Pollution in the Arctic Ocean: An overview of multiple pressures and implications for ecosystem services

Bryony L Townhill,Kirsten Dähnke,Roxana Sühring,Odile Crabeck,Crispin J Halsall,Jan Kaiser,Efstathios Reppas-Chrysovitsinos,Tina Sanders,Elena Mengo,Silvana N R Birchenough

doi:10.1007/s13280-021-01657-0

Abstract

The Arctic is undergoing unprecedented change. Observations and models demonstrate significant perturbations to the physical and biological systems. Arctic species and ecosystems, particularly in the marine environment, are subject to a wide range of pressures from human activities, including exposure to a complex mixture of pollutants, climate change and fishing activity. These pressures affect the ecosystem services that the Arctic provides. Current international policies are attempting to support sustainable exploitation of Arctic resources with a view to balancing human wellbeing and environmental protection. However, assessments of the potential combined impacts of human activities are limited by data, particularly related to pollutants, a limited understanding of physical and biological processes, and single policies that are limited to ecosystem-level actions. This manuscript considers how, when combined, a suite of existing tools can be used to assess the impacts of pollutants in combination with other anthropogenic pressures on Arctic ecosystems, and on the services that these ecosystems provide. Recommendations are made for the advancement of targeted Arctic research to inform environmental practices and regulatory decisions.

Highlights

The Arctic region is exposed to a range of human pressures of local, regional and global origin, that demonstrate significant perturbations to the Arctic marine ecosystems (Box et al, 2019; Overland et al, 2019)
Significant efforts have been made in existing Arctic monitoring programmes (e.g. AMAP) and research initiatives (e.g. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) CAO, Coastal Pollution Toolbox) to describe, explain and predict environmental changes due to different pollution pressures for the Arctic ecosystem
The current prediction capacity of available in silico tools is mostly limited by the quality and quantity and of physicochemical property data for pollutants, a limited knowledge of their toxic, including sub-lethal, effects on a wide range of species and across generations, and a limited understanding of exposure across food webs (Nilsen et al, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

The Arctic region is exposed to a range of human pressures of local, regional and global origin, that demonstrate significant perturbations to the Arctic marine ecosystems (Box et al, 2019; Overland et al, 2019) These include pollution from a range of sources, fishing and climate change (Wassman et al, 2011; Macdonald et al, 2017; Huntington et al, 2020). The human uses of Arctic ecosystems have intensified due to multiple factors such as increased accessibility, in regions that were previously ice-covered for large parts of the year (Anisimov et al, 2007) This expansion of human activity northwards alters highly sensitive Arctic ecosystems and, compromises the delivery of the ecosystem services they provide (Afflerbach et al, 2017; Huntington et al, 2020). Sources of aquatic pollution in the Arctic include wastewater and waste from settlements, riverine nutrient inputs caused by thawing permafrost and erosion (Tank et al, 2012), emissions from increasing tourism and shipping, long-range atmospheric and oceanic pollution, commercial fisheries, and chemical and waste emissions from resource exploitation including mining, minerals, oil and gas extraction (AMAP, 2018)

Objectives

Conclusion