Governing Arctic Seas introduces the concept of ecopolitical regions, using in-depth analyses of the Bering Strait and Barents Sea Regions to demonstrate how integrating the natural sciences, social sciences and Indigenous knowledge can reveal patterns, trends and processes as the basis for informed decisionmaking. This book draws on international, interdisciplinary and inclusive (holistic) perspectives to analyze governance mechanisms, built infrastructure and their coupling to achieve sustainability in biophysical regions subject to shared authority. Governing Arctic Seas is the first volume in a series of books on Informed Decisionmaking for Sustainability that apply, train and refine science diplomacy to address transboundary issues at scales ranging from local to global. For nations and peoples as well as those dealing with global concerns, this holistic process operates across a 'continuum of urgencies' from security timescales (mitigating risks of political, economic and cultural instabilities that are immediate) to sustainability time scales (balancing economic prosperity, environmental protection and societal well-being across generations). Informed decisionmaking is the apex goal, starting with questions that generate data as stages of research, integrating decisionmaking institutions to employ evidence to reveal options (without advocacy) that contribute to informed decisions. The first volumes in the series focus on the Arctic, revealing legal, economic, environmental and societal lessons with accelerating knowledge co-production to achieve progress with sustainability in this globally-relevant region that is undergoing an environmental state change in the sea and on land. Across all volumes, there is triangulation to integrate research, education and leadership as well as science, technology and innovation to elaborate the theory, methods and skills of informed decisionmaking to build common interests for the benefit of all on Earth.

Acknowledgements.- About the Authors.- List of Acronyms.- Book Series Introduction.- Series Preface: Informed Decisionmaking for Sustainability.- Volume 1: Introduction.- Chapter 1: Governing Arctic Seas: Sustainability in the Bering Strait and Barents Sea Regions.- The Bering Strait Region.- Chapter 2: Ecosystems of the Bering Strait Region.- Chapter 3: Economies of the Bering Strait Region.- Chapter 4: Sociocultural Features of the Bering Strait Region.- Chapter 5: Governing the Bering Strait Region.- The Barents Sea Region.- Chapter 6: Ecosystems of the Barents Sea Region.- Chapter 7: Economies of the Barents Sea Region.- Chapter 8: The Barents Sea Region in a Human Security Perspective.- Chapter 9: Governing the Barents Sea Region.- Crosscutting Themes and Analytic Tools.- Chapter 10: Integrated Ocean Management.- Chapter 11: Next-Generation Arctic Marine Shipping Assessments.- Chapter 12: Information Ecology to Map the Arctic Information Landscape.- Chapter 13: Mapping and Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic.- Chapter 14: Building Capacity: Education Beyond Boundaries.- Conclusion.- Chapter 15: Informed Decisionmaking for the Sustainability of Ecopolitical Regions.- Index.