The CBMP is working with partners across the Arctic to harmonize and enhance long-term marine monitoring efforts, and to facilitate more powerful and cost-effective assessments through the generation of, and access to, improved circumpolar datasets.

These efforts are led by a Marine Steering Group with expertise from six Marine Expert Networks (Sea ice biota, Plankton, Benthos, Marine fishes, Seabirds and Marine mammals). who are working to implement  the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan. This is an agreement across Arctic nations to compile, harmonize and compare results from existing Arctic marine biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring efforts, across nations and oceans.

The CBMP Marine group has identified key elements, called Focal Ecosystem Components (FECs), of the Arctic marine ecosystem, where changes in FEC status likely indicate changes in the overall marine environment. For the purposes of reporting and comparison, eight physically and bio-geochemically distinct Arctic Marine Areas (AMAs) were identified.

In 2017, CBMP Marine released the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report, and provided updates on seabirds and marine mammals in 2020.