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Today's C
ongressional Action:
The House and Senate are not in session.
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Media
 Norway's Arctic a Bright Prospect in Crisis-Hit Oil Sector. While the oil industry continues to cut jobs, projects and costs amid low crude prices, one region is making a surprise comeback after years of declining activity, company executives and officials say: the Norwegian Arctic. The search for oil and gas in mature offshore areas in the North Sea is being axed this year due to tighter budgets, but the number of exploration wells in the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea is increasing to 10 in 2016 from seven last year.
Hellenic Shipping News
White Creatures Changing With the Northern Season. This morning, through the west window, I noticed a flash of white. I looked up from breakfast to see a short-tailed weasel popping from a hole in the snowpack. He was sleek and streamlined and snow-white, except for where his tail looked like he dipped it in black paint. Later, a leggy snowshoe hare bounded away, and then paused nervously. Those sightings inspired a visit to my neighbor, who could tell me more about their white coats, the ones that won't be white much longer.
The Valdez Star
 Muskoxen Hair Analysis Shows Diet Suffers During Snow-Heavy Arctic Winters. Analysis of hairs from muskoxen in the Arctic tundra indicates they had limited amounts of forage available and relied heavily on body stores during snow-heavy winters, according to a study published April 20, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Jesper Bruun Mosbacher from the Arctic Research Centre at Aarhus University, Denmark, and colleagues. Like other northern hooved animals, female muskoxen are more likely to bear calves when they have ample fat and protein stored for the winter, a state that strongly influences population demographics.
Science Daily
 China and the Northwest Passage: A Widening Scope. The government of China announced this week it was seeking to make future use of the Northwest Passage for maritime shipping in order to reduce time and fuel costs for cargo vessels traveling from China to the East Coast of North America and the greater Atlantic Ocean.
As the Arctic Ocean becomes increasingly ice-free in the summer months, China has previously expressed interest in making expanded use of Arctic transit routes for faster shipping, but this was the first time that the Northwest Passage had been specifically cited as a priority for Beijing. Arctic Journal
Report: Get Ready for More Snow, More Climate Change Adaptation Work. Climate change will bring the Arctic more snow, more unpredictable weather, and a greater need for more resilient infrastructure, says a big report that Natural Resources Canada released this month. The report, titled Canada's Marine Coasts in a Changing Climate, brings together a massive collection of existing research on the effects of global warming on Canada's coastal regions.
Nunatsiaq Online
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
Alaska Rural Energy Conference, April 26-28, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The Alaska Rural Energy Conference is a three day event offering a large variety of technical sessions covering new and ongoing energy projects in Alaska, as well as new technologies and needs for Alaska's remote communities. Building on the growing success, the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power have joined forces again to organize and sponsor the 10th annual Alaska Rural Energy Conference.
Regional and Global Implications of Changing Permafrost, April 28, 2016 (Washington, DC USA).
There is growing realization of the strong interactions between degradation of near-surface permafrost on the dynamics of ecosystems, and that these interactions together influence local and global environmental, economic, and social systems. This presentation will discuss the use of synthesis science by both the SEARCH Permafrost Action Team and Permafrost Carbon Network to identify and understand the widespread implications of changing permafrost at both regional and local scales. This presentation is part of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States Arctic Research Seminar Series.
High North Dialogue 2016: The Blue Future of the Arctic, May 25-26, 2016.
HND is an annual conference hosted by the High North Center at Nord University, engaging a wide audience of researchers and future leaders of the region. It will address the necessary questions to effectively promote dialogue between interested stakeholders on how to sustainably develop the different realities of the many Arctics. PhD and Masters students can also participate in a week long credit awarding graduate course.
14th IATS Seminar, June 19-25, 2016 (Bergen, Norway).
The University of Bergen (UiB) is honored to host the 14th IATS Seminar in Bergen, Norway, from Sunday 19 to Saturday 25 June 2016 in co-operation with the Network for University Co-operation Tibet-Norway, an academic network with the universities of Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø as partners. The convenor is Professor Hanna Havnevik, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo, and Chair of the Network.
Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, September 23-24, 2016 (Monticello, Rhode Island, USA).
The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The event will reassemble the members of the National Steering Committee and a small but diverse selection of representatives from the five regional workshops, to total about 15 people. The aim will be to identify and synthesize the core threads of the previous workshops and public contributions proffered between workshops. The target output for the workshop will be a final report draft and outline of steps leading to the final report release in June 2016. The Jefferson Institute will manage production of the publication.
Second International Conference on Natural Resources and Integrated Development of Coastal Areas in the Arctic Zone, September 27-29, 2016 (Arkhangelsk, Russia).
The Conference is organized by FASO of Russia, Russian Academy of Sciences, Government of Arkhangelsk region, Arkhangelsk Scientific Center and International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). Conference is aimed at elaboration of research-based practical measures and instruments for realization of human, natural and transport-logistical potential of the Arctic zone, including development of the Northern Sea Route and implementation of models of integrated coastal areas management. For additional information, please email.
Inuit traditions are a repository of Inuit culture and a primary expression of Inuit identity. The theme for the 2016 Inuit Studies Conference invites Elders, knowledge-bearers, researchers, artists, policy-makers, students and others to engage in conversations about the many ways in which traditions shape understanding, while registering social and cultural change. The institutional hosts of "Inuit Traditions," Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Nunatsiavut Government, invite you to contribute to an exchange of knowledge to be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, October 7-10, 2016. Presentations on all aspects of Inuit studies will be welcome.
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