Shipping in Arctic Marine Ecosystems under Stress: Recognizing and Mitigating the Threats

Abstract

The Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas have many unique ecological features, including species and food webs that are highly adapted to the cold polar environment. These ecosystems are now under intense pressure from climate change, which is proceeding rapidly at high northern latitudes and acting in concert with other global stressors. The Arctic Ocean ecosystem is therefore in a precarious ecological state and is vulnerable to additional perturbations. Arctic shipping has entered a phase of rapid expansion, and is imposing new threats to the survival and health of Arctic marine life. These threats include potential chemical impacts through discharges and emissions; physical impacts through noise pollution, icebreaking and ship collisions with animals; and biological impacts through the dispersal of invasive species living on ship hulls or in ballast waters. The cold water ecosystems of the Arctic are especially vulnerable to oil pollution that would result from collisions or grounding. There are ways to reduce the risk of catastrophic and cumulative impacts of shipping in the region, building on the Polar Code and with further attention to marine protected areas. Given the precarious state of the Arctic Ocean, all current and future shipping activities need to be closely scrutinized, monitored and regulated.