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Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting, November 17-19, 2015 (Seattle, Washington). The Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting will be 2.5 days and held at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle, Washington. The conference will bring together individuals and teams involved in the collection, processing, analysis, and use of observations in the Arctic - from academia, agencies, industry, and other organizations. The meeting will be convened as a combination of plenary talks, parallel science sessions, and a poster session. The deadline for the
Meeting Registration is Tuesday, 20 October. The
agenda and
registered attendees can be found on the
meeting website.
Today's C
ongressional Action:
The Senate is expected to consider Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding. The House is not expected to consider Arctic legislation.
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Introducing the Arctic Dinosaurs, T-Rex's 'Weird' Northern Cousins.
During Patrick Druckenmiller's not-so-restful sabbatical year, he is flying to museums around the world. In Alberta a few weeks ago and London now, the University of Alaska Museum of the North's curator of Earth science is looking at bones of dinosaurs similar to ones found in northern Alaska. The more he squints at them and chats with experts, the more he thinks far-north dinosaurs are like Alaskans compared to other Americans: kind of the same, but a little off. "When we really re-examine the fauna, (northern Alaska) is a very weird place," Druckenmiller said. Alaska Dispatch News
 US Coast Guard Studies Shipping Lanes for Bering Sea Routes.
More Arctic sea ice melting each summer from global warming is making it easier for ships to plot routes through the environmentally sensitive Bering Strait, and is prompting concerns among U.S. Coast Guard officials about the potential dangers of a vessel crashing and leaking oil. The Coast Guard is taking steps to plot a shipping route that will help the ships safely navigate the 53-mile-wide (85-kilometer) waterway separating Russia and Alaska. Among the vessels slated to pass through the strait is a cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 passengers on a 32-day voyage next year through the Northwest Passage. News2
Deep Trekker ROV for High Arctic Research.
In March 2015, Dr. Alex Nimmo Smith and Mr. Peter Ganderton from the Plymouth University Marine Physics Research Group included a Deep Trekker DTG2 'Worker' supplied by Planet Ocean Ltd in the equipment that they took on a research trip to the Norwegian Arctic. The Deep Trekker ROV was successfully operated through ice holes in water of -2°C, with tasks including the inspection of other instruments and providing a visual survey of the underside of the ice. A combination of slight positive buoyancy and the mounting of the optional crawler wheels on the top of the unit enabled stable driving along the underside of the ice in the frozen fjord. Hydro International
Statoil Exits From Alaska.
Energy giant Statoil is to exit Alaska following recent exploration results in neighboring leases.
Statoil said the move was part of commitment to "optimizing its portfolio, strengthening financial performance, and positioning for long-term value." The decision comes at a time when global oil prices have fallen sharply, making complex and costly exploration projects less economical.
Energy Voice
 Alaska Holding Out Against Emission-Cutting Policies.
The Arctic is on the front lines of climate change. Alaska is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the planet. The most visible impacts are to Native communities located on barrier islands in Northwest Alaska, who now face a future without the ice that used to protect them from storms that now threaten tow wipe them away. A group called Alaska Common Ground hosted an all-day forum in Anchorage over the weekend to answer the question, "What are we doing about it?" The answer is... not much.... yet.
Alaska Public Radio
Russian-American Long-Term Census of the Arctic: RUSALCA. The magazine Oceanography recently released a special issue on Russian-American long-term census on the Arctic. A link to the articles is here.
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
A Public-Private Partnerships and the Federal Arctic MTS, November 18, 2015 (Webinar).
The goal of this webinar is to seek input from Arctic stakeholders engaged in or planning to engage in public-private partnerships (P3) to understand current types of partners and partnerships, planned activities, as well as success stories from previous partnerships. This information will be used to inform the recommendations for P3 partnerships in support of Arctic maritime infrastructure activities, as well as highlight examples of successful infrastructure initiatives achieved through P3 that may serve as examples for future initiatives in the U.S. Arctic.
The Arctic Council at Twenty:
Permanent Participants, Arctic Policy in Canada and the United States, and Stewardship. November 20, 2015, Seattle, WA (Workshop).
This workshop - supported by the Korea Maritime Institute, and hosted by the Canadian Studies Center/Arctic and International Relations in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies - will reflect on the almost 20-year history of the Arctic Council, its influence on Arctic policy in North America, and future options concerning its role. Participants will present and discuss their reflections on the Arctic Council including its influence on Canadian and U.S. Arctic policy, and the role of four of the six Permanent Participant organizations who are represented in the Pacific Northwest.
UW
In the Spirit of the Rovaniemi Process 2015, November 24-26, 2015 (Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland).
When the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy, the so-called Rovaniemi Process, was adopted in 1991, it aimed at overcoming divisions and turning the zone of Cold War military tensions into a region of peace and co-operation. In this joint effort focusing on the protection of environment, and later, sustainable development, the Arctic states supported by indigenous organizations laid grounds for institutionalized collaboration and the emergence of Arctic regional identity. The second international conference will bring together decision-makers, scholars, artists, designers and students to address these questions and discuss the Arctic in global, regional and local perspectives.
Arctic Council and Beyond, December 4, 2015 (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada).
This one-day conference hosted by The Northern Institute will focus on the role of the Arctic Council as a forum for Arctic cooperation, the place of the Arctic in Canada's foreign policy and approach to the circumpolar world, the role of the Arctic in global relations in light of the increasing interest in the region by European and Asian states, and the voice of Indigenous Peoples within the Arctic Council and in shaping circumpolar countries' Arctic policies.
Paris Arctic Climate Research Strategy Meeting, December 4, 2015 (Paris, France).
The purpose of this facilitated discussion is to discuss future regional, national, and international funding opportunities for interdisciplinary Arctic climate research and develop concrete ideas for such research. All disciplines across humanities, social and natural sciences, art, health, technology and others as well as representatives of research, government, civil society, business and others are encouraged to attend.
Arctic Encounter Paris (AEP 2015), December 11-12, 2015 (Paris, France) (During the UN Convention on Climate Change - COP21).
The Arctic Encounter Paris (AEP) will take place at the French Senate at Luxembourg Palace and the  French Military College,
École Militaire, in Paris, France, on the final days of the monumental United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP21) where thousands of global citizens and government delegates will be gathered to deliberate the world's response to our changing planet in Paris. The AEP is the only Arctic policy and economics side event currently planned to take place during the UN Convention.
A reception will take place following the closing panel.
 Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 14-18, 2015 (San Francisco, California). The 48th meeting of the union brings together nearly 24,000attendees, and lots of Arctic research results. The scientific program is here. There will be several Arctic-related "Town Hall" meetings, including those sponsored by NASA, DOE, NSF, ISAC, IARPC, and SEARCH.
This symposium is part of an ongoing initiative of the National Academies of Science Polar Research Board to expand public understanding of why the dramatic changes affecting the Arctic region ultimately matter to us all. The agenda features engaging presentations and discussions with top Arctic science and policy experts, and displays and interactive exhibits that illustrate Arctic change and its global impacts. The event is free and open to the public. There are sponsorship opportunities, and a call for exhibitor applications (by Oct.31, 2015). Audience space is limited, so register today; and please encourage your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to participate-as our goal is to reach well beyond the small circle of specialists who typically attend Arctic-themed events in the DC area. The U.S. Arctic Research Commission is helping to sponsor this event.
Building upon the preceding Arctic Encounter event in Paris, the third annual Arctic Encounter Symposium (AES) in Seattle, Washington will convene policymakers, industry leaders, and leading experts to confront the leading issues in Arctic policy, innovation, and development. As the largest annual Arctic policy event in the United States, the AES mission is to raise awareness, engage challenges, and develop solutions for the future of a region and a people. The two-day program includes two keynote luncheons, expert plenary sessions, break out sessions, a networking cocktail reception and seated dinner. A closing reception will take place at the conclusion of the program.
16th Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 25-29, 2016 (Anchorage, AK, USA).
No detailed info yet (common guys...), but a valuable meeting, focusing on research results from the Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea, and the Arctic Ocean. Good, in-depth, research from Alaska's marine regions.AMSS.
Inuit traditions are a repository of Inuit culture and a primary expression of Inuit identity. The theme for the 2016 Inuit Studies Conference invites Elders, knowledge-bearers, researchers, artists, policy-makers, students and others to engage in conversations about the many ways in which traditions shape understanding, while registering social and cultural change. The institutional hosts of "Inuit Traditions," Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Nunatsiavut Government, invite you to contribute to an exchange of knowledge to be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, October 7-10, 2016. Presentations on all aspects of Inuit studies will be welcome.
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2016 (Fairbanks, AK, USA).