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5th European Conference on Permafrost, June 23-July 1, 2018 (Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France). In the continuation of the International and Regional conferences convened by the International Permafrost Association, the 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2018) will be held in Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France, 23rd June - 1st July 2018. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level. Conference website:
here.
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Media
 Alaska Tara Sweeney Confirmed by Senate to Interior Department Post. The U.S. Senate confirmed Alaska Native leader Tara Sweeney as assistant secretary for Indian affairs at the Interior Department in a unanimous vote Thursday. Sweeney is the first Alaska Native woman in a high-ranking Senate-confirmed position with the federal government. She comes to the Interior Department from the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), with enthusiastic backing from Alaska's three-person congressional delegation.
Anchorage Daily News
Russian Flag Raised on the Aleksandr Sannikov Icebreaker. Flag raising on the Aleksandr Sannikov icebreaker has been held today, 29 June 2018, at the Angliyskaya embankment in Saint-Petersburg. According to IAA PortNews correspondent, it was followed by a farewell ceremony as the icebreaker is about to set sail for the maiden voyage to the Arctic. As Vadim Yakovlev, First Deputy CEO of PJSC Gazprom Neft, said at the ceremony, "one of the key tasks ensuring transportation of hydrocarbons produced by the company in the Arctic region is icebreaker assistance. The icebreaker delivered to the company today will be a new flagship of Gazprom Neft's Arctic fleet".
Port News
 Japan Seeking to Strengthen Own Claims in Arctic Ocean Region. Amid heated competition between Russia and China to take the lead in the Arctic Ocean, Japan has begun warming up to the idea of securing its own interests in the region as well. In the basic marine plan adopted in a Cabinet meeting in May, the government pinpointed the Arctic Ocean as a major target for its policies for the first time. It is aiming to utilize the abundant natural resources and the shipping route between East Asia and Europe, and plans to be actively involved in creating international rules.
The Asahi Shimbun
'
Synthetic Blubber' Keeps Divers Alive in Arctic. We all know that swimming in icy cold water is an endeavor that requires a thick wetsuit and a short timetable. But what about those pursuits that are more than just leisurely - such as special ops diving, underwater maintenance, or disaster recovery? Researchers at MIT were looking for a way to extend the timeframe for cold water deep sea diving and wound up gaining inspiration from the most conspicuous of ocean dwellers - the whale. In a collaborative effort with the U.S. Navy, these scientists sought ways to recreate the thick layer of blubber that protects animals like whales and polar bears when they're submerged in icy waters.
ThomasNet News
Autonomous Boats Tackle Fisheries Research. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) and drone builder Saildrone are partnering on a West Coast first: a unified survey of fish stocks using both autonomous drones and a surface vessel along the same trackline. Five Saildrones - self-navigating, autonomous, sail-driven boats measuring 23 feet in length - will follow the track of the NOAA research vessel Reuben Lasker from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the Mexican border. While the Lasker surveys sardines, anchovies and other small species, four of the drones will survey hake along the same trackline. A fifth drone will work ahead of the Lasker and evaluate alternative methods of fish stock assessment in near-shore areas.
Maritime-Executive
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Future Events
Coastal Response Research Center Requests Input on the State of Science on Dispersant Use in the Arctic.
The Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) recently collected statements and reports on five topic areas related to dispersant use in the Arctic: efficacy and effectiveness; physical transport and chemical behavior; degradation and fate; eco-toxicity and sublethal impacts; and, public health and food safety. CRRC request written input on the statements the scientists made on the state-of-the-science regarding dispersant use, particularly as it applies to Arctic waters.
Written comments are requested by July 13th
. More information on this initiative is available
here
.
17th International Congress of Circumpolar Health (ICCH17), August 12-15, 2018 (Copenhagen, Denmark). The ICCH congresses are held every third year in different locations in the circumpolar area and represent the largest scientific meetings worldwide on circumpolar health. The ICCH congresses serve as the primary source of information exchange and scholarly communication in issues relating to circumpolar health. More than 750 participants generally register and participate in each Congress, and more than 400 scientific papers or posters are usually presented.
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.
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.
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.
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