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Today's C
ongressional Action:
The House and Senate are not in session.
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Media
A Lightning Strike Killed 323 Reindeer, and This is the Ghastly Aftermath.
The macabre images released Monday by the Norwegian Environment Agency look like something out of a wildlife zombie-apocalypse movie, or the aftermath of a cervid "Game Of Thrones" battle: a treeless landscape dotted with hundreds upon hundreds of reindeer corpses.
The 323 reindeer were killed by lightning Friday, the agency said, in a rare natural massacre that counts as the deadliest lightning strike on record. It took place in a private hunting area of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau in central southern Norway, a verdant and frigid tableau of streams, rocks and glaciers that is home to one of the largest reindeer herds in Europe
.
 BOEM Announces Environmental Study Reports Posted During the Third Quarter FY 2016.
The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) is pleased to announce the availability of new findings from eight studies posted online to the Environmental Studies Program Information System (
ESPIS
) from April-June 2016. Two relate to the Renewable Energy Program, five are from the Gulf of Mexico, and one is from Alaska. The reports and associated technical summaries can be accessed through the enhanced ESPIS, which displays reports with new geo-referencing tools, animation and other new features.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
 Nunavut-Harvested Walrus Meat Tests Positive for Trichinella. If you're planning to eat walrus meat this summer, first ask the harvester if the meat has been tested. That's because walrus meat hunted earlier this month near Naujaat recently tested positive for the trichinella parasite, the Government of Nunavut's health department said Aug. 26. In Arctic regions, trichinella - known as trichinosis or trichinellosis in an infected person - is caused by a microscopic parasite called trichinella nativa, sometimes found in the meat of wild mammals such as polar bears, wolves, foxes and, most commonly, walruses.
Nunatsiaq Online
Arctic Domain Awareness Center Leverages Technology to Assist Circumpolar Operations. It's not unusual for mistakes to be made during a big, complex operation like the emergency-rescue training exercise the U.S. Coast Guard and its partners conducted this week in Northern Alaska. But, mistakes while training are OK, says Doug Causey, a University of Alaska Anchorage professor and head scientist with the
Arctic Domain Awareness Center. "My experience is that in an exercise that, at the end, you'd say 'Well, we solved everything,' then you probably didn't have a very good exercise," he said.
KUAC
 Early Arrival of Polar Bears at Nunavut Hamlet Prompts Early Monitoring.
The polar bears have arrived early in Arviat this year, prompting the Nunavut hamlet and local wildlife department to step up protection measures for the Kivalliq community of 3,000.
Polar bears typically begin their migration from southern Hudson Bay north along the Kivalliq coast in the early fall.
But through the month of August, residents have reported a number of run-ins with bears.
Nunatsiaq Online
Massive Cruise Ship Brings New Era of Arctic Tourism to Cambridge Bay.
Not an ice floe was in sight as a warming climate and a huge cruise ship combined to usher in a new era of mass tourism in Canada's Arctic.
After
a stop at the community of Ulukhaktok, N.W.T., the 280-metre long Crystal Serenity entered the fabled but dangerous Northwest Passage Sunday and arrived at the hamlet of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut on Monday morning.
It is the largest vessel to ever attempt to go through the passage, the cruise ship company says
.
CBC News
NOAA is Updating its Arctic Charts to Prevent a Nautical Disaster. WHEN A TANKER hauling almost 54 million liters (14.2 million gallons) of fuel ran aground on a shoal near Nunivak Island, Alaska, in June, it may have been relying on outdated maps to chart its course. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), less than 1 percent of U.S. Arctic waters have been surveyed with modern survey methods. Many of the charts, including those covering the waters off western Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, contain information that dates back to before World War II. Other regions remain entirely unsurveyed.
News Deeply
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
Hosted by Saint Petersburg State University, the UArctic Congress 2016 will feature Science and Meeting sections, including:
- Acclaimed keynote speakers and scientific experts presenting research.
- Parallel sessions on Arctic science, policy, and education topics.
- Meetings for reps of the Council of UArctic and UArctic Rectors' Forum.
- Pre-Meetings to foster contacts and enhance networking.
- Opportunities to promote and market your organization and activities.
- A UArctic Student Forum with workshops.
- A Cultural and Social program.
The 2016 UArctic Rectors' Forum and the 19th annual meeting of the Council of UArctic form an integral part of the congress.
Conference on Water Innovations for Healthy Arctic Homes: September 18-21, 2016, Anchorage, Alaska. This circumpolar conference will bring together engineers, health experts, researchers, community members, policymakers, and innovators to discuss health benefits, challenges and innovations associated with making running water and sewer in remote northern communities safe, affordable and sustainable. Information and an expression of interest in attending can be found
here. (The full link is:
http://wihah2016.com/)
13th International Conference on Gas in Marine Sediments: September 19-22, 2016 (Tromso, Norway).
GIMS 13
promotes the study of natural gas and release systems on a global scale and
facilitates interdisciplinary and international cooperation. The conference
intends to bring together geologists, biologists, microbiologist, geophysicists, oceanographers, geochemists and scientists from modeling disciplines. The forum will provide a platform for current knowledge and future programs in gas inventories, fluxes and their role within the carbon cycle and biodiversity. Conference is organized by CAGE - Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate at UiT The
Arctic University of Norway. Abstract submission deadline is May 30th and registration deadline is June 20th. For more information:
http://gims13.uit.no
Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, September 23-24, 2016 (Monticello, Virginia, 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.
The event
will be a dialogue on one of the four themes of the ministerial: "Arctic Science as a Vehicle for STEM Education and Citizen Empowerment." The event also provides an opportunity to hear from ministerial participants before the closed meetings of the ministerial begin the next day.
Two 1-hour panel discussions by an international group of Arctic leaders, including
USARC Chair Fran Ulmer, will explore opportunities for advancing the use of Arctic research and education activities to inform worldwide audiences about the changes happening in the Arctic and to help empower Arctic residents most impacted by the complex dynamics shaping the region.
An introductory plenary by
Mark Brzezinski, Executive Director of the U.S. Government's
Arctic Executive Steering Committee
will kick-off the conversation.
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.
National Academies of Sciences..."Scientific Priorities for a Changing Arctic(panel discussion)," September 29, 4:30 to 6:30pm (Washington, DC.
The public is invited to a
recap and discussion of the first-ever White House Arctic Science Ministerial
taking place, in Washington, DC, on September 28. At that event, ministers of science, chief science advisors, and other senior officials from countries around the world, as well as representatives from indigenous groups, will
address the collective actions and innovative
collaborations needed to enhance scientific understanding of the rapidly changing Arctic. This Academies' event and reception provides an opportunity to broaden the conversation to all those interested in the Arctic science and policy. Panelists will include officials from the White House, from the USARC, and others involved in the ministerial discussions.
As an exciting cultural addition to the program, producers of a new large format 3D film about Greenland will share their storytelling strategies and the process of using immersive cinema, virtual reality and the perspectives of climate scientists and
 extreme athletes to expand public understanding of the Arctic environment. Presenters will represent producing partners Giant Screen Films, Teton Gravity Research, and Golden Gate 3D.
Support for this event is provided by USARC
and the National Academies of Sciences
, Engineering, and Medicine.
Please register
Arctic Ambitions V: International Business Conference & Trade Show, October 4-5, 2016 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). This once-a-year event uniquely focuses on business and investment opportunities flowing from developments in the Arctic. With interest in commercial development in the Arctic growing rapidly, WTC Anchorage initiated the Arctic Ambitions conference five years ago to address issues such as innovation, investment, infrastructure development, transportation, natural resources, and trade. At the event, corporate executives and senior government officials from across the Arctic, and around the world, make presentations and participate in panel discussions. This year's conference also includes a Trade Show and B2B Matchmaking Session. For more information, please contact Greg Wolf (
[email protected]) or call
907-278-7233.
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.
** New this week **
Arctic Circle Assembly. October 7-9, 2016 (ReykjavÃk, Iceland).
The Arctic Circle is the largest network of international dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic. It is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organizations, corporations, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, indigenous communities, concerned citizens, and others interested in the development of the Arctic and its consequences for the future of the globe. It is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization.
In addition to the annual Assemblies, the Arctic Circle organizes Forums on specific areas of Arctic cooperation.
Arctic Technology Conference, October 24-26, 2016 (St. John's, Canada). Founded in 1969, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is the world's foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. The Arctic Technology Conference (ATC) is built upon OTC's successful multidisciplinary approach, with 14 technical societies and organizations working together to deliver the world's most comprehensive Arctic event.
** New this week**
Annual Scientific Meeting 2016, December 5-9, 2016 (Winnipeg, MP Canada).
ArcticNet
will host its 12th Annual Scientific Meeting.
The ASM2016 will welcome researchers, students, Inuit, Northerners, policy makers and stakeholders to address the numerous environmental, social, economical and political challenges and opportunities that are emerging from climate change and modernization in the Arctic. As the largest annual Arctic research gathering held in Canada, ArcticNet's ASM is the ideal venue to showcase results from all fields of Arctic research, stimulate discussion and foster collaborations among those with a vested interest in the Arctic and its peoples.
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Arlington, VA 22203, USA
External links in this publication, and on the USARC's World Wide Web site (
www.arctic.gov) do not constitute endorsement by the US Arctic Research Commission of external Web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities, the USARC does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. These links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this newsletter and the USARC Web site.
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