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Today's C
ongressional Action:
The House and Senate are in session. The Senate is expected to consider the Federal Aviation Administration authorization legislation.
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Media
 How Black Carbon Affects the Arctic. As the ice continues to melt at the top of the world, climate change is altering more than global weather patterns. The opening up of Arctic waters, as summer sea ice continues a thirty-year retreat, holds the opportunity to cut a third off distances between North-West Europe and the Far East. With the UN Panel on climate change predicting nearly
ice-free summers in the Arctic Ocean before 2050, there is an expectation that the patterns of world trade are poised to go polar. But with more commercial use of circumpolar shipping lanes comes the increased risk of fuel pollution and spillage into the Arctic's fragile ecosystem.
The Arctic Institute
British Science Minister Does Not Want to Name Arctic Research Vessel 'Boaty McBoatface.' All that British officials wanted to do was get everyday people excited about science by allowing them the chance to go online and vote on the name of a $300 million polar research vessel.
Now they're faced with what former BBC radio presenter James Hand called a "very British" problem. Hand thought it would be "brilliant" to suggest the name Boaty McBoatface be added to the mix. And surprise, surprise: a lot of Brits agreed.
Alaska Dispatch News
 New Report Outlines Climate Change Challenges on Canada's Arctic Coast. Canada's longest - and most northern - coastline will soon have to combat vast challenges such as storms, floods, erosion and melting sea ice in the wake of climate change, according to a Natural Resources Canada report.
Canada's marine coasts in a changing climate offers a glimpse of the harsh environmental impacts of climate change that the country's Arctic coast, and the communities lining it, will have to take into account when planning for the future.
CBC News
A Code to Grow On. If asked about the significance of the 68th annual meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, a sub-group of the International Maritime Organisation, most would draw a blank. Mention, however, that its outcome was the
Polar Code, a set of safety regulations for navigation in Arctic and Antarctic waters, and its significance becomes immediately clear.
The Marine Environment Protection Committee is holding its annual session in London this week. Even though a number of measures bearing relevance to the region will be on the agenda, including greenhouse gasses, air pollution and limiting the release ballast water possibly containing foreign species, the Polar Code will not be. Arctic Journal
 New Database Reveals Secrets of Fish Innards. Ever wonder what eats the salmon that don't make it back to Bristol Bay? Or which fish are cannibals? A new database released online in late March by the National Marine Fisheries Service offers a glimpse into fish diets, based on decades of study of their stomach contents. It ranges from commonly known species like halibut, Pacific cod and pollock, to lesser-known fish, like sculpins, snailfish and even alligatorfish. Herring and salmon also make an appearance, although they aren't the focus.
The Arctic Sounder
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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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