To fully understand the extent of climate-related dangers the Arctic – and our planet – is facing, we must focus on organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye.
Ice in the Chukchi Sea, north of Alaska and Siberia.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Deonie Allen, University of Birmingham; Melanie Bergmann, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, and Steve Allen, Dalhousie University
Arctic sea ice algae contaminated with microplastics have serious consequences for ecosystems and the climate.
Killer whales are the apex predator in the oceans.
(Shutterstock)
By analyzing small samples of killer whale fat, scientists can learn about the diets of different killer whale populations. This has implications for our understanding of changing ecosystems.
Russia is attempting to claim more of the Arctic seabed, an area rich in oil, gas and minerals. It’s also expanding shipping and reopening Arctic bases. Here are two things the U.S. can do about it.
The polar night can last for weeks and even months in the high Arctic.
Rowan Romeyn/Alamy Stock Photo
Gemma Ware, The Conversation and Daniel Merino, The Conversation
A transcript of episode 5 of The Conversation Weekly podcast, including stories on the Arctic Ocean and new archaeological finds in Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge.
The Arctic is warming two to three times faster than any other place on Earth.
Kevin Xu Photography via Shutterstock
Gemma Ware, The Conversation and Daniel Merino, The Conversation
Plus, new discoveries about early humans in Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge. Listen to episode 5 of The Conversation Weekly podcast.
Scientists have found widespread evidence of microplastics in the Arctic Ocean. This could further stress the fragile Arctic ecosystem and the food it provides to people living there.
(Shutterstock)
Microplastic pollution is a global issue, but where do they come from and how are they transported across the ocean? A new study finds polyester microfibres are common throughout the Arctic Ocean.
Belugas use sound to communicate, navigate the dark marine environment and find food. But climate change is opening up Arctic waters to more sound, and could affect the health and survival of belugas.
More than 600 experts will spend the next year drifting in Arctic waters to gain a better understanding of how climate change is affecting the region and how it can be fought.
A camera catches a huge Greenland shark in eastern Baffin Bay, near Disko Bay, Greenland.
Jonathan Fisher
New shipping opportunities are opening up in the Arctic as sea ice continues to recede. But travel is still dangerous and the region isn’t equipped to deal with more vessel traffic.