Project |
Type |
# |
Outcome |
Report |
Year |
FEC |
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | In countries where routine government monitoring is limited or does not occur, data must come from other sources (e.g., academic research), where unsecure funding often leads to single-event sampling, meaning that change over time cannot be examined. | State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2016 | |
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | Instruments such as the European Water Framework Directive promote routine monitoring of lake and river FECs. But where a country, ecoregion, or FEC is not covered by such instruments, monitoring is irregular, has poor spatial coverage, or is absent. | State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2016 | |
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | Patterns of biodiversity vary across the Arctic, but ecoregions that have historically warmer temperatures and connections to the mainland generally have higher biodiversity than those with cold temperatures (high latitude or altitude) or on remote islands. | State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2016 | |
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Monitoring Methods
- Harmonize sampling approaches among countries and select appropriate sampling methods andequipment to balance between maintaining consistency and comparability with historical data andalignment with common methods used across the Arctic.
- Use a regionalized approach based on ecoregions to guide the spatial distribution of sample stations and, ultimately, provide better assessments.
- Ensure spatial coverage of sampled ecoregions is sufficient to address the overarching monitoring questions of the CBMP across the Arctic and provide sufficient replication.
- Maintain time series at key locations, and fill gaps where monitoring data are sparse.
- Develop supplementary monitoring methods that provide better standardized estimates of biodiversity to maximize the likelihood of detecting new and/or invasive species.
- Make use of recent advances in emerging technologies, including environmental DNA (eDNA) methods and remote sensing approaches.
- Standardize data storage practices and provide access through a common data source like GBIF.
| State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2016 | |
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Traditional Knowledge (TK)
- Engage with Indigenous communities to work towards identifying and integrating their TK into efforts to assess Arctic freshwater biodiversity, including change over time.
- Incorporate TK as an integral part of circumpolar monitoring and observational networks.
| State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2016 | |
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Citizen Science
- Engage local communities in monitoring activities through citizen science and incorporate local knowledge as an integral part of future circumpolar monitoring and observational networks.
- Interact with local communities to enhance outreach to the public (youth in particular) and develop common observational tools.
- Provide material for training and educational purposes for local residents at all age levels.
| State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2016 | |
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Monitoring Design and Assessment
- Establish a circumpolar monitoring network based on a hub-and-spoke model in remote areas.
- Increase focus on the response of biotic communities to environmental changes by designing monitoring to address impact hypotheses developed in the CBMP-Freshwater Plan.
- Ensure that the CBMP Freshwater group continues to serve as the focal point for the development and implementation of Arctic, freshwater biodiversity monitoring.
- Provide resources to maintain and build the CBMP freshwater database for future assessments in order to maximize the benefits of this database.
- Efforts should be made to document and preserve data from short-term research projects, research expeditions, industrial, university and government programs and to make these data accessible to the public.
- Status assessments of Arctic lakes and rivers must explore the close association of biodiversity with spatial patterns of physical and chemical quality of aquatic habitats that can drive biological systems.
- CBMP-Freshwater database allows the identification of predominant sampling approaches across the Arctic and should be used to inform the development of harmonized monitoring approaches.
- Where valuable long-term data series exist, these should be given high priority in monitoring programs, to continue to provide data for the detection of long-term trends and changes in biodiversity.
| State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2016 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | Food resources are being lost for many Arctic species in Arctic marine environments. Many species have to travel further and expend more energy to feed, leading to concerns about individual health and potential effects at the population level | State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | Some Arctic species are shifting their ranges northwards to seek more favourable conditions as the Arctic warms. These movements pose unknown consequences for Arctic species and their interactions, such as predation and competition. | State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | Northward movement is easier for more mobile openwater species. Open water species such as polar cod, are more mobile compared to those linked to shelf regions, such as benthic species including some fishes for which suitable habitat may be unavailable if they move northward. | State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | Increasing numbers and diversity of southern species are moving into Arctic waters. In some cases, they may outcompete and prey on Arctic species, or offer a less nutritious food source for Arctic species. | State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | Current trends indicate that species reliant on sea ice for reproduction, resting or foraging will
experience range reductions as sea ice retreat occurs earlier and the open water season is prolonged. | State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | Arctic marine species and ecosystems are undergoing pressure from cumulative changes in their
physical, chemical and biological environment. | State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | | Increases in the frequency of contagious diseases are being observed | State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Coordination: Better coordination allows for increased value for investment in monitoring programs, better opportunity to compare results, and more ability to draw meaningful conclusions from data:
- Strategically locate Arctic research stations and monitoring vessels, and use all collected specimens, to allow the collection and analysis of as many CBMP FECs as possible.
- Ensure research stations operate all year to better study FECs year round.
- Combine national monitoring with collaborative approaches that allow for sufficient integration and standardization to conduct syntheses across the circumpolar region.
- Standardize how data are collected, managed and made available. This is a key component in ensuring circumpolar Arctic comparability and should be an important consideration in the implementation of monitoring plans.
- Encourage states to increase the implementation of existing internationally coordinated monitoring plans.
- Connect monitoring initiatives and report across scales so that results are meaningful for local, sub-national, national, regional and global decision-makers.
- Continue to increase coordination between CBMP and other regional and global monitoring initiatives e.g., the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEOBON), International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service (IPBES).
| State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Methods: Increased attention to methodology allows for more precise and comparable results, standardized data collection, and ability to link regional monitoring to circumpolar efforts: -- Ensure that Arctic monitoring programs are ecosystem-based and include as many CBMP FECs as possible to include functionally important taxonomic groups and improve our understanding of how the ecosystem functions, and how its components are related. Such monitoring programs can serve to underpin management of human activities in the Arctic marine environment.-- Standardize methodology, including taxonomic identification in order to allow production of comparable data and results. -- Ensure training of personnel performing sampling and analyses. | State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Traditional and Local Knowledge (TLK): Utilizing Traditional and Local Knowledge and involvement of TK holders allows for increased understanding of relationships and changes underway in Arctic ecosystems, current and historical trends, and serves to build valuable partnerships on the ground in Arctic communities.
- Use Traditional and Local Knowledge within the design and implementation of monitoring plans. The Traditional and Local Knowledge of people living along and off the Arctic Ocean is an invaluable resource for understanding changes in Arctic marine ecosystems and its inclusion should be supported by national governments.
- Increase engagement and partnerships with local residents and easy to access technology in monitoring programs. Indigenous communities are important ‘first responders’ to catastrophic events. More importantly, their knowledge systems provide a wealth of knowledge that should be involved in the analysis of collected data for increased understanding of current trends and filling historical gaps.
- There is a need for TLK on a range of FECs and to engage networks of TLK holders and Indigenous organisations.
- Use both TLK and scientific information on the analysis of harvest levels and status when evaluating overall population health and managing hunts.
| State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Knowledge gaps: Filling gaps in knowledge helps us better understand key elements and functions of the ecosystem that can help explain change and understand the system:
- Encourage the monitoring of relevant physical parameters alongside some FECs that are particularly sensitive to their effects, including sea ice biota and plankton.
- Expand monitoring programs to include important taxonomic groups and key ecosystem functions. These gaps are likely due to logistical challenges or lack of expertise in specific fields.
- Expand monitoring programs to include those utilizing both TK and science, involvement of Indigenous organizations and build capacity to provide a co-production of knowledge platform.
| State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Community-based monitoring networks and community relationship building:
- Increase the span of networks in the CBMP to include Community-based monitoring networks.
- Communicate information on changes and the results of monitoring between scientists and the public in both directions. This is crucial to the development of effective management strategies and human activities.
| State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | | Sea ice biota
- Establish an annual monitoring programme from land fast sea ice at selected Arctic field stations in Canada (Resolute, Cambridge Bay), Greenland (Kobbefjord, Disko Bay, Zackenberg), Norway (Kongsfjorden, Billefjorden, Van Mijenfjorden), and the U.S. (Barrow).
- Establish a standardized monitoring protocol, including sample collection, preservation, microscopic and genetic analyses, taxonomic harmonization, and data sharing.
- Establish opportunistic monitoring from drifting sea ice during cruises of opportunity.
- Collect macrofauna samples in drifting sea ice via ship-based activities, scuba diving, electrical suction pumps, under-ice trawl nets, and remotely operated vehicles.
| State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | |