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January 30, 2020

Arctic Frontiers, January 26-30, 2020 (Tromso, Norway). Arctic Frontiers is a global scientific conference on economic, societal, and environmental sustainable growth. This year's theme will be "The Power of Knowledge," with a pan-arctic emphasis, and builds new partnerships across nations, generations and ethnic groups. Arctic Frontiers provides a forum for dialogue and communication between science, government and industry in the Arctic. The plenary program will have five main sessions with the following working titles: State of the Arctic, The power of knowledge, Robust and resilient Arctic communities, Powered by knowledge, Arctic oceans - distant connections, Sustainable business development. An abstract-driven science program will address Arctic Food Security, Local or Global Arctic? Multi-scaled considerations of connections and remoteness in climate-impacted, Disruptive Technologies and Knowledge-based Development in the Arctic.

The Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 27- 31, 2020 (Anchorage, Alaska USA). The Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS), Alaska's premier marine research conference, has been bringing together scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and interested public for over twenty years to discuss the latest marine research being conducted in Alaskan waters. Over 700 people attend this 4-day long conference held annually during the month of January. Each day of the conference highlights important Alaskan marine ecosystems: Gulf of Alaska (Tuesday), Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands (Wednesday), and the Arctic (Thursday). Research topics discussed range from ocean physics, fishes and invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, to local traditional knowledge. Since its inception, NPRB has been a proud sponsor and one of the leading organizers of AMSS. 

Workshop on the Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers & the IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology Annual Meeting, January 28-30, 2020 (Obergurgl, Austria). In addition to sessions on glacier dynamics and mass balance, the workshop will host a cross-cutting activity by the Cryosphere and Marine Working Groups of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) on "Glacier-ocean interactions and their impact on Arctic marine ecosystems". This activity aims to provide an inter-disciplinary forum by bringing together glaciologists, marine ecologists and oceanographers interested in glacier-ocean interactions and to stimulate future collaborations.
Media

capital Republican-Backed Bill Aims to Address Climate Change and Boost America's Technological Competitiveness. The top Republican on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee on Tuesday introduced comprehensive legislation targeting what he views as "two fundamental challenges" to the United States' strength and global competitiveness going forward: climate change and foreign countries' potential to outpace the nation in science and technology. The Securing American Leadership in Science and Technology Act, authored by Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., mandates the development of a national S&T strategy with improved coordination between federal agencies and enhanced investments in America's research funding and facilities. NextGov
 
ARCUS Announcement: Helen Wiggins Selected as Executive Director. The Board of Directors of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) is pleased to announce today the appointment of Helen V. Wiggins as its new Executive Director. For the past year, Wiggins has served as ARCUS' Interim Executive Director, and has held the position of ARCUS' Director of Programs since 2008. "ARCUS is very pleased to recognize Helen's expertise in managing ARCUS' programs, staff, and the complexity of our membership community. She has repeatedly demonstrated her capability at leading the organization to success in numerous endeavors," said ARCUS outgoing President of the Board Audrey Taylor. Arctic Research Consortium of the United States
 
Survey: Alaska's Cook Inlet Beluga Whales Continue Decline. The population of endangered beluga whales in Alaska's Cook Inlet continues to decline, federal marine mammal authorities announced Tuesday. A biennial survey conducted by the fisheries arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated the population of the white whales at 250 to 317, with a median estimate of 279. Peninsula Clarion
 
Methane Hotspots Where the Siberian Arctic Sea 'Boils' Studied by Scientists. Last year Russian scientists announced they had come across an area in the East Siberian Sea that was "boiling" with methane. Team leader Igor Semiletov said it was the "most powerful gas fountain" he had ever seen, and that "no one has ever recorded anything like this before." Over recent decades, scientists have debated how much these methane "hotspots" contribute to climate change. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a higher ability to trap heat than carbon dioxide. While most emissions come from manmade activities, such as agriculture and leaks from natural gas systems, it is also produced naturally through geological sources and the breakdown of organic material. The methane coming from the Arctic seafloor belongs to the latter. Newsweek  
 
russian flag Sun, Wind, and Hydrogen: New Arctic Station Will Do Without Diesel Fuel. The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) has initiated a project of the Russian Federation called "Arctic Hydrogen Energy Applications and Demonstrations" (AHEAD) in the Arctic Council's Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG). The project is supported by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, the governor of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and the EnergyNet infrastructure center of the National Technology Initiative. EurekAlert!
Future Events
 
Coordinating Future Research Efforts in the Bering Sea/ Strait and Adjacent Regions, January 31 (Anchorage, Alaska USA). The US Arctic Research Commission, the North Pacific Research Board, the Alaska Ocean Observing System, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration invite you to a workshop to discuss a planning framework for new, coordinated, and comprehensive studies of the Bering Sea/Strait and adjacent regions. All are welcome to join the conversation. Broad and diverse perspectives are sought on: 1) emerging research questions and needs, 2) methods to facilitate research design and implementation that draw on indigenous, traditional, local, and scientific knowledge, and 3) approaches for gathering input from interested audiences on an ongoing basis and communicating back to them the resulting research plans and results in a timely and appropriate manner.

Polar Extremes: NOVA Special, February 5, 2020 (Television special). Hosted by palaeontologist Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, (and the  IARPC  Principal for the Smithsonian Institution) the NOVA program "Polar Extremes " features a pole-to-pole presentation of the history of the planet's Arctic and Antarctic regions over the past 650 million years and how these regions have responded to, and helped create, global climate change. Check your local listing for broadcast times. The time here is for WETA Washington, DC.

Jim Thomson: Ocean Waves in the New Arctic, February 7, 2020 (Webinar). The rapid decline of summer sea ice cover in the Western Arctic has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in the sea state of the region. Ocean waves are now more common throughout the region, including multiple energetic swell events each summer. These waves interact with the sea ice and help to both form and define the expanding Marginal Ice Zone of the Western Arctic. This seminar will review recent work to observe and forecast changes in the Arctic sea state, including implications for sea ice retreat and coastal morphology.

Alaska Forum on the Environment, February 10-14, 2020 (Anchorage, Alaska USA). The 22nd Alaska Forum on the Environment will be held February 10-14, 2020, offering 6 Keynote Events, over 100 presentations, panel discussions, special events and workshops. Technical sessions include: climate change, emergency response, brownfields, marine debris, environmental regulations, fish and wildlife, forests, rural issues, energy, military issues, business issues, pollution prevention, contaminants, and more.

"Arctic Worlds: A Symposium on Environment and Humanities" February 26, 2020, (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)  is an interdisciplinary Arctic event at Boston University, hosted by the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. There will be speakers from the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities addressing questions on how the Arctic/North can engender new understandings. Thekeynote speaker will be the Head of Representation in North America for Greenland, Minister Inuuteq Holm Olsen.

ISAR-6: Arctic Research: the Decade Past and the Decade Future, March 2-6, 2020 (Tokyo, Japan). Rapid changes are taking place in the Arctic that impact regional human and natural systems, and affect the global environment. The International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR) will meet for the sixth time since its first symposium in 2008 to identify changes in the Arctic environment and society, and to discuss possible future sustainable development. The hosts invite all researchers with interests in the Arctic to participate in this multidisciplinary symposium and share their insights, their challenges, and to explore the possible futures of the Arctic.

International One Health, One Future 2020 International Conference, March 11-14, 2020 (Fairbanks, Alaska USA). This year's conference, presented by University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for One Health Research in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, will host internationally recognized 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. 

usarc_logo_small_transparent_background 113th USARC Meeting, March 24, 2020 (Orono, Maine USA). The US Arctic Research Commission will host its 113th meeting at the University of Maine. Additional information coming soon on the website and in the Federal Register.

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.

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. 

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