2.2
Forum of Arctic Research Operators
(FARO)
Anders Karlqvist
and Magnus Tannerfeldt
F A R O Reviewer: Morten Rasch
- Respond to requests from the science community
- Share information and experiences with Ant arctic colleagues
- Advise policymakers
The first years of FARO were very much a learning-by-doing experience. It took time to define
its role and to form a constituency. A major step
The Forum of Arctic Research Operators (FARO)
forward was taken when a secretariat was es-
was established in 1998 as an off-spring of IASC. It
tablished, hosted by the Danish Polar Center and
had as its source of inspiration the development of
supported financially primarily by the US National
a similar logistics coordination initiative in Antarcti-
Science Foundation (NSF). Odd Rogne served as
ca. IASC has, in many ways, served a similar role for
Executive Secretary at the initiation of FARO. When
Arctic science as SCAR for Antarctic science. The
he retired in August 2005, secretariat assistance
two organizations are scientific in the spirit of ICSU,
was transferred to Denmark with Morten Rasch as
and are closely related in terms of scientific inter-
Executive Secretary. In 2009, the FARO secretariat
ests and scientific community. COMNAP, which was
became fully staffed. The secretariat is now host-
created out of the logistic and operational dimen-
ed by Aarhus University and run by Morten Rasch
sions of Antarctic science, was an idea that clear-
(Executive Secretary) and Lillian Magelund Jensen
ly could be relevant also in the Arctic. Hence there
(Academic Secretary).
was a proposal to create a forum that: “…aims to
encourage, facilitate, and optimize logistics and op-
FARO meets once a year in conjunction with the
erational support for scientific research in the Arc-
IASC Plenary and the ASSW. Meeting agendas have
tic, through international collaboration for all those
typically emphasized information exchange and
involved in arctic research.”
ways of strengthening collaboration between operators based on the mandate. A key asset for arc-
The challenge in the initial phase was the complex-
tic research is access to ships capable of operating
ity of the arctic scene, which is quite different from
in ice-covered waters. FARO has made continuous
Antarctica where virtually all science is supported
efforts to keep members updated on the availabil-
and guided by national organizations—typically
ity of Arctic research vessels, their capabilities and
governmental institutes. This is not the case in the
planned cruise tracks. Web-based systems such as
Arctic, where an abundance of local, regional and
Arctic Logistics Information and Support (ALIAS)
national organizations conduct research and mon-
have been explored. Another resource for scientific
itoring programs. Nevertheless, in order to have an
research and cooperation is observatories and sta-
effective international forum it was necessary to
tions. An early example of a successful effort in this
identify national representatives who could serve
spirit was the initiation (in 2000) of the Circumarc-
as links to the prime operators and the science com-
tic Environmental Observatories Network (CEON),
munity in the relevant countries. The choice of the
which became a joint FARO/IASC project. FARO also
term ‘forum’ made it possible to accommodate dif-
fostered the initiation of SCANNET (a network of
ferent solutions, depending on the various national
field site leaders, research station managers and
organizations providing research logistics.
user groups in northern Scandinavia and Europe)
and later endorsed the establishment of the Inter-
The tasks of FARO can be summarized in five bullet
points:
toring in the Arctic (INTERACT), an organization that
- Exchange information between operators
now oversees cooperation between approximately
- Coordinate logistics
39
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national Network for Terrestrial Research and Moni-
60 research stations in the Arctic and in Northern
02 IASC Initiatives