More Dead Marine Mammals, Birds Found on Region's Beaches. Alaska Sea Grant agent Gay Sheffield from Nome responded to report of a dead bowhead and a dead grey whale northeast of Shishmaref near Cape Espenburg. Shishmaref locals loaded up in a boat with Sheffield and set out to find the dead whales. The weather was rough and on June 23 they boated about 40 miles in the inner lagoon between the barrier islands and the mainland. They found the dead bowhead whale, a young 24-ft female, too decomposed to be able to determine cause of death, but Sheffield took samples that will be tested for algal toxins. Having heard local reports of the unusual number of marine mammal carcasses on the beach, Sheffield kept her eyes peeled for dead animals as the boat moved. She saw 17 dead seals and walruses from the boat. Nome Nugget

 

'Unprecedented' Wildfires in the Arctic Emitted as Much CO2 in June as Sweden Does in a Year. Wildfires in the Arctic last month emitted as much carbon dioxide (CO2) as all of Sweden does in a year, according to the World Meteorological Organization. At a regular United Nations briefing in Geneva on July 12, WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said the wildfires in the Arctic since the start of June are "unprecedented." Global News

 

How Bundling Power Can Help Remote Arctic Communities Transition to Clean Energy. The predominantly Inuit town of Kugaaruk, Nunavut in Canada's far North pays more than a dollar per kWh for electricity - nearly ten times the cost of power in southern Canada. Like many of its remote neighbors in the Arctic, Kugaaruk's steep power prices come from its need to import diesel. Given the off-grid nature of these communities, this diesel is generally shipped in or brought in by air - both of which are expensive forms of transport, compared to the pipelines that serve most major populations centers. Burning diesel also releases black carbon, a local air pollutant and powerful agent of climate change. Nunatsiaq Online

 

Commerce: Committee to Vote on Ocean Management, Fishing Bills. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will vote Wednesday on bills to help improve coordination between coastal states and encourage people to become commercial fishermen. Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker's S. 2166 would create and fund regional ocean partnerships at NOAA. The partnerships would be made up of states that share a coastline. E&E News

 

The NATO Alliance's Role in Arctic Security. Canada, much like Russia, is heavily invested in the Arctic. Ranking second in Arctic interests, it also ranks second in land holdings with 1.2 million square miles found above the Arctic Circle. Canada's northern borders have also long been secured by the vast expanses of Arctic ice, but they may find their Arctic holdings precariously exposed if ice sheets become non-existent. There exists a dichotomy of Canadian strategy in the Arctic. Of all 28 NATO countries, Canadians are the least excited to see an allied military presence in the Arctic. Maritime Executive

 

Coast Guard Opens Post in Kotzebue for Summer. The Coast Guard has once again opened its seasonal post in Kotzebue for the summer. Throughout the summer, when maritime traffic in the Arctic is at its peak for the year, crews work out of the Kotzebue post to be able to respond more quickly to northern emergencies. "As America's interest in the Arctic continues to grow, the Coast Guard is committed to fulfilling our missions and supporting remote communities in this strategically valuable area," said Commander Adam Merrill, operations officer at Air Station Kodiak, in the release. The Arctic Sounder