NEW YORK (Bloomberg) — Governments in the Arctic region are unprepared for an increase in accidents involving oil tankers or cruise ships that now have greater access to polar waters as sea ice shrinks, a new report said.

The ability to respond to a maritime emergency in the Arctic is limited, according to the report today from the University of New Hampshire and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The loss of Arctic sea ice and a rush to explore for oil and natural gas raises the risk that accidents could be more frequent, said Nancy Kinner, co-director of the university's Coastal Response Research Center.

"The reduction of polar sea ice and the increasing worldwide demand for energy will likely result in a dramatic increase in the number of vessels that travel Arctic waters," Kinner said in a statement. "As vessel traffic increases, disaster scenarios are going to become more of a reality."

The polar ice cap, which melts from March to September each year, declined to its second-smallest size on record in 2008, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. The ice cap was only smaller in 2007, satellite data collected since 1979 showed.

Reduced ice poses a risk to the northern region's indigenous people and wildlife and has repercussions for global climate. It's also opened new shipping channels between Canada and Siberia and is easing access to natural resources such as oil and gas under the seabed.

Researchers examined five possible emergency response scenarios: a grounded cruise ship with 2,000 passengers; an ice-trapped and damaged ore carrier; an explosion on a fixed drilling; a collision between a tanker and fishing vessel that results in a oil spill; and the grounding of a tug towing a supplies barge near the Bering Strait.

Nations such as the US, Canada and Russia that border the Arctic should improve coordination and contingency plans to better launch multi-nation responses to accidents, according to the report. The governments should also take steps to prevent accidents, such as developing risks assessments for Arctic shipping routes.

"Now is the time to prepare for maritime accidents and potential spills in the Arctic," Amy Merten, NOAA co-director of the Coastal Response Research Center, said in a statement. "This report clearly indicates that international cooperation and adequate resources are key to saving lives and protecting this special region."