Information on Arctic biodiversity, human stressors, and natural changes is widely scattered among scientists, government institutions, and northern communities and available only in a piecemeal fashion. An integrated picture of the status of and trends in key species, habitats, processes, services and ecosystem integrity in the Arctic and along relevant migratory routes is not fully known.

To facilitate targeted and consistent reporting, the CBMP has chosen a suite of indices and indicators that provide a comprehensive picture of Arctic biodiversity, from species and habitats to ecosystem processes and ecological services. The suite of indices and indicators can be used to report on the current state of Arctic biodiversity at various scales and levels of detail.