At the edge

At the edge… is the first book to summarise our knowledge on northern Svalbard and the European rim of the central Arctic Ocean. This summarised knowledge is ringing alarm bells. Melting ice and an ecosystem in rapid change threaten the future of the entire arctic region. In this book, the major issues and challenges we face in the north are discussed from the perspective of history, the social sciences, geology and marine biology.

Northern Svalbard has a significant role in the Norwegian sector of the Arctic Ocean. This book attempts to present the scant knowledge that has so far been accumulated. As the waters and coastal zones of northern Svalbard, which have been ice-covered for so many years, become entangled in Norwegian and international economies (fishing, transport, oil, gas and tourism), the first step in expanding our knowledge must be an evaluation of the sustainability of this region.

The contains texts by William G. Ambrose, Jørgen Berge, Bodil A. Bluhm, Sophie Bourgeon, Gunnar Bratbak, Melissa Chierici, Ingrid Ellingsen, Matthias Forwick, Agneta Fransson, Geir Wing Gabrielsen, Maria Gavrilo, Rolf R. Gradinger, Elisabeth Halvorsen, Marit Anne Hauan, Tore Haug, Alf Håkon Hoel, Nicholas Hughes, Randi B. Ingvaldsen, Patrycja Jernas, Jan Sverre Laberg, Aud Larsen, Magali Lucia, Gunnar Noer, Tine L. Rasmussen, Marit Reigstad, Paul E. Renaud, Lena Seuthe, Arild Sundfjord, Knut Sunnanå, Camilla Svennes, Helge Tangen, Chris Ware and Paul Wassmann.