Coastal erosion due to thawing permafrost and increased wave action threatens several arctic communities, including Shishmaref, Alaska.

Photo © Native Village of Shishmaref.
Courtesy of Luci Eningowuk

Welcome to SEARCH

A system-scale, cross-disciplinary, long-term arctic research program

What's New?

Call for Sea Ice Outlooks: July Report
Organizers of the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) are now soliciting outlooks for the July report, to be released in mid-July. Regional Outlooks are especially encouraged.

The deadline for submissions is Saturday, 4 July 2009.

September 2009 Sea Ice Outlook: June Report
24 June 2009 - The June Report for the September 2009 Sea Ice Outlook is now available.

State of the Arctic Conference: The first announcement of the State of the Arctic Conference was posted to ArcticInfo on 3 June 2009.

The State of the Arctic Conference, to be held 16-19 March 2010 in Miami, Florida, will be an international meeting to present, exchange, and discuss the latest knowledge on the state of the Arctic and future directions of arctic science and policy. {more}

March 2009 Sea Ice Outlook Workshop

A small Sea Ice Outlook workshop was held 10 March 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. Participants discussed lessons learned from the 2008 Sea Ice Outlook and planned for the 2009 Sea Ice Outlook. {more}

What's SEARCH?

SEARCH is an interagency effort to understand the nature, extent, and future development of the system-scale change presently seen in the Arctic. These changes are occurring across terrestrial, oceanic, atmospheric and human systems, including:

  • increased air temperatures over most of the Arctic;
  • changing ocean circulation and rising coastal sea level;
  • reduced sea ice cover; and
  • thawing permafrost.

The core aim of SEARCH is to understand the recent and ongoing complex of interrelated pan-arctic changes. These changes are affecting ecosystems, living resources, and the human population, and are impacting local and global economic activities.

Currently nearly 70 projects are funded as SEARCH activities by U.S. agencies. Many more SEARCH-related projects are supported through other programs.

Learn about the history and development of the SEARCH program. {more}

More information about SEARCH science, program planning, meetings, and resources are available through the links to the left.