A core aim of SEARCH is to understand Unaami. As a working definition based on present knowledge, SEARCH defines Unaami as the recent and ongoing,decadal (e.g., 3-5 year), complex of interrelated pan-arctic changes. These changes include, among others, a dec line in sea level atmospheric pressure, an increase in surface air temperature, cyclonic ocean circulation, and a decrease in sea-ice cover. These physical changes are affecting ecosystems, living resources, and the human population. This is impacting local and hemispheric economic activities such as shipping and fisheries. The situation is similar to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon.