GC13K-01:
Adapting Research Agendas and Observing Programs for Responding to Arctic Change

Monday, 15 December 2014: 1:40 PM
Maribeth S Murray1, Peter Schlosser2, Lize-Marie van der Watt3, Judy Fahnestock4, Vinay Rajdev1, Gabriela Ibarguchi1 and Kent Spiers5, (1)Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada, (2)Columbia University, Dept. of Earth and Environmental Engineering and Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, New York, NY, United States, (3)Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, Stockholm, Sweden, (4)ARCUS, Fairbanks, AK, United States, (5)University of Calgary, Anthropology and Archaeology, Calgary, AB, Canada
Abstract:
This paper presents a synthesis of data related to two types of response to arctic change: 1) The response of the research community to societal needs for information around arctic change; and 2) The response of stakeholder communities to engagement efforts designed to improve scientific observations for the purposes of adaptation, mitigation and management of arctic change. In the first instance we focus on how the research trajectory has changed across all disciplines during the period from 2003 to present, and present quantitative data demonstrating a shift in orientation and purpose. In the second instance we illustrate from two case studies wherein stakeholder engagement has been critical to framing objectives for and outcomes from environmental observing programs in ways that lead to solutions for coping with change.