Arctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent on Sept. 19, 2023, making it the sixth-lowest year in the satellite record, according to researchers at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Meanwhile, Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest maximum extent on record on Sept. 10 at a time when the ice cover should have been growing at a much faster pace during the darkest and coldest months. Scientists track the seasonal and annual fluctuations because sea ice shapes Earth’s polar ecosystems and plays a significant role in global climate. Researchers at NSIDC and NASA use satellites to measure sea ice as it melts and refreezes. They track sea ice extent, which is defined as the total area of the ocean in which the ice cover fraction is at least 15%.

A new study on Arctic shipping uses satellite tracking data (AIS) and meteorological data from across the region to assess the effectiveness of the Polar Code - The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters - at mitigating maritime risks. The researchers used data from 2013-2022 to identify to what degree and where vessels were exposed to hazardous weather and sea conditions while traveling across the Arctic Ocean. 

“For Inuit communities in Nunavut, this approach also ensures that local economic prosperity is rooted in traditional values,” said the report, put together by the Smart Prosperity Institute, a think tank at the University of Ottawa, along with the Nunavut community of Taloyoak, the Taloyoak Umaruliririgut Association (the local hunters and trappers association), and WWF⁠—Canada.

Equipped with snow jackets, gloves and luggage containing a host of cameras and sensors, professor Hanumant Singh and a team of Northeastern robotics researchers recently traveled to the Arctic with a noble goal to help address the climate crisis. Using a robot boat, known as an autonomous surface vehicle, Singh's team created 3D models of two glaciers to determine if they could track them melting in the span of hours and days. That timeframe will help shed new light on how fast they are dissolving, Singh notes.

The Atlantic Council—in partnership with the Idaho National Laboratory and the University of Alaska Business Enterprise Institute— hosts the Frontiers Project meeting. The Frontiers Project is expanding to Alaska to grow the conversation about the economic and energy security imperatives of establishing US leadership in meeting global demand for low-emissions production and manufacturing.

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.

ARCUS is a nonprofit research consortium with individual and institutional members working together to facilitate cross-boundary Arctic knowledge, research, communication, and education. On 1 November 2023 (9am-12pm AK), ARCUS will host the organization's 2023 Annual Meeting. This event will provide an open forum for the wider Arctic research community to connect with ARCUS members and to explore common Arctic research community challenges and collaboration opportunities. Registration is now open here for this free virtual event. 

Sitka WhaleFest is a festival to celebrate marine life through science education, community and storytelling! Sitka WhaleFest raises awareness, educates, and creates enthusiasm for the marine environment. The goal is to bring a deeper understanding of the marine environment to a diverse and inclusive audience in a way that all participants feel welcome and engaged.

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.

Plastic pollution is of ever-growing concern. It is a well-known fact that plastic litter is omnipresent in our environment and the eventual sink for plastic waste is the world oceans. Even in the Arctic region plastic pollution is widespread. The Government of Iceland, with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers, will host a Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region. The aim is to gather scientific, Indigenous and local knowledge on plastic pollution and discuss ways and means to reduce the impact of plastics on Arctic ecosystems.

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.

Abstract submissions are open through October 6, 2023.

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.

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.

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 event website will be available in August.

Abstract deadline: February 15, 2024

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. 

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.

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.

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.