PAGES ACME Working Group - Arctic Cryosphere Change and Coastal Marine Ecosystems

The Arctic cryosphere is changing rapidly due to increased runoff from land, changing sea-ice regime and the degradation of the circumpolar permafrost zone. Fjords and other nearshore areas form a productive zone that is vital for both Arctic biodiversity and local communities, rendering the understanding of Arctic coastal ecosystem change from a long-term perspective crucial.

The ACME working group provides a community platform to critically assess and refine available coastal marine proxies that can be used to reconstruct cryosphere changes and their multifaceted ecosystem impacts. ACME seeks to promote a leap forward in the accuracy of paleo reconstructions that are central for deciphering cryosphere-biosphere interactions in the Arctic region at relevant timescales.

The goals for the three-year (2019‒2022) Phase I of the working group are:

- To build a community-refined database that contains a network of proxies commonly used for sea ice, primary production, and meltwater runoff reconstructions in Arctic coastal and fjord environments.

- To facilitate knowledge transfer and collaborations between proxy specialists and the integration of the field and satellite monitoring community.

- To further critical methodological understanding and data handling skills of the next-generation of Arctic paleoceanographers and paleoenvironmental researchers.