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January 30, 2019
 
Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 28 - Feb. 1 (Anchorage, AK) . For  over 20 years, Alaska's premier marine research conference  brings together scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and interested public to discuss the latest marine research being conducted in Alaskan waters. About 700 people are expected to attend this 4-day long, annual conference.  Each day of the conference highlights Alaskan marine ecosystems: Gulf of Alaska (Tuesday), Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands (Wednesday), and the Arctic (Thursday). Research topics discussed range from ocean physics, fishes and invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, to local traditional knowledge. Since its inception, NPRB has been a proud sponsor and one of the leading organizers of AMSS. USARC is a co-sponsor of this event.
Media

capital 'Uber for Icebreakers' Idea Gains Traction. This was the year Congress was finally going to spend some serious money to build an icebreaker. A Senate spending bill has $750 million for a new icebreaker, which would bring the Coast Guard's fleet to three. But that money is caught in a fight over whether to build President Trump's wall at the southern border. Alaska Public Radio
 
The Decline of Arctic Snow Could Decimate Ringed Seals. Ringed seals (Phoca (pusa) hispida), which are the most abundant seals in the Arctic, rely on stable sea ice to survive. The ice is where they rest, molt and reproduce. But that ice is disappearing. The most recent NOAA Arctic Report Card revealed that, due to persistent warming, the Arctic has now lost 95% of its sturdier 'old ice' (ice that is at least 5 years old). Consequently, only 1% of the Arctic ice pack is old ice, and the remaining ice is younger, and weaker. Forbes
 
Bowhead Whale Hunting Barrow Oil Giant Backs High-Tech Rescue for Collapsing Arctic Ice Cellars. When Inupiaq hunters wrestle a 100-ton bowhead whale back to land from the high seas, the next challenge is where to store all that meat. For centuries, the Inupiaq, a Native Alaskan group that lives north of the Arctic Circle, have dug cellars into the permafrost as a form of natural refrigeration. Now those "ice cellars" are under threat. Warming temperatures are melting permafrost, while coastal erosion is exposing the underground chambers. Reuters
 
Oceans are Getting Louder, Posing Potential Threats to Marine Life. Increasing ship traffic, sonar and seismic air gun blasts now planned for offshore energy exploration may be disrupting migration, reproduction and even the chatter of the seas' creatures... One way many have escaped the cacophony is by heading to the Arctic. But as polar ice melts, and seismic exploration and ship traffic there increase, it is no longer the refuge it once was. New York Times
 
Century-old Logs of Whaling Ships Might Improve Data for Climate-Change Research. What does a long-forgotten whaling ship have to do with future climate change? A lot, it turns out. Old Weather, a citizen-science project, is helping improve climate-change models using data from old ships' logs. The project, part of the Zooniverse citizen-science portal, is a collaboration among archives, museums and libraries, scientific institutions, and national meteorological services including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Met Office, Britain's national weather service. The Washington Post
Future Events

   
Part of the AAAS meeting: Science in the New Arctic: The Converging of Natural and Social Sciences, (February 17, 2019). Organized by Andrey Petrov and Jack Kaye, moderated by Jessica Graybill, and with John Farrell as Discussant. Included talks are "Indigenous Knowledge and Interdisciplinary Science in the Arctic" (Carolina Behe), "Towards Knowledge Co-production in the Arctic" (Dmitry Streletskiy), and "Enhancing International Research in the Arctic" (Paul Berkson).

Arctic sciences are at the forefront of discovery resulting from research that engages indigenous knowledge and connects to policy decisions about the region. This session brings together speakers from various disciplines representing multiple organizations to discuss recent achievements in Arctic sciences with respect to fundamental and policy-focused interdisciplinary and international research. Topics to be addressed include examples of Arctic-based research that crosses regional and disciplinary boundaries, and the key methodological strengths of this research, as well as how Arctic-based research could contribute to disciplines and research in other regions, and the role of funding agencies in advancing this exchange.

of the AAG includes over 8,500 geographers converging from the U.S., Canada, and nearly 60 other countries in a typical year including geographers, GIS specialists, environmental scientists, and other leaders for the latest in research and applications in geography, sustainability, and GIScience.

The 5th International Arctic Forum: Arctic: Territory of Dialogue, April 9-10, 2019 (Arkhangelsk, Russia). The Forum is a key platform for discussing current issues relating to the socioeconomic development of Arctic regions and for developing multi-level, multilateral mechanisms for joint discovery and effective exploitation of the Arctic's rich natural resource potential. The Forum will take place with the support of the State Commission for Arctic Development.

The 6th Annual Arctic Encounter Seattle, April 25-26, 2019 (Seattle, WA, USA). The sixth annual Arctic Encounter Seattle will engage the topic of innovation in the Arctic, specifically disruptive business and investment models, energy and power, climate research, national security, new economic and trade models, and popular media and awareness movements impacting the Far North. The 2018 Arctic Encounter Seattle drew over 300 participants from across Alaska, the U.S., and the world, including over 100 speakers, 32 sponsors, 11 media partners, fashion and photography installations, a live permafrost exhibition, 13 guest performers, fashion designers, and artist exhibitors to the downtown Seattle waterfront at Pier 66. The 2019 Arctic Encounter Seattle expects to increase engagement in new sectors and engage participants through policy debates, research presentations, performances, and more. The two-day Arctic Encounter Seattle will include an opening reception, two continental breakfasts, two keynote luncheons, a networking reception with Alaskan glacier ice cocktails, and a seated three course dinner including keynotes and live musical entertainment from the Far North. The Arctic Encounter is the largest annual Arctic policy and business conference convening in the United States, with partnerships and convening efforts worldwide.

Save the Date!  

Mark your calendars to attend IDA-8, which some have called one of the best Arctic gatherings around. Historically, this biennial symposium was co-hosted by U.S. National/Naval Ice Center (NIC) and the US Arctic Research Commission (USARC). In 2019, these partners will join forces with the preeminent Wilson Center's Polar Institute, as a third co-host. The now 2-day symposium will be held in the Ronald Reagan Building Amphitheater, in Washington, DC. The event will focus on a broad cross-section of naval and maritime operations and issues in an ice-diminishing Arctic. The symposium brings together nationally and internationally recognized experts on Arctic governance, geopolitics, marine operations, infrastructure, science, and environmental observations, from the local, regional, and pan-Arctic scale. Information on prior symposia, including lists of speakers, video clips, and copies of presentations, is available here. Attendance is free, and registration will begin in Spring 2019. The event will be webcast live, and video recorded.
 
18th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering / 8th Canadian Permafrost Conference, August 18-22, 2019 (Quebec, Canada). Sustainable infrastructure development and permafrost science, in a climate change context, will be the focus of the discussions of this international conference.

Arctic Futures 2050: Science and Policy for a Changing Arctic, September 4-6, 2019 (Washington, DC USA).  In 2019, the Study of Environmental Arctic Change  (SEARCH) and partners will convene Arctic scientists and decision makers to jointly forecast  Arctic research needed to inform policy in the coming decades. The conference also is intended to foster more effective and iterative collaborations among Arctic scientists and decision makers.

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