Helicopter landing on the former NOAA Ship Surveyor in the Arctic Pack
Ice
Arctic region reference map with place names
The North Pole, April 2000. Photograph by Sigrid Salo, NOAA/PMEL
1315 East West Highway
Silver Spring MD 20910
301-713-1671
http://www.oar.noaa.gov
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Integrating
NOAA's research in a region critical to our nation and our planet
What does the Arctic Research
Office do for the nation?
The Arctic Research Office (ARO) serves as a focal point for NOAA's research
activities in the Arctic, Bering Sea, North Pacific and North Atlantic
regions. The office manages the Arctic Research Initiative and other funds
allocated to it, supporting both internal NOAA and extramural research.
The Office also undertakes coordination and outreach activities to support
scientific research. It represents NOAA on the Interagency Arctic Research
Policy Committee, leads U.S. involvement in the international Arctic Monitoring
and Assessment Program, and provides a point of contact between NOAA and
the Cooperative Institute for Arctic Research and the International Arctic
Research Center, both at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Recent Accomplishments:
- Brought together the Arctic countries to undertake the Arctic Climate
Impact Assessment by organizing the formative scientific meeting. Payoffs:
Scientifically sound Arctic Climate change scenarios and assessments
of climate impacts will be presented to the Arctic Council for policy
action in 2001 and 2004 respectively.
- Lead the U.S. agencies to develop an integrated Federal plan for studying
environmental change in the Arctic. Payoffs:
U.S. agencies will focus their efforts to achieve a comprehensive understanding
of climate change in the Arctic and of its consequences for the northern
hemisphere.
- Lead development of the Arctic Theme Page (www.arctic.noaa.gov/) to
bring Arctic science to students and the general public. Payoffs:
Public awareness of the Arctic people, Arctic environment and wildlife,
and role of the Arctic in our weather, climate, and quality of life.
Scientists supported by the Arctic Research Office
have:
- Provided key data demonstrating the importance of atmospheric transport
for bringing persistent organic pollutants, mercury and other contaminants
to the Arctic. Payoffs: More confident assessment
of risks to people and the environment from toxic chemicals.
- Demonstrated linkages among climate variability, sea ice dynamics,
ecosystem productivity and Native subsistence hunting. Payoffs:
Better information to managers and policy makers.
- Developed models and conducted diagnostic studies to determine how
Arctic atmospheric processes control climate and weather at mid-latitudes.
Payoffs: Improved weather and short-term climate
forecasts by including Arctic processes in forecast models.
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What's next for ARO?
The Arctic, the Bering Sea, and the high North Atlantic are remote areas,
yet they have dramatic impacts on the people and economy of the United
States. The U.S. Arctic Research Commission has stated its priorities
for Arctic Science as: quantifying climate changes in the Arctic and the
role of the Arctic in global climate; approaching Bering Sea ecosystem
predictability; and improving human and environmental health in the Arctic.
The NOAA Arctic Research Office was established in 1999 to demonstrate
NOAA's interest in these areas and to promote more effective science planning
within NOAA and between NOAA and its partners. NOAA's response to these
scientific priorities may permit the U.S. to avoid unanticipated impacts
to its people and economy, and to adapt successfully when environmental
changes do occur. NOAA is working with other Federal agencies, the State
of Alaska, the academic community, and the other Arctic countries to create
science programs with the complexity and scope necessary to answer complex
questions about the Arctic region such as those posed below. Programs
are evolving rapidly as the scientific community and Arctic residents
become more aware of the urgency of responding to changing situations
while effective response is still possible. NOAA has a central role in
developing these programs and will undertake efforts to improve scientific
understanding, provide essential products and services, and build bridges
between scientists, policy-makers, and the public. Three urgent Arctic
science questions currently facing NOAA and the Nation are:
- Can we determine what caused the large-scale changes seen in the Arctic
over the past few years (net warming and increase in the strength of
the circum-Arctic atmospheric circulation) and estimate the effects
of these changes on weather and climate in the Northern Hemisphere?
- Can we learn why there have been dramatic recent declines in critical
marine species (sea lions, salmon) in the Bering Sea, and can we create
a reliable scientific basis for anticipating such changes and improving
living resource management?
- Can we quantify the real risks to Arctic species, including humans,
from the unexpectedly high levels of contaminants present in the Arctic?
Research Partnerships:
The Arctic Research Office works closely with the Cooperative Institute
for Arctic Research at the University of Alaska to define and implement
its research program. Support is provided to several NOAA organizations
and academic institutions to conduct research on critical Arctic science
topics.
Budget and Staff:
The Arctic Research Office has a base budget of $1.6 million and a staff
of 2 full time employees. It provides support for university employees
at the Cooperative Institute for Arctic Research.
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