Turning the Tide for Imperiled Arctic Biodiversity

The Arctic hosts an intricate web of biodiversity. Seals, walruses, and whales roam the frigid ocean waves. Bears, moose, and a variety of plants and fungi sprawl through boreal forest while snowy owls, foxes, and caribou make the grasses and flowers of the tundra their home. Yet, with climate change and human activities making the Arctic one of the most rapidly changing places on the planet, that biodiversity is increasingly at risk. Alex Shahbazi, SEARCH’s Research & Program Fellow, explores the threats, impactful policies, and possible pathways forward for Arctic biodiversity in an article recently published in the Wilson Center’s Polar Points series. Polar Points is a collection of editorials and opinion pieces exploring the central policy issues of the Arctic and Antarctic regions and one of the key communication fora for the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute, a premier forum for discussion and policy analysis of Arctic and Antarctic issues.