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May 29, 2018


serves as chair of the Arctic Council through May 2019. As part of  its  chairmanship goals, Finland has committed to advancing meteorological cooperation and capacity building. Further developing meteorological cooperation  allows for improved monitoring and observation networks, better management of climate and water-related risks, and more accurate forecasting of meteorological phenomena in the Arctic. In an effort to continue this work, the Embassy of Finland in the US, the Meteorological Institute, and the Wilson Center's Polar Initiative will convene a broad spectrum of representatives to share the results and recommendations from a March meeting, and further advance and explore the current state of Arctic meteorology and the future needs of the scientific community. 
Media
 
University Seeks Innovators, Not Test-Takers. Following the Mythbuster star's visit to the university last summer, Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) is putting the finishing touches on its Jamie Hyneman Center. During a lecture he held on his visit there last year, Hyneman underscored the importance of collaboration in various fields of study, emphasising that science was like a game of experimentation. The institution apparently agreed with his ideas -- and the new centre, which will officially open in the autumn, is their response. YLE
 
New Paths for Plankton in Warming Arctic? Ship travel across the Arctic Ocean will become easier as the ocean's ice cover dwindles, but will these changing conditions also remove barriers for plankton traveling from the Pacific to the Atlantic? New computer models of the currents moving past Alaska, Siberia, and Greenland suggest that the answer is yes. EOS  

World Maritime Body Approves First Arctic Ship Routing Measures. The narrow passage of water between Alaska and Russia connects the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean and is one of the most productive marine ecosystems on the planet. Thousands of marine mammals such as bowhead, beluga and gray whales, Pacific walruses, and ice seals, as well as spectacled eiders and many other seabirds migrate every year through the strait, which is less than 85 km (53 miles) wide at its narrowest point. RCI Net
 
Ignoring Indigenous Women's Traditional Knowledge Hurts Arctic Science, G7 Summit Hears. Indigenous women's traditional knowledge is too often excluded from scientific research in the North, something that could have serious implications for fully understanding how climate change is transforming the circumpolar world, said a series of speakers at the G7 Arctic Sustainability Summit in Montreal on Thursday. "Indigenous knowledge systems are gendered," said Deborah McGregor, a professor at Canada's York University and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice, who spoke on the morning panel Accessible, Usable and Timely Science. RCI Net
 
Canada and Denmark Announce Joint Task Force to Resolve Arctic Boundary Issues. Canada and Denmark together with Greenland plan to create a joint task force to explore options and provide recommendations on how to resolve outstanding boundary issues in the Arctic between the two nations, officials announced Wednesday. The issues on the table will include the sovereignty over Hans Island, a barren uninhabited islet, located halfway between Ellesmere Island and northwest Greenland, the maritime boundary line in the Lincoln Sea and the Labrador Sea continental shelf overlap beyond 200 nautical miles, officials said in a joint statement from Ilulissat, Greenland. RCI Net
 
Connecting the Sea to the Sky in High Arctic. How important is marine microbiology to clouds in the summertime high Arctic and how important is this connection for climate in the region? This is a key focus of a research expedition on the Swedish icebreaker Oden that will take place in the high Arctic this summer where Stockholm University will take a leading role.  That the Arctic climate is changing fast is clear for all to see. Indeed, the Arctic is warming at a rate of almost twice the global average. However, our understanding of what exactly controls this rapid climate change and the extent to which the Arctic climate will continue to change into the future is much more limited and a number of key questions remain unanswered. Eurekalert
Future Events
 
This half-day program will focus on the capabilities of the EarthScope Transportable Array and the impact it is having on scientific research and operational monitoring in areas as diverse as earthquakes, weather forecasting, volcanoes, tsunamis, and ecosystems. The hosts are particularly interested in exploring inter-agency / multi-agency interests and opportunities for how the Transportable Array observing capability can be used, particularly with respect to the compatibility of different observing interests. The National Science Foundation has committed only to a short duration deployment but is open to broadening the application to other science observations for longer durations, if the obligation to remove the stations is shared or undertaken by other stakeholders. 

Alaska National Lab Day, May 30-31, 2018 (Fairbanks, Alaska USA). Research scientists and lab directors from the 17 US Department of Energy national laboratories will co-lead conversations about cutting-edge research important to Alaska and the world. Discussions will focus on the following themes:
-       Addressing the energy field of the future;
-       Defense energy systems in the North;
-       Natural hazards and aerospace/defense;
-       Empowering Alaska's entrepreneurs;
-       Navigating the changing Arctic; and,
-       Developing local and global energy solutions.
 
The Effects of Climate Change on the World's Oceans, June 4-8, 2018 (Washington, DC USA). The 4th International Symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems - and how to respond. The event is hosted by a variety of groups including International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), N. Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), Intergovernmental Ocea nographic  Commission of UNESCO (IOC), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Session 16 includes Fran Ulmer, Diana Bull, Apurva Dave, Lawson Brigham, and Esther Babson, among others.

Background: The Nansen Legacy, June 6, 2018 (Washington, DC. USA). The Royal Norwegian Embassy, in cooperation with The National Academy of Sciences and The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, is pleased to invite you to a presentation of the Nansen Legacy project, followed by a discussion focusing on how North American (and other) scientists can join the effort. The changing Arctic Ocean affects climate and ecosystems on a Pan-Arctic scale. These effects are prominent on the two large and productive inflow shelves, the Chukchi and the Barents Sea. This gives Norway and the U.S. particular and comparative responsibilities to monitor and study the changes in the gateways to the Arctic Basin. It is therefore timely and necessary to build or strengthen collaborative links to enable synoptic or comparable observations opening for synthesis across the Arctic Ocean. Please RSVP by May 31st  to   lea.bjorgul@mfa.no

Vision on Marine Infrastructure, June 11, 2018, 1:00-3:00 pm (Washington, DC
). 
The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System and its Marine Transportation System Federal partners will share their visions and priorities on maritime infrastructure, which refers to physical infrastructure, informational infrastructure (such as aids to navigation, nautical charts, and real-time meteorological and oceanographic services), and mariner needs. Open to the public, but RSVP is required. Please contact   Jaya.Ghosh@cmts.gov  by June 6, 2018 to RSVP. See   here   for additional details.
  
International Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) VIII, June 11-14, 2018 (Stockholm, Sweden).
The international Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) is a forum for earth scientists who study the Arctic. It was founded to help understand the little known Arctic geology and to foster cooperation and collaboration among Arctic researchers. There have been 7 meetings since its  inception in 1991. See here  for more information.
 
POLAR 2018, June 15-27, 2018 (Davos, Switzerland).  POLAR2018 is a joint event from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). The SCAR meetings, the ASSW and the Open Science Conference will be hosted by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL under the patronage of the Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF is organizing POLAR2018.

From Entering the Field to Taking the Helm, Women's Perspectives on Polar Research, June 20, 2018 (Kongresszentrum Davos, Switzerland). This event is hosted by ARCUS and co-sponsored by USARC. Research findings are shaping our understanding of the issues that women face in technical fields, particularly those with strong connections to fieldwork. Concerns include a deficit of female leadership due to the so-called "leaky pipeline," a lack of safety and inclusivity at field locations, and explorations of ways in which research agendas have discounted contributions of women. Despite historical barriers to participation in polar field work, women have made outstanding contributions to polar physical, biological and social sciences, as well as to community-level efforts to coordinate and communicate science. In the past decade, women have stepped into leadership roles at polar institutions. Yet evidence of persistent challenges, reflected both in academic studies and media reports, compels us to examine the sources of those challenges and to explore solutions to ensure a bright future for all those who wish to engage in polar research.

5th European Conference on Permafrost, June 23-July 1, 2018 (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France). In the continuation of the International and Regional conferences convened by the International Permafrost Association, the 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2018) will be held in Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France, 23rd June - 1st July 2018. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level. Conference website: here.

Arctic Observing Summit 2018, June 24-26, 2018 (Davos, Switzerland). 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. AOS 2018 will be held in Davos, Switzerland ( June 24-26) and will focus on pressing issues in the implementation and support of sustained observations that can be addressed through a business-case lens. To that end, short submissions are requested that address any and all aspects of the overarching theme and sub-themes. Additional information can be found here.
 
17th International Congress of Circumpolar Health (ICCH17), August 12-15, 2018 (Copenhagen, Denmark). The ICCH congresses are held every third year in different locations in the circumpolar area and represent the largest scientific meetings worldwide on circumpolar health. The ICCH congresses serve as the primary source of information exchange and scholarly communication in issues relating to circumpolar health. More than 750 participants generally register and participate in each Congress, and more than 400 scientific papers or posters are usually presented.

UArctic Congress 2018, September 3-7, 2018 (Oulu and Helsinki, Finland).  The UArctic Congress 2018 will bring together key UArctic meetings and a science conference into one single gathering, including business meetings of the Council of UArctic, Rectors' Forum, Student Forum, and Thematic Networks & UArctic Institutes Leadership Team. The Congress is an integral part of the Finland's Arctic Council chairmanship program, and open to the public. The event will highlight the themes and priorities of the Finnish chairmanship, including the goals of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

15th International Circumpolar Remote Sensing Symposium, September 10-14, 2018 (Potsdam, Germany). This symposium focuses specifically on remote sensing applications in polar environments, both Arctic and Antarctic. The theme of this year's symposium is, "Polar Regions in Transformation - Climatic Change and Anthropogenic Pressures." 

Scientific Exploration of the Arctic and North Pacific (SEA-NorP), September 25-27, 2018 (Mt. Hood, Oregon USA). This workshop will include discussion of hypotheses that can be tested by scientific drilling in the region, the technology necessary to achieve those goals, ideal sites for drilling based on existing data, and where additional site survey data is needed. The goal of the workshop organizers is that multiple proposals will be initiated at the workshop, both for full cruise legs and for shorter, targeted expeditions around the following themes: ocean gateways, geohazards, volatile cycling, ice histories at transition zones, biosphere and climate.

The second Arctic Biodiversity Congress is hosted by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, and the Ministry of the Environment, Finland. The second Arctic Biodiversity Congress will build on the success of the first Congress, held in 2014 in Trondheim, Norway, and will bring together scientists, policymakers government officials, Indigenous representatives, Traditional Knowledge holders, industry, non-governmental organizations, and others to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity. 

2018 Forum for Arctic Modeling and Observational Synthesis (FAMOS) Project Annual School and Meeting, October 23-26, 2018 (Bergen, Norway) Major goals of this meeting are to coordinate FAMOS activities, report accomplishments, exchange ideas and hypotheses, enhance international arctic studies collaboration and discuss plans for continuing FAMOS work beyond 2019. Meeting registration form is available at project websites: here and here. For questions and details contact A. Proshutinsky, Mike Steele, and Amelie Bouchat.

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