A Regime Shift is Underway in the Arctic Ocean​

July 23, 2020

Warming waters from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are raising temperatures in the Arctic Ocean and delivering outside nutrients as summer sea ice retreat increases. Near shore wave action in the Arctic is expected to intensify significantly, resulting in more flooding and erosion in coastal communities. In an ongoing regime shift, the Bering and Chukchi seas are beginning to resemble the Pacific Ocean, while the Barents and Kara seas to the east are undergoing Atlantificatioin as warmer, saltier waters from the Atlantic mix with the colder, fresher waters in the Arctic. Productivity in the Arctic is increasing, and it’s no longer due exclusively to sunlight enhancing algae growth under thinning ice. While increased productivity is likely to be a boon to some species, other species struggle to adapt to a landscape once dominated by ice.

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