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Aid is on its Way to Icebreaker Struggling Near North Pole. The 129 meter long diesel-engined vessel on 28th February reached the site of German Arctic research vessel «Polarstern», a long-awaited encounter for the members of Arctic expedition MOSAiC. On board the Russian ship were researchers and crew that are to replace the personnel that has served in the desolate Arctic ice since mid-December 2019. Two days before the encounter, the «Kapitan Dranitsyn» had set a world record as it reached the northernmost position ever made by a diesel-engined vessel in wintertime.
The Barents Observer
 'One of the Most Successful Expeditions.' The Ryder 2019 Expedition with Swedish icebreaker Oden took place from early August to mid-September 2019 and included marine as well as land-based research. The overall scientific goal was to gain a better understanding of how climate affects the sensitive high Arctic environment. Chief Scientists at the Ryder expedition were Martin Jakobsson and Larry Mayer. Both were more than pleased with the expedition, where they managed to get to previously unexplored areas.
Swedish Polar Research Secretariat
Shrinking Arctic Ice Slows Fish Breeding Rates. It's relatively small, not particularly well-known, but it's a key indicator of global warming, which is putting some fish breeding rates at risk: enter the polar cod (Boreogadus saida), the smaller cousin of the more familiar north-east Arctic cod. A recent study by researchers at the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in Norway has found that declines in winter sea ice cover in the Barents Sea region of the Arctic, plus warmer sea temperatures, are causing declines in polar cod reproduction rates.
Eco-Business
State Duma Committee Approves Arctic Business Support Bill. Members of the State Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Property and Land Relations approved a bill on State Support for Entrepreneurial Activities in the Russian Federation's Arctic Zone. Submitted by the Government, the document sets forth the relevant legalities, the procedure for entrepreneurial activities and state support measures in the Russian Arctic. And the Government will determine national Arctic shelf sectors where state support measures will be applied.
The Arctic
 US Lacks Ice Hardened Ships, Repair and Refueling Ports for Arctic Ops. Unlike the South China Sea and other contested areas, the U.S. Navy does not have the capability to conduct freedom-of-the-seas operations in the icebound waters of the Arctic, a key Pentagon official conceded. With only one heavy and one medium icebreaker and no Navy ships with hulls hardened against ice, "We do have limitations in the Arctic right now," James H. Anderson, assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities, told a readiness subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 3 during a hearing on U.S. military readiness in the Arctic.
Sea Power
Canada Supports Arctic Council's Project CREATeS. Suicide is a serious public health issue that impacts people of all ages and backgrounds and is a significant issue in Canada's North and Arctic. Suicide prevention among Indigenous youth is a responsibility for all, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. Engaging in dialogue to reduce stigma around mental health and focus on hope, help and healing plays a vital role in suicide prevention. This is why Canada is promoting the Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group's initiative, Project CREATeS, which focuses on suicide prevention among Indigenous youth in the circumpolar north, and supports the next CREATeS project iteration, Local2Global.
Mirage News
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Future Events
** New this week **
Polar Technology Conference, March 10-12, 2020 (Boulder, Colorado USA and via livestream). A livestream broadcast of the Polar Technology Conference plenary sessions will be available March 10-12. The goal of the meeting is to link experts in polar science and technology development to discuss current technological resources for polar research and identify barriers to research and application of technology for problems unique to polar regions. Please visit the conference webpage to view details including the speakers, topics, agenda, abstracts, and details on how to access the livestream.
presented by University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for One Health Researc
h in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, will host internationally recognize
d 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.
High North Dialogue, March 18-19, 2020 (Bodø, Norway). Since 2007, the High North Dialogue conference series have brought together leaders of the High North - present and future - to discuss the dimensions of the changes taking place in the Arctic. The High North Dialogue 2020 will provide you with a different perspective on the future of the High North. The theme of the 2020 conference is "Business in the Arctic." The conference also includes Master and PhD courses, a research workshop, breakout sessions, the High North Hero award, and the High North Young Entrepreneur contest. Please visit our website for more information.
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.
Ice Core Science Community Planning Workshop 2020, April 2-3, 2020 (Alexandria, Virginia USA). Scientific discoveries achieved in the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets and temperate glaciers are critical to society today, but they are not achieved without significant advance planning. The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) will sponsor an interdisciplinary ice community workshop to identify science driving future Arctic and Antarctic ice coring sites, the ice drilling technology that will be needed, and the timeline over the coming decade for advancing ice core science on multiple frontiers. The outcome of the workshop will be white papers describing community endeavors with associated timelines that will become part of the updated U.S. Ice Drilling Program Long Range Science Plan.
North x North Festival + Critical Futures, April 13-19, 2020 (Anchorage, Alaska USA).
North x North celebrates connection, creativity, imagination and innovation across the Circumpolar North and convenes people worldwide for a discussion about possible futures. It begins with Critical Futures
, a creative conference that focuses on language, visuals and ideas for creatively and critically thinking about the future and responding to climate change, and ends with a Fest featuring film, food and music. This event is hosted by the Anchorage Museum.
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.
** New this week **
NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program Webinar Series, April 16, 2020 (Webinar). Deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the Aleutian Islands are important habitat features for many life stages of commercially important fish targets, including Atka mackerel, Pacific cod, and rockfish. The effects of commercial fishing activities on deep-sea corals and sponges has been difficult to quantify due to a lack of spatially-explicit fishery data, bottom contact by different gear types, undetermined location of corals and sponges, and the susceptibility and recovery dynamics these structure-forming invertebrates (SFI). To address these challenges, a fishing effects model was developed in the North Pacific to integrate spatially explicit VMS data with target-specific gear configurations for over 40,000 bottom trawls since 2003. Fishery observer coverage for Aleutian Island trawl fisheries is nearly 100 percent and records catch species composition. Species distribution models provide presence data for coral, sponge, Primnoidae, and Stylasteridae.
ICESAT-2 Cryospheric Science Hackweek, June 15-19, 2020 (Seattle, Washington USA). ICESat-2 Cryospheric Science Hackweek is a 5-day hackweek to be held at the University of Washington. Participants will learn about technologies used to access and process ICESat-2 data with a focus on the cryosphere. Mornings will consist of interactive lectures, and afternoon sessions will involve facilitated exploration of datasets and hands-on software development.
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