Recommendations

Project	Type	Outcome	Report	Year
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	Instruments such as the European Water Framework Directive promote routine monitoring of lake and river FECs. But where a country, ecoregion, or FEC is not covered by such instruments, monitoring is irregular, has poor spatial coverage, or is absent.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	The vast expanse of the Arctic region in some countries (e.g., Canada, Russia) and the high monetary cost and logistical constraints associated with sampling in some regions (e.g., northern Canada and Russia, Greenland, Svalbard, Faroe Islands) limits the possibility of routine monitoring. This leads to sparse sample coverage in space and time, particularly where funds are not secure.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Advice	Monitoring Methods Harmonize sampling approaches among countries and select appropriate sampling methods andequipment to balance between maintaining consistency and comparability with historical data andalignment with common methods used across the Arctic. Use a regionalized approach based on ecoregions to guide the spatial distribution of sample stations and, ultimately, provide better assessments. Ensure spatial coverage of sampled ecoregions is sufficient to address the overarching monitoring questions of the CBMP across the Arctic and provide sufficient replication. Maintain time series at key locations, and fill gaps where monitoring data are sparse. Develop supplementary monitoring methods that provide better standardized estimates of biodiversity to maximize the likelihood of detecting new and/or invasive species. Make use of recent advances in emerging technologies, including environmental DNA (eDNA) methods and remote sensing approaches. Standardize data storage practices and provide access through a common data source like GBIF.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	Arctic freshwater ecosystems are highly threatened by climate change and human development which can alter the distribution and abundance of species and affect biodiversity and the ecosystem services on which many Arctic peoples depend.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Advice	Citizen Science Engage local communities in monitoring activities through citizen science and incorporate local knowledge as an integral part of future circumpolar monitoring and observational networks. Interact with local communities to enhance outreach to the public (youth in particular) and develop common observational tools. Provide material for training and educational purposes for local residents at all age levels.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	In countries where routine government monitoring is limited or does not occur, data must come from other sources (e.g., academic research), where unsecure funding often leads to single-event sampling, meaning that change over time cannot be examined.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	Temperature is the overriding and predominant driver for most FECs, but climate, geographical connectivity, geology, and smaller-scale environmental parameters such as water chemistry are all key drivers of Arctic freshwater biodiversity.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	Patterns of biodiversity vary across the Arctic, but ecoregions that have historically warmer temperatures and connections to the mainland generally have higher biodiversity than those with cold temperatures (high latitude or altitude) or on remote islands.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	All countries have data sets that allow for identification of baseline levels for most FECs, but only a few countries (such as Finland and Sweden) have an extensive spatial coverage and very few countries have long time series. Data collection was not exhaustive, and there are likely additional data that exist for each country that may contribute to the assessment of freshwater biodiversity; however, significant gaps will remain even with a more extensive search of existing data sources.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Advice	Traditional Knowledge (TK) Engage with Indigenous communities to work towards identifying and integrating their TK into efforts to assess Arctic freshwater biodiversity, including change over time. Incorporate TK as an integral part of circumpolar monitoring and observational networks.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	Available long-term monitoring records and research data indicate that freshwater biodiversity has changed over the last 200 years, with shifts in species composition being less dramatic in areas where temperatures have been more stable.	State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2016
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	Current trends indicate that species reliant on sea ice for reproduction, resting or foraging will experience range reductions as sea ice retreat occurs earlier and the open water season is prolonged.	State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2017
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring	Advice	Seabirds Develop methods for assessing diet to increase our understanding of changes in the ecosystem and how they affect seabird populations. When selecting sites for new monitoring, consider proximity to hotspots for marine activities, access to the sea, and inclusion of plankton monitoring. Expand colony-based monitoring and strive to include a more complete array of parameters, in particular, diet and measures of survival. Consider a higher frequency of monitoring as current levels make it difficult to identify mechanisms or causes of change in populations. Conduct targeted surveys and individual tracking studies of seabird interactions at sea to improve our understanding of seabird interactions at sea, where seabirds spend most of their time. Continue to conduct at sea surveys on an opportunistic basis.	State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2017
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring	Advice	Community-based monitoring networks and community relationship building: Increase the span of networks in the CBMP to include Community-based monitoring networks. Communicate information on changes and the results of monitoring between scientists and the public in both directions. This is crucial to the development of effective management strategies and human activities.	State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2017
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	Increases in the frequency of contagious diseases are being observed	State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2017
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	Some Arctic species are shifting their ranges northwards to seek more favourable conditions as the Arctic warms. These movements pose unknown consequences for Arctic species and their interactions, such as predation and competition.	State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2017
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring	Advice	Plankton• Follow standardized protocols for monitoring plankton, including sample collection and preservation, microscopic and genetic analyses with taxonomic harmonization.• Ensure that full data sharing occurs between scientists, and is deposited in publicly-accessible nationaldata centers. Continue to consolidate older data.• Train highly qualified personnel to perform plankton sampling and species-level analyses, including theuse of molecular techniques.• Establish long-term funded annual monitoring programmes of plankton from selected Arctic field stations or Arctic campaigns/cruises in Canada, the U.S. and Russia, which together with the ongoing monitoring in Greenland, Iceland and Norway will secure a pan-Arctic coverage. • Develop species indexes and if possible, identify indicator taxa for monitoring.	State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2017
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring	Advice	Methods: Increased attention to methodology allows for more precise and comparable results, standardized data collection, and ability to link regional monitoring to circumpolar efforts: -- Ensure that Arctic monitoring programs are ecosystem-based and include as many CBMP FECs as possible to include functionally important taxonomic groups and improve our understanding of how the ecosystem functions, and how its components are related. Such monitoring programs can serve to underpin management of human activities in the Arctic marine environment.-- Standardize methodology, including taxonomic identification in order to allow production of comparable data and results. -- Ensure training of personnel performing sampling and analyses.	State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2017
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring	Key finding	Increasing numbers and diversity of southern species are moving into Arctic waters. In some cases, they may outcompete and prey on Arctic species, or offer a less nutritious food source for Arctic species.	State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2017
CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring	Advice	Marine fishes Conduct pan-Arctic taxonomic analyses to clarify zoogeographic patterns that are important for detecting and understanding change. Establish and conduct a monitoring plan that is independent of fisheries-related programs to assess changes in fish abundance and distributions. Use information from non-commercial fish species caught in groundfish surveys to provide a first step in this direction. Use information from TK holders for monitoring marine fishes. Connect monitoring initiatives across scales. Conduct laboratory studies to examine the possible effects of abiotic and biotic changes (e.g. temperature, salinity, acidity and diseases) on fish species Ensure that data on fisheries (commercial as well as artisanal) are accurate and registered in catch databases (such as the Food Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations). Information from logbooks is also relevant as it can be used to estimate the bycatch and the effects of fisheries.	State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring	2017