Why we need to transform the Arctic Ocean into a North Pole marine reserve

Kirsten Young has been monitoring wildlife in the Arctic Ocean. Danielle Zalcman, CC BY-NC-ND

At the most northerly tip of the UK, looking north from the island of Muckle Flugga, Shetland, the cold wind whips up the sea and gannets dive.

While biodiversity loss in the Arctic Ocean may seem like a distant issue, the Shetland Islands lie further north than the Arctic Ocean’s southernmost waters. The Arctic Circle is only 380 miles (610km) north of British waters – the same distance as London to Edinburgh by road.