Within the margins of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Assembly meetings, on 2 December, the World Maritime University (WMU), in collaboration with the 90 North Foundation, announced the release of the 2025 Arctic Report: The Arctic Ocean Region – Biodiversity, Governance & Protective Measures, a comprehensive assessment of one of the planet’s most rapidly changing and geopolitically significant regions.
Arctic faces rapid change and rising risks
The report warns that the Arctic Ocean—long perceived as remote and inaccessible—is now experiencing profound environmental, economic, and political transformation. As climate change accelerates ice melt and opens new navigation and resource extraction opportunities, the region faces unprecedented ecological and cultural threats.
Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr, President of the World Maritime University, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and global engagement saying, “The Arctic is at the forefront of profound transformations driven by climate change, industrial activity, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. The challenges of Arctic governance demand the integration of science, policy, cultural perspectives, and Indigenous knowledge. This report reflects the shared commitment of WMU and the 90 North Foundation to developing forward-looking frameworks that protect fragile Arctic ecosystems while fostering sustainable development.”
According to the report, the Arctic’s economic potential, particularly in shipping and resource development, has been widely overstated. Analyses that present the Arctic as a shortcut for global trade or a frontier for abundant resources often ignore the region’s harsh environmental conditions, complex geophysical constraints, and serious ecological vulnerabilities.
Pen Hadow, British polar explorer and executive director 90 North Foundation, stated, “As the natural barrier provided by the sea-ice cover recedes, man-made protective measures are now required to restrict deleterious vessel activity in the world’s least-disturbed marine ecosystem. There is now an urgent need to consider Particularly Sensitive Sea Area status for the Central Arctic Ocean to help protect the region’s increasingly vulnerable biodiversity. ”
The report highlights that Arctic ecosystems possess unique characteristics: slow recovery rates, highly specialized biodiversity, and extreme seasonal variations. These traits make them exceptionally sensitive to disturbance from industrial activity and climate change.
Indigenous rights central to future Arctic governance
Indigenous communities—who have sustainably lived in and cared for the Arctic for thousands of years—are among those most at risk. The report outlines the existential pressures these communities face, including threats to food security, cultural continuity, and territorial sovereignty. Industrial-scale operations often proceed without meaningful Indigenous consultation, further exacerbating social and environmental inequities.
To confront these urgent challenges, the report advocates for the development of a cohesive, adaptive, and science-driven governance framework for the Arctic Ocean. Central to this vision is the expanded use of tools such as:
- Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs) under the International Maritime Organization
- Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs)
- Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) under the new Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement
- Enhanced cooperation following the model of the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement
By integrating existing designations with new protective measures, the report outlines a pathway for safeguarding the Arctic as a haven for biodiversity and a region of peaceful international cooperation.
The research was funded by the 90 North Foundation and the report authored by WMU PhD Candidate Antonios Andreadakis, Dr Graeme Chesters of 90 North Foundation, and WMU Professor Dimitrios Dalaklis. It combines expertise from WMU and the 90 North Foundation, a UK-based charitable organization promoting biodiversity conservation, scientific endeavor, and peaceful cooperation in the Central Arctic Ocean.
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Source: wmu.se
