David Barber, a University of Manitoba geoscientist, claims that the Arctic will see its first ice free summer in 2015, due to global warming. Mr. Barber was in charge of almost 300 scientists from 15 different countries who were all taking part in the Circumpolar Flaw Lead System Study. The CFL was a $40 million dollar Arctic research project that saw the scientist studying the Arctic for a nine month period, based out of the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, the Amundsen.Mr. Barber has previously claimed that the Arctic basin would see its first ice free summer between 2013 and 2030, but due to his recent findings he is now able to narrow it down even further, stating it will most likely be in 6 years. While some of the ice lost in 2007 did come back in 2008, Mr. Barber is not optimistic. The ice grew back in a thin layer rather than multi layered, so it will most likely melt quickly. This means that while each winter the Arctic will, indeed, see ice, it will always be “first year ice”, never having the chance to develop into a thicker multi layered ice.

Mr. Barber is also concerned that once the ice is gone and there is more human industry in the area with commerce and offshore drilling, there will be more environmental consequences, perpetuating the current issue of ice melting and global warming. And the ramifications will have an impact on everything in the marine habitat, as Mr. Barber’s findings are already indicating.

According to Mr. Barber; “Everything in the marine ecosystem is being affected. We’ve seen it for years, but the CFL is confirming it. We haven’t found anything not affected.”

The International Arctic Change 2008 conference is being held next week in Quebec City and it is here that Mr. Barber will present his findings. More than 800 Arctic scientists and researchers will gather to discuss the Arctic, in particular what opportunities and challenges the changing climate will bring about to the region and what we can do to minimize the damages.