Foreword to the thematic cluster: the Arctic in Rapid Transition—marine ecosystems

The Arctic is warming and losing sea ice. Happening at a much faster rate than previously expected, these changes are causing multiple ecosystem feedbacks in the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) initiative was developed by early-career scientists as an integrative, international, multidisciplinary, long-term pan-Arctic network to study changes and feedbacks among the physical and biogeochemical components of the Arctic Ocean and their ultimate impacts on biological productivity on different timescales. In 2012, ART jointly organized with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists their second science workshop—Overcoming Challenges of Observation to Model Integration in Marine Ecosystem Response to Sea Ice Transitions—at the Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, in Sopot. This workshop aimed to identify linkages and feedbacks between atmosphere–ice–ocean forcing and biogeochemical processes, which are critical for ecosystem function, land–ocean interactions and productive capacity of the Arctic Ocean. This special thematic cluster of Polar Research brings together seven papers that grew out of workgroup discussions. Papers examine the climate change impacts on various ecosystem elements, providing important insights on the marine ecological and biogeochemical processes on various timescales. They also highlight priority areas for future research.

[1]  J. Stroeve,et al.  Arctic sea ice trends, variability and implications for seasonal ice forecasting , 2015, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

[2]  A. Boetius,et al.  Patterns and trends of macrobenthic abundance, biomass and production in the deep Arctic Ocean , 2015 .

[3]  G. Gibson,et al.  Responses in Arctic marine carbon cycle processes: conceptual scenarios and implications for ecosystem function , 2015 .

[4]  Astrid Bracher,et al.  Summertime plankton ecology in Fram Strait—a compilation of long- and short-term observations , 2015 .

[5]  I. Ellingsen,et al.  Status and trends in the structure of Arctic benthic food webs , 2015 .

[6]  S. Vagle,et al.  Late winter biogeochemical conditions under sea ice in the Canadian High Arctic , 2015 .

[7]  K. Bennett,et al.  Variability in transport of terrigenous material on the shelves and the deep Arctic Ocean during the Holocene , 2015 .

[8]  A. Weydmann,et al.  The effect of temperature on egg development rate and hatching success in Calanus glacialis and C. finmarchicus , 2015 .

[9]  Jeffrey R. Key,et al.  Arctic sea ice in transformation: A review of recent observed changes and impacts on biology and human activity , 2014 .

[10]  Muyin Wang,et al.  When will the summer Arctic be nearly sea ice free? , 2013 .

[11]  A. Pavlov,et al.  Bridging Time Scales, Disciplines, and Generations to Better Understand the Arctic Marine Ecosystem , 2013 .

[12]  Josefino C. Comiso,et al.  Large Decadal Decline of the Arctic Multiyear Ice Cover , 2012 .

[13]  Michael Steele,et al.  Arctic Ocean surface warming trends over the past 100 years , 2008 .

[14]  K. Frey,et al.  Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) : science plan , 2010 .

[15]  K. Frey,et al.  Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) Science Plan / Arctic Ocean Sciences Board, International Arctic Science Committee (AOSB/IASC) , 2010 .