Integrating Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Southern Ocean (ICED) programme: developing links between ICED and CCAMLR

Integrating Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Southern Ocean (ICED) is a regional programme of the Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) Programme and is closely linked with Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). ICED is undertaking integrated circumpolar analyses to improve our understanding of change and the implications for Southern Ocean ecosystems and for management of human impacts. A diverse range of multidisciplinary research is underway through core activities such as historical data rescue and synthesis, fieldwork, and modelling.  Considerable progress has been made in understanding the structure and functioning of ecosystems, modelling species and food webs, and with qualitative assessments of change.  ICED’s current major focus is to build on this work to more comprehensively assess (and where possible quantify) key impacts of change on Southern Ocean ecosystems. This will be achieved through the analysis and integration of available data together with development of models, scenarios and projections. These activities and their outputs will provide valuable information for ecosystem-based management in the region.  The ICED Scientific Steering Committee propose that it is now appropriate for ICED and CCAMLR scientists to work more closely together to jointly identify and address a number of key scientific issues which are of interest to both groups.