Core scientific programs in ISAR-8 consist of Plenary, Regular, and Special sessions. Scientific interaction in ISAR-8 will be performed in the format of oral and poster presentations. Following Regular Sessions are designed by the organizing committee (program and local organizing committees): 1) Atmosphere; 2) Ocean and sea ice; 3) Rivers, lakes, permafrost, and snow cover; 4) Ice sheets, glaciers, and ice cores; 5) Terrestrial ecosystems; 6) Marine ecosystems; 7) Geospace; 8) Laws, politics, and economy; 9) Language, culture, and Environment; and 10) Engineering for sustainable development.
Special Sessions
(S1: SSP13) Changes in radiation fields in Polar Regions
Main-Convener: Ayako Abe-Ouchi
Most climate changes are initiated and affected by changes of radiation. There are ample evidences of radiation changes submerging in the Antarctic and the Arctic, indicating the substantial changes in short-wave and longwave irradiances, including albedo. The time-scale encompassies from glacial/inter-glacial fluctuations to decadal changes affecting the on-giong global warming. The detecting method encompasses from the surface measurements to satellite remote sensings, and theoretical estimations. It is timely to bring the theoretical and observational results together and consider possible mechanisms.
(S2: SSP4) MOSAiC and Beyond: Cross-Cutting Results and Future Plans for Icebreaker-Based Arctic Research
Main-convener: Yusuke Kawaguchi, Co-conveners: Mats Granskog, Jun Inoue
This session invites contributions presenting recent findings and upcoming plans from Arctic field campaigns supported by icebreakers, focusing on interdisciplinary work encompassing meteorology, oceanography, biogeochemistry, and environmental technology. A key emphasis is the MOSAiC expedition aboard Polarstern (2019–2020), which produced unprecedented datasets revealing intricate atmosphere–ice–ocean interactions. We also welcome results from other Polarstern cruises (e.g., ArcWatch) and studies around Svalbard, marginal ice zones, and fjords, where localized processes reflect broader environmental change. Presentations featuring innovative methods, emerging sensor technologies, autonomous platforms, and integrated modeling approaches are especially encouraged. By bringing together researchers involved in current and planned Arctic campaigns, this session aims to deepen scientific understanding, foster collaboration, and help shape the future of Arctic research.
(S3: SSP3) Toward the second Synoptic Arctic Survey in 2030 – a springboard for the 5th International Polar Year 2032–33
Main-convener: Shigeto Nishino, Co-conveners: Carin Ashjian, Kyoung-Ho Cho, Jacqueline Grebmeier, Mariko Hatta, Jianfeng He, Sung-Ho Kang, Are Olsen, Øyvind Paasche, William Williams, Eun Jin Yang
The Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS) is a coordinated multi-ship, multi-nation, pan-Arctic, ship-based sampling campaign that was conducted during 2020-2022 to study pan-Arctic ocean-circulation, biogeochemical cycles, and marine ecosystems. The SAS project is planning for a second ship-based sampling campaign (SAS II) in 2030. In this session, we will discuss the results from the first SAS project and plans for the success of SAS II. A side meeting focused on the SAS II Science and Implementation Plan will be held. This session is in-person, but the side meeting will be hybrid (in-person and online meeting by Zoom).
(S4: SSP19) Arctic Observing Network and international collaboration – perspectives from Asia, Europe and North America
Main-convener: Jeremy Wilkinson, Co-conveners: Michael Karcher, Tetsuo Sueyoshi, Takashi Kikuchi, Maribeth Murray, Craig Lee
The Arctic region is experiencing dramatic environmental, economic, and societal changes that not only have implications for the high latitudes, but are likely to lead to profound global consequences and risks. Because of these global connections a comprehensive Arctic observational network is needed now more than ever. Over the past decade great strides have been made to co-design and co-produce a coherent, integrated Arctic Observing Network. Such efforts have been undertaken in Europe with projects such as INTAROS and Arctic PASSION, as well as in Asia and North America as part of their research programmes. What is needed is an observing system that removes known barriers, is inclusive of different knowledge systems and is sustained by adequate funding. This requires intense cooperation and coordination across cultures, countries and sectors. We welcome contributions that provide an up-to-date overview of the present status of the observing network, the challenges that still need to be overcome and the programmes and organisations that are involved in this process. A focus should be on the way forward and what is needed to implement a functional, useful and equitable Arctic Observing Network structure moving towards the IPY and beyond.
(S5: SSP8) Approaches to Sea Ice and Climate Predictions, Process Studies for Advancing Understanding and Forecasting, and Their Utilization for Stakeholders
Main-convener: Jun Ono
Sea ice is one of the key components of Earth’s climate system and plays a critical role in shaping climate through its influence on the global energy, heat, and water budgets. Satellite observations have revealed a decreasing trend in sea ice extent in the Arctic and also drastic sea-ice reduction in the Antarctic (since around 2016), enhancing scientific and societal interest in sea ice variability and its implications. This session invites contributions to diverse approaches to sea ice prediction and process studies aimed at improving forecast accuracy, leveraging observations, modeling, and theory. Additionally, the session explores the practical utilization of sea ice forecast information, underscoring its relevance to the scientific community and socio-economic sectors, particularly in relation to Arctic marine ecosystems and shipping routes. We also encourage studies from humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary perspectives to address these pressing challenges.
(S6: SSP9) Approaches to Sea Ice and Climate Predictions, Process Studies for Advancing Understanding and Forecasting, and Their Utilization for Stakeholders
Main-convener: Gaelle Veyssiere, Co-convener: Louisa van Zeeland, Jeremy Wilkinson
By convening scientists from sea ice geophysics, remote sensing, and machine learning, this interdisciplinary session explores how emerging machine learning methods can enhance our understanding of sea ice dynamics by bridging observational gaps, refining predictive models, and providing critical insights to polar environmental dynamics.
(S7: SSP12) Plankton, Microbes & biogeochemical processes in the Arctic ecosystem, driven by glacial/sea-ice inputs and climate teleconnections
Main-convener: Rajani Kanta Mishra, Co-convener: V. Venkataramana, Melena A. Soares
The Arctic region shows the fastest warming on the Earth, so the changes in the Arctic climate significantly influence the superfluous Arctic regions. The proposed objective will focus on regional arctic warming leading to rapid sea ice/glacial meltwater varying in the different time periods and how it impacts the plankton (phytoplankton & zooplankton) biomass changes linked to microbial population, an ecosystem that plays a more significant role in the biogeochemical cycle in the presence of nutrients dynamics. Further, the zooplankton is a consumer of the phytoplankton and microbial bacteria that interplay in the carbon cycle that is governed by physical-chemical variables, including sea ice/glacial inputs. The study would be ideal in this ecosystem due to the influence of the intrusion of waters from the Arctic and Atlantic, along with glacial melt and local winds, which are the key driving forces and are acting on the upper water masses in the Arctic ecosystem. The available data on plankton microbial diversity, food web ecosystem, and their role in the biogeochemical cycle is obscure, and further teleconnection to regional and global climate is very dynamic. Understanding such teleconnection is one of the essential factors in understanding the current climate variability and predicting its future. It is also important to investigate the cause of extreme events in and out of the Arctic region and obtain their future perspective. Therefore, the present study would understand the impact of sea ice/glacial input on the ecosystem function for regional and global climate change and vice versa.
(S8: SSP5) Indigenous ontologies and ecological knowledge: perspectives from Sakha Sire
Main-convener: Stanislav Ksenofontov
Indigenous people in the Arctic comprise only 4% of the total world population. They heavily rely on their land, water for food, shelter, and their livelihood, as well as for their cultural and spiritual well-being. In current climatic upheavals such livelihoods are becoming more under threat. Sakha People of the Northeastern Siberia are the largest Indigenous group in this region with a population numbering half a million, yet many rural Sakha struggle with effects of climate change and thawing permafrost that surrounds them. This session will bring together Sakha scholars from different academic backgrounds to present a range of perspectives focusing on traditional understanding of tight/close/synonym relations between people and environment. We aim to shed light on the ontologies and epistemologies of Sakha people with a special emphasis on Indigenous ecological knowledge, ever so important at the time of ecological precarity.
(S9: SSP6) More than trees and forests in the Arctic: Indigenous relations on permafrost grounds
Growing inequalities and environmental crises are urgent global challenges, especially in the Arctic. While melting icebergs symbolize global warming, thawing permafrost also significantly impacts Arctic ecosystems. This session will explore the overlooked role of trees and forests in permafrost environments, which are increasingly threatened by wildfires, deforestation, and resource extraction. The session will discuss how Indigenous communities are responding, recognizing trees and forests as life-forming, co-habiting beings, and will reflect on possibilities of collective care and collective mattering.
(S10: SSP14) Myth, Memory, and Mobilization: Interdisciplinary Insights into Indigenous Experiences of War
This session aims to explore the multifaceted experiences and representations of war from Indigenous perspectives through an interdisciplinary lens, combining history, anthropology, folklore, law and political science. The session will also focus on the symbolic and spiritual dimensions of war, exploring heroic epics, storytelling traditions, offering insights into the deeper cultural meanings of conflict. Contemporary issues, such as Indigenous mobilization in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict and other instances of forced or voluntary participation, will be addressed.
(S11: SSP16) Indigenous Food Security, Sovereignty, and Lifeways in the Northern Communities
Main-convener: Yoko Kugo
This session invites projects relating to Indigenous food security, sovereignty, and lifeways due to climate and socioeconomic changes in the Arctic and sub-Arctic communities and its related areas and from local/Indigenous perspectives. Indigenous food sovereignty topics in this session includes relationships between humans and non-humans, cultural skills of harvesting, sharing, and storing food, Indigenous knowledge of the land, and how northern communities have maintained their lifeways while adapting to these changes wrought by colonialism and other factors.
(S12: SSP20) Indigenous Food Security, Sovereignty, and Lifeways in the Northern Communities
Main-convener: Jun Akamine, Co-convener: David Anderson
The Arctic’s ecological, cultural, and geopolitical significance faces rapid changes from global warming, increased connectivity, and shifting political dynamics, affecting food sovereignty and security. Food sovereignty refers to the right to shape and manage food systems, emphasizing local production, cultural traditions, and environmental sustainability. For Arctic Indigenous populations, it highlights ancestral wisdom, subsistence practices, and foraging, crucial to cultural identity and self-determination. In contrast, food security ensures access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food for a healthy lifestyle, evaluated by availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. Arctic food security is shaped by environmental, economic, and social factors. This discussion explores the relationship between food sovereignty and security, underscoring their importance in addressing sustainability, fairness, and resilience in the Arctic.
(S13: SSP10) Designing Quality of Life in Arctic Communities Amid Global Transformations in Environmental, Political, and Economic Processes
Main-convener: Naotaka Hayashi
This panel proposes to explore the quality of life (QOL) in Arctic communities amidst the global transformations in environmental, political, and economic processes. Research solely focusing on climate change impacts can sometimes fail to capture community dynamics from a broader perspective. We will view these global changes as a backdrop that shapes the lives of Arctic residents. The QOL approach can help provide a more holistic understanding of community building in the Arctic. We invite papers that address challenges facing local communities, analyze them, and offer food for thought on potential solutions. This approach aligns with the concept of “social design,” which broadly refers to thoughtful community development or the mobilization of community assets to improve well-being and enhance the community’s QOL. This session will focus particularly on social capital—the quality of connections within and between individuals and communities—rather than solely on economic development.
(S14: SSP15) Urbanisation and development of technological support for human life in the Arctic; Development of low temperature bioprospection
Main-convener: Josef Elster, Co-convener: （Dariusz Ignatiuk）
Designing and implementation of innovative bioprocesses opening the way to new circular values chains and biomanufacturing, we seek to manage exploitation in a sustainable and fair manner. Our task is to include indigenous local communities and stakeholders. A sustainable approach to nature, its exploitation and fair access and sharing of results, data and benefits are integral parts of the research ethics. While being competitive, the proposition aligns with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, creating impact on sustainable European bioeconomy.
(S15: SSP18) Advancing Arctic Urban Sustainability through Diversity and Inclusion
Main-convener: Aileen Aseron Espiritu
Our Special Session aims to analyse how Arctic Urban Sustainability may be advanced through diversity, inclusion, and international cooperation.
(S16: SSP1) Pathways for Sustainable Arctic Shipping
Main-convener: Mauricio Latapí
As Arctic sea ice recedes, new maritime routes are emerging, creating opportunities for shipping while also introducing significant environmental and socio-economic challenges. The “Pathways for Sustainable Arctic Shipping” session at ISAR-8 will explore strategies for balancing these opportunities with the need for sustainable practices in the Arctic. This session will present cutting-edge research on alternative fuels, technologies, and regulatory innovations to support safe and environmentally responsible Arctic navigation. Discussions will address the impacts on ecosystems and communities, focusing on best practices for minimizing negative effects and promoting sustainable development.
(S17: SSP7) Asian-Arctic collaboration for research and education
We would like to solicit research results or plans of inter- and trans-disciplinary studies, for example, disruptive Arctic climate change, its linkage with mid-latitudes, permafrost degradation, sea ice loss, ecosystem restructuring, shipping, economy, and international relations between Asia and the Arctic. This session will be a gathering of the extended “Asia-Arctic Network for Research and Education (AANRE),”
(S18: SSP17) Asian geopolitics in the Arctic. Motives, cooperation and conflict
Main-convener: Timo Mohr, Co-conveners: Fujio Ohnishi
This session explores the Arctic’s rising significance in geopolitics, focusing on Russia’s strategic energy projects, the Northern Sea Route, and shifting alliances with Northeast Asian countries. Discussions will address the interplay between normative aspirations and realpolitik, highlighting the region’s potential as a hub of global cooperation and competition.
(S19: SSP2) Re-examining the Future of Arctic Governance and Cooperation in a Shifting Global Landscape
This session will delve into the complex future of Arctic governance and cooperation amidst heightened global tensions, following the disruption in the Arctic exceptionalism caused by the war in Ukraine post-February 2022. With Russia being de-facto politically isolated in the AC and shifting alliances toward non-Western states, the longstanding framework for Arctic cooperation faces unprecedented challenges. Participants will discuss how shifting power dynamics impact shared norms, the potential barriers to the restoring of dialogue, and the rebuilding of confidence. In addition, participants will reflect on the lessons that can be learned from the Antarctic Treaty regime to be utilized in the Arctic. The session will also explore the implications for legal frameworks in the region and consider pathways to restoring the Arctic’s reputation as a “zone of peace” in an era of renewed geopolitical competition.
