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ACEP leads pan-Arctic research on a global stage

February 28, 2025
By Yuri Bult-Ito

ACEP joined leading researchers from European and U.S.-based Arctic projects to identify gaps and needs in Arctic research at an invitation-only summit in Monaco in early February.

Short for the , AASCO-2 is a continuation of the AASCO 2020-2022 project funded by the .

The 2020-2022 project focused on understanding the land-ocean-atmosphere feedback and interactions taking place in the Arctic under changing climate. Building on it, the 2023-2025 project aims to expand the scope of its pan-Arctic effort.

Because of wide recognition for her work on Arctic data governance and Indigenous data sovereignty and her involvement with the as its co-chair, ACEP’s deputy director for strategic initiatives Leasi Vanessa Lee Raymond participated in the conference.

Questions raised during the data gaps discussion included “how will large-scale Arctic research and observing efforts be supported in remote and rural Arctic communities?” and “how will data be shared to support complex systems for modeling?”

“We must consider what the energy demands are for these activities,” Raymond said.

The attendees identified the need for distributed, decentralized data systems that connect to each other to aid discovery and use of datasets from across disciplines and national boundaries. They also agreed that data systems and researchers need easier ways to find metadata and that having shared metadata standards that allow for translation of datasets would be helpful.

The need for greater access to and sharing of Arctic research data was a resounding call from the AASCO summit. Ensuring open data availability in the Arctic under a changing geopolitical climate was a timely topic.

“There are several large gaps identified that need sufficient expertise and sustained funding to answer the big questions facing humanity today,” Raymond said.

One of the key outcomes from the conference was to acknowledge the need to develop Arctic research infrastructure that will support cross-disciplinary work and provide resources and services for the research communities to conduct collaborative work and foster innovations.

The AASCO will publish a white paper outlining future research recommendations based on the discussions in Monaco.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation was set up in 2006 to protect the environment and promote sustainable development at the local and global levels. It is supporting action to combat climate change and encourage renewable energies, among other things.

Raymond’s AASCO work was funded by the with support from the .