A GUIDE TO ARCNET: AN ARCTIC OCEAN NETWORK OF PRIORITY AREAS FOR CONSERVATION ARCTIC

WWF has developed ArcNet, a systematic, whole-ocean network of 83 priority areas for conservation (PACs) covering 5,087,000 square kilometres (31% of the study area) in the Arctic Ocean. Using the Marxan tool and a database of over 800 conservation features, ArcNet aims to provide a blueprint for Arctic governments and the Arctic Council to meet the UN Convention on Biological Diversity's target of 30% protection by 2030. The network is designed to be adaptive, allowing for iterative refinement as climate change shifts species distributions and habitats.

• ArcNet has identified a network of 83 priority areas for conservation (PACs) covering 5,087,000 square kilometres, which represents 31 per cent of the study area.
• The network was developed using a systematic conservation planning approach via the Marxan decision-support software, utilizing a spatial database of more than 800 conservation features including species, habitats, and biological communities.
• ArcNet is intended to help the international community achieve the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) target to protect and conserve at least 30 per cent of the planet by 2030.
• The analysis adopted a 'whole-ocean' perspective to capture ocean-scale connectivity and interrelated ecosystems, which the document argues is more effective than the sum of smaller-scale national or regional analyses.
• The network is designed to protect ecosystems from non-climate, human-induced pressures—such as fishing, resource extraction, and ship strikes—to increase the chances of biodiversity survival as the climate crisis worsens.
• To support implementation and finer-scale planning, WWF created two web portals: Chikory, for exploring data layers underpinning the PACs, and Accenter, a web-based mini-GIS for querying Marxan outputs.
• The guide emphasizes an adaptive design approach, noting that the network must be iteratively adjusted to account for climate-driven shifts in the spatial distribution of species and habitats.
• The geographic scope of the analysis is based on the 18 PAME-defined Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas, though the Faroe Plateau, Norwegian Sea, and Aleutian Islands LMEs were removed to focus on the Arctic Realm.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). A GUIDE TO ARCNET: AN ARCTIC OCEAN NETWORK OF PRIORITY AREAS FOR CONSERVATION ARCTIC. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/699/20tn3hjotq_report_wwf_arctic_arcnet_introductory_guide_a4_hires_final_webversion.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. A GUIDE TO ARCNET: AN ARCTIC OCEAN NETWORK OF PRIORITY AREAS FOR CONSERVATION ARCTIC. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/699/20tn3hjotq_report_wwf_arctic_arcnet_introductory_guide_a4_hires_final_webversion.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=A GUIDE TO ARCNET: AN ARCTIC OCEAN NETWORK OF PRIORITY AREAS FOR CONSERVATION ARCTIC |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/699/20tn3hjotq_report_wwf_arctic_arcnet_introductory_guide_a4_hires_final_webversion.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndguide, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{A GUIDE TO ARCNET: AN ARCTIC OCEAN NETWORK OF PRIORITY AREAS FOR CONSERVATION ARCTIC}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/699/20tn3hjotq_report_wwf_arctic_arcnet_introductory_guide_a4_hires_final_webversion.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }