The Pew Environment Group and Ocean Conservancy released a white paper today recommending concrete steps the Obama administration should take to address science gaps and inform conservation and development decisions in America’s Arctic Ocean. The white paper is the work of 14 scientists, all experts in Arctic marine ecosystems.
Pew and Ocean Conservancy commissioned a review of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report released in June. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar had asked the USGS to identify science needs in the remote Chukchi and adjacent Beaufort seas to inform management choices.
The scientists’ study is divided into two main parts. The first, which assesses the adequacy of the USGS report, deems it to have identified major gaps in scientific knowledge in an unbiased manner. The second part emphasizes the need to connect the bodies of research that have been completed in various disciplines to provide a better understanding of the ecosystem as a whole. It also calls for setting priorities for addressing missing information, a critical step given today’s budget constraints.
