Rapidly warming conditions in the Arctic and the loss of sea ice caused by climate change are driving a steep decline in biodiversity, including among plants, fungi and lichen. But a new study out Thursday in Science found the presence of caribou and muskoxen help to reduce the rate of loss by roughly half, suggesting the large herbivores have an under-recognized role as ecosystem climate defenders.

Sweden, an Arctic State with significant stakes in the geopolitics of the region, is set to revamp its defense strategy in the wake of the Ukraine war and the changing landscape of the High North. The recent report submitted by the Swedish Defense Commission on the country’s security policy emphasized that the world stands at a critical juncture, with the established rules-based international order facing challenges from “autocratic nations like Russia and China.” It acknowledges the grim reality of a potential large-scale war in Europe, as Russia demonstrates a sustained intention for conflict with Western nations.

Alaska leads the nation in drowning deaths. The state’s cold water is a factor, but so is human behavior. According to a recent report from the Alaska Division of Epidemiology, nearly nine of 10 Alaskans who drowned in non-occupational settings were not wearing a life jacket. And more than one in three drownings were known or suspected to have involved alcohol use.

The number of Alaska babies born with syphilis acquired from their mothers has increased dramatically in recent years, prompting recommendations for much more rigorous prenatal testing and counseling from health providers. Of the 26 identified cases of congenital syphilis from 2018 to 2022, all but one occurred in the last three years, according to a bulletin released by the Alaska Division of Public Health’s epidemiology section. There was just one case identified in 2018 and none in 2019, but last year there were 12 identified cases, the bulletin said.

As he handed off command of the Coast Guard in Alaska this month, Rear Adm. Nathan Moore said there’s a lot of good things about living in Alaska — including the ability to watch Monday Night Football at a reasonable time. But as Rear Adm. Megan Dean takes command, Moore said, his service is facing new challenges in the state, and one of the biggest is a growing — and possibly unprecedented — demand for emergency medevac flights.

Wilson Center, in partnership with the University of Alaska, Department of Energy's Arctic Energy Office, and RAND Corporation, is hosting a two-day dialogue about critical minerals in the North American Arctic. The dialogue will develop policy recommendations for development of critical mineral resources in the Arctic, in the context of US national security, energy, climate, and technology goals. This dialogue will be solutions-oriented, producing actionable policy and investment recommendations. There are three distinct elements of the agenda: six individual working sessions, focusing on community ownership, financing, infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, supply chains, and workforce development; a tabletop exercise quantifying risk prioritization in minerals development, and three public keynote sessions. 

Arctic Circle is an international conference on dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic and our planet. It is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organizations, corporations, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, indigenous communities, concerned citizens, and others. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan.

Conference hosts invite researchers, research managers and stakeholders to the fourth Svalbard Science Conference. The conference will focus on achieving excellent science through cooperation; enhancing cooperation and quality within Svalbard research, building and strengthening interdisciplinary and international networks and consolidating Svalbard as an attractive platform for Arctic research. The conference is hosted by The Research Council of Norway, The Norwegian Polar Institute, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, The Norwegian Meteorological Institute and Svalbard Science Forum.

The 6th biennial "Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit" Conference will be held on 14-15 November 2023 in Rovaniemi, Finland, the birthplace of official Arctic cooperation. This international conference, organized by the City of Rovaniemi and the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland, gathers policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders for Arctic discussions. Due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, changes in Arctic cooperation will be prominently featured in the conference agenda, and will be explored from the point of view of national and international security, and from a regional perspective, including the Barents region.

For more than 100 years AGU has been opening science—opening pathways to discovery, opening greater awareness to address climate change, opening greater collaborations to lead to solutions and opening the fields and professions of science to a whole new age of justice equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. This year, as AGU convenes >25,000 attendees from 100+ countries in San Francisco for AGU23, the theme is: Wide. Open. Science.

The Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS), has been bringing together scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and interested public for thirty 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.

The Arctic Frontiers annual conference aims to connect different expertise and perspectives from areas such as policy, science, and business. It is an arena for networking and knowledge exchange.

The 52nd International Arctic Workshop will be held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The International Arctic Workshop is a friendly, informal, and relaxed conference open to all students and professionals interested in the Arctic. Originally started at INSTAAR at the University of Colorado - Boulder, the Arctic Workshop alternates between INSTAAR and an international host. This year, University of Massachusetts with the department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences & Climate System Research center will be hosting. 

The 7th biennial AOS as part of Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2024. The AOS draws a wide range of participants from across the spectrum of Arctic observing – Indigenous experts, operational agency representatives, scientists, and others – from around the world. Much of the summit is organized around discussions led by working groups on particular themes (Regional to global observing, Data sharing, System implementation/SAON ROADS, Observing System Benefits). In addition to plenary and working group sessions, this year we will include additional breakout sessions. 

This conference is being organized by the Cold Regions Engineering Division (CRED) and supported by the Aerospace Engineering Division (ASD) and the Forensic Engineering Division (FED), of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and will be hosted by the University of Alaska Anchorage. 

The conference aims at connecting engineers, academics, and cold regions experts from various disciplines to share their knowledge and experience.  The conference theme is Sustainable and resilient engineering solutions for changing cold regions.

The sponsors invite you to prepare and submit abstracts on cold regions engineering topics by June 30, 2023.

The 12^th International Conference on Permafrost will consider “Integrating Perspectives of Permafrost Thaw, Change, and Adaptation.” Event partners include the Canadian Permafrost Association, IPA, and Yukon University.

In lead up to its 35th anniversary in 2025, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is coordinating a multi-year planning process for the Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV) that will engage Arctic researchers, policymakers, residents, and stakeholders from around the world to collegially discuss the state of Arctic science, the place the Arctic occupies in global affairs and systems, to consider the most urgent knowledge gaps and research priorities that lie before us and to explore avenues to address these research needs. This event is hosted by a consortium of US institutions, including the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Northern Iowa, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Alaska Pacific University. ICARP I, II, and III focused the attention of the world’s researchers toward the value of strategic international coordination in accelerating progress in addressing critical challenges. ICARP IV will build upon this concept by striving to achieve consensus and build collaborations among the leading scientific, academic, environmental, Indigenous and political organizations currently concerned with Arctic issues.