HSD: The Dynamics of Human-Sea Ice Relationships: Comparing Changing Environments in Alaska, Nunavut, and Greenland

近年来，北冰洋海冰一直在变薄、退缩，并改变着冻结和破裂的模式。对于北极的许多土著社区来说，深深植根于时间和身份的海冰利用和人与海冰的关系正受到挑战。科学家、决策者和其他人迫切需要更好地了解围绕北极海冰变化的人类和社会动态，沿海社区面临什么风险，以及应对措施可能是什么。利用国际、多学科和跨文化的“海冰知识交流”这一独特的方法，研究人员将与来自北极三个地区(阿拉斯加的巴罗、加拿大努纳武特的克莱德河和格陵兰的卡阿纳克)的土著海冰专家(猎人和长老)合作，在这三个社区进行比较研究。研究小组将综合社会科学(例如访谈；参与式观测)和物理科学(例如遥感图像和气象数据的分析)的传统知识、科学和方法，研究：(1)海冰的特征及其人类利用海冰，包括人与海冰关系在三个社区的社会组织中的作用；(2)人类使用模式随时间的变化；(3)海冰的变化，特别注意对人类使用最关键的特征；(4)人类对海冰变化的最新反应；(5)海冰变化和人类反应的社会影响；(6)对未来变化、影响和适应的影响。研究结果将(A)在对沿海居民和生态系统最重要的规模上对北极生态系统目前和预期的变化提供重要见解；(B)洞察当地居民目前和潜在的适应情况；(C)让当地居民参与研究，从而提高他们参与科学研究的能力，同时提高与当地社区有效交流结果的能力；(D)让年轻的研究人员(研究生、初级科学家和当地高中生)参与研究；(F)为社区的海冰研究提供培训和基础设施(如冰监测设备和口述历史培训)，并建立一个由三个国家的研究人员和北极居民组成的网络；(G)为研究北极人与环境的关系建立模型和工具，并将土著知识与科学联系起来；及(H)为加拿大冰务局和因努伊特人圈理事会等组织正在进行的研究工作贡献数据和分析。这项研究扩展了国际北极气候影响评估(ACIA 2005)确定的问题，并将为2007-2008国际极地年(IPY)做出贡献。2006财年NSF范围内的人类和社会动力学竞赛(HSD)产生的一个奖项支持这个项目。NSF的所有董事和办公室都参与了HSD竞赛和HSD奖项组合的协调管理。

In recent years, Arctic sea ice has been thinning, retreating, and changing its patterns of freeze up and break up. For many indigenous communities in the Arctic, sea-ice use and human-sea ice relationships that are deeply rooted in time, as well as identity, are being challenged. There is an urgent need for scientists, decision makers, and others to better understand the human and social dynamics surrounding Arctic sea-ice change, what is at stake for coastal communities, and what the responses might be. Using the unique approach of an international, multidisciplinary, and multicultural "sea-ice knowledge exchange," the investigators, in partnership with indigenous sea ice experts (hunters and Elders) from three regions of the Arctic (Barrow, Alaska; Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada; and Qaanaaq, Greenland), will conduct a comparative study across these three communities. Bringing together traditional knowledge, science, and methods from social sciences (e.g. interviews; participatory observation) and physical science (e.g. analysis of remote sensing imagery and meteorological data), the research team will examine: (1) characteristics of sea ice and its use by humans, including the role of the human-sea ice relationship in social organization of the three communities; (2) changes in human use patterns over time; (3) changes to sea ice, with particular attention to the features most crucial for human uses; (4) recent human responses to changes in sea ice; (5) societal impacts from sea ice changes and human responses; and (6) implications for future changes, impacts, and adaptation.The results of the research will (a) provide important insights into present and anticipated changes to Arctic ecosystems at scales most significant to coastal inhabitants and ecosystems; (b) insights into present and potential adaptations by local residents; (c) involve local residents in the study, thereby increasing their capacity for collaborative participation in scientific research while improving capabilities to communicate results effectively to the local communities; (d) involve young investigators (graduate student, junior scientists, and local high school students); (e) increase the capacity of groups such as the Inuit Circumpolar Council and local Hunters and Trappers Associations to take a substantial role in Arctic research; (f) provide training and infrastructure for sea ice research in communities (e.g. ice monitoring equipment and oral history training) and build a network of researchers and Arctic residents across three countries; (g) create models and tools for studying human-environment relationships in the Arctic, as well as linking indigenous knowledge and science; and (h) contribute data sets and analysis to ongoing research efforts by organizations such as the Canadian Ice Service and the Inuit Circumpolar Council. The study expands on issues identified by the international Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA 2005) and will contribute to the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008.An award resulting from the FY 2006 NSF-wide competition on Human and Social Dynamics (HSD) supports this project. All NSF directorates and offices are involved in the coordinated management of the HSD competition and the portfolio of HSD awards.