APEAR

This project brings together leading researchers from the UK and Germany, with the partnership from the Sweden, capitalising on the critical mass of the expertise in the Arctic sea ice, ocean and ecosystems modelling, Arctic physical oceanography and ecosystems, and climate science. The key practical outcome from the project will be future projections of the changes in the Arctic ecosystems during the 21st century.

These projections will include analyses of model uncertainty and will quantify the impact of the emerging influence of the new Arctic physical climate on the ecosystems, helping assessments of the impact on the fisheries, Arctic industries and societies. The results will be utilised for the offshore industries, marine transport and insurance sector. They will assist making informed policy and sustainable development decisions for the Arctic regions.

The principal beneficiaries will be: the climate research and forecasting centres, e.g. the UK Met Office; climate research (the IPCC); policy makers (e.g. Defra and FCO) and international independent advisory organisations, such as the Arctic Council and Arctic Economic Council; off-shore oil and gas industries, shipping classification societies; environmental monitoring bodies, e.g. Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme of the Arctic Council Working Group and the general public and local communities.