Sea ice as a nexus of Arctic environmental and socio-economic change through the IPY and beyond (Invited)

The International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-08 witnessed a major decline in Arctic sea-ice summer minimum extent and total coverage of multiyear ice, the result of long-term preconditioning of the ice cover and summer weather patterns. At the same time, geopolitical and socio-economic change at high latitudes are closely intertwined with a sea-ice cover undergoing major transformations. Remote sensing data and observations that are part of the Seasonal Ice Zone Observing Network (SIZONet) indicate that Alaska’s Arctic seas experienced some of the most pronounced changes in the characteristics and seasonality of sea ice, including its use by humans. As a nexus of environmental and socio-economic transformations, sea ice may help scientists, ice users and broader society track and explore different responses to such rapid change. This idea is illustrated through research findings on changes in ice-dependent subsistence hunting in the context of larger-scale sea-ice variability derived from the satellite record. Shorter and less stable ice regimes, reduced ice extent and other environmental factors can lead to increasing overlap or competition between different ice uses, including those relevant for natural resource extraction or sustenance of marine ecosystems. Addressing these challenges will require the development of integrated research programs and observing networks, as well as the development of new partnerships between those benefitting from services delivered by sea ice. Drawing on an example from coastal Alaska, it is argued that Communities of Practice can enhance the value of scientific information and other forms of expertise in meeting the challenges posed by a rapidly changing Arctic.