The melting sea ice of the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO) is leading to increased international interest in its potential fisheries, shipping routes, and potential for conservation. The international Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean highlighted the need for more ecosystem knowledge from both science and Indigenous Knowledge to inform management decisions. This session seeks contributions on the policy, natural science, Indigenous perspectives, and those that use both science and Indigenous Knowledge for improving our ecosystem knowledge of the Central Arctic Ocean. This can also include relevant studies from adjacent regions recognizing interconnectivity between coastal and offshore regions. Topics of interest include Inuit marine resource management practices, biological oceanography, marine ecology, fisheries and policy processes.

Alain Dupuis, John Cheecho, Maxime Geoffroy, Stephanie Meakin