Much attention is paid in the IPCC report, and elsewhere, to the impacts of anticipated climate change in the polar regions. NOAA is active in both the Arctic and the Antarctic regions, conducting and providing support for climate observations and research, and tracking sea ice, as well as long-term observations and monitoring of marine ecosystems. In addition to studying the impacts of climate change on these important ecosystems, NOAA works collaboratively with communities and international partners to manage coastal and marine resources.

Other Research Programs for Polar Regions (Arctic and Antarctic):

Arctic Research: How will this affect the climate and cultures of the Arctic? How will such changes impact the climate and cultures of other regions? These are questions that NOAA wants to answer as part of its mission to better understand and predict the Earth's environment.

NOAA Activities in Support of the International Polar Year (2007-2008)

NOAA Fisheries' U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program: a national program providing information needed for the development and support of U.S. policy regarding the conservation and management of the marine living resources in the ocean areas surrounding Antarctica.