www.mccip.org.uk/elr/arctic EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Main Authors: Arctic Sea Ice, Alan Rodger
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Phytoplankton; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.622.1418; http://www.seafoodchoices.org/whatwedo/documents/MCCIP-ELR2009-Rodger.pdf

In the last few decades, the Arctic atmosphere has warmed by about twice the global average, and as much as anywhere else on the planet. This had led to very significant physical and biological changes of the Arctic environment. The consequences include rapid increases in the melting of glaciers, and an increase in freshwater runoff. But the most remarkable change is the reduction of the extent of summer sea ice in the Arctic seas and a more modest reduction in winter. All of these changes feedback strongly into the climate system, resulting in stronger seasonal variations of salinity, heat transfer from the ocean to the atmosphere, and potential consequences on ocean circulation. Nearly all the marine wildlife in the Arctic is dependent on sea ice for some part of its life cycle, and these recent changes are already having an impact on all trophic levels from phytoplankton through to higher predators (birds and seals). Humans too have been affected, particularly the lives of indigenous people. Although the Arctic changes are perceived as remote from Europe, the impacts are not. The warming is causing a rise in global sea level, and regime shifts in the marine