WP 2 Environmental impact

The main object of WP 2 is to provide basis and documentation to contribute to reduce risks of environmental impact of Arctic shipping, particularly related to discharges of propulsion fuel, oil cargos and other relevant payload on board Arctic going vessels. Focus will be on, but not limited to, biological and resource effects of spills from shipping on the ecosystems in ice-covered, ice-infested and open waters of the European Arctic.

Two key questions, which will be addressed:

Given present and future shipping and navigation activity patterns, what are the risk for and effects of accidental spills in the Euro-Arctic marine environment?
Considering likely effects from oil spills, do present international regulations and standards for international shipping under MARPOL and IMO sufficiently preserve the Arctic environment and ecosystems?

Lars-Henrik Larsen fra Akvaplan-niva disputerte 8. juni med avhandling om miljøeffekter fra arktisk shipping.

""Navigare necesse est”. Bioenvironmental implications of shipping in the European Arctic”