No Arctic science event is scheduled today. | |
Reindeer Sleep and Eat Simultaneously, Saving Precious Time in the Short Arctic Summer | |
Santa’s reindeer spend the offseason resting up, getting ready for the grueling feat of circumnavigating the globe in a single night. But the demanding Arctic winter means that their non-flying relatives must also prepare diligently for the season. Reindeer graze incessantly during the short northern summer, storing up fat reserves for the cold, dark months when both sunlight and food will be in extremely short supply. Reindeer spend so much of the summer eating that it would appear they have little time for anything else—including sleeping. | |
Sea Ice Delivery from the Arctic Circle | |
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station captured this image of sea ice in the waters around Canada’s Newfoundland and Labrador province. The sea ice appears as a dense white mass at the top left and thins out where it meets the warmer ice-free water of the Atlantic Ocean. The crenulated boundary between sea ice and open ocean extends down the right side of the image. The ice originates 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) to the north, near the Arctic Circle between Greenland and Baffin Island. It is carried southward by the Labrador Current. | |
Can Seabirds Hear Their Way Across the Ocean? Our Research Suggests So | |
Animals cover astonishing distances when they are looking for food. While caribou, reindeer and wolves clock up impressive mileage on land, seabirds are unrivaled in their traveling distances. Arctic terns travel from the Arctic to Antarctica and back as part of their annual migration. Wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) fly the equivalent of ten times to the moon and back over their lifetimes. | |
Western Arctic Caribou Herd Population Decline Continues, With Hunting Expected to be Affected | |
The caribou herd that used to be the largest in Alaska and, at times, the largest in North America has continued to shrink, fitting an Arctic-wide pattern that scientists have linked at least in part to climate change. The Western Arctic Caribou Herd population now stands at 152,000, down from 164,000 last year, according to the most recent survey conducted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and its partners. | |
Polar Bear Fur-Inspired Sweater is Thinner Than a Down Jacket — and Just as Warm | |
A sweater knitted from a fiber that mimics polar bear fur offers as much warmth as a down jacket, despite being one-fifth as thick, according to a study published today in Science. The fiber — made from a light, synthetic material known as an aerogel — maintains its heat-trapping properties even after being stretched, washed, and dyed. | |
January 29- February 2, 2024| Anchorage, Alaska USA
Alaska Marine Science Symposium
| 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. | |
January 29- February 2, 2024 | Tromøso, Norway/ Virtual
Arctic Frontiers 2024: Actions & Reactions
| 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. | |
February 6-8, 2024 | Toronto, Ontario Canada
Arctic360 Annual Conference
| Arctic360’s Annual Event brings together Northern and Indigenous governments, institutions, and corporations; global finance; state leaders; mining, innovation, and other industry leaders; and Arctic experts from Canada and around the circumpolar North to advance the conversation and foster action for building a sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous Arctic region. | |
March 13-16, 2024 | Amherst, Massachusetts USA
52nd International Arctic Workshop
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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.
Abstract deadline: February 25, 2024
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March 27-29, 2024 | Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Arctic Observing Summit
| 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. | |
NEW THIS WEEK | April 2-4, 2024 | Nome, Alaska USA
16th Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference and Forum: Theme: “Western Alaska in Transition”
| This event is hosted by Alaska Sea Grant and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus, University of Alaska Fairbanks. The 16th Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference (WAISC) brings together people invested in sharing information important to rural communities in Western Alaska. We do this through Western Alaska knowledge and science. The 2024 conference will highlight needs to maintain strength, health, and subsistence lifestyles while moving forward during rapid transitions within the environment, ecology, and industries of Western Alaska. A conference priority is the continued sharing of knowledge across cultural boundaries. | |
April 10-12, 2024 | Anchorage, Alaska USA
Arctic Encounter
| As the largest Arctic policy and business conference in North America, with partners and convenings worldwide, the Arctic Encounter continues to gather leading voices from around the world. The Arctic Encounter is eager to welcome 1,000+ participants to Alaska for a world-class arts and cultural experience, including policy debates, dialogue with international leaders, business executives, Indigenous peoples, scientists, students, defense leaders, diplomats, policymakers, and more. | |
NEW THIS WEEK | May 21- 23, 2024 | Anchorage, Alaska USA
Arctic Congress Bodø 2024
| Guided by the theme “Transforming Energy Now for the Next 50 Years,” the 2024 Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference will focus on real world examples in Alaska and around the globe demonstrating progress in the energy transition including established renewable sources, advancements in energy storage, and emerging technologies such as green fuels and advanced nuclear power. World-renowned speakers and experts will highlight the agenda, along with breakout tracks, panel discussions, and multiple networking opportunities. | |
May 29- June 3, 2024 | Bodø, Norway
Arctic Congress Bodø 2024
| Nordland Research Institute and NORD University host this event. The congress includes high-level plenary sessions, several parallel sessions, network activities, and social and cultural events. Researchers, policymakers, businesses, and students exchange knowledge and connect across the Arctic. IASSA and UArctic will also hold their General Assemblies. | |
June 16-20, 2024 | Whitehorse, Yukon Canada
ICOP 2024: Integrating Perspectives of Permafrost Thaw, Change, and Adaptation
| The 12th 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. | |
March 21-28, 2025 | Boulder, Colorado USA
4th International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV)
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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.
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External links in this publication, and on the USARC's World Wide Web site (www.arctic.gov) do not constitute an 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 website. | | | | |