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October 6, 2020

Arctic Circle VIRTUAL: Dialogue with US Senator Lisa Murkowski, 1:30 pm EDT on October 6, 2020 (virtual). This event is hosted by Arctic Circle. In this Dialogue, which takes place only four weeks from the Presidential election, Senator Murkowski will discuss the importance of the election for the Arctic. Participants will be able to send in their questions and comments, both before and during the event, to be addressed in the Dialogue. Arctic Circle's own Chairman and former President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson will moderate this event.

(Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska) Food Sovereignty and Self-Governance: Inuit Role in Managing Arctic Marine Resources (2020). For thousands of years, Inuit have been part of the Arctic ecosystem. Inuit have thrived and built their culture rooted in values that shape the relationships they have held with everything within this ecosystem. Those values-including respect, collaboration, and sharing-all aid in supporting healthy and harmonious relationships and communities. A core element of Inuit culture that incorporates these values is hunting, gathering, and preparing foods. Discussions about food security require an understanding of the far-reaching implications of how issues of food security interact with culture, history, management systems, and world views. The interconnections between all peoples, wildlife, and the environment within the Arctic ecosystem directly influences food security, and food sovereignty is distinctly tied to food security.

(Friends of Europe) After the Ice: The Arctic and European Security (Fall 2020). For most of the three decades since the end of the Cold War, the Arctic has been a zone of low tension, a glacial oasis of multilateral cooperation and a geopolitical backwater. That relative harmony is now under growing strain chiefly because of the resurgence of great power competition worldwide against a backdrop of accelerating global warming which is melting the polar ice cap at a record pace. This threatens disaster for the environment and the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, but also whets appetites for new shipping routes and access to undeveloped oil, gas and mineral resources.
Media

Measuring and 3D Mapping of Sea Ice in the Arctic. Sea ice is one of the most important parameters when it comes to ice-albedo feedback; in other words, the fraction of incoming solar radiation that is reflected directly back into space. Because of the grave importance of the decrease in the amount of sea ice due to the climate crisis, gaining a full understanding of its complex structure is more important than ever. Both large and small Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) have been used successfully to map the 3D structure of the underside of sea ice, but always in an experimental context. The challenge is to determine the best way forward to improve the quantity and quality of data gathering, and to turn the under-ice AUV into a reliable vehicle for routine use. Hydro International
 
Discover the Culture and Climate of the Arctic at a Major New British Museum Exhibition. The Arctic is changing dramatically. Often imagined as a timeless, frozen landscape, scientists believe the region could in fact be ice-free in 80 years' time. Temperatures here are increasing at twice the world average and last year was the second-warmest summer since records began in 1910. The impact of this warming is being seen in shrinking ice coverage, thawing permafrost and extensive wildfires. National Geographic
 
Focus on Arctic Comes at 'Pivotal Time,' USAF Official Says. The release of the Air Force's Arctic Strategy comes at a "pivotal time on the timeline of the Arctic," as global powers exert their influence in an increasingly important region where climate change is also taking its toll, the head of Alaskan Command said Oct. 5. The service in July released its first-ever strategy on the Arctic, which argues the Air Force is the most active and invested U.S. military department in the region. Airmen must remain vigilant, project military power, cooperate with allies, and prepare for possible conflict in the area, the strategy said. Air Force Magazine
 
Arctic Research Foundation Partners with UM and RRC to Revolutionize Public Access to Big Arctic Data. A new partnership between the University of Manitoba (UM), Red River College (RRC), and the Arctic Research Foundation (ARF) is setting out to unlock the big data secrets previously hidden in Canada's Arctic. Ralph Dueck and Reynard Dela Torre from RRC's applied computer education department and Carson Leung in computer science in the UM Faculty of Science have teamed up with the ARF on a joint project that is the first of its kind: it will allow easy access to a quantity of "Arctic-sized" data that will put that data into the hands of northern communities, government, universities, research institutes and the public. University of Manitoba
 
Video: The Arctic: A Delicate Icy Ecosystem. The Arctic is one of the most rapidly changing regions in the world. Diminishing sea ice, thawing permafrost and melting glaciers are all direct effects of rising global temperatures. Phys.org
 
Scientist: Eco Technologies Will Restore Taimyr, Arctic Fishery Resources. A major result of the Great Norilsk Expedition may be recovery of fishery in Lake Pyasino, where fishing stopped 70 years ago due to industrial discharges. Scientists have been working also on restoration of fish populations, leader of the Great Norilsk Expedition's hydrobiology team, Mikhail Gladyshev of the Biophysics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian Branch said in an interview with TASS. TASS

Call for Applications: Arctic Winter College. Ecologic Institute, Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network (MiH-RCN), and The Arctic Institute are pleased to announce the 2021 Arctic Winter College and are seeking applications from emerging leaders working to improve Arctic governance from around the world. The Arctic Winter College creates a network of emerging leaders and experts that will be brought together for 10 weeks in a series of web-based seminars (webinars) Tuesdays from 18:00-20:00 Central European Time from January 12 to March 23, 2021. A pilot program of the traditional Arctic Summer College run by the Ecologic Institute, the winter program aims to build a lasting, policy-oriented network of Arctic professionals to strengthen communication between peoples and nations, scientific disciplines, policy areas, and across the science-policy interface to improve collaborations, research, and decision-making in the Arctic. The Arctic Institute
Future Events

Launch Party for 'After the Ice' Film Series, 10 am AKDT on October 7, 2020 (virtual). A virtual launch party will be held for a new mini-documentary series sharing stories of Indigenous communities challenged by sea ice loss in Alaska's Bering Sea. "After the Ice" is a three-part series created through a partnership between the Bering Sea Elders Group and the Study of Environmental Arctic Change program. The premier screening will be followed by a panel discussion with video-journalist Eli Kintisch, Arctic scientist Jennifer Francis, Bering Sea Elders Group executive director Mellisa Johnson and climate change educator Bill McKibben.

The Arctic Resilience Forum: Indigenous Youth Leadership, October 7, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EDT) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.

Cultural Heritage, Climate Science, and Policy with Dr. Marcy Rockman 2:00 PM EDT on October 7, 2020 (virtual). This webinar will provide an overview of current connections between Arctic cultural heritage and climate change science and policy. You will learn where there are gaps between climate change and cultural heritage, and where there exists great opportunity. Together, we'll explore how we learn (or not) from the Arctic's past and how we learn (or not) our environments. The archaeology of migration and human encounters with new or unfamiliar environments are essential parts of this area. This webinar is supported by the Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network.

After the Ice video premier, 2:00 - 3:30 pm EDT on October 7, 2020 (virtual). This virtual launch party is hosted by the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH). Three short videos made by filmmaker Eli Kintisch, the Bering Sea Elders' Group, and SEARCH share stories of Indigenous communities immensely challenged by sea ice loss in in the Bering Sea. A screening of the videos will be followed by discussions with filmmaker, Eli Kintisch; Bering Sea Elder's Group Executive Director, Melissa Johnson; and 350.org co-founder, Bill McKibben. SEARCH scientist, Henry Huntington will moderate. 

IARPC Public Webinar Series: MOSAiC Expedition Overview, 2:00 pm EDT/ 10:00 am AKDT on October 8, 2020.  The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) will host a public webinar providing an overview of the MOSAiC expedition. Throughout October, IARPC Collaborations will be holding a "MOSAiC Month" focused on the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition. This is the first webinar in that series. All are welcome to attend.

** New this week ** Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3): Fourth Briefing Meeting, 1:00 pm UTC on October 14, 2020 (virtual). The 4th Briefing Meeting is expected to include the following discussions: ministerial preparation, status of the ASM3 science process, review of the joint statement process and timeline, update on the ASM3 webinar series, update on the Arctic Circle Japan Forum.

The Arctic Resilience Forum: Food Security, October 14, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas. 

Alaska Federation of Natives 2020 Convention, October 15-16, 2020 (Virtual). The annual convention serves as the principal forum and voice for the Alaska Native community in addressing critical issues of public policy and government. The convention convenes thousands of official delegates and participants from membership organizations across the state. At the Convention, delegates discuss strategic opportunities and challenges, listen to memorable keynote speeches, hear reports from political leaders and presentations from expert panels, and share stories resilience, experiences, strengths, knowledge and hope for the future.

** New this week ** IARPC Public Webinar Series: MOSAiC Early-Career Researcher Lightning Talks, 2:00 pm EDT on October 19, 2020 (virtual). The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) will host a public webinar featuring lightning talks by five early-career researchers who recently participated in the MOSAiC expedition. This is part of the IARPC Collaborations MOSAiC Month, focused on the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition. All are welcome to attend.

The Arctic Resilience Forum: Renewable Energy, October 21, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.

** New this week ** Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3): Introduction Webinar, 2:00 pm UTC on October 21, 2020 (virtual). This meeting is part of the ASM3 webinar series. For more information on ASM3, see here.

Impacts of Permafrost Degradation Webinar with Dr. Kimberly R. Miner, 2:00 PM EDT on October 22, 2020 2:00 PM EDT (virtual). In this webinar, you will learn from preeminent scientist Dr. Kimberley R. Miner about the cascading impacts of permafrost melt in the Arctic and beyond the circumpolar north. Permafrost is beginning to thaw, causing a cascade of risks to people, places, and our shared planet. When the organic material begins to decompose, permafrost thaw can destabilize major infrastructure, discharge mercury levels dangerous to human health, and release billions of metric tons of carbon. This webinar is supported by the Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network.

** New this week ** IARPC Public Webinar Series Program Manager Chat: National Science Foundation Support for Arctic Doctoral Dissertation Research, 2:00 pm EDT on October 23, 2020. The National Science Foundation and IARPC Collaborations will host a program manager chat about a solicitation for proposals for Arctic Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants. The goal of this solicitation is to attract research proposals that advance a fundamental, process, and systems-level understanding of the Arctic's rapidly changing natural environment and social and cultural systems, and, where appropriate, to improve our capacity to project future change. During this webinar, NSF program officers will give an overview of this funding opportunity and will be available to answer questions. All are welcome to attend.

11th Maritime Risk Symposium 2020, October 26-30, 2020 (virtual). The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, will host the 11th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS 2020) in collaboration with the National Academy of Sciences. The theme of MRS 2020 is "Maritime Resilience." DHS defines resilient infrastructure systems as the "ability of systems, infrastructures, government, business, communities, and individuals to resist, tolerate, absorb, recover from, prepare for, or adapt to an adverse occurrence that causes harm, destruction, or loss of national significance."  Through presentations, panels and open forums, the symposium will focus on the attributes of resilience to adversarial events of national significance in the maritime domain, using  our experience with COVID-19 as a driver for the discussion.   The objective is less about the specific impacts COVID-19 had and is having, and more on how that event informs us on resiliency for future global upsets, in terms of what works, what gaps have been exposed, and what research questions ought to be studied as a first step towards enhancing Maritime Resilience. 

The Arctic Resilience Forum: Human Health and Pandemics, October 28, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.

Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) Annual Meeting, October 29, 2020 (virtual) The ARCUS Annual Meeting serves as an important opportunity for for the Council of ARCUS Institutional Member RepresentativesARCUS Individual Members, and other members of the broader Arctic research community to connect with one another, the ARCUS Board of Directors, and staff. The meeting will be open to all interested participants and there is no cost to attend.

Maritime & Arctic Security & Safety Conference, November 3-4, 2020 (virtual). Organized by the Atlantic Canada Aerospace & Defense Association, this conference will be virtual in 2020.

** New this week ** Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3): Webinar One, 1:00 pm UTC on November 11, 2020 (virtual). This meeting is part of the ASM3 webinar series and will focus on addressing gaps and barriers in international Arctic science research. For more information on ASM3, see here

Design of the Built Environment in the Arctic Webinar, 1:00 PM ET on November 11, 2020 (virtual). This talk will explore recent work of the Arctic Design Group to develop architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design strategies in the far north. Working directly with northern communities - and in collaboration with scientists and engineers - these strategies seek holistic design solutions to meet current and future challenges of an increasingly dynamic built environment in a rapidly changing Arctic. This webinar is supported by the Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network.

Arctic Maritime Oil Spill Modeling, Part 1 on November 16 | Part 2 on November 23 | Part 3 on November 30, (virtual). This event is hosted by the Arctic Domain Awareness Center. This event is conducted in accordance with ADAC's "Year 6 Work Plan" ADAC conducts quarterly Customer and Partner's Roundtables. More information coming soon.

The Arctic Resilience Forum: Gender, November 18, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.

The Arctic Resilience Forum: Socio-Ecological Resilience, November 25, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.

Arctic Maritime Horizons Workshop, December 1-2, 2020 (Anchorage, Alaska USA). This event is hosted by the Arctic Domain Awareness Center. This workshop will be an assessment of the future maritime transportation system of the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort sea regions.

** New this week ** Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3): Webinar Two, 5:00 pm UTC on December 2, 2020 (virtual). This meeting is part of the ASM3 webinar series and will focus on Indigenous Peoples' Interests in ASM3 (specific topics in consultation with ASM3 Science Advisory Board and Arctic Indigenous Organizations). For more information on ASM3, see here.

The Arctic Resilience Forum: Financing Resilience, December 2, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.

AGU Fall Meeting, December 7-11, 2020 (San Francisco, California USA). Fall Meeting is the largest gathering of Earth and space scientists in the world. More information will be available at the link.

The Arctic Resilience Forum: Infrastructure, December 9, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas. 

The Arctic Resilience Forum: Working Together in the Arctic: Indigenous and Western Knowledge Systems, December 16, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.

** New this week ** Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3): Webinar Three, 2:00 pm UTC on January 20, 2021 (virtual). This meeting is part of the ASM3 webinar series and will focus on Theme 1: Observing networks; Data sharing-towards implementation. For more information on ASM3, see here.

2021 Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 26-28, 2021 (virtual). The Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS) has been bringing together scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and interested public for over twenty years to discuss the latest marine research being conducted in Alaskan waters. Over 700 people attend this 4-day long conference held annually during the month of January. Each day of the conference highlights important Alaskan marine ecosystems: Gulf of Alaska (Tuesday), Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands (Wednesday), and the Arctic (Thursday). Research topics discussed range from ocean physics, fishes and invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, to local traditional knowledge. Since its inception, NPRB has been a proud sponsor and one of the leading organizers of AMSS.

Arctic Frontiers 2021, February 1-4, 2021 (virtual). Arctic Frontiers started out in 2006 assembling the first global scientific conference on economic, societal and environmental sustainable growth in the north. In February 2021, we will arrange the 15th conference with the theme "Building Bridges". The conference has a pan arctic perspective 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.

** New this week ** Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3): Webinar Four, 1:00 pm UTC on February 17, 2021 (virtual). This meeting is part of the ASM3 webinar series and will focus on Theme 2: enhance understanding and prediction capability on Arctic environmental and social systems and its global impact. For more information on ASM3, see here.

** New this week ** Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3): Webinar Five, 1:00 pm UTC on March 17, 2021 (virtual). This meeting is part of the ASM3 webinar series and will focus on Theme 3: Respond: sustainable development; evaluation of vulnerability and resilience; application of knowledge. For more information on ASM3, see here.

Arctic Science Summit Week, March 20-26, 2021 (Lisbon, Portugal). The Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Local Organizing Committee will host the Arctic Science Summit Week 2021. The Conference is organized by FCT, Ciência Viva, AIR Center, the Portuguese Arctic Community and by IASC and partners. Framed by the overarching theme for the Science Conference "The Arctic: Regional Changes, Global Impacts," Lisbon invites International experts on the Arctic and Indigenous Peoples to discuss the "New Arctic" and also its impacts and interactions to and with the lower latitudes.

** New this week ** Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3): Webinar Five, 1:00 pm UTC on April 7, 2021 (virtual). This meeting is part of the ASM3 webinar series and will focus on Theme 4: Strengthen: capacity building; education; networking; resilience-prepare the next generation. For more information on ASM3, see here.

2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses, May 3-6, 2021 (Hanko, Finland). Organizers announce, that due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses has been postponed to 2021. This symposium will bring together molecular microbial ecologists specializing in different organism groups to share our latest results and discuss methodological problems, as well as future prospects in the field, including practical international collaborations. The environmental focus will be on cryospheric environments including sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, and permafrost, but excellent research in other polar environments is also invited. The methods to be discussed will focus on 'omics' techniques, ranging from single cells to metagenomes, but research using additional methods is encouraged as well.

3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, May 8-9, 2021 (Toyko, Japan). The Japanese and Icelandic organizers of this ministerial continue to plan for an in-person ministerial, in Tokyo, but have moved the dates from November 21-22, 2020 to May 8-9, 2021 because of Covid-19. Since the last Arctic Science Ministerial in 2018, changes in the Arctic ecosystem and the resulting impacts locally and globally have been severely felt. Considering the need for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and repair measures, the relevance of an international Arctic Science Ministerial has never been greater. It is necessary to strengthen scientific cooperation and collaboration among both Arctic and non-Arctic States in order to develop our understanding of the rapid changes impacting the Arctic. The First Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM1) was hosted by the United States in 2016, and two years later, the Second Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM2) was co-hosted by Germany, Finland, and the European Commission. ASM3 will be co-hosted by Iceland and Japan.
 

** New this week ** Third Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3): Closing Webinar, 1:00 pm UTC on June 9, 2021 (virtual). This meeting is part of the ASM3 webinar series and will focus on the post-ministerial review: joint statement actions. For more information on ASM3, see here.

2021 Regional Conference on Permafrost/ 19th International Conference Cold Regions Engineering, July 11-16, 2021 (Boulder, Colorado USA). For the first time a Regional Conference on Permafrost will be combined with the bi-annual 19th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering. This conference is hosted by the US Permafrost Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the International Permafrost Association, the Permafrost Young Researchers Network, and the University of Colorado Boulder. A complete list of planned sessions is available here.

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