Arctic Marine Ecosystems, Climate Change Impacts, and Governance Responses: An Integrated Perspective from the Barents Sea

Abstract

Arctic and sub-Arctic marine ecosystems and their living resources are especially sensitive to climate drivers. Under progressing climate change, ocean warming, sea ice melting, changing oceanic currents, and ocean acidification will lead to shifts in seasonal timing, spatial distribution and productivity of fish species, and affect plankton composition, marine mammals and seabirds. Shifts of boreal and sub-Arctic species into the Arctic and ensuing changes in species composition and biodiversity are already impacting a range issues from ecosystem services to human societies, e.g. fisheries, coastal tourism, cultural services, and biological carbon uptake and cycling. Small-scale fishers may be unable to adapt to the occurring shifts. Decreases in seabirds, marine mammals, and iconic Arctic species could have negative consequences for marine ecotourism and cultural values in the high north. Increasing anthropogenic impacts, such as fisheries and pollution, will interact with climate impacts and exacerbate the pressure on Arctic marine ecosystems. The Arcto-boreal Barents Sea can serve as a model system for understanding future shifts in marine ecosystems, impacts on human users, and marine governance responses in a changing Arctic. Adaptive, ecosystem-based, internationally collaborative and participatory governance mechanisms will help to address the upcoming challenges in climate change adaptation for Arctic marine social-ecological systems.