Documents from the Marine Steering Group and Expert Networks of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP).
Documents from the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program's State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report
Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program: Marine Implementation Plan 2021-2024September 2021
CBMP-Marine is one of four CBMP working groups under CAFF and is led by a rotating co-chairship. The CBMPMarineCBMP-Marine is one of four CBMP working groups under CAFF and is led by a rotating co-chairship. The CBMP Mariners are organized with six Expert Networks and work is also independently undertaken by these groups. This enhances cooperation and generates valuable products. Participants in the CBMP-Marine Steering Group and CBMPMarineExpert Networks (ENs) are included in Appendix A.
Marine mammals are highly visible components of Arctic ecosystems that are important to the structure and function of these systems (Estes et al. 2016, Albouy et al. 2020). In addition, they are valuable resources for people living in the Arctic that also play a special role in the cultural identity of people in the North. Arctic marine mammals are all endemic to the Arctic region and hence a unique part of global biodiversity for which the Arctic range states have important stewardship responsibilities. In an ecosystem monitoring context, these large, mobile predators can serve as ecosystem sentinels, because they integrate changes at more cryptic levels of food webs, making them ideal monitoring subjects that have “added value” (Bossart 2006, Moore 2008, Sergio et al. 2008, Hays et al. 2019, Hazen et al. 2019, Stenson et al. 2020a).
In 2017, the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report (SAMBR) synthesized data about biodiversity in Arctic marine ecosystems around the circumpolar Arctic. SAMBR highlighted observed changes and relevant monitoring gaps. This document provides an update on the status of marine mammals in the circumpolar Arctic from 2015– 2020 (scientific references for factual information and a more detailed version of the text herein can be found in Kovacs et al. 2021).
Update SeabirdsCircumpolar Seabird Expert Group (CBird)CBMP-Marine
In 2017, the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report (SAMBR) synthesized data about biodiversity in Arctic marine ecosystems around the circumpolar Arctic. SAMBR highlighted observed changes and relevant monitoring gaps using data compiled through 2015 (CAFF 2017). This document provides an update on the status of seabirds in the circumpolar Arctic using data from 2016–2019.
CBird addresses and coordinates work onCBird addresses and coordinates work onproblems related to seabird studies andconservation which are nationally relevant inRussia.
CBird listed Icelandic monitoring programs inCBird listed Icelandic monitoring programs inthe Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan. TheSeabird Information Network by Cbird/CAFFprovides an international platform and contextfor the publication of Icelandic results.
CBird background processes, e.g. AMBI andCBird background processes, e.g. AMBI andCBMP Marine, are important also in nationalwork, and CAFF facilitates disseminationof information about population changes,monitoring and conservation. Synergiescould be obtained as to seabird monitoringthat feeds into e.g. HELCOM and EUreportings.
More in the report.
The UK’s involvement in the CAFF CBIRD expert The UK’s involvement in the CAFF CBIRD expertgroup is driven by the following priorities:
Based on its Arctic Policy, Japan aims to make fullBased on its Arctic Policy, Japan aims to make fulluse of its strength in science and technology andpromote Arctic Research to contribute to policydecision making and problem solving. Scientificinput and partnership via strengthened researchand projects such as the Arctic Challenge forSustainability Project (ArCS) with CBird activitiesunder CAFF is an excellent opportunity for us tocontribute as an observer country to the ArcticCouncil.
The national priorities in the Faroes are to preserve the nature at the same time as some species are exploited for food and leisure time activities.
The Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) organizes its efforts around the major ecosystems of the Arctic: marine, freshwater, terrestrial, and coastal. For each ecosystem, a monitoring plan has been approved by the Arctic Councils' Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group's management board and are in implementation. The CAFF board is composed of national representatives of the eight Arctic States and Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council. The marine group and the freshwater group have published their state of the Arctic reports and the terrestrial group is expected to release their report in 2020 with the coastal to follow in the coming years. The state of the Arctic reports are assessments of their relative ecosystem, state of monitoring and provide recommendations on moving forward. The CBMP has developed a Strategic Plan (2018-2021). The CBMP Strategic Plan has the goal of keeping CBMP relevant and sustainable in the future and follows recommendations and implementation actions from the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) report (Christensen et al. 2018).
The Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan (2011) is an agreement among Arctic States to compile, harmonize and compare results from existing Arctic marine biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring efforts across the Arctic region. This work is coordinated under the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) of the Arctic Council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group. The CBMP is a network of scientists and traditional knowledge holders from governments, Indigenous organizations, academic institutions, and conservation groups that monitor the Arctic’s living resources.
The Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan (Irons et al. 2015; CAFF Monitoring Report No. 17) included the USA seabird monitoring sites and actions, which are primarily implemented by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In turn, the USFWS, through collaboration with other CBird members, refined their monitoring scheme to facilitate comparisons across circumpolar regions, with a focus on three key Focal Ecosystem Components - thick-billed murres, common murres, and black-legged kittiwakes.
The UK's involvement in the CAFF CBIRD group is driven by the following priorities:
our UK Arctic Policy Framework which has a commitment to help understand and protect the Arctic environment and is based on the principle of respect for the sovereign rights of the Arctic States, the indigenous peoples and others who live there, and for the Arctic environment;
our implementation of multi-lateral environmental agreements which are relevant to the Arctic (AEWA, CBD, CITES and others) including related targets such as the Aichi targets;
our desire to cooperate in the conservation of migratory wildlife we share with the Arctic; and,
our willingness to share the data we gather, whether from the UK or elsewhere, on such shared wildlife.
CBird addresses and coordinates work on issues related to seabird management and research that are very relevant for seabird research and management at the national level in Norway. Issues of particular relevance for Norway are international status assessments (e.g. SAMBR), species-specific conservation strategies and action plans (eiders, guillemots, ivory gull), assessments of seabird harvest and bycatch of seabirds in fisheries, and the development of a joint seabird monitoring programme for the circumpolar Arctic.
CBird helps putting the national work into a larger context and facilitates contact between scientist and managers in the Arctic countries.
Based on its Arctic Policy, Japan aims to make full use of its strength in science and technology and promote Arctic Research to contribute to policy decision making and problem solving.
Avian monitoring status and species prioritization were compiled in a report by Guðmundsson & Skarphéðinsson (2012).
CBird listed the current Icelandic seabird monitoring programs in the Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan (Irons et al. 2015, CAFF Monitoring Report No.17).
A national priority for Greenland is to balance the preservation of wildlife while still allowing human exploitation on some of the same resources. Among the seabirds, several important havested species are shared with other Arctic countries, implying that the responsibility to secure a sustainable harvest is also shared between countries.
The French National Roadmap for the Arctic defines the protection of the marine environment as well as research and scientific cooperation as two of the French policy priorities in the Arctic and is thereby in agreement with CBird objectives. CBird objectives are also compatible with research work carried on seabirds by teams funded by the French Polar Institute and the CNRS. Research works are operated in Svalbard, Greenland, Norway and built-up collaboration with Arctic nations. These activities are also in line with the French Arctic Initiative work plan exposing the main axes of research to be explored by the French scientific community in order to further understand the major issues affecting the Arctic.
CBird background processes, e.g. AMBI, are important also in national work. In addition, significant synergies could be obtained as to seabird monitoring that nationally feed into e.g. HELCOM and EU reportings. While the Baltic Sea falls outside many Arctic sea area delineations, it hosts several CBird target species, many of which also are among national priorities.
The national priorities in the Faroes are to preserve the nature at the same time as some species are exploited for food and leisuretime activities. However, to do this properly in a sustainable way, regarding seabirds, we need much more information about the different seabird populations, for example their sizes, fluctuations and breeding biology. Most of the information is from the island Skúvoy, which is in the middle of the Faroe Islands, and the results about fluctuations in the guillemots, kittiwakes and fulmars are from a study area (figure 1) on this island. Now that tourism is rapidly increasing and boat trips to the seabird cliffs and hiking trips through seabird colonies are among the most attractive leisure-time activities it is a challenge to implement rules to minimize disturbance caused by these activities.
The CBird North Atlantic Murre Harvest Model will inform assessment and development of national and international harvest management strategies for declining populations of thick-billed murre. Ensuring sustainable harvest levels aligns with Environment and Climate Change Canada's mandate, the goals of AMBI, and the CBird Strategy and Action Plan for Murres.
A 2019 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in the United States.
A 2019 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Norway.
A 2019 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Iceland.
A 2019 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Canada.
A 2019 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Greenland.
Marine Fishes of the Arctic Region is intended for all who do research in and monitoring of marine ecosystems in the Arctic. It presents accounts for 205 species with maps of global distribution and descriptions of morphology and habitat, as well as a photographic identification guide. Information on 24 other species present only in the fringes of the Arctic Region or taxonomically problematic is given in the introductions to the fish families. As the Arctic continues to warm, more cold-temperate species are expected to enter the region and the distribution of true Arctic species will likely retract as the area of ice-covered cold water shrinks. The maps in this atlas can be used to compare future changes in distributions. The identification guide will be particularly helpful for identifying cold-water species, since fewer identification tools are available for this group of fishes.
A 2017 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Greenland.
A 2017 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Canada.
A 2017 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Norway.
This report describes the progress towards implementation of the CBMP-Marine Plan in 2016 and a work plan for the coming year.
A 2015 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Norway.
A 2015 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Iceland.
This atlas and guide presents results of the Russian American Long-Term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) fish investigations conducted by bottom trawl in the Pacific Arctic region northward from Bering Strait. Species accounts provide documentation of the biodiversity and geographic distribution baselines with maps supported by citation of voucher specimens, catch records, and literature; habitat and morphological descriptions; and remarks on taxonomic issues with implications from DNA barcoding. Pages of fish photographs with labeled features are grouped separately in an identification guide.
This report summarizes the initial set of satellite data products included in the CAFF Land Cover Change (LCC) Initiative. The LCC Initiative has been developed to harness the potential of remote sensing for use in Arctic biodiversity monitoring and assessment activities.
A circumpolar plan to monitor seabird populations, created by CAFF's CBird Expert Group as part of the marine component of CAFF's Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program.
This report describes the progress towards implementation of the CBMP-Marine Plan in 2014 and a work plan for the coming year
A 2014 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in the USA.
A 2014 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Norway.
A 2014 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Canada.
Mise en oeuvre du plan de surveillance de la biodiversité marine dans lArctique : mise à jour au Canada en 2013
A 2013 update of the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Canada.
Mise en oeuvre du plan de surveillance de la biodiversité marine dans lArctique : mise à jour au Canada en 2012
A 2012 update on the implementation of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in Canada.
A progress report of the Land Cover Change Index, an initiative to create a framework to harness remote sensing potential for use in Arctic biodiversity monitoring and assessment activities. This document reports on progress made in Phase 1 of this initiative 2013-2015.
A progress report to the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting, Iqaluit, Canada, April 2015 on CAFF's traditional knowledge and community-based monitoring work.
This report describes the progress that has been made in 2014 to implement the CBMP Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan.
The Canadian Arctic Marine Biodiversity Plan (Canadian Marine Plan) is the Canadian contribution to the Arctic Council Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna’s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program, Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan.
The overall objective of the Canadian Arctic Marine Biodiversity Plan (Canadian Marine Plan) is to improve our ability to detect and understand the causes of long-term changes in the structure and function of Canadian arctic marine ecosystems. The Canadian Marine Plan integrates existing scientific and community-based marine biodiversity data and information.
Implementation of the CBMP-Marine Plan began in late 2011, and this report describes the progress that has been made during the second year of implementation (2013).
This document details Canadian involvement in implementing the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in 2013.
This document details American involvement in implementing the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in 2013.
This document details Icelandic involvement in implementing the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in 2013.
This document details Norwegian involvement in implementing the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in 2013.
This document details Greenlandic involvement in implementing the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in 2013.
This document identifies marine benthos monitoring possibilities amongst Atlantic Arctic nations by identifying time- and cost-effective possibilities.
This document details a list of Arctic marine fishes with geographical characterizations (e.g., arctic, arctic-boreal, boreal). The list contains the most common or officially recommended names in English, French, Norwegian and Russian.
This edition is being used by the CBMPMarine Fish Expert Network as a baseline document which will be revised form time to time to add new species, as they are discovered in the arctic region, and new languages.
This document details American involvement in implementing the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in 2012.
This document details Norwegian involvement in implementing the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in 2012.
Available in Norwegian.
This document details Greenlandic involvement in implementing the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in 2012.
This document details Canadian involvement in implementing the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan in 2012.
For more on Canada's implementation of CBMP Marine, please visit the Canadian CBMP-Marine implementation website.
This issue of Ursus, Monograph Series Number 5, 2012 features a Circumpolar Monitoring Framework for Polar Bears produced by the the authors. CAFF facilitated the process.
This one page summary (double-sided) provides an overview of the activities and progress made in 2012 to implement the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan.
Implementation of the CBMP-Marine Plan began in late 2011, and this report describes the progress that has been made during the first year of implementation (2012).
The State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report (SAMBR) is a synthesis of the state of knowledge about biodiversity in Arctic marine ecosystems, detectable changes, and important gaps in our ability to assess state and trends in biodiversity across six focal ecosystem components (FECs): marine mammals, seabirds, marine fishes, benthos, plankton, and sea ice biota.
Twenty-two scientists, managers and community experts from the five Arctic polar bear nations, met in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to help develop a pan-Arctic monitoring plan for polar bears as part of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF).
Proposes objectives, means, details of data ownership, and initial analytical tools of sharing seabird information across the Arctic on the internet to improve conservation efforts by providing a tool to analize seabird status and trends information on a circumpolar scale.
The framework document for a coordinated circumpolar research and monitoring effort of polar bears.
A poster outlining the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Program. Intended for scientific and policy audiences.
A brochure highlighting the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP).
Findings of a workshop sponsored by the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Valencia, Spain March 4-6, 2007.
The background paper of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan, highlighting the process and key elements to develop.
Cover and acknowledgements to the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report.
Title and table of contents to the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report.
Findings and advice for monitoring to the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report.
Introduction to the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report.
Setting the scene for the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report.
Sea ice biota chapter of the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report covering four Focal Ecosystem Components: Bacteria and Archaea, microalgae and other protists, meiofauna and under-ice macrofauna.
Plankton chapter of the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report covering four Focal Ecosystem Components: Bacteria and Archaea, microbial eukaryotes, phytoplankton, and zooplankton.
Benthos chapter of the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report covering two Focal Ecosystem Components: megafauna, and macrofauna.
A framework document for developing an integrated monitoring framework for seabirds.
Fishes chapter of the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report covering three Focal Ecosystem Components: Greenland halibut, polar cod and capelin.
Seabirds chapter of the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report covering eight Focal Ecosystem Components: glaucous gull, ivory gull, least auklet, little auk, common murre, thick-billed murre, black-legged kittiwake, common eider.
Marine mammals chapter of the State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report covering 11 Focal Ecosystem Components: walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), ringed seal (Pusa hispida) bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), spotted seal (Phoca largha), ribbon seal (Phoca fasciata), harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), beluga (Delphinapterus leucas), bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), narwhal (Monodon monoceros), and polar bear (Ursus maritimus).
The Arctic Report Card annually tracks and reports on the status and trends of the Arctic.
Synthesis: Status and trends of Arctic marine biodiversity and monitoring
Annex 4.1: List of common and scientific species names
The Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan (CBMP-Marine Plan) is the first of the CBMP’s four pan-Arctic biodiversity monitoring plans. The overall goal of the CBMP-Marine Plan is to improve our ability to detect and understand the causes of long-term change in the composition, structure and function of Arctic marine ecosystems, as well as to develop authoritative assessments of key elements of Arctic marine biodiversity (e.g., key indicators, ecologically pivotal and/or other important taxa).
The State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report identifies trends in key marine species and points to important gaps in biodiversity monitoring efforts across key ecosystem components in: sea ice biota, plankton, benthos, marine fishes, seabirds and marine mammals. Changes in these species are likely to indicate changes in the overall marine environment.
