Arctic Update Header
February 2, 2018

No Arctic events are scheduled for today.
Media

polar bear matt Polar Bears Burn More Calories Than Thought. Can They Survive Climate Change? Scientists studying the metabolism of free-ranging polar bears in the Arctic have found out why the loss of sea ice is hurting their survival: They burn calories at a faster rate than previously thought. The findings, described in the journal Science, reveal alarming facts about the polar bear's unsustainable physiology in the face of ongoing climate change. As human-produced greenhouse gas emissions continue to fuel global warming, the Arctic sea ice levels continue to shrink by about 13.2 percent per decade. At the same time, a number of polar bear populations have been on the decline - for example, dropping by about 40 percent in the Beaufort Sea in the course of a decade. Anchorage Daily News
 
Science Making the Arctic Accessible for Excellent Science. Retreating sea ice and warming waters create opportunities and challenges that have given rise to an unprecedented political and economic interest in the Arctic Ocean over the past decade. Increased European funding of polar research demonstrate how critical science-informed decision-making has become in the face of a changing Arctic. These investments have enabled European scientists to contribute substantially to understanding the ongoing processes. However, compared to the knowledge base needed for effectively predicting the effects of climate change, the available datasets are still insufficient. One weak point of the polar research community is the small and aging existing polar fleet. Research icebreakers are a crucial infrastructure and tool for conducting scientific investigations in the ice-covered areas of the Arctic Ocean - those regions that urgently need to be explored before they disappear. Alfred-Wegener-Institut
 
What Cameras on Polar Bears Show Us: It's Tough Out There. You wouldn't necessarily know it by looking at a polar bear's ample figure, but the world's only marine bear is a fat-burning machine. Polar bears can lose as much as four pounds of pure fat per day, according to Anthony Pagano, a wildlife research biologist with the United States Geological Survey. While dieters around the world would love to know the bears' secret - to shave off a single pound in a day a human would have to run a marathon without eating any more than usual - their high metabolism is not necessarily a good thing, as Mr. Pagano details in a study published Thursday in the journal Science. New York Times
 
Arctic Development Center Plans 50 Expeditions for Coming Months. Specialists of the Russian Center for Arctic's Development plan to organize within the current year more than 50 expeditions. The surveys' one of the directions would be further studies of pastures in the Yamalo-Nenets Region, the regional Department on Science and Innovations said referring to the Center's Director Andrei Baryshnikov. "We plan organizing within 2018 abut 47 events and 51 expeditions," he said on Friday. "During the upcoming field season, studies of reindeer pastures will continue in the Yamal Nenet's Priuralsky District." The department added that from the time the Center was organized, scientists have been organizing in Yamal's far-away areas research stations for expeditions." TASS
 
ocean.jpg The Midnight Sun Messes with the Arctic Charr's Inner Clock. In polar regions extreme seasonal changes occur, driven by rapidly shifting day length. This results in periods of several months per year when the sun remains permanently above or below the horizon, limiting the daily photoperiodic information polar organisms receive during these summer and winter periods. The Arctic charr is the most northern distributed freshwater fish, subjected to polar cycles in environment and food availability. Science Nordic
 
Changing Landscape Means Some Arctic Ponds May Potentially be a Significant Source of Carbon Emissions. A new Canadian study has found that carbon released by some ponds in the High Arctic could potentially be a hidden source of greenhouse gas emissions. The study looked at how dissolved organic carbon (DOC) stored in Arctic permafrost -- which is thawing at an accelerated rate due to climate change -- is being released into Arctic watersheds as a result of physical disturbances that relocate nutrients across the landscape. For the first-time researchers were able to determine that the chemical composition of carbon in these ponds is vastly different than in rivers in the High Arctic. Science Daily
 
Recasting the Net: Promoting wellness to prevent suicide in Alaska. This is Recasting the Net: Promoting Wellness to Prevent Suicide in Alaska, the 2018-2022 statewide suicide prevention plan. The Statewide Suicide Prevention Council ("Council") was established by the Alaska Legislature in 2001. After a legislative audit in 2013, it was extended by the Legislature to June 30, 2019. The Council is responsible for advising legislators and the Governor on ways to improve Alaskans' health and wellness by reducing suicide, improving public awareness of suicide and risk factors, enhancing suicide prevention efforts, working with partners and faith-based organizations to develop healthier communities, creating a statewide suicide prevention plan and putting it in action, and building and strengthening partnerships to prevent suicide. The first report was "Casting the Net Upstream: Promoting Wellness to Prevent Suicide" and was a five-year action plan for 2012-2017 created to fulfill the Council's statutory duty to create a statewide suicide prevention plan. The report is available here.
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services: Statewide Suicide Prevention Council's website is available here.
 
What Will the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Project do with its $1M Arctic Inspiration Prize. Eight teams from across the North were awarded a share of $2.4 million Wednesday evening at the Arctic Inspiration Prize's sixth annual award gala in Ottawa. The Arctic Indigenous Wellness Project received the top prize of $1 million. The project is conceived as a traditional healing program for at-risk Inuit, First Nation and Métis in the Northwest Territories. The project will bring Indigenous cultural education and traditional on-the-land interventions and counseling to an urban setting. CBC News
Future Events

** New this week **  The Polar Silk Road: China's Arctic Ambitions, February 6, 2018 (Washington, DC USA). On January 26, 2018, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou unveiled "China's Arctic Policy." The country's self-classification as a Near-Arctic State is an important step in the region's development, and when combined with other objectives indicates rising Chinese ambitions in Arctic affairs. How does a Polar Silk Road align with the more expansive Belt and Road Initiative? What opportunities and risks does China's aspirations in the Arctic present for the US, the region and the globe? In this Ground Truth Briefing, five regional experts will discuss China's emerging Arctic presence.

Global Leaders Forum: Finland's Priorities as Chair of the Arctic Council, February 7, 2018 (Washington, DC  USA). The Center for Strategic & International Studies will host a conversation with Mr. Timo Soini, Minister of Foreign Affairs Finland. As Finland's chairmanship of the Arctic Council approaches the one year mark, Minister Soini will update attendees on Finland's priorities including environmental protection, strengthening connectivity, meteorological cooperation, and education. A critical partner of the United States in the High North, Finland continues to explore the Arctic's economic potential and advocate for the region's sustainable development, while also assuring the protection of the climate and ecosystems. Minister Soini will also discuss the increasing engagement of non-Arctic states in Arctic cooperation.

** New this week **  ARCUS DC Arctic Research Seminar: Promoting Research on Mental Health, Resilience, and Wellbeing in the Arctic, February 12, 2018 (Washington, DC USA and via webinar) One of the goals for the IARPC Arctic Research Plan: FY2017-2021 is to "Enhance understanding of health determinants and improve the wellbeing of Arctic residents." Specific research objectives under this goal include but are not limited to supporting integrative approaches to human health that recognize the connections among people, wildlife, the environment, and climate; promoting research, sustainable development, and community resilience to address health disparities associated with underlying social determinants of health and wellbeing; and increasing understanding of mental health, substance abuse, and wellbeing for Alaskan youth. Following the efforts of the RISING SUN initiative under the 2015-2017 US Chairmanship of the Arctic Council, which developed community-based and prioritized outcomes to evaluate suicide prevention interventions among Indigenous populations across the circumpolar Arctic, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is committed to furthering research focused on reducing the burden of suicide and promoting resilience among Indigenous youth. Specifically, through cooperative agreements, NIMH has provided funding to establish and support regional collaborative hubs, including in Alaska, whose research teams will (a) conduct preventive interventions research, including strengths-based/resilience-focused approaches, with the goal of reducing suicide in indigenous youth, and (b) conduct outreach and dissemination activities to promote community engagement in research activities and enable community decision-makers to use science-based information to develop and assess mental health policies and programs. This webinar will provide an overview of research and other activities supported by the NIMH/NIH that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Arctic residents.

Alaska Forum on the Environment, February 12-16, 2018 (Anchorage, Alaska) AFE is a statewide gathering of environmental professionals from government agencies, non-profit and for-profit businesses, community leaders, Alaskan youth, conservationists, biologists and community elders. The diversity of attendees sets this conference apart from any other. The 2018 event will be our 20th year providing a strong educational foundation for all Alaskans and a unique opportunity to interact with others on environmental issues and challenges.

** New this week **
 A Changing Arctic, Registration closes March 1, 2018 (University of Oslo). The University of Oslo will offer a course this summer on the changing Arctic.  Registration closes March 1st. The Arctic region has gained increased public, political, commercial and academic interest over the last decade. High-energy prices and technological advances have made it possible, if not yet commercially attractive, to exploit petroleum resources in the area. Climate change and the retraction of the polar ice have opened new sea transportation routes, considerably shortening the distance from Europe and North America to parts of Asia. The demand for high-quality white fish from the Barents Sea is steadily rising on international markets. States, international organizations and private interests, including emerging economies in Asia, now show a keen interest in the High North and the Arctic at large. 

Methane Variation Over Terrestrial and Marine Arctic Areas (2010-2016): IASI Satellite Data, March 13, 2018 (Silver Spring, Maryland USA). There is evidence that methane is being released into the atmosphere at high northern latitudes as the Arctic warms up. Methane concentration in the Arctic lower troposphere was estimated between 2010 and 2016 with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), a thermal IR spectrometer orbiting the Earth on a satellite MetOp-A. The area studied encompasses the Barents/ Kara seas and the Wester Siberian Lowland (WSL), one of the most important methane sources in high northern latitudes. This event is a NOAA's National Ocean Service Science Seminar.

5th Annual Arctic Encounter Symposium (AES), April 19-20, 2018 (Seattle, WA, USA) - The Arctic Encounter, the largest annual Arctic policy conference in the U.S., will convene policymakers, industry leaders, scientists, Arctic artists and musical performers, and other stakeholders to debate and discuss emerging Arctic challenges and opportunities including policy, innovation, security, and development. The mission of AES is to raise awareness, engage challenges, and develop solutions for the future of the Arctic region and the people who live there. The 5th annual AES will take place in downtown Seattle at the  Bell Harbor International Conference Center on Pier 66.  

2018 North by North Festival, April 23-29, 2018 (Anchorage, Alaska USA). The North by North Festival captures the spirit of Alaska and the Arctic - to address our challenges and opportunities with Northern innovation and resilience, to build on a rich history and to ensure a future full of promise. The Festival is for the North, and organized by Northerners, with goals of sustainability, livability and growth. The Festival brings innovators from across Alaska, the nation and other Arctic regions to collaborate and address local and circumpolar challenges. Through knowledge, governance, business, design, film, music, food, literature and art, we celebrate the North.

Council on Earth Cryology, May 15-16, 2018 (Moscow, Russian Federation).  Scientific council on Earth cryology of Russian Academy of Sciences  together with Department of Geocryology of Faculty of Geology of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of the Earth Cryosphere, the Tyumen Scientific Senter, Melnikov Permafrost Institute (Yakutsk) of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science holds on May 15 - 16, 2018 an enlarged meeting with participation of the Russian and foreign scientists, engineers and experts:  "Current problems of geocryology." The meeting of Scientific council on Earth Cryology of RAS has the status of the International meeting. The publication of materials in the collection of reports is planned. Submissions ( Submission Form ), offers on cooperation, support of a conference and papers ( Sample of Paper ) to e-mail:  cryoconf18@gmail.com
 
The Effects of Climate Change on the World's Oceans, June 4-8, 2018 (Washington, DC USA).   The 4th International Symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems - and how to respond. The event is hosted by a variety of groups including International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), N. Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

 
International Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) VIII, June 11-14, 2
The international Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) is a forum for earth scientists who study the Arctic. It was founded to help understand the little known Arctic geology and to foster cooperation and collaboration among Arctic researchers. There have been 7 meetings since its  inception in 1991. See here  for more information.
 
POLAR 2018, June 15-27, 2018 (Davos, Switzerland).  POLAR2018 is a joint event from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). The SCAR meetings, the ASSW and the Open Science Conference will be hosted by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL under the patronage of the Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF is organizing POLAR2018.

Arctic Observing Summit 2018, June 24-26, 2018 (Davos, Switzerland). 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. AOS 2018 will be held in Davos, Switzerland ( June 24-26) and will focus on pressing issues in the implementation and support of sustained observations that can be addressed through a business-case lens. To that end, short submissions are requested that address any and all aspects of the overarching theme and sub-themes. Additional information can be found here.
 
17th International Congress of Circumpolar Health (ICCH17), August 12-15, 2018 (Copenhagen, Denmark). The ICCH congresses are held every third year in different locations in the circumpolar area and represent the largest scientific meetings worldwide on circumpolar health. The ICCH congresses serve as the primary source of information exchange and scholarly communication in issues relating to circumpolar health. More than 750 participants generally register and participate in each Congress, and more than 400 scientific papers or posters are usually presented.

UArctic Congress 2018, September 3-7, 2018 (Oulu and Helsinki, Finland).
The UArctic Congress 2018 will bring together key UArctic meetings and a science conference into one single gathering, including business meetings of the Council of UArctic, Rectors' Forum, Student Forum, and Thematic Networks & UArctic Institutes Leadership Team. The Congress is an integral part of the Finland's Arctic Council chairmanship program, and open to the public. The event will highlight the themes and priorities of the Finnish chairmanship, including the goals of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The second Arctic Biodiversity Congress is hosted by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, and the Ministry of the Environment, Finland. The second Arctic Biodiversity Congress will build on the success of the first Congress, held in 2014 in Trondheim, Norway, and will bring together scientists, policymakers government officials, Indigenous representatives, Traditional Knowledge holders, industry, non-governmental organizations, and others to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity. 

USARC header

Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter jmml_blue5_btn.gif

4350 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 510
Arlington, VA 22203, USA 
(703) 525-0111 (phone)
www.arctic.gov
info@arctic.gov
 
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.