The Good, The Bad And The Arctic

2005 Hidden Ocean Expedition – Grades 9-12 (Biology/Earth Science)Focus: Social, economic and environmental consequences of Arctic climate changeterm assignment extending over several weeks.oceanexplorer.noaa.govare available on the Ocean Explorer and ACIAWeb sites.2. Briefly review the geography of the ArcticOcean, highlighting the location of the CanadaBasin and the activities of the Hidden Oceanexpedition. Point out that the climate of theArctic is rapidly changing, and it is essentialto understand the present structure of theseecosystems as a baseline against which tomeasure changes in the future. You may wantto briefly mention some of the implications ofArctic climate change, but do not spend a greatdeal of time on this since one group of studentreports will deal specifically with this topic.Depending upon students’ internet researchskills, you may want to provide the followinglinks, or simply say that students should refer toresources provided by the Arctic Council andACIA. As noted above, these resources containextensive amounts of information, so it is important to specify the approximate length and levelof detail expected in students’ reports. Key references and links are:Uʺ Ê } } ÌûÊ(www.amap.no/acia/highlights.pdf)UÊ }i ÕÃÊ*i « iÃÊ-iVÀiÌ À ÌÊ http://arcticpeoples.org/)Uʺ1 iÀÃÌ }Ê ÀVÌ VÊ À iÊ* ÕÌ tm)Uʺ V ÃÞÃÌi L Ãi Ê ««À V iÃÊv ÀÊ ÃiÀÛ }ÊArctic Biodiversity” (http://www.pame.is/ecosystemapproach)3. Tell students that their assignment is toinvestigate Arctic climate change and preparereports about some of the social, economic,and environmental consequences that areexpected to result from this change. Assign oneof the following topics to each student group:UÊ ÌiÊÌÀi ÃÊ ÊÌ iÊ ÀVÌ VÊÀi} UÊ }i ÕÃÊ«i « iÃÊ ÊÌÀ Ì Ê Ü i }iUÊ ÀVÌ VÊ À iÊ« ÕÌ UÊ Û À i Ì Êi iÀ}i V iÃÊ ÊÀ Ã Ê }iment in the ArcticUÊ V ÃÞÃÌi L Ãi Ê ««À V iÃÊv ÀÊV ÃiÀÛ }ÊArctic biodiversity4. Have each student group present an oralreport on their research findings, then lead adiscussion of these results. Key points include:Climate Trends in the Arctic RegionUÊ/ iÊ ÀVÌ VÊV ÌiÊ ÃÊÜ À }Ê ÀiÊÀ « ÞÊÌ Êi ÃiÜ iÀiÊ Ê ÀÌ Ê,i à ÃÊv ÀÊÌ ÃÊinclude:qÊ,i ÕVi ÊÃÕÀv ViÊÀiv iVÌ Û ÌÞÊV ÕÃi ÊLÞÊsnow- and ice- melt allows more solar energy to be absorbed by the Earth’s surface;– More of the trapped energy goes directly towarming rather than to providing heat forevaporation;– Less heat is required to warm the atmosphere over the Arctic because the Arcticatmosphere is thinner than elsewhere;– With less sea ice, the heat absorbed by theocean in summer is more easily transferredto the atmosphere in winter; and– Changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation can cause heat to be retained in theArctic region.Because the individual reports relevant to thesetopics contain different amounts of informationyou may want to adjust the size of student groupsto reflect the quantity of material to be reviewed.Tell students that each group should reviewgeneral information on Arctic climate changeand answer questions in Part A of the “Impactsof Arctic Climate Change Worksheet” beforebeginning work on their specific topic. Tellstudents that the Guide Questions in Part B ofthe worksheet are intended to help focus onkey topics, but that they should include otherinformation in their reports that they feel is relevant or important. You may also want to havestudents include graphs and other images that4

oceanexplorer.noaa.gov2005 Hidden Ocean Expedition – Grades 9-12 (Biology/Earth Science)Focus: Social, economic and environmental consequences of Arctic climate changeUÊ ÕÀÀi ÌÊ} L ÊÌi «iÀ ÌÕÀiÊÌÀi ÃÊV V iÊwith a rise in atmospheric concentrations ofgreenhouse gases over the last 200 years.– Arctic Athabaskan Council representingAthabaskans in Canada and the U.S.;– Gwich’in Council International representingGwich’in in Canada and the U.S.;– Inuit Circumpolar Conference representingInuit in Greenland (Denmark), Canada, Ã ]Ê Ê Õ Ì Ê ,ÕÃÃ ÆqÊ,ÕÃÃ Ê ÃÃ V Ì Ê vÊ }i ÕÃÊ*i « iÃÊof the North representing 30 different peoples of the North, Far East, and SiberianÀi} ÃÊ vÊÌ iÊ,ÕÃÃ Ê i iÀ Ì ÆÊ – Saami Council representing Saami people vÊ ÀÜ Þ]Ê-Üi i ]Ê ]Ê Ê,ÕÃÃ UÊ/ iÊ i Ì }ÊÌÀi Ê ÊÌ iÊ Àii Ê ViÊ- iiÌÊwas interrupted in 1992 when ash from theMt. Pinatubo volcano reduced the amount ofsunlight reaching the Earth’s surface, resultingin a short-term global cooling event.UÊ }iÃÊ ÊÃ Ü]Ê Vi]Ê ÊÛi}iÌ Ì Ê ÜiÀÊthe reflectivity of Arctic land and ocean surfaces, causing more solar energy to be absorbedand thus accelerate global warming.UÊ/À Ì Ê Ü i }iÊ ÃÊÌ iÊ Ü i }iÊ vÊindigenous peoples built up over generationsand often passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. It is a combinationof knowledge about the local environment,spiritual beliefs, and social customs and philosophies.UÊ7 iÊÜ À iÀÊÌi «iÀ ÌÕÀiÃÊÜiÀiÊÌ iÊÌÀi Êfor most of the Arctic region between 1966and 1995, a cooling trend took place in thenorthernmost portions of the Arctic during thisperiod. Arctic climate systems are complex,and are strongly influenced by circulationin the atmosphere and oceans. Since thiscirculation is driven primarily by temperaturedifferences, changes in temperature wouldbe expected to alter circulation patterns, andcould isolate some parts of the Arctic regionfrom warmer conditions elsewhere.UÊ*iÀÃ ÃÌi ÌÊÌ Ý VÊÃÕLÃÌ ViÃÊ ÀiÊ Ê iÞÊ ÃÃÕiÊamong indigenous peoples of the Arcticbecause studies have found toxic chemicalsin the body tissues of many people living inthe Arctic.UÊ7 À iÀÊV ÌiÃÊV Õ ÊV ÕÃiÊÃ } v V ÌÊquantities of water, methane, and carbondioxide to be released from the Arctic. Theresult of these releases would be rising sealevel, and increasingly warm temperaturesdue to the “greenhouse effect” of methaneand carbon dioxide (see the “Burp Under theIce” lesson for more about the potential consequences of methane releases).UÊ"ÛiÀÊ ÞÊ}i iÀ Ì Ã]Ê ÀVÌ VÊ }i ÕÃÊpeoples have selected diets that meet thespecific nutritional needs of humans livingin the Arctic climate. Switching to importedfoods could pose significant health risks, aswell as financial hardships since importedfoods are almost certain to be moreexpensive than traditional foods. In addition,a drastic change in diet would have spiritualand cultural impacts, since a deep attachmentto the land and the food it provides arecentral elements of indigenous Arctic cultures.Indigenous Peoples and TraditionalKnowledgeUÊ/ iÊ ÀVÌ VÊ }i ÕÃÊ À} â Ì ÃÊ« ÀÌ V pating in the Arctic Council are:– Aleut International Association represent }Ê iÕÌÃÊ ÊÌ iÊ,ÕÃÃ Ê Ê iÀ V ÊAleutian Islands;UÊ/ iÊ-Ì V Ê Ûi Ì Ê Ê*iÀÃ ÃÌi ÌÊOrganic Pollutants commits nations that ratifythe treaty to work toward of elimination oftwelve of the world’s most dangerous chemi-5

2005 Hidden Ocean Expedition – Grades 9-12 (Biology/Earth Science)Focus: Social, economic and environmental consequences of Arctic climate changecals whose health effects include cancer,reproductive disorders, immune system deficiencies and reductions in cognitive function.The compounds targeted by the Conventionare:– Aldrin– Chlordane– Dieldrin– Dioxins– DDT– Endrin– Furans– Heptachlor– Hexachlorobenzene– Mirex– Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)– Toxapheneoceanexplorer.noaa.govArctic Marine PollutionUÊ/ iÊv ÕÀÊ ÀÊV Ìi} À iÃÊ vÊV Ì ÌÃÊfound in the Arctic are:– Persistent organic pollutants– Heavy metals– Artificial radionucelides– Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)UÊ ÃÌÊV Ì ÌÃÊ À } ÌiÊÜ Ì Ê }À VÕ ÌÕÀ Êand industrial activities elsewhere on Earth.Some of the contaminants that enter globalair and water circulation are eventually carried to the Arctic.UÊ iÀVÕÀÞ]ÊV Õ Ê Ê i Ê ÀiÊÌ iÊ i ÛÞÊmetals of greatest concern. Fossil fuel combustion is the primary anthropogenic source ofmercury. Production of nonferrous metals suchas zinc is the primary anthropogenic sourceof cadmium and lead, although combustionof leaded gasoline was the primary sourceof lead prior to the widespread ban on leadadditives in gasoline.The significance of the Convention to indigenouspeoples of the Arctic region is primarily thatthere is a formal commitment to eliminate theuse and production of dangerous chemicals thathave found their way from other parts of theworld into the Arctic. Actual implementation ofthe Convention may require years, however, andthere are many other sources of contaminationthat pose serious threats to Arctic ecosystems.UÊ À Ìi Êv iÊÀiÌ À ÌÃÊ Ê«iÀv Õ À nated alkanes used to make clothing stainresistant are two relatively new sources ofpersistent organic pollutants.UÊ « VÌÃÊ vÊ ÀVÌ VÊV ÌiÊV }iÊ Ê }enous peoples of the region include:– Changes in reindeer grazing pasturesqÊ,i ÕVÌ Ê Ê« ÀÊLi ÀÊ« «Õ Ì ÃÊbecause of habitat loss– Appearance of new insect species– Damage to buildings, pipelines, and roadsbecause of coastal erosion and unstablesoils resulting from melting permafrost– Increasingly dangerous conditions on traditional ice and water transportation routesdue to thinning ice and altered water flows– Continued reduction of sea ice and alteredvegetation in the Arctic is likely to createmajor shortages of traditional foods.UÊ ÕV i ÀÊÜi « ÃÊÌiÃÌ }Ê ÃÊ ÃÌ À V ÞÊbeen the greatest source of radionucleidecontamination.UÊ Ì ÌÃÊ ÞÊi ÌiÀÊÌ iÊ ÀVÌ VÊ À iÊenvironment via– inflowing ocean currents– atmospheric deposition– north-flowing rivers– runoff from land– direct disposal into the oceanUÊ-«À }Ì iÊ iÀVÕÀÞÊ i« iÌ ÊiÛi ÌÃÊ VVÕÀÊ ÌÊthe time of polar sunrise when a combinationof chemical reactions cause gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0) to be converted into a gas-6

oceanexplorer.noaa.gov2005 Hidden Ocean Expedition – Grades 9-12 (Biology/Earth Science)Focus: Social, economic and environmental consequences of Arctic climate changeeous ionized form (Hg2 ) that is much morereactive and as a result is readily depositedonto various surfaces. When reactive mercuryis deposited onto snow it may be carried bysnow melt into marine and aquatic environments where it is transformed into methyl mercury which accumulates in food chains andeventually concentrates in marine mammals.er tissue concentrations of persistent organicpollutants than guillemots, because great skuaare higher in the food chain and are thuslikely to have a greater degree of biomagnification of contaminants.UÊ/ iÊ Õ i]ÊÀi«À ÕVÌ Ûi]Ê iÀÛ ÕÃ]Ê Êi crine systems are known to be significantlyaffected by persistent organic pollutants.UÊ V Vi ÌÀ Ì Ê ÃÊÌ iÊ«À ViÃÃÊ ÊÜ V Êa contaminant passes through cell membranes directly into an organism from thesurrounding water. The concentration of thecontaminant inside the cells may becomemuch greater than the concentration in thewater. This process is particularly significantin zooplankton and phytoplankton. In largerorganisms, consumption of contaminated preyis the primary way in which contaminantsenter the organism. Once the contaminant isingested the only way the organism can getrid of it is through excretion or metabolism.Bioaccumulation occurs when the rate atwhich a contaminant is ingested exceeds therate at which the organism is able to get ridof the contaminant. Biomagnification occurswhen the concentration of a contaminantincreases with each step in the food chain.For example, if a plankton feeder must consume 10 grams of plankton to produce 1gram of biomass, a contaminant in the plankton could be increased ten-fold in the plankton feeder (assuming the plankton feeder wasunable to get rid of the contaminant).UÊ* ÀÊLi ÀÃ]ÊÌ iÊÌ «Ê«Ài Ì ÀÊ ÊÌ iÊ ÀVÌ VÊmarine ecosystem, have been found to havereduced rates of cub survival that correlatewith high tissue levels of persistent organicpollutants.UÊ i Ê ÃÊ ÌÊ}i iÀ ÞÊV à iÀi ÊÌ ÊLiÊ Êmajor risk to ecosystem health because leadin seawater is typically adsorbed onto particulate matter and is not readily available toliving organisms. As a result, lead does notaccumulate in organisms and is not subject tobiomagnification. Mercury, on the other hand,is converted to methylmercury by microorganisms and is much more available to other living organisms. Methylmercury is also biomagnified in food chains, so animals at the top ofa food chain may have tissue concentrationsof mercury 1000 - 3000 times higher than theconcentration in surrounding seawater.UÊ/ iÊ Õ ÌÊ«i « iÊ ÛiÊ } iÀÊiÝ« ÃÕÀiÊÌ Êmercury than the Dene people because oftheir dietary preference for marine mammals,which are higher in the food chain than foodspreferred by the Dene.UÊ iÝ V À VÞV iÝ iÃÊ Ã Ê ÀiÊÌ iÊ ÃÌÊcommon persistent organic pollutants in Arcticseawater. There are eight different HCHisomers, one of which (gamma-HCH, commonly known as lindane) is manufactured asan insecticide. Lindane produces a variety oftoxic effects in humans, including death. AllHCH isomers are likely to cause cancer.UÊ/ iÊ«À ÀÞÊÃÌÀ Ìi}ÞÊv ÀÊÀi ÕV }Ê Õ Êexposure to persistent organic pollutants andheavy metals in the Arctic has been to suggest that girls and pregnant women limit oreliminate their consumption of species thatare likely to have high concentrations of contaminants (such as marine mammals high onthe food chain).UÊ Ài ÌÊÃ Õ ÊÜ Õ ÊLiÊiÝ«iVÌi ÊÌ Ê ÛiÊ } -7

2005 Hidden Ocean Expedition – Grades 9-12 (Biology/Earth Science)Focus: Social, economic and environmental consequences of Arctic climate changeoceanexplorer.noaa.govof environmental emergencies in the Arctic.Environmental Emergencies and RiskManagement in the ArcticUÊ/ iÊ iÀ}i VÞÊ*ÀiÛi Ì Ê*Ài« Ài iÃÃÊ Ê,ië ÃiÊ7 À }Ê À Õ«Ê ÃÊ«À À ÞÊV cerned with emergencies associated with thespill or release of hazardous materials intothe environment, though the Working Groupis examining the possibility of expanding itsfocus to include natural disasters.Ecosystem-based Approaches forConserving Arctic BiodiversityUÊ ÛiÀà ÌÞÊ ÃÊÌ iÊ Õ ÌÊ vÊÛ À iÌÞÊ ÀÊÛ À ability within a group of organisms. In agiven geographic area, biodiversity includesthe amount of variability between individualsof each species, between different species,and between different ecosystems.UÊ/À ë ÀÌ Ì Ê ÊÃÌ À }iÊ vÊ Ê« ÃiÃÊÌ iÊgreatest threat to the Arctic from release of apollutant.UÊ ÊºiV ÃÞÃÌi Ê ««À V »ÊÕÃiÃÊÌ iÊLiÃÌÊ Û able knowledge about specific ecosystemsand how they work to determine how humanactivities can contribute to maintaining thehealth of these ecosystems as well as obtainmaximum benefits from these ecosystems on acontinuing basis.UÊ ÜÊÌi «iÀ ÌÕÀiÃ]Êà ÀÌÊ}À Ü }ÊÃi à ]Êand fewer species to degrade contaminantsmean that physical and biological processesthat degrade contaminants will operate moreslowly than elsewhere on Earth, and thusmake the Arctic more vulnerable to damagefrom contamination and other human impacts.UÊ Ìi}À Ìi Ê }i i ÌÊ ÃÊ ÊÃiÀ iÃÊ vÊ VÌ ÃÊthat protect natural resources and also ensurethat these resources can be used for sustainedhuman benefit. The key concepts are “protection” and “sustained use.” Integrated management is distinct from a sole emphasis onconservation, as well as from a sole emphasison exploitation for human benefit. The idea isto undertake actions that(1) provide human benefits from using naturalresources, and(2) ensure that natural resources are cared forso that these benefits can continue indefinitely.UÊ vÊVÕÀÀi ÌÊV ÌiÊÌÀi ÃÊV Ì Õi]ÊÃi à Êsea lanes may appear through historicallyice-locked areas of the Arctic by 2015.UÊ/ iÊ«À ÕVÌ Û ÌÞÊ vÊ ÀVÌ VÊÌiÀÀiÃÌÀ ]Ê µÕ Ì V]Êand marine systems is likely to increase asa result of increased freshwater flow due toa warmer climate. Winter habitat in streamsand rivers for freshwater and anadromousfishes should improve significantly, to thepoint that commercial fishing industries maybecome possible.UÊ/ Ê Ìi]ÊÌ iÊ ÃÌÊivviVÌ ÛiÊÜ ÞÊÌ ÊV ÃiÀÛiÊmarine biodiversity has been to regulatehuman activities in the marine environmentand to set aside areas in which human activity is prohibited or closely controlled.UÊ,i ÕVÌ Ê ÊÃi Ê ViÊ ÕiÊÌ ÊV ÌiÊV }iÊwill make natural resources of the Arcticmore accessible. In addition to petroleum,these resources include transportation routes,forestry, mineral resources, fisheries, tourist attractions, and land suitable for urbandevelopment. Because exploitation of theseresources has the potential to cause environmental damage (though such damage is notinevitable), climate change increases the riskUÊ/ iÊ1 Ìi Ê Ì ÃÊ Ûi Ì Ê ÊÌ iÊ ÜÊ vÊthe Sea is the overall framework for conservation and sustainable use of the world’s ocean.UÊ }ÊÌ iÊ ÌiÀ Ì Ê Ûi Ì ÃÊÌ ÌÊ ÀiÊimportant to marine conservation are:8

oceanexplorer.noaa.gov2005 Hidden Ocean Expedition – Grades 9-12 (Biology/Earth Science)Focus: Social, economic and environmental consequences of Arctic climate change– Global Program of Action for the Protectionof the Marine Environment from Land-BasedActivities– Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species– International Whaling Convention– Convention on Wetlands of InternationalImportance– World Heritage Convention– International Migratory Species Convention– United Nations Fisheries Agreement– Convention for the Prevention of Pollutionfrom Ships– Convention on the Protection of the MarineEnvironment of the Northeast Atlantic– Incorporate marine biodiversity concernsinto decision-making processes– Assess the interaction between developmentactivities and biodiversity– Identify threats to Arctic marine species andidentify appropriate conservation measures– Assess impacts of major threats (see above)and develop appropriate strategies to minimize their impact– Develop and implement programs to monitor Arctic marine biodiversity– Work with non-Arctic states to improveconservation strategies for migratory andnomadic species– Encourage participation of Arctic indigenous peoples and other residents and localcommunities in marine biodiversity conservation activities– Develop a circumpolar marine policy thatrecognizes all values of the marine environment– Consider establishing a circumpolar ArcticMarine Ecosystem Council to coordinate implementation of an Arctic MarineStrategic PlanUÊ }ÊÌ iÊÌ Ài ÌÃÊÌ Ê ÀVÌ VÊ À iÊL ÛiÀsity are:– Climate change– Ozone depletion– Environmental changes– Threats to the high seas– Physical disturbance & habitat fragmentation– Chemical disturbance– Invasive alien species– Overexploitation associated with commercial use– Incidental impacts of commercial use– Overexploitation associated with subsistance use– Aquaculture– Commercial shipping and extractive uses– TourismTHE BRIDGE CONNECTIONwww.vims.edu/bridge/ – Enter “greenhouse” in the“Search” box, then click “Search” to displayentries on the , Web site for global warming and the greenhouse effect.THE “ME” CONNECTIONHave students write a brief essay describinghow knowledge of previously unexplored Arcticmarine environments (like the Canada Basin)could be personally important. If they have difficulty getting started, suggest that they considerhow the Arctic region as a whole is personallyimportant (consider global weather systems) andhow climate change in this region may have personal impacts.UÊ/Üi ÛiÊ VÌ ÃÊÌ ÊV ÃiÀÛiÊL ÛiÀÃ ÌÞÊÌ ÌÊhave been recommended for inclusion in theArctic Council’s Arctic Marine Strategic Planare:– Identify ecologically-important marine areasand habitats and ensure their protection– Promote an ecosystem approach to Arcticmarine and coastal resource use– Manage Arctic marine activities to supportprotection, maintenance, and restoration ofbiodiversity9

2005 Hidden Ocean Expedition – Grades 9-12 (Biology/Earth Science)Focus: Social, economic and environmental consequences of Arctic climate changeCONNECTIONS TO OTHER SUBJECTSBiology, Chemistry, English/Language Arts,GeographyEVALUATIONStudent reports prepared in Learning ProcedureStep 3 and group discussion in Step 4 provideopportunities for assessment.EXTENSIONS1. Have students visit c/welcome.html to keep up todate with the latest 2005 Hidden OceanExpedition discoveries.2. Visit http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expl

consequences of Arctic climate change are a primary concern of an intergovernmental group known as the Arctic Council. Members of the Arctic Council include all of the nations whose territory includes the Arctic region: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Ì