At COP16, world leaders discussed the critical role of biodiversity for human survival – highlighting the importance of understanding ecosystems like those found in the Arctic.
The Arctic remains one of the least explored regions on Earth. This is especially true of the Arctic deep ocean, with an average depth of over 1000 metres. However, within this expansive, deep, and cold environment lie biodiverse habitats teeming with myriad species, many of which remain undiscovered or under-studied by science.
In this video we spoke to Bodil Bluhm, a professor from UiT: the Arctic University of Norway about the importance of Arctic biodiversity. Bodil’s research focuses on the complex interactions between Arctic benthic (seafloor) ecosystems and the broader oceanic and ice-associated life forms.
Bodil eloquently summarised the importance of Arctic biodiversity, emphasising the ecosystem’s intricate web that sustains life both in and beyond the Arctic region:
“Why should anybody care about Arctic biodiversity is a really good question,” “It takes a whole ecosystem to support one polar bear. Behind that bear and its food, the seal, is thousands of species that make it possible for that bear to be there in the first place.”
The lessons from COP16 have shown the importance of ecosystem-level conservation to climate resilience. Arctic biodiversity is not an isolated wonder; it’s an essential part of the global ecosystem, producing oxygen, sustaining marine food webs, and playing a key role in medical advancements. As Bodil points out:
“you at COP, you’ve just eaten fish, maybe you’ve eaten shrimps from the Arctic, you’ve taken a breath of the oxygen that was produced in the Arctic Ocean…we use the ocean, including the Arctic, for our daily lives, whether we are aware of it or not.”
With our daily lives intricately linked to these remote waters, the need for exploration and understanding is clear. In the face of climate and ecosystem challenges, Arctic Biodiversity is a key indicator of ocean ecosystem health, highlighting the urgency for policies that protect our oceans and, by extension, our planet.
