Concept information
Preferred term
AMBER
Definition
- Proposal URL: http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/proposal-details.php?id=325 To assess the impacts of climate change there is a need to significantly improve our understanding of Arctic Marine ecosystems. The lack of information in the Canadian Arctic Ocean on fish species distributions, their densities and ability to respond to climate change has implications for the development of new marine fisheries and ensuring that the current subsistence fisheries are sustainable. AMBER is part of an international cluster i.e by ArcOD, which deals with Arctic biodiversity. Many of the existing fisheries in the Arctic are dependent on the productivity of near shore coastal or estuarine ecosystems. Anadromous Arctic char, for example, obtain most of their energy during the short Arctic summer while feeding in the marine (estuarial) environment. Nunavuts largest commercial fishery is dependent on the deep-water marine ecosystems of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. Climate change models suggest that global warming will impact these ecosystems. AMBER will intensely study three Arctic Marine inshore environments, which support large subsistence Arctic Char fisheries, and the deep-water ecosystem of Nunavuts Greenland Turbot fishery. AMBER will improve our understanding of the ecology of Arctic marine ecosystems so the impacts of climate change can be better assessed and help provide the information needed to take an ecosystem approach to the management and development of the Arctic marine fisheries resource. Furthermore, there is a need for much better linkages between the physical changes occurring in the marine environment and biota, including fish behaviour and feeding patterns. AMBER proposes to work with researchers and companies developing new technologies to monitor changes in ocean currents, salinity and temperature in order to correlate with fish distributions and energy requirements. We will develop energy models for inshore/estuarine fisheries and correlate with climate change scenarios and alien species invasions. The energy models will have direct application to inshore estuarine fisheries throughout the Arctic. Knowledge gained from AMBER will help northern communities plan for the impacts of Arctic warming and improve management of Arctic fisheries. By focusing AMBER on ecosystems which support important subsistence and commercial fisheries, AMBER will be able to effectively engage community participation in the project. Both of AMBERs project leads have extensive experience working with Arctic communities. AMBER also proposes to study the inshore Arctic char fisheries associated with Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay, Nunavut), and Holman and Prince Albert Sound (Northwest Territories). The Iqaluit system represents a high tide estuarine marine environment; while Holman represents a near-shore marine environment influenced by ice melt. Both locations have community based fisheries management and monitoring programs that will be integrated into AMBER. The study of the Deep-water marine ecosystem associated with the Greenland turbot fishery will build on our current research underway in the Davis Strait, strengthen our international collaborations and expand the knowledge of Arctic marine food webs. AMBER will also increase the breadth and depth of knowledge on factors shaping Arctic marine biological communities by building new interdisciplinary synergies with the Early Warning System for Detecting Arctic Marine Ecosystem Change through the Use of Top Predators and Reconstructing the Surface of the Arctic Ocean Basin. As more is learned about the current distributions and densities of Arctic marine biota, an understanding of ocean currents and movements of fresh and saline waters, will undoubtedly be important in predicting future distributional patterns of biota. AMBER will directly engage northern communities by incorporating and expanding existing community fisheries monitoring projects. The knowledge and experience gained through AMBER will provide the baseline information required to set ecosystem objectives and reference levels for monitoring the health of these important ecosystems. By including three different systems in AMBER, models will be developed which will aid other communities in developing monitoring programs. The interactions at the community level will involve schools, colleges, northern research Institutes and the local Hunters and Trappers Associations and the development of inshore environmental monitoring and fisheries training. The legacy will be an educational/training knowledge base, which will include technical skills and decision-making capabilities, along with monitoring buoys, which will be an integral part of the Arctic communities contribution to global models on climate change. (en)
Broader concept
- A - C (en)
URI
https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/63beee03-8d32-4b59-8690-83f32bdbbda8
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