Advancement of Operational Products and Scientific Research Through International Partnerships

Current change in the Arctic is accelerating the need for increased and more accurate observing, monitoring, and forecasting of environmental conditions in the region. New and existing international cooperative relationships, capitalizing on regional expertise, shared resources, technological advancements, and scientific research are being strengthened and established. These partnerships are gaining recognition as the most cost effective, timely, productive means of advancing operational and scientific knowledge in the Arctic.

The North American Ice Service (NAIS) is a partnership of the United States National Ice Center (NIC), Environment Canada's Canadian Ice Service (CIS), and the United States Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol (IIP). Begun in 1986 as the U.S. - Canada Joint Ice Working Group, the NAIS continues to strive to 'combine the strengths and resources of the three centers' and 'demonstrate excellence and international leadership'.

To date, the NAIS has standardized and disseminated seamless operational products for the Great Lakes, shared synthetic aperture radar satellite imagery, developed a common production system, implemented an iceberg tracking database, developed RADARSAT 2 ingestion software, provided input to meteorological models, proposed NASA funded L&C band SAR study, wrote and implemented IHO Ice Object Catalog, hosted visiting scientists, supported the International Arctic Buoy program, and provided significant input to harmonization of international WMO ice chart archive format - SIGRID 3 and WMO Sea Ice Nomenclature and Symbology.

The extensive effort to establish and strengthen this relationship is as an example of the possibility and benefits of international cooperation. As the need to rapidly advance the understanding of current Arctic changes in order to predict future impacts, lessons learned through the growth of the NAIS serve as a basis for other agencies looking to build cooperative solutions linking operations and science, as well as being able to serve as global example of successful international cooperation.

Abstract Category: International Coordination