Search

WOS: 000542867800001, Understanding the physical and biogeochemical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and atmosphere is a vital component of environmental and Earth system research. the ability to predict and respond to future environmental change relies on a detailed understanding of these processes. the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) is an international research platform that focuses on the study of ocean-atmosphere interactions, for which Future Earth is a sponsor. SOLAS instigated a collaborative initiative process to connect efforts in the natural and social sciences related to these processes, as a contribution to the emerging Future Earth Ocean Knowledge-Action Network (Ocean KAN). This is imperative because many of the recent changes in the Earth system are anthropogenic. An understanding of adaptation and counteracting measures requires an alliance of scientists from both domains to bridge the gap between science and policy. To this end, three SOLAS research areas were targeted for a case study to determine a more effective method of interdisciplinary research: valuing carbon and the ocean's role; air-sea interactions, policy and stewardship; and, air-sea interactions and the shipping industry., Cluster of Excellence 'The Future Ocean' in Kiel, Germany; Swedish Research Council FormasSwedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council Formas [2011-1007]; German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD, MOPGA-GRI) - German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) [57429828], Erik van Doorn and Sonja Endres acknowledge the support of the Cluster of Excellence 'The Future Ocean' in Kiel, Germany. Monica Martensson acknowledges the Swedish Research Council Formas, contract no. 2011-1007. Helmuth Thomas acknowledges support by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD, MOPGA-GRI, #57429828) supported by funds of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The question whether the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 Convention), also called the Constitution for the Oceans, applies to the Arctic seems to be a valid question in view of a new strand that can be discerned in Russian legal writings since a decade now pretending this might not be the case. In order to try to find an answer to this question, the 1982 Convention will first be scrutinized, together with the ten years of negotiations that preceded it as well as some relevant earlier state practice. Subsequently, the above-mentioned new tendency in the Russian literature will be analysed as it propounds a different view than what the genesis of the 1982 Convention and earlier state practice would seem to suggest. The relative weight of this new tendency within the broader context of Russian legal scholarship, as well as its power to influence the official governmental position will be addressed next. After having considered all arguments, this article returns in its conclusions to thebasic question raised in the very beginning in order to provide an answer to it.