• Acronym: SG-BC
• Parent Committee: SB
• Term: Jan. 2014 - Oct. 2014
  Appoved at PICES-2013
• Chair: Janelle Curtis

PICES has no formal mechanism to exchange information or provide advice on issues related to biodiversity in the North Pacific despite recent requests to do so from both the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and World Ocean Assessment (WOA) in 2013. Marine biodiversity is important for maintaining ecosystem structure and function, which in turn supports sustainable fisheries. Understanding drivers of biodiversity change (e.g., non-indigenous marine species, climate change, eutrophication, fishing, pollution, etc.) and their interactions can help inform decisions related to ecosystem-based management that balance multiple objectives. Other intergovernmental organizations recognize the need to advance research focussed on biodiversity. These include the Strategic Initiative on Biodiversity (SIBAS) within the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and the Medium-Term Strategy within the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP). In addition, the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) which includes all PICES member countries is in the process of ratifying a new convention on marine conservation. This convention will require member countries to study, conserve and manage vulnerable components of marine biodiversity in international waters of the North Pacific Ocean. Thus, PICES, as a science organization, is well positioned to take a leadership role in facilitating the collaborative science needed to address biodiversity priorities in the North Pacific Ocean and to partner with other international organizations, such as ICES, NOWPAP, FAO, CBD, and NPFC.

1. Review the scope of key drivers of biodiversity change in the North Pacific Ocean, including, but not limited to: non-indigenous marine species, climate change, fishing, and eutrophication.
2. Identify potential mechanisms to advance biodiversity-based scientific research and/or conservation related to drivers of biodiversity change in the North Pacific Ocean.
3. Review the research activities, past and present, undertaken by PICES and other international organizations on biodiversity in the North Pacific Ocean.
4. Identify opportunities for collaboration, new research opportunities for PICES, and the potential to provide science-based advice that could be used to inform decisions related to the conservation and management of biodiversity in the North Pacific Ocean.
5. Prepare a final report that includes an assessment of the merits of establishing an expert group focussed on biodiversity science within PICES, and provide recommendations on the role(s) of such a group.