The case study provides an overview of the Alaskan marine Arctic environment in terms of: 1) the state and status of its ecosystems and their biodiversity; 2) the drivers and associated pressures that impact marine ecosystem health, as well as 3) the policies in place to protect the marine environment, in particular through marine protected areas.

This report contains one of six case studies of the ArkMPA, including five on marine policies in states bordering the Arctic Ocean, and one overarching regional report. The case study provides an overview of the Canadian marine Arctic environment in terms of: 1) the state and status of its ecosystems and their biodiversity; 2) the drivers and associated pressures that impact marine ecosystem health, as well as 3) the policies in place to protect the marine environment, in particular through marine protected areas.

This policy brief surveys the current state and recent development of the Arctic blue economy in the five Arctic coastal states (Canada, Denmark, USA, Russia and Norway), as well as the Arctic High Seas, to understand potential impacts on Arctic marine biodiversity. It also analyses the driving factors behind these developments.

The consequences of climate change are much more visible in the Arctic than in other regions of the world. The increasing loss of sea ice allows to use parts of the Arctic Ocean for a longer time and more intensively than before. This could threaten biodiversity in the polar region critically. Ecologic Institute and its partners are analyzing how a network of marine protected areas in the region could help to conserve marine biodiversity and ensure the functioning of marine ecosystems and their effective management.