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Arctic Reading for the Quarantine:
This week's newly shared reports and publicans.
(The Study of Environmental Arctic Change) Arctic Futures 2050 Conference Report, April 16, 2020. In September 2019, the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) brought together nearly 400 scientists, Indigenous Knowledge holders and leaders, and policy makers from 15 countries to explore Arctic research needs. The Arctic Futures 2050 conference report covers takeaways from the spoken and poster presentations organized by five conference questions and reflects on the conference format and lessons learned. A main conference conclusion is that holistic understanding and useful adaptation to rapid Arctic change requires bringing together scientists, Indigenous Knowledge holders, and policy makers in all phases of research from defining the problems to conducting research and sharing knowledge. Please also note
the webinar opportunity for providing ideas inspired by the report.
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Commercial Whaling May Be Over in Iceland. As public opinion changes and consumption of whale meat declines, commercial whaling may be one step closer to a permanent end in Iceland and possibly the world. For the second year in a row, Iceland, one of three remaining whaling nations, will not hunt any whales. Iceland already harvested the lowest number of whales among the whaling holdouts, which include Japan and Norway.
National Geographic
Arctic Dinosaur May Have Crossed Between Asia and America to Dominate the North. Long before early humans crossed the land bridge that used to link Asia and America, an "incredibly successful" type of duck-billed dinosaur may have trodden the same path, allowing it to dominate northern latitudes of the world 70 million years ago. Paleontologists said a new dinosaur discovered in Hokkaido, Japan, in 2019 called Kamuysaurus is a close cousin of the plant-eating Edmontosaurus -- a type of duck-billed hadrosaur commonly found in the fossil record. It's known as the "caribou of the Cretaceous" because of their large numbers and wide range, which stretched from Colorado to Alaska.
CNN
 US Air Force Prioritizing Better Communications in the Arctic. The US Air Force (USAF) wants better communications capability and capacity in the Arctic region, specifically north of the 65 degree and 70 degree North latitudes, to better prepare for combat against nations such as China and Russia. General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) commander, said on 4 May during a Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies event that the Pentagon's traditional means of communications start to break down north of these latitudes in the region and that only the most exquisite communications continue working north of 70 degrees North.
IHS Jane's 360
 Almost 2,000 Workers Have Contracted COVID-19 at This Russian Arctic Construction Site. The construction site operated by natural gas company Novatek continues to be the hotbed of COVID-19 cases in the Russian north. The official number of cases as of the 5th of May total 1.801, regional authorities inform. That is an increase of more than 120 over the last 24 hours, and up 800 in less than a week. On the 30th April the number of cases amount to 1,006.
Radio Canada International
Kronotsky Nature Reserve Researchers to Explore Lake Elgygytgyn in Chukotka. Scientists of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve will explore Lake Elgygytgyn, an ancient water reservoir in the northern part of Chukotka mainland. Fish biologists are going to find out how the Arctic fish in the lake survived during the ice ages and study the composition of the species in the rivers and streams flowing into the lake. They will also evaluate the damage to the lake's ichthyofauna caused by fishing tourism.
The Arctic
Extended Deadline - Call for Input: Comment on the Next IARPC 5-Year Arctic Research Plan Due August 2
The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) has extended the deadline for comments on the next Arctic Research Plan.
A scoping Federal Register Notice (FRN) for the next Arctic Research Plan was published on 3 April 2020 and will be open for comments until 2 August 2020. The full FRN is available
online
. IARPC is initiating development of the next Arctic Research Plan, as called for in the Arctic Research Policy Act (ARPA) of 1984 (15 U.S.C. 4108). The Plan aims to strengthen interagency communication, coordination, and collaboration of the 14 Federal agencies, departments and offices that make up IARPC. The Plan will address critical needs in Arctic research and identify those areas where research in the Arctic can be improved through interagency collaboration.I ARPC will begin developing the next 5-year Arctic Research Plan and wants to know what should be included. Your thoughts and ideas are valued and welcome.
Comments can be made via the
Federal Register
or email:
IARPCPlan@nsf.gov
.
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Future Events
** New this week **
National Science Foundation Manager Chat: Response to COVID-19, May 6, 2020 (webinar). An IARPC Collaborations Webinar Series, join NSF Office of Polar Programs Officers to discuss the NSF response to COVID-19 including impacts on awards, regulations, and the 2020 field season. This is an opportunity for open dialog with OPP and we welcome the research community to join, ask questions and share feedback.
Register here! For more information about the topics to be covered in this webinar, see
here.
 COVID-19 Impacts in the Arctic, May 19-20, 2020 (Virtual conference, Zoom)
. Organized and hosted by the US Naval War College, the Wilson Center's Polar Institute, and the US Arctic Research Commission, this event will be a series of panel conversations on the impacts of the virus in the Arctic. COVID-19 threatens the Arctic region with new challenges to human life, economic prosperity, and the fabric of communities. Ongoing climate and environmental change further compound the challenges facing Arctic communities. In light of these unprecedented, intersecting challenges, the co-hosts will run a virtual conference of panels focusing on Arctic Community health, economic
activities, US Coast Guard Operations, scientific research, international impacts and more. Speakers will include leading voices from Arctic communities, federal and state agencies, academia, international entities, and the private sector.
Registration
is
open
and is
required
.
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.
Arctic Circle Assembly, October 8-11, 2020 (Reykjavik, Iceland). The annual Arctic Circle Assembly is the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic, attended by more than 2000 participants from 60 countries. It is attended by heads of states and governments, ministers, members of parliaments, officials, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, indigenous representatives, environmentalists, students, activists and others from the growing international community of partners and participants interested in the future of the Arctic.
3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, November 21-22, 2020 (Toyko, Japan). Since the last Arctic Science Ministerial in 2018, changes in the Arctic ecosystem and the resulting impacts locally and globally have been severely felt. While the reasons for these changes in climate largely stem from activities outside of the Arctic, the Arctic is warming at a rate of nearly double the global average. 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. The Third Arctic Science Ministerial will be co-hosted by Iceland and Japan.
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.
Save the Date: 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.
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