Ecological impacts of climate change on Arctic marine megafauna

Global warming affects the Arctic more than any other region. Mass media constantly relay apocalyptic visions of climate change threatening Arctic wildlife, especially emblematic megafauna such as polar bears, whales, and seabirds. Yet, we are just beginning to understand such ecological impacts on marine megafauna at the scale of the Arctic. This knowledge is geographically and taxonomically biased, with striking deficiencies in the Russian Arctic and strong focus on exploited species such as cod. Beyond a synthesis of scientific advances in the past 5 years, we provide ten key questions to be addressed by future work and outline the requested methodology. This framework builds upon long-term Arctic monitoring inclusive of local communities whilst capitalising on high-tech and big data approaches.

Automated summary

Global warming has a greater impact on the Arctic than any other region. Media continuously highlight the threat of climate change to Arctic wildlife, particularly iconic megafauna like polar bears, whales, and seabirds. However, our understanding of the ecological impacts on marine megafauna in the Arctic is limited, with significant gaps in research in the Russian Arctic and a focus on exploited species like cod. This article presents a synthesis of recent scientific advances and outlines ten key questions for future research, advocating for a methodology that combines long-term Arctic monitoring, involvement of local communities, and the use of high-tech and big data approaches.