The Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) Initiative: integrating priorities for Arctic marine science over the next decade

The Arctic is currently undergoing rapid environmental and economic transformations. Recent and ongoing climate warming which is simplifying access to oil and gas resources, enabling trans-Arctic shipping and shifting the distribution of harvestable resources, has brought the Arctic Ocean to the top of national and international political agendas. Scientific knowledge of the present status of the Arctic Ocean and the process-based understanding needed to make predictions throughout the arctic region are thus urgently required. A step towards improving our capacity to predict future arctic change was undertaken with the Second International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP II) meetings in 2005 and 2006 which brought together scientists, policymakers, research managers, arctic residents and other stakeholders interested in the future of arctic climate change research. The Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) Initiative developed out of an effort to synthesize the several resulting ICARP II science plans specific to the marine environment and has been a process driven by the early career scientists of the ICARP II Marine Roundtable. To this end, the ART Initiative is an integrative, international, multi-disciplinary, long-term pan-Arctic program to study changes and feedbacks among the physical characteristics and biogeochemical cycles of the Arctic Ocean and its' resulting capacity for biological productivity. The first ART workshop was held in Fairbanks, Alaska in November 2009 with 58 participants, the results of which will help to develop a science and implementation plan that integrates, updates and develops priorities for arctic marine science over the next decade. Our focus within the ART Initiative will be to bridge gaps in knowledge not only across disciplinary boundaries (e.g., geology, biology, physical oceanography, geochemistry and meteorology), but also across geographic boundaries (e.g., shelves, margins and the central Arctic Ocean) and temporal boundaries (e.g., paleo/geologic records, current process observations and future modeling studies). This interdisciplinary, international and integrated temporal approach of the ART Initiative will provide a means to better understand and predict change and ultimate responses in the Arctic Ocean system. More information about the ART Initiative can be found at www.aosb.org/art.html.