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Media
 Remembering Jim McCarthy, 1944-2019. It is with sadness that we announce the passing of
US Arctic Research Commissioner Jim McCarthy. "For 40 years, Jim McCarthy was a central part of Harvard's efforts on the environment. Jim's own research on biological oceanography probed the nitrogen cycle in the oceans, seeking to understand how the ecology of plankton affected and was affected by nutrient cycling. But Jim's impact went far beyond his own research. Jim promoted the best in all of us through his numerous leadership positions inside and outside of Harvard and also through his extraordinary devotion to students. Jim was Director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology for twenty years (1982-2002) and served as Pforzheimer House Master (with his wife, Sue) and Head Tutor for the Environmental Science and Public Policy Concentration. Outside of Harvard, Jim served as co-Chair of Working Group 2 (Climate Change Impacts) of the 3rd Assessment for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and as lead author for the Arctic Climate Assessment of 2004. Jim was President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Board Chair of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and a member of the U.S. Arctic Commission. He received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 2018.
Harvard University Center for the Environment
Aleutian Islands Volcano Erupts, Sending Ash Cloud Over Bering Sea. A short eruption of a volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands sent an ash cloud soaring into the sky Thursday near a lightly populated area. Shishaldin Volcano erupted for about three minutes at 7:10 a.m., the Alaska Volcano Observatory announced. It produced an ash cloud that reached up to 25,000 feet. The village of False Pass, with a population of 39, is on the eastern shore of Unimak Island about 22 miles east of Shishaldin's summit.
Anchorage Daily News
 Interest in Growing Seaweed in Alaska is Gaining Momentum. Weed is set to give a big boost to Alaska's blue economy. The interest in growing seaweed in Alaska is gaining momentum, and training more farmers is the goal of a program starting next February in Kodiak, Sitka and Ketchikan. The training is phase two of the 2014 Alaska Mariculture Initiative that aims to grow a $100 million industry in 20 years.
Anchorage Daily News
Comparison of Climate Simulations With Proxies Suggests Arctic Sea Ice Could Vanish in Summer Sooner Than Expected. A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in South Korea and one from the U.S. has found evidence that Arctic sea ice in the summer could vanish sooner than climate models suggest. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes comparing their simulations with real-world proxies and what they found.
Phys.org
Polar Bears, Ice Cracks, and Isolation: Scientists Drift Across the Arctic Ocean. In September 2019, an international group of scientists set off in a ship from Tromsø, Norway intending to do something that most ships would do anything to avoid: freeze into the ice of the Central Arctic Ocean - for a year. The mission, called the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) involves hundreds of scientists from 20 nations and is the largest Arctic science mission in history. It's spearheaded by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Germany.
NPR
 Sullivan Chairs Hearing on Coast Guard Arctic Strategy, Launches Senate Coast Guard Caucus, Announces New Legislation. U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Security, today convened a hearing, "Expanding Opportunities, Challenges, and Threats in the Arctic: A Focus on the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Strategic Outlook," to examine the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) current presence in the Arctic and what capabilities or infrastructure the service needs to meet America's strategic priorities in the region. Additionally, Sullivan announced the formation of the U.S. Senate Coast Guard Caucus, and new legislation he will introduce directing the federal government to codify a strategy for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard's ability to operate in the Arctic.
Senator Dan Sullivan
The Senate Coast Guard Caucus Charter is available
here.
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Future Events
Arctic Frontiers, January 26-30, 2020 (Tromso, Norway).
Arctic Frontiers is a global scientific conference on economic, societal, and environmental sustainable growth. This year's theme will be "The Power of Knowledge," with a pan-arctic emphasis, and
builds new partnerships across nations, generations and ethnic groups.
Arctic Frontiers provides a forum for dialogue and communication between science, government and industry in the Arctic. The
plenary program will have five main sessions with the following working titles: State of the Arctic, The power of knowledge, Robust and resilient Arctic communities, Powered by knowledge, Arctic oceans - distant connections, Sustainable business development. An abstract-driven science program will address Arctic Food Security, Local or Global Arctic? Multi-scaled considerations of connections and remoteness in climate-impacted, Disruptive Technologies and Knowledge-based Development in the Arctic.
ISAR-6: Arctic Research: the Decade Past and the Decade Future, March 2-6, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan). Rapid changes are taking place in the Arctic that impact regional human and natural systems, and affect the global environment. The International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR) will meet for the sixth time since its first symposium in 2008 to identify changes in the Arctic environment and society, and to discuss possible future sustainable development. The hosts invite all researchers with interests in the Arctic to participate in this multidisciplinary symposium and share their insights, their challenges, and to explore the possible futures of the Arctic.
International One Health, One Future 2020 International Conference, March 11-14, 2020 (Fairbanks, Alaska USA). This year's conference, presented by University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for One Health Research in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, will host internationally recognized keynote speakers across eight themes. There will be something for all stakeholders - community members, health care providers, state and federal agency employees, researchers, educators and students. One Health recognizes the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health, and that a holistic approach to the well-being of all will lead to improved health outcomes and enhanced resilience.
Linking Experts in Polar Science and Technology, March 12, 2020 (Boulder, Colorado USA). The Polar Technology Conference (PTC) brings together polar scientists, technology developers, and field technicians from academia, state and federal agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. This interdisciplinary space provides an opportunity for technical and theoretical exchange on challenges impeding polar research and field operations. Community input is crucial to ensure that technological infrastructure investments are efficient, satisfy science drivers, and meet field requirements. The conference will address approaches to working and studying in the polar regions, including: terrestrial, marine, atmospheric, and social science disciplines; autonomous instrumentation; observation platforms; and all levels of logistical support.
Arctic Science Summit Week and the 5th Arctic Observing Summit. March 27 to April 2, 2020, (Akureyri, Iceland).
The Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) is a high-level biennial summit that provides a platform to address urgent and broadly recognized needs of Arctic observing across all components of the Arctic system. The theme of AOS 2020 is Observing for Action. AOS 2020 will be held in Akureyri, Iceland (March 31-April 2) and will focus on pressing issues related to the use, design, optimization and implementation of the observing system. To that end, submissions in the form of white papers, short statements and poster abstracts are requested that address any and all aspects of the overarching theme and sub-themes. Currently seeking submissions to the AOS. See link for additional information.
The 7th Annual Arctic Encounter, April 16-17, 2020 (Seattle, WA USA).
The 2019 Arctic Encounter Seattle drew participants and stakeholders from over 20 nations, including over 80 speakers, 27 sponsors, 17 media partners, northern fashion and photography art installations, 13 guest performers, the second annual Far North Fashion Show, live podcast recording sessions, musical and spoken word performances, and over 10 artist exhibitors. The 2020 Arctic Encounter Seattle expects to increase engagement in new sectors and engage participants through policy debates, research presentations, live performances, and more. The Arctic Encounter is the largest annual Arctic policy and business conference convening in the United States, with partnerships and convening efforts worldwide.
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