Abstract
The following sets the scene for subsequent chapters of this book: It presents a descriptive overview of the Arctic environment, demonstrating the scope of this term and highlighting unique environmental features of the circumpolar region, while focusing on the marine environment in general and the transatlantic region in particular. The global and regional threats for the Arctic environment are presented to establish a basic understanding of the evolving and increasing risks that this relatively pristine area encounters already, and those yet to come. Next to the primary global threat of climate change—bringing with it increasing sea ice loss, ocean acidification, thawing permafrost, and melting glaciers—developments in the areas of pollutants and chemicals, natural resources, shipping, fisheries, tourism, and military activities show increasing impacts on the Arctic environment.
This chapter is based on previous publications by Ecologic Institute within the Arctic TRANSFORM project and EU Arctic Footprint and Policy Assessment (Cavalieri et al. 2010).
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Notes
- 1.
Including, inter alia, AOR 2011, summarizing existing Arctic Council assessments. See also AMAP 2011b and IASC et al. 2011. The most comprehensive overview yet will be provided in the upcoming Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) scientific report, to be completed in 2013, online at <http://www.caff.is/aba > . Accessed 31 Jan 2013.
- 2.
See also indicator Number 10 of CAFF 2010 for more details on each of the mentioned species of "Arctic sea-ice ecosystems".
- 3.
- 4.
The Permafrost Subcommittee of the National Research Council of Canada has established a definition that includes “ground (soil or rock and included ice and organic material) that remains at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive years” (National Research Council of Canada 1988).
- 5.
See, for instance, how the increase in mackerel stocks' abundance rapidly increased Icelandic catches of this species from 2005 on (European Commission 2012). Following the increase of Icelandic quotas, the EU is considering sanctions on Icelandic fishing boats (so called “Mackerel Wars”). See recently Davies 2013.
- 6.
PAME (2009).
- 7.
See, for instance, the EPPR working group’s presentation at the SAO meeting in Haparanda (Bjerkemo 2012).
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Riedel, A. (2014). The Arctic Marine Environment. In: Tedsen, E., Cavalieri, S., Kraemer, R. (eds) Arctic Marine Governance. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38595-7_2
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