Trends in hydrological and ice conditions in the Large Marine Ecosystems of the Russian Arctic during periods of climate change

•Climatic trends in the Barents and Kara Seas LME are estimated.•Warming which reached its maximum in beginning of 21st century was followed by cooling.•Warm anomalies formation in Arctic were accompanied by cold event in Southern Europe.

Present climatic trends in the Barents Sea and Kara Sea Large Marine Ecosystems are estimated using Russian observational data and external information sources. It is shown that a warming period which reached its maximum in the beginning of the 21st Century was replaced by a cooling trend of water masses and a decrease in ice covered area. Regularities of large warm anomalies formation in the Arctic were accompanied by a strong cold event in Southern Europe.