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through accidental or illegal discharge as the most signicant environmental threat in the Arctic. Also explored were the poten- tial impacts on arctic marine ecosystems of lengthening the navigation season and year-round navigation. A major concern identified in AMSA is the general lack of marine infrastructure in the Arctic, except for areas along the Norwegian coast and coastal regions of northwest Russia. Missing or lacking infrastructure in most arctic areas include hydrographic data and marine charts; complete and adequate communications coverage; environmental monitoring (weather, sea ice, and icebergs); search and rescue (SAR); salvage; environ- mental response capacity; ship monitoring and tracking; aids to navigation; and more. AMSA emphasizes that the vastness and harshness of the arctic environment make conduct of marine emergency response more dicult than in other marine regions. Another key factor is that the Arctic Oceans hydrographic data- base for charting is not adequate in most areas to support current and future arctic marine activity. And the monitoring network of meteorological and oceanographic observations critical to safe navigation is extremely sparse and not adequate to support increases in arctic marine navigation. e AMSA infrastructure team also reiterated the absence of a mandatory polar code of navigation for ships and mariners operating in the Arctic Ocean. AMSAs 17 recommendations under the aforementioned broad themes of safety, protection, and infrastructure are fundamental to addressing the complex suite of practical and policy issues in response to increasing arctic marine use. Implementing the AMSA recommendations will require high levels of investment, exten- sive international cooperation, and public-private partnerships. Selected AMSA recommendations include: r T V Q Q P S U J O H F@ P S U T B U * . 0 U P T U S F O H U I F O I B S N P O J [ F B O E S F H V -larly update international standards for Arctic ships r V Q E B U J O H B O E N B O E B U P S Z B Q Q M J D B U J P O P G S F M F W B O U Q B S U T P G * . 0 T Guidelines for Ships Operating in Arctic Ice-Covered Waters r F Y Q M P S J O H U I F Q P T T J C M F I B S N P O J [ B U J P O P G B S D U J D N B S J O F T I J Q Q J O H regulatory regimes (within coastal state jurisdiction and in the central Arctic Ocean) r E F W F M P Q N F O U P G B D P N Q S F I F O T J W F N V M U J O B U J P O B M B S D U J D 4 " 3 instrument (an ongoing task force is drafting such an agree- ment, due in 2011) r D P O T J E F S J O H U I F D P O E V D U P G T V S W F Z T P G B S D U J D N B S J O F V T F C Z indigenous communities, for development of multiple-use man- agement strategies for arctic waterways r J E F O U J G Z J O H B S D U J D B S F B T P G I F J H I U F O F E F D P M P H J D B M B O E D V M U V S B M T J H -nicance and exploring the need for internationally-designated arctic areas for environmental protection r F O I B O D J O H N V U V B M D P P Q F S B U J P O J O U I F ê F M E P G P J M T Q J M M Q S F W F O -tion, and continued development of circumpolar environmental response capabilities r F O H B H J O H X J U I S F M F W B O U J O U F S O B U J P O B M P S H B O J [ B U J P O T G P S F Y B N -ple, IMO and the International Whaling Commission) to further assess the eects on marine mammals of ship noise, disturbance, and strikes in arctic waters r J O W F T U J O H J O I Z E S P H S B Q I J D N F U F P S P M P H J D B M B O E P D F B O P H S B Q I J D E B U B in support of safe navigation and voyage planning in arctic waters r E F W F M P Q N F O U P G B D P N Q S F I F O T J W F B S D U J D N B S J O F U S BA D T Z T U F N U P improve monitoring and tracking of arctic marine activity. e Arctic Council and PAME are now dealing with many of the implementation issues for AMSA and determining which of the recommendations require additional study. An independent eort, a workshop held in October 2009 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks with the University of the Arctic, recently published a report titled Considering a Roadmap Forward: e Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment (available at www.geographyua.org). Six pol- icy issues related to AMSA were identied as having the highest priority: a mandatory polar code of navigation; full tracking and monitoring of arctic commercial ships; an arctic SAR agreement; indigenous marine use surveys; a circumpolar response capacity agreement; and implementation of an arctic observing network. All are clearly required to enhance marine safety and marine envi- ronmental protection in the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. Lawson W. Brigham is a professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and was chair of the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment. He is a retired U.S. Coast Guard cap- tain with polar operational experience. Key Arctic Document continued January 2011 www.sname.org/sname/mt