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** New this week **
Ground Truth Briefing: A Stronger International Regime for the Arctic Ocean? June 4, 2020 (Virtual)
. As the Arctic Ocean becomes more accessible due to climate change, governments and Arctic stakeholders are scrambling to keep up with increasing human activities in that region. Nations concerned have taken several steps to manage these activities, but current international arrangements will likely prove to be insufficient as the Arctic Ocean continues to change in profound ways.The Wilson Center's Polar Institute and the Russian International Affairs Council, with the support of WWF, will host this discussion with Ambassador Balton and Dr. Zagorski to consider these matters.
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Arctic Reading for the Quarantine:
If you find yourself looking for a good read, consider boosting your Arctic knowledge with these reports.
(Congressional Research Service) Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress, May 22, 2020. The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the region's future. The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic country and has substantial interests in the region. The seven other Arctic states are Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark (by virtue of Greenland), and Russia. The Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA) of 1984 (Title I of P.L. 98-373 of July 31, 1984) "provide[s] for a comprehensive national policy dealing with national research needs and objectives in the Arctic."
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News From the Frontlines of Arctic Research:
June 2
We're still crashing through the ice, making our way to the ice edge. We left our floe on May 16, 2 weeks and 3 days ago. The ice has been relentless. Sometimes we have to stop trying to move forward, when the ice field compresses and the ice grabs us in its icy grip, preventing us from moving at all (sort of like a beetle on its back, trying in vain to move). The ice field is very sensitive to the winds and to the tides. It can compress or relax on very short time scales. Sometimes we have to stop and sit for 8 hours, then the situation changes and we are able to move again. When the ship is breaking ice, backing and ramming, the noise down on the decks close to the shafts and propellers is almost deafening. Then, when we stop and shut down the engines to save fuel while we cannot move, the relative silence is eerie.
As we have gone south, the ice has been changing. Our last big storm, on May 13, blew out the cold Arctic air mass and warm air came in. Spring has really arrived. The warm temperatures have been melting the snow on the ice and melt ponds are beginning to form. Data from some remote instruments left back on our ice floe also indicate that the melt has begun even back there.
We are approaching the ice edge. As I write this, we are about 25 miles away and by the time I can send this, we may even have reached it! Bittersweet to leave the ice. Will I ever see it again? Once we enter open water, we have ~175 miles to go to Longyearbyen on Svalbard. We won't actually land on Svalbard but rather will spend our time in the fjord, exchanging personnel, cargo, and fuel between the Polarstern and two research vessels and a fuel barge. The trip through open water could be interesting. This ship rolls when breaking ice. I cannot imagine what she is going to be like in open water!
As a result, I will take down my last copepod respiration experiment tonight after dinner so that I don't have to try to keep everything from flying off of the lab counter while we are in open water. We are all looking forward to reaching Svalbard. It is going to be so strange, to see new faces after so long with only the same 97 people. And we will still be unmasked! (I cannot imagine what it is going to be like to get to Germany and see only masks). We will have several intense days of handover with the incoming science team and then will sail on the other ships to Bremerhaven, Germany.
I hope to send another update once we are on our way to Bremerhaven.
Cheers, Carin
Addendum: At around 11 PM last night, we left the ice. The edge was abrupt. As we approached, we encountered a multitude of different ice types - large floes with bands of very small pancakes. Then we came to the edge and suddenly...the ice was gone. This morning we are in open water, sailing at about 7-8 knots towards Longyearbyen.
Photos to follow. They are self explanatory.
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Data Gaps Hamper Monitoring of Heavy Metals that Threaten Arctic Communities. Some Alaskan soils harbor elevated concentrations of heavy metals that can harm human health, but critical data gaps impede understanding of exposure risks for Arctic communities. Clarice Perryman of the University of New Hampshire, Durham, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on June 3, 2020.
Phys.org
Statement Regarding and Related Activities in the Bering Strait Region Under COVID-19 Conditions. Dear Colleagues, Kawerak prioritizes the health, safety, and well-being of region communities above non-essential activities, such as research-related activities. As of today, all of the villages in the Bering Strait region have instituted travel bans and Elim, Unalakleet and the city of Nome all now require essential travel permits to enter the communities. Kawerak Inc. is recommending that all research activities that involve travel to Bering Strait region communities, including Nome, or which require physical proximity to Bering Strait residents, be indefinitely postponed. Letter from the Kawerak Board of Directors can be downloaded
here.
2021 Camden Conference to Focus on the Arctic. The Camden Conference has taken the current global pandemic seriously and announces that the 2021 Conference will take place, although with a change in format for this year. Despite the world's current focus on the coronavirus, other pressing issues of mankind have not gone away, and the need for the Conference's mission is just as important as ever. The program, "The Geopolitics of the Arctic" will be presented Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 20 and 21. The Conference will live-stream the two-day program online, and there will still be the opportunity to ask questions.
Courier-Gazette & Camden Herald
 Ireland and the Arctic: Why Observer Status on the Arctic Council may be the Country's Next Move. Interest from the global community in Arctic affairs continues to increase as climate change transforms the North. The Arctic Council is an international forum made up of the world's eight circumpolar nations and six Arctic Indigenous groups, referred to as permanent participants. The Arctic Council has to date approved 13 non-Arctic states, 13 intergovernmental and interparliamentary organizations; and 12 NGOs as observers to the forum's work.
Radio Canada International
 A Bacterium Common to Farm Animals is Threatening the Arctic's Muskoxen. Muskoxen, shaggy-haired Arctic survivors of the Pleistocene era, have faced a lot of challenges since the end of the last Ice Age. Now there is another: a bacterium more common to southern farm animals like pigs and chickens. Signs of exposure to bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae have been found in muskoxen around the north, and peak exposure periods coincided with regional population declines, according to a newly published study in the journal PLOS ONE. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae causes infections that are sometimes fatal for animals.
Arctic Today
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Future Events
ICESAT-2 Cryospheric Science Hackweek, June 15-19, 2020 (Virtual). 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.
** New this week **
3rd Arctic Science Ministerial Research Community Workshops, June 15, 2020 (virtual)
.
Organizers invite participation in an online workshop to discuss topics and ideas that participants think are important for policy makers and the Arctic Science Ministers to better understand and prioritize at the Third Arctic Science Ministerial
(ASM3)
.
Bringing together States, Arctic Indigenous participants, and international organizations, ASM3 aims to take action on coordinated Arctic observing, research, and education in an open and transparent format which includes all Arctic stakeholders.
 ** New this week **
Alaska Electric Vehicle Workshop, June 16-17, 2020 (Virtual)
.
The first virtual Alaska Electric Vehicle Workshop co-hosted by the
Alaska Center for Energy and Power
and the
U.S. Arctic Research Commission is to be held
June 16-17, 2020 (9 am to 1 pm AKDT)
.
The goal of the workshop is to connect stakeholders and help develop a clearer vision of electric vehicle research and policy priorities for Alaska and the Arctic.
Local, national, and international speakers will engage with each other, as well as  audience members, on topics including vehicle charging behavior,
cold weather performance, electrical grid impacts and policy opportunities.
Registration and workshop details can be found at
here
.
 ** New this week **
Arctic Science Storytelling Webinar With Film Michael Snyder, June 24, 2020 (Virtual). Great stories can change the world, and you have one to tell! Join the Migration in Harmony NSF-Research Coordination Network and our collaborator, award-winning filmmaker Mike Snyder, in this virtual workshop to learn how you should think about your research topics and experiences in the context of a story, how to develop photographer and videographer partnerships, and how to pitch your work to different outlets. The event is hosted by Migration in Harmony. Migration in Harmony: An Interdisciplinary Network in Littoral Species, Settlements, and Cultures on the Move (MiH-RCN) is an international, cross-disciplinary network of Arctic migration researchers funded by the National Science Foundation.
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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