ISAC: International Study of Arctic Change

The International Study of Arctic Change (ISAC) is an open-ended, international, interdisciplinary Arctic environmental change program initiated in 2003 by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Arctic Ocean Sciences Board. ISAC encompasses pan-Arctic, system-scale, multidisciplinary observations, synthesis and modelling to provide an integrated understanding of Arctic change and projections of future change. The ISAC Science Plan provides a vision for integrating research and applications among diverse fields and varied users and stakeholders.

ISAC is motivated by environmental changes that are already large enough to affect life for Northern communities, biodiversity, ecosystems, and regions within and outside the Arctic. Future system states are uncertain and the lack of predictability hinders efforts to develop strategies for adapting to and managing a changing Arctic.

The ISAC International Program Office co-ordinates the Arctic Observing Summit in collaboration with SAON and IASC.

The ISAC International Program Office (IPO) is located at the Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

The ISAC IPO is responsible for coordinating the activities of the ISAC Science Steering Group (SSG), facilitating collaboration among different Arctic research programs, improving cooperation in Arctic science, and providing information about ISAC related and ISAC relevant initiatives. The IPO organizes meetings and workshops designed to address key scientific issues, including those relevant to platform and data sharing, and the IPO maintains a catalogue of programs that contribute to ISAC. The staff and collaborators at the ISAC IPO also conduct research, participate in synthesis activities, engage with diverse sectors, participate in outreach and presentations, and prepare reports and publications.