Arctic Update Header
August 20, 2018
 
No Arctic-science events are announced for today.
Media
 
Bill Enacting Alaska Mariculture Development Plan to be Signed in Ketchikan. As Bill Governor Walker prepares to sign a bill this week enacting the Alaska Mariculture Development Plan, 16 new applicants hope to soon begin growing shellfish and seaweed businesses in just over 417 acres of tideland areas in Alaska. The governor plans to sign the bill at grower Trevor Sande's farm near Ketchikan. The new growers will add to the 35 farms and 6 hatchery/nurseries that already are producing a mix of oysters, clams, mussels and various seaweeds. Eventually, sea cucumbers, scallops, giant geoduck clams and algae for biofuels will be added into the mix. SitNews 

First Battery-Powered Tourist Ship for the Arctic Ready to Sail Next Summer. "A green footprint is an inevitable part of future tourism in the Arctic," says Agnes Árnadóttir, co-founder of Green Wave Holding, the company to launch the very first non-pollution cruise boat for Arctic waters. The catamaran will have her maiden voyage with passengers embarking at the port of Svolvær, Lofoten in August 2019. "Arctic is the place on earth where the effects of climate change are most rapid," she says to the Barents Observer and explains the importance of not adding any extra pressure on northern communities. The Barents Observer
 
NOAA NOAA Survey Shows Shocking Lack of Thermal Barrier Between Northern and Southern Bering Sea. NOAA Fisheries scientists conducting their annual trawl survey of the southern Bering Sea ecosystem survey found unprecedented conditions of warm ocean temperatures and significant changes in the cod and pollock numbers and conditions. As a result, they received emergency funding to unexpectedly bring their trawl survey north from St. Matthew Island to Diomede Island to investigate. With their survey still underway, what they have found is a shocking lack of the colder ocean waters that separate the northern and southern Bering Sea marine ecosystems. Nome Nugget
 
Polar Bear Steals a 50,000-Year-Old Woolly Mammoth Leg From an Explorer Camp in the Arctic. A hungry polar bear ransacked a scientists' campsite in the Arctic and stole a 50,000 year old frozen woolly mammoth's leg. Woken at 4am by strange noises in their camp, the Russian academics couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the beast making away with the preserved limb. By frantically shouting and firing flare shots into the air, the team managed to scare the bear away who dropped its meal. Mirror

Some Arctic Ground No Longer Freezing-Even in Winter. Nikita Zimov was teaching students to do ecological fieldwork in northern Siberia when he stumbled on a disturbing clue that the frozen land might be thawing far faster than expected. Zimov, like his father, Sergey Zimov, has spent years running a research station that tracks climate change in the rapidly warming Russian Far East. So when students probed the ground and took soil samples amid the mossy hummocks and larch forests near his home, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Nikita Zimov suspected something wasn't right. National Geographic
 
WWF: Grey Water Dumped in Nunavut Waters to Double by 2035. The amount of grey water dumped from ships into northern waters could double by the year 2035, if Transport Canada doesn't work on its Arctic pollution regulations. That's according to a nearly 50-page study released last week, on Aug. 15, by the World Wildlife Foundation. Grey water is run-off waste water from kitchens and laundry done on board ships. Grey water does not contain sewage. This doubling of projected dumping is pegged on a rise in ship traffic within northern waters. Nunatsiaq Online

globe.jpg Studying Climate Change at Opposite Ends of the Earth. Her major in environmental sciences has given Griffin all kinds of opportunities. She competed with BYU's Mars Rover team. She presented at conferences in Leuven, Belgium; Portland, Oregon; Boulder, Colorado; and Davos, Switzerland. But visiting both poles, where she completed research with her team from BYU, was a unique experience. "I can't imagine anywhere but BYU sending an undergraduate student to do research at both poles. I feel ridiculously lucky to have gone to Antarctica and the Arctic-both places are really unique and important environments to study," she said. Phys.org
 
Labrador Ship's Crew Will Begin Tracking Information About Arctic Whales. It usually focuses on transporting ore from Voisey's Bay, but now the Umiak I will add scientific whale research to its duties. The crew of the Umiak I, one of the largest vessels sailing off the Labrador coast, will help gather scientific data on whales seen on their journeys now that FedNav, the company that owns the ship, has joined a group of whale watchers called the Marine Mammal Observation Network.  CBC News
 
Strange Lakes Are Speeding Up Arctic Permafrost Melt, and That's Really Bad News. The Arctic permafrost really should stay frozen. In many places it's been frozen for tens of thousands of years, locking away greenhouse gasses and ancient diseases. Unfortunately, our planet's changing climate is denting permafrosts around the world. And now NASA-funded research has confirmed that the expected gradual thawing of the Arctic permafrost is being dramatically sped up by a natural phenomenon known as thermokarst lakes. Science Alert
Future Events

The Fourth US National Climate Assessment: An Overview of Volume 1, August 28, 2018 (Washington, DC and via webinar). This event is part of the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR) Seminar Series by the US Global Change Research Program in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. New observations and new research have increased our understanding of past, current, and future climate change. The Fourth National Climate Assessment confirms prior assessments in concluding that the climate on our planet, including the United States, is changing, and changing rapidly. Observational evidence for a changing climate abounds, from the top of the atmosphere to the depths of the oceans. The speaker will be Donald J. Wuebbles, the Harry E. Preble Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Illinois.

UArctic Congress 2018, September 3-7, 2018 (Oulu and Helsinki, Finland).   The UArctic Congress 2018 will bring together key 
UArctic meetings and a science conference into one single gathering, including business meetings of the Council of UArctic, Rectors' Forum, Student Forum, and Thematic Networks & UArctic Institutes Leadership Team. The Congress is an integral part of the Finland's Arctic Council chairmanship program, and open to the public. The event will highlight the themes and priorities of the Finnish chairmanship, including the goals of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

15 th International Circumpolar Remote Sensing Symposium, September  10-14, 2018 (Potsdam, Germany).  This symposium focuses specifically on remote sensing applications in polar environments, both Arctic and Antarctic. The theme of this year's symposium is, "Polar Regions in Transformation - Climatic Change and Anthropogenic Pressures." 

** New this week ** North American Arctic Maritime and Environmental Security Workshop, September 18-20, 2018 (Anchorage, Alaska USA). The Arctic Domain Awareness Center at the University of Alaska and Trent University, Peterborough Ontario, jointly welcome participants to the North American Arctic Maritime and Environmental Security Workshop, University of Alaska Anchorage, Gorsuch Commons Center. The purpose of the event is to gather Arctic minded experts from government, operators, academics and industry principally from Canada and the U.S. to collaboratively assess security and provide solutions focused on the North American Arctic maritime region, including environmental and human security. The workshop will include plenary panels and breakout discussions to facilitate assessment and identify actions to mitigate risk and improve North American Arctic Maritime and Environmental Security.   The "so what" of this workshop, is to build on prior discussions and assessments (much of which is contained in a preparatory Literature Review), and create a framework of actions that policy and decision makers can leverage.

September NWS Alaska Climate Outlook Briefing, September 21, 2018 (Fairbanks, Alaska USA and via webinar). The tools and techniques for making monthly and season scale climate forecasts are rapidly changing, with the potential to provide useful forecasts at the month and longer range. We will review recent climate conditions around Alaska, review some forecast tools and finish up the Climate Prediction Center's forecast for October and the early winter season. This event is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Science Seminar Series.

Scientific Exploration of the Arctic and North Pacific (SEA-NorP), September 25-27, 2018 (Mt. Hood, Oregon USA). This workshop will include discussion of hypotheses that can be tested by scientific drilling in the region, the technology necessary to achieve those goals, ideal sites for drilling based on existing data, and where additional site survey data is needed. The goal of the workshop organizers is that multiple proposals will be initiated at the workshop, both for full cruise legs and for shorter, targeted expeditions around the following themes: ocean gateways, geohazards, volatile cycling, ice histories at transition zones, biosphere and climate.

Polar Law Symposium (11th annual), October 2-4, 2018 (Tromsø, Norway) . This symposium brings together established scholars and post-doctoral and doctoral researchers from all across the world to share research in the fields of polar law and policy. Leading experts are invited to give keynote lectures. A history of the symposium is  here , news about it is  here , and registration is  here .

The second Arctic Biodiversity Congress is hosted by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, and the Ministry of the Environment, Finland. The second Arctic Biodiversity Congress will build on the success of the first Congress, held in 2014 in Trondheim, Norway, and will bring together scientists, policymakers government officials, Indigenous representatives, Traditional Knowledge holders, industry, non-governmental organizations, and others to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity. 

Arctic Circle Assembly, October 2018 (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.

2018 Forum for Arctic Modeling and Observational Synthesis (FAMOS) Project Annual School and Meeting, October 23-26, 2018 (Bergen, Norway) Major goals of this meeting are to coordinate FAMOS activities, report accomplishments, exchange ideas and hypotheses, enhance international arctic studies collaboration and discuss plans for continuing FAMOS work beyond 2019. Meeting registration form is available at project websites: here and here. For questions and details contact A. Proshutinsky, Mike Steele, and Amelie Bouchat.

Arctic Science Forum Associated with the 2nd Arctic Science Ministerial, October 25, 2018 (Berlin, Germany and via webcast). How vulnerable and how resilient are nature and the people of the Arctic region? How well do we understand the regional and global dynamics which are driving change in the Arctic? What impact will change in the Arctic have on us? These and other questions are the focus of this two-day conference. It will take interdisciplinary research in the Arctic to gain an understanding of past and future processes - a complex and cost-intensive venture. This makes an international network of Arctic research so important for delivering better results. Cooperation in research, the exchange of data, collaborative observation and monitoring schemes - international cooperation is imperative in research on the Arctic.
Only the Science Forum, on October 25th, will be webcast. The Arctic Ministerial, on October 26th, will NOT be webcast.

Maritime & Arctic Security & Safety Conference (MASS18) "Arctic Technology" November 15-16, 2018 (Newfoundland & Labrador Canada).  Now in its sixth year, MASS has gained an international reputation as a must-attend event to gain a wide perspective on challenges, opportunities and policies related to the Arctic and North Atlantic maritime environments.  The aim of this Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador supported international conference is to promote stakeholder collaboration, technological innovation, harsh environment research & development, and world-class education efforts that are contributing to both Maritime and Arctic issues.   This two day conference will draw a diverse group of speakers and attendees representing government, military, Canadian and U.S. Coast Guard, industry, academic leaders, Northern Leaders, research and other key stakeholders. We hope you can join us to be a part of this important dialogue

American Geophysical Union Fall meeting, December 10-14, 2018 (Washington, DC USA). The AGU 2018 Fall Meeting will mark another dynamic year of discovery in Earth and space science, serve as the advent of AGU's Centennial year, and provide a special opportunity to share our science with world AGU logo leaders in Washington, D.C. As the largest Earth and space science gathering in the world, the Fall Meeting places you in the center of a global community of scientists drawn from myriad fields of study whose work protects the health and welfare of people worldwide, spurs innovation, and informs decisions that are critical to the sustainability of the Earth. 

ArcticNet: Annual Scientific Meeting 2018, December 10-14, 2018 (Ottawa, ON Canada). Canada's North is experiencing unprecedented change in its sea and terrestrial ice, permafrost and ecosystems under the triple pressures of climate change, industrialization and modernization. The impacts of these pressures can be seen on food and energy security, shipping, sovereignty, northern community health and well-being, and sustainable development and resource exploitation. All these issues have brought the North to the forefront of national and international agendas. Building on the success of its previous Annual Scientific Meetings and International Arctic Change Conferences, the Arctic Network of Centers of Excellence announces the 14th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting. 

is a global scientific conference on economic, societal, and environmental sustainable growth.  This year's theme will be "Smart Arctic," with a pan-arctic emphasis, and an effort to build new partnerships across nations, generations and ethnic groups. Arctic Frontiers provides a forum for dialogue and communication between science, government and industry . The plenary program will have five main sessions: State of the Arctic, Blue Growth, Smart Solutions, Bridging the Gap, and Arctic business prospects. An abstract-driven science program will address Plastics in the Ocean, the Future of Governance and Handling Vulnerability in Arctic Ecosystems, State of the Arctic and A Smart Arctic Future.

Arctic Futures 2050: Science and Policy for a Changing Arctic, September 4-6, 2019 (Washington, DC USA). In 2019, the Study of Environmental Arctic Change  (SEARCH) and partners will convene Arctic scientists and decision makers to jointly forecast Arctic research needed to inform policy in the coming decades. The conference also is intended to foster more effective and iterative collaborations among Arctic scientists and decision makers.

of the AAG includes over 8,500 geographers converging from the U.S., Canada, and nearly 60 other countries in a typical year including geographers, GIS specialists, environmental scientists, and other leaders for the latest in research and applications in geography, sustainability, and GIScience.

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