonized and integrated in a pan-Arctic context, with the aim to develop integrated ecosystem-based conservation and management approaches.
- A pan-Arctic perspective on marine biodiversity change requires improved international data sharing and the use of a common international Arctic database of biodiversity-relevant information.
- Long-term changes need to be assessed and documented in selected key regions, using modern technology, to develop appropriate model components for prediction of biodiversity changes in the Arctic seas.
- Trait-based approaches to assess functional diversity and ecosystem services should be applied more frequently in marine Arctic ecosystem research and management.
- The response of ecosystem components and the potential of adaptation of species to environmental change should be assessed using a wide application of comparative experimental approaches
- The efforts to communicate research findings and conclusions of biodiversity research to the general public should be strengthened.