Eco-ICE

Eco-ICE studies whether artificially making Arctic sea ice thicker could harm ocean life. We’re creating a set of safety guidelines that can be used to check if future climate cooling projects might damage the environment.

Why this matters

Cutting carbon emissions is our main way to tackle climate change. But some scientists are also looking at other methods to help cool the planet. Right now, there’s no standard way to check if these methods might harm nature. Without proper checks, projects meant to help could accidentally damage ecosystems. Eco-ICE is creating tools to help decision-makers work out if climate projects are safe.

Who is involved?

The project brings together researchers from British Antarctic Survey, Oxford University, Reading University and University of East Anglia.

How Eco-ICE works

The team uses computer models and lab experiments to study how thickening Arctic sea ice might affect ocean life. By studying this example in detail, they’ll create an Ecological Impact Framework – a toolkit that helps people evaluate future projects.

Funding bodies, governments, conservation groups, local communities and research teams can all use this toolkit to check if planned projects are safe before they start.

Eco-ICE’s research will:

1. Study the risks of artificially thickening Arctic sea ice using computer models and lab experiments
2. Improve how computer models show Arctic sea ice, including the tiny plants and animals that live there
3. Better understand how Arctic ocean life will cope with future climate change
4. Create the Ecological Impact Framework to check the safety of future climate projects in ocean and polar areas

The framework will help people make informed choices, guide funders toward safer projects, and give project teams tools to check and improve their work.

This project is funded by the Advanced Invention Innovation Agency (ARIA).