© James Morgan / WWF-UK
Features
Arctic Biodiversity Initiative: Working together to support marine conservation
- ArcNet
- Biodiversity and nature
- Canada
- Communities
- Greenland
- United States
The icy waters of the Arctic Ocean are home to a range of species—from Atlantic walrus to narwhals to Arctic terns. These waters are also critical in supporting the cultural identity, food security and economic well-being of many of the region’s four million residents.
But as the Arctic warms at an alarming rate—almost four times faster than the global average—Arctic waters and the ecosystems and communities they support are being put at risk. That’s why WWF created ArcNet, an innovative way to ensure the Arctic Ocean remains resilient and full of life.
© WWF-US / Chris Conner
Collaborating to support ArcNet’s goals
As a way to reach ArcNet’s goals, the WWF Global Arctic Programme launched the Arctic Biodiversity Initiative, or ABI. It provides financial support to WWF offices in the U.S., Canada and Greenland for projects that are enhancing the conservation of biological diversity and ecological processes across the entire Arctic marine environment.
The ABI addresses the dual challenges of protecting Arctic biodiversity from the threats posed by climate change and increasing industrial development, while ensuring support for effective conservation methods. Each of the ABI projects also fosters key partnerships between different actors and communities in the Arctic, looking to both Indigenous and scientific knowledge to support biodiversity conservation.
The ABI projects in pictures
© David Merron / WWF-US
Alaska, WWF-US
In Alaska, WWF-US and the Inuit communities of Kotilk and Emmonak are working together to listen for the sounds of belugas in the Yukon River to better understand these whales and how they’re adapting to a changing ecosystem.
© Emina Ida / WWF-Canada
Nunavut, WWF-Canada
In Nunavut, WWF-Canada is supporting the vision of Inuit leaders to carry out conservation projects within their communities to conserve natural areas and species while also protecting livelihoods and enhancing food security.
© WWF-US / Chris Conner
East Greenland, WWF
In East Greenland, WWF is helping tour operators to learn from Iceland’s experience in order to support and expand tourism in the region without harming the pristine environment that makes East Greenland special.
Boosting marine conservation in the Arctic
Through the use of new and innovative tools, the ABI’s projects are creating blueprints for collaborative and inclusive approaches to area-based biodiversity conservation, including Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas. By cultivating conservation partnerships, these projects are also enabling marine rights holders and stakeholders to contribute to and drive biodiversity conservation efforts.
At the WWF Global Arctic Programme, we are committed to working towards our vision for a well-managed, biodiverse, and resilient Arctic. By supporting on the ground conservation initiatives, the ABI is helping to build a coherent ocean spanning network of priority areas and corridors—and supporting our long-term target of protecting 30 percent of the ocean by 2030.
What we do today matters. If we work together to support innovative projects such as the ABI, we can boost marine biodiversity conservation in the Arctic—and secure a future for its nature, peoples and all those who rely on it.
By WWF Global Arctic Programme
