The federal government rolled out a new Arctic strategy this month, a move welcomed by the Alaska congressional delegation. But it’s unclear what it means for residents back in Alaska. “It’s much more a list of goals,” said Amy Lovecraft, the director of the Center for Arctic Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Climate change is unlocking a new crossroads and potential center of conflict: the Arctic. But one key lawmaker is warning the US has lagged behind in securing the region, as other powers move in, adding he believes the Arctic may soon be a stage for a nuclear show of force by Vladimir Putin. “This new ocean is appearing on our maps, and it has all kinds of different implications,” Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said in an interview with CNN. “We’ve been slow to pick up on it, frankly.”

The Alfred Wegener Institute and the MOSAiC research expedition were awarded the Arctic Circle Prize on Saturday, 15 October 2022 in Reykjavik. With the prize, the international organization Arctic Circle recognizes extraordinary contributions to securing a sustainable and prosperous future in the Arctic. This is the third time the prize has been awarded since 2016, with previous winners being Ban Ki-moon (then Secretary General of the United Nations) and John Kerry (former US Secretary of State and US Chair of the Arctic Council). 

As greenhouse gases bubble up across the rapidly thawing Arctic, Sandia National Laboratories researchers are trying to identify other trace gases from soil microbes that could shed some light on what is occurring biologically in melting permafrost in the Arctic.

Scientists from Murmansk predict an increase in the population of the red king crab in the Arctic alongside a change in their migratory behavior. The scientists, who published their findings in the international journal “Water”, foresee that the number of crustaceans will increase in both the eastern and the northern parts of the Barents Sea and in Norwegian Waters. 

There are legal disputes over Norway’s upcoming chairmanship to the Arctic Council next year. Without consensus from all 8 members of the council, it is questioned whether Norway can assume the chairmanship at all in May 2023. On the Arctic Circle Assembly stage in Reykjavik Saturday night, Special Envoy to the Arctic for China, Feng Gao, took a stand on behalf of China.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee will host a program officer chat with the National Science Foundation’s Arctic Sciences Section. During this time, program officers discuss topics including broader impacts, the timing of Arctic community engagement, data policy and repository resources, and an update on the upcoming field season logistics and COVID-19 management. There will also be ample time for Q&A with the community. 

The annual convention serves as the principal forum and voice for the Alaska Native community in addressing critical issues of public policy and government. The convention convenes thousands of official delegates and participants from membership organizations across the state. At the Convention, delegates discuss strategic opportunities and challenges, listen to memorable keynote speeches, hear reports from political leaders and presentations from expert panels, and share stories of resilience, experiences, strengths, knowledge, and hope for the future. The resolutions passed by the voting delegates set the priorities for the year and guide AFN’s efforts.

Join the NOAA Science Seminar Series to review recent and current climate conditions around Alaska, discuss forecast tools, and finish up with the Climate Prediction Center's forecast for October 2022. Join the gathering online to learn what's happened and what may be in store with Alaska's seasonal climate.

The U.S. Arctic Research Commission will hold its 115th meeting in person at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on October 25-26, 2022. Business sessions and presentations, open to the public for viewing, will convene at 8:30 am.

And for those interested in the video recording of USARC’s 114th meeting, on April 6, 2022, in Anchorage, the link is here.

The Graduate Climate Conference (GCC) is an interdisciplinary climate conference run by graduate students, for graduate students. Over the last sixteen years, graduate students representing hundreds of academic institutions have come together to present research and share ideas on climate and climate change in an array of disciplines. Organizers welcome abstracts from diverse fields such as atmospheric sciences, biology, environmental management, forestry and fisheries sciences, oceanography, communication, public policy studies, urban planning, public health, and any other climate-related disciplines.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) will hold its 2022 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, 1 November from 9-12pm AK. This virtual event brings the ARCUS community together to share news, exchange ideas, and explore Arctic research and education collaboration opportunities. This is an open event and all are welcome to attend. To view the meeting agenda and register, please visit the link below. 

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) & the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) will co-host an Arctic research funders networking event on Monday, 7 November from 9-10:30am AK. This event provides an informal opportunity for Arctic researchers to connect with multiple funding organizations to gain insight into their Arctic research interests and funding opportunities. Contacts representing the National Science Foundation, NASA, the North Pacific Research Board, the Fulbright Arctic Initiative, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, and the International Arctic Science Committee will participate in the event. 

The meeting will bring together NNA researchers, research partners, Indigenous community and organization representatives, decision-makers, and others who have an interest in the Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) initiative. Meeting goals include sharing NNA science, strengthening equity in research, and creating new collaborations. This year's meeting hosts are the NNA Community Office and Alaska Pacific University.

The 13th Symposium on Polar Science hosted by the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR). The NIPR is organizing this annual symposium to present and promote a wide variety of polar scientific research and interdisciplinary studies. This symposium is held concurrently with the annual conferences on Antarctic Meteorites, Space and Upper Atmospheric Sciences, Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Polar Geosciences, and Polar Biology to discuss the situation surrounding the latest research and field activities in these disciplines.

Join the NOAA Science Seminar Series to review recent and current climate conditions around Alaska, discuss forecast tools, and finish up with the Climate Prediction Center's forecast for November 2022. Join the gathering online to learn what's happened and what may be in store with Alaska's seasonal climate.

The Arctic Futures Symposium is an annual conference that brings together Arctic stakeholders in Europe's capital to discuss issues of importance to them. The annual Arctic Futures Symposium brings together local and national policymakers, Arctic indigenous peoples, natural and social scientists, academics, and representatives of industries operating in or with interests in the Arctic.

AGU Fall Meeting is the most influential event in the world dedicated to the advancement of Earth and space sciences. Every year, AGU Fall Meeting unites the Earth and space science community to share findings, connect like-minded scientists from around the world, and advance our profession and shared passion for the impact of science.

The key topics of Arctic Frontiers 2023 will reflect transformation, modeling, adaptation, and development in the rapidly changing global landscape. Furthermore, business development in viable industries and Arctic health will feature, due to their relevance with the concept of Moving North. While looking at both the long-term and short-term impacts of the environmental, humanitarian, and economic crises, looking for potential solutions will be a key driver of the Arctic Frontiers 2023: Moving North conference. 

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California hosts this in-person workshop will provide researchers with an overview of reproducible and ethical research practices, steps and methods for more easily documenting and preserving their data at the Arctic Data Center, and an introduction to programming in R. Special attention will be paid to qualitative data management, including practices working with sensitive data. Example datasets will draw from natural and social sciences, and methods for conducting reproducible research will be discussed in the context of both qualitative and quantitative data.

This event is organized by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)and hosted by the Austrian Polar Research Institute (APRI). This event provides opportunities for coordination, cooperation, and collaboration between the various scientific organizations involved in Arctic research. It was initiated by the IASC in 1999. This event includes a Science Symposium. These symposia create a platform for exchanging knowledge, cross-fertilization, and collaboration and attract scientists, students, policymakers, and other professionals from all over the world.

The International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR) has been held every two years since 2008 and aims to present and discuss scientific results with researchers on the Arctic from all-over the world, extracting and sharing issues to solve, and exploring the future of the Arctic. ISAR-7 will consist of General Sessions and Special Sessions. General Sessions will address the following topics: atmosphere; ocean and sea ice; rivers, lakes, permafrost, and snow cover; ice sheets, glaciers, and ice cores; terrestrial ecosystems; marine ecosystems; geospacer; laws, politics, and economy; language, culture, and health; and, engineering for sustainable development.

As the largest Arctic policy and business conference in the United States, with partners and convenings worldwide, the Arctic Encounter continues to gather leading voices from around the world. The Arctic Encounter is eager to welcome participants to Alaska for a world-class arts and cultural experience, including dialogue and presentations with elected and international leaders, business executives, Indigenous peoples, scientists, students, defense leaders, diplomats, policymakers, and more.

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. The conference will include presentations discussing technical solutions, innovations, and advancements of all aspects of the offshore energy industry. Participants will include operators, research, vendors, and stakeholders. The experience of the last 50 years in the Arctic will be in attendance. That expertise and knowledge is available to move forward and support energy, mining, renewables, marine transport, tourism, and other activities in the harshest environments.

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.