Project ACCES - De-icing of Arctic Coasts: Critical or new opportunities for for marine biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

The aim of the project is to assess the environmental consequences of ice disappearance from the coastal Arctic waters. We plan the survey on a large scale – from Alaska to Canada, Greenland and Svalbard, conducted by international team of researchers (Norway, Canada, USA, Denmark, Poland, Germany). The focus is on the fast ice – one year coastal ice (not the open sea ice pack) that used to cover the coasts and shallow waters of Arctic for many months each year. The project is multidisciplinary – from the climate and hydrography to biochemistry, biology and socio- economical issues. The studies will be performed during field work, through the satelity images analyses and lab experiments. We want to check, the situation in areas, where ice cover retreated – are there new species colonising de-iced shores? Are the local species tend to retreat or disappear? Is the new ecosystem more or less productive? What are the consequences for the humans (fishery, tourism, sustainable use of resources).