Evidence suggests potential transformation of the Pacific Arctic ecosystem is underway

Henry P. Huntington (), Seth L. Danielson, Francis K. Wiese, Matthew Baker, Peter Boveng, John J. Citta, Alex De Robertis, Danielle M. S. Dickson, Ed Farley, J. Craighead George, Katrin Iken, David G. Kimmel, Kathy Kuletz, Carol Ladd, Robert Levine, Lori Quakenbush, Phyllis Stabeno, Kathleen M. Stafford, Dean Stockwell and Chris Wilson
Additional contact information
Henry P. Huntington: Huntington Consulting
Seth L. Danielson: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Francis K. Wiese: Stantec
Matthew Baker: North Pacific Research Board
Peter Boveng: NOAA
John J. Citta: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Alex De Robertis: NOAA
Danielle M. S. Dickson: North Pacific Research Board
Ed Farley: NOAA
J. Craighead George: North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management
Katrin Iken: University of Alaska Fairbanks
David G. Kimmel: NOAA
Kathy Kuletz: US Fish and Wildlife Service
Carol Ladd: NOAA
Robert Levine: University of Washington
Lori Quakenbush: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Phyllis Stabeno: NOAA
Kathleen M. Stafford: University of Washington
Dean Stockwell: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Chris Wilson: NOAA

Nature Climate Change, 2020, vol. 10, issue 4, 342-348

Abstract: Abstract The highly productive northern Bering and Chukchi marine shelf ecosystem has long been dominated by strong seasonality in sea-ice and water temperatures. Extremely warm conditions from 2017 into 2019—including loss of ice cover across portions of the region in all three winters—were a marked change even from other recent warm years. Biological indicators suggest that this change of state could alter ecosystem structure and function. Here, we report observations of key physical drivers, biological responses and consequences for humans, including subsistence hunting, commercial fishing and industrial shipping. We consider whether observed state changes are indicative of future norms, whether an ecosystem transformation is already underway and, if so, whether shifts are synchronously functional and system wide or reveal a slower cascade of changes from the physical environment through the food web to human society. Understanding of this observed process of ecosystem reorganization may shed light on transformations occurring elsewhere.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-020-0695-2

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