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Researchers Find Newly Uncovered Arctic Landscape Plays Important Role in Carbon Cycle. FSU researchers Anne Kellerman, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, and Associate Professor Robert Spencer explored the composition of dissolved organic carbon in the lakes and streams on the island and found that the newly thawed landscape was feeding these bodies of water with rich carbon sources. This dissolved organic carbon that forms the basis of the microbial food web was then degraded by the intense sunlight that comes during the summer months in Greenland. Their findings were published in Limnology and Oceanography.
Phys.org
 As the Arctic Warms, Light Pollution May Pose a New Threat to Marine Life. The Arctic Circle in the middle of winter is so dark it's hard to see. Because of the way the top of the Earth tilts away from the sun, the star never appears to rise above the horizon, and dark skies drench the Arctic in what's known as polar night. "It kind of feels like you're working the night shift all the time," says Finlo Cottier, an oceanographer at the Scottish Association for Marine Science. Two years ago, Cottier and a team of scientist traveled to the Arctic in the middle of winter to study how light affects the marine critters living in far northern waters.
National Geographic
 Navy, Marines Tell Congress Emphasis on Arctic is Growing. The Navy is evaluating with the Army and Air Force a strategy to beef up U.S. military presence and force protection in the Arctic, Navy leaders told lawmakers Thursday. The surface Navy is limited in the amount of freedom of navigation operations it can accomplish in the Arctic region, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee the service is evaluating its options.
USNI News
Arctic Exploitation May Harm Animals Large and Small. As sea ice in the Arctic Ocean dwindles with each successive year of rising global temperatures, it has become easier and more common for companies to venture into the region for fishing, shipping, and oil and gas exploration. Though the boats, rigs and other trappings of human activity have already quickly moved into this fragile environment, scientists are only just beginning to understand how the light, sound and chemical pollution they bring with them is impacting the Arctic's marine ecosystem. Some researchers have started filling in the gaps, including two teams working in Norway that presented new findings about the behaviors of zooplankton and killer and humpback whales at the Arctic Frontiers 2020 conference in the nation's city of Tromsø in January.
Scientific American
Chlamydia-Related Bacteria Discovered Deep Below the Arctic Ocean. Chlamydia are infamous for causing sexually transmitted infections in humans and animals or even amoeba. An international team of researchers have now discovered diverse populations of abundant Chlamydia living in deep Arctic ocean sediments. They live under oxygen-devoid conditions, high pressure and without an apparent host organism. Their study, published in Current Biology today, provides new insights into how Chlamydia became human and animal pathogens.
Heritage Daily
 Putin Signs Arctic Master Plan. The strategy includes Russia's main objectives, priorities and tasks, as well as mechanisms for implementation of state policy in the region, the Kremlin informs. It was signed by President Putin on the 5th March and came into effect that same day. The document covers the period until year 2035 and has been authored by the Ministry of the Far East and Arctic. It was approved by government and the national Security Council in late 2019.
The Barents Observer
In a Thawing Era, ICEX 2020 Kicks Off Up North. At the frigid top of the world Wednesday, the Navy kicked off Ice Exercise 2020. Led by U.S. Submarine Forces, the three-week biennial exercise helps boat crews stay sharp in an Arctic region that officials believe is becoming increasingly vital to national security. Based out of Camp Seadragon, a temporary military outpost on an ice floe in the Arctic Ocean, ICEX 2020 will focus on the fast attack subs Connecticut and Toledo, which arrived on the very cold scene this week.
Navy Times
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Future Events
** New this week **
Polar Technology Conference, March 10-12, 2020 (Boulder, Colorado USA and via livestream). A livestream broadcast of the Polar Technology Conference plenary sessions will be available March 10-12. The goal of the meeting is to link experts in polar science and technology development to discuss current technological resources for polar research and identify barriers to research and application of technology for problems unique to polar regions. Please visit the conference webpage to view details including the speakers, topics, agenda, abstracts, and details on how to access the livestream.
** New this week **
The 2020 Public Policy Forum: Ascending From the Summit, March 12, 2020 (Washington, DC USA). the Consortium for Ocean Leadership's annual Public Policy Forum will explore the topic of Ascending from the Summit: Transforming U.S. Ocean Science & Technology Partnerships.Building upon a November 2019 White House Summit, this year's Public Policy Forum will expand the scope of this conversation by convening perspectives from a broader cross-section of the ocean community. During four panel discussions, speakers will offer their insights from the White House Summit, honing in on what partnerships we need to explore the ocean, characterize ocean life, protect coastal health and safety, and sustain ocean observations.
US Arctic Research Commissioner Dr. Larry Mayer will present as part of a panel on Exploring the Ocean.
presented by University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for One Health Researc
h in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, will host internationally recognize
d 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.
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.
Ice Core Science Community Planning Workshop 2020, April 2-3, 2020 (Alexandria, Virginia USA). Scientific discoveries achieved in the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets and temperate glaciers are critical to society today, but they are not achieved without significant advance planning. The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) will sponsor an interdisciplinary ice community workshop to identify science driving future Arctic and Antarctic ice coring sites, the ice drilling technology that will be needed, and the timeline over the coming decade for advancing ice core science on multiple frontiers. The outcome of the workshop will be white papers describing community endeavors with associated timelines that will become part of the updated U.S. Ice Drilling Program Long Range Science Plan.
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.
** New this week **
NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program Webinar Series, April 16, 2020 (Webinar). Deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the Aleutian Islands are important habitat features for many life stages of commercially important fish targets, including Atka mackerel, Pacific cod, and rockfish. The effects of commercial fishing activities on deep-sea corals and sponges has been difficult to quantify due to a lack of spatially-explicit fishery data, bottom contact by different gear types, undetermined location of corals and sponges, and the susceptibility and recovery dynamics these structure-forming invertebrates (SFI). To address these challenges, a fishing effects model was developed in the North Pacific to integrate spatially explicit VMS data with target-specific gear configurations for over 40,000 bottom trawls since 2003. Fishery observer coverage for Aleutian Island trawl fisheries is nearly 100 percent and records catch species composition. Species distribution models provide presence data for coral, sponge, Primnoidae, and Stylasteridae.
** New this week **
Securing S&T Success for the Coming Arctic, April 22-23, 2020 (Washington, DC USA). The Arctic Domain Awareness Center hosts this annual meeting. The meeting will review the Center's current research and discuss better leveraging ADAC. The agenda includes discussions regarding the transition of ADAC's mature research and the initiation of new research associated with ADAC's recently awarded projects from ADAC's Arctic Incidence of National Significance 2019 workshop.
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.
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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.
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