Effects of Increased UV-Radiation in the Arctic: Support for a Workshop by SCOPE and the International Arctic Science Committee

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The polar regions are the areas of the earth where the effects of increased ultraviolet radiation first can be detected. Indications of increased ultraviolet radiation have been reported in both polar regions. Increased ultraviolet radiation can have severe effects on humans, as well as on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The Arctic, with a population of millions of people (including indigenous populations) may be the first populated area to be affected. Some major changes may have to occur in northern societies and settlements, especially those harvesting marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In a few years this issue may become a concern for media, with the public and politicians asking the science community what we know and what should be done. The International Arctic Science Committee, of which the United States is a member, has initiated a process leading to a report summarizing our present knowledge, and a science plan covering effects on humans, terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and possibly effects on northern societies and settlements. This award will provide partial support for a small workshop of experts to summarize the results of a 1994 open scientific meeting on the effects of ultraviolet radiation in the Arctic. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment. The report will summarize the current state of knowledge and help prioritize research topics in this important field of Arctic research.