The Arctic Danger – Are ships in the arctic dangerous?

The NY Times posted an interesting article about the environmental risks of arctic shipping.  This topic has been brewing for some time now, and although the article mentions that the arctic is a buzz with activity, it is still relatively barren of commercial shipping.  Most of the present maritime activity is centered on research and oil exploration.  Despite the low level of full scale commercial shipping activity, the arctic is changing, and there are certainly some very real dangers and challenges presented by the opening of a viable Northwest Passage. 

The recent release of the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Report by the Arctic Council elaborates on some of the dangers and unique challenges the arctic presents and is an excellent read, and regardless of your position on the dangers of shipping in the arctic, it presents some very convincing data and analysis.

What are your thoughts on commercial shipping in the arctic?  Do you believe the industry will need to make substantial changes and adjustments prior to sailing in the Northwest Passage?

The Arctic Ocean is the least sampled of the world’s oceans and many areas remain where few, if any, soundings have been recorded.