Weatherwise, it was another eventful winter across western Alaska, from the late Bering Sea ice-up, to yet another stormy and snowy March. Rick will re-cap this winter and look at the most recent climate outlooks for summer on land and sea, focusing on the Bering Strait region. Hear how rural communities can collect winter snowpack data through volunteer "snow courses!"



Meeting ID: 859 5799 8652, Passcode: 752390

Or call: 253-215-8782

On April 28th, 2021, former British Columbia Supreme Court Judge, Thomas Berger, passed away at 88 years of age. Berger leaves an enormous legacy in Canada and the world of achievements that stem from a lifetime dedicated to social justice. Three individuals who were intimately involved in one such achievement, the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry and its aftermath – Dene leader Stephen Kakfwi, and CBC reporters Whit Fraser and Marie Wilson – will come together to share stories of their time with Berger and to reflect on his legacy.

Top security experts recently warned that Russia’s plan to remain the sole Arctic superpower is “worrisome and troublesome” and argued that ambition has economic and military implications far into the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Speaking Friday at a Wilson Center online forum, Col. Petteri Seppala, defense attaché at the Finnish embassy in Washington, said “the conflict potential rising” in the Arctic. Referring to Russia’s assertiveness, he added “we do need military capabilities to ensure all follow the rules” in a traditionally quiet region.

The 12th Arctic Council Ministerial meeting will be held on 20th May 2021 in Reykjavik, Iceland, and online, and marks the end of the Icelandic Chairmanship and beginning of the Russian Chairmanship. It will also be the very first meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his American colleague Antony Blinken.

Arctic Peoples are more than just victims of climate change. In many parts of the circumpolar world, they’re collaborating with scientists to unravel the unprecedented environmental transformation of the North. But these relationships aren’t always easy. In this Eye on the Arctic documentary report from Arctic Canada, we learn about some of the problems that still exist and profile a collaboration that this community says is an example of what happens when things go right.

Canada pushed for more Arctic research collaboration and for “meaningful and respectful partnerships between Arctic researchers and Indigenous peoples” at a two-day meeting of science ministers that concluded in Japan on Sunday. The 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial held in Tokyo over the weekend brought together officials from the several Arctic and non-Arctic countries and representatives from Arctic Indigenous peoples. It focused on using international scientific cooperation to act on urgent challenges facing the Arctic.

At the conclusion of the Third Arctic Science Ministerial, the Biden Administration underscored the urgent need to address climate change and reaffirmed its commitment to international collaborations in Arctic research support, including by strengthening partnerships with Indigenous communities. First organized by the United States in 2016, the Arctic Science Ministerial is an international gathering of governments to discuss the most pressing needs and opportunities in Arctic science to develop coordinated, actionable solutions.

A new Arctic Youth Council is being launched by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard, and they are seeking Inuit youth between the ages of 18 and 30 to take part. “This will enable us to better understand local needs and priorities, and deliver essential and innovative services specific to the Arctic regions,” states a news release. The new council will give northern youth the chance to tell the department about what is important to them and their communities.

The aerial survey of polar bears and sea mammals in the Russian Arctic is getting underway in Yakutia. Expedition members will collect information on the polar bear population and its distribution on the local islands and coastline under the Master of the Arctic environmental project. “During this expedition, we will be able to understand what is happening with the population, how our bears move, what is happening with the ice conditions and what the general environmental agenda should look like.

Vladimir Putin has instructed the government and several other agencies to support the international research exhibition to be held in the Arctic zone of Russia and in the Arctic Council states. “The Government of the Russian Federation, together with the Foreign Ministry, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and other relevant federal bodies of executive authority are to consider the proposals of the Russian Geographical Society (RGO), including those that concern providing support to an international research exhibition to be held in the Arctic zone of Russia and in the territory of Arctic Council states, and to adopt relevant decisions following this,” the instructions approved by the President following a meeting of the RGO Board of Trustees stipulate.

I’m standing on the stern of the 37ft expedition yacht Barba. Ahead, the serrated cliffs of Andøya, a Norwegian island 300km north of the Arctic Circle, mask the partial winter sun. Moderate offshore winds whip off the surface of Andfjorden and bring the temperature to 20 below. “Whale blow, 200 meters to port,” calls helmsman Emil Gundersen. The yacht pitches hard. Photographers Tord Karlsen and Sophie Bolseworth steady themselves. Crewman Aksel E. Ørstavik and I hand fins and cameras to Norwegian captain and marine biologist, Andreas B. Heide, and French acoustic engineer and marine researcher, Fabrice Schnöller.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) has released a draft of the Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 for public review in the Federal Register. The comment period will close on June 11, 2021. The draft plan addresses the most pressing Arctic research needs that require a collaborative approach and that can advance understanding of the Arctic, inform policy and planning decisions, and promote the well-being of Arctic and global communities. Download the plan and learn how to comment at iarpccollaborations.org/draft-plan.html

Please join us for the virtual launch event on the Pan-Arctic Report on Gender Equality in the Arctic, hosted by the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute with The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Iceland, The Icelandic Arctic Council Chairmanship, the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network, the Stefansson Arctic Institute, the Directorate of Equality in Iceland, and the Institute of Arctic Studies at Dartmouth.

Audience members will get a fast-forward to understanding new findings and key trends in climate-driven environmental and social changes in the Arctic. This session will focus on recent findings on how climate change is impacting the environment, societies and biodiversity, and present expert recommendations on how Arctic States can reduce emissions of black carbon. Specific topics will include: recent findings on climate change in the Arctic; impacts of climate change on societies and extreme events; what’s happening with Arctic biodiversity, and global implications; action on black carbon and methane – how Arctic nations are taking action and recommendations for the future; and emerging issues including wildland fires.

Access to the Arctic Ocean is changing quickly as sea ice extent reduces and thins – enabling longer seasons of ship navigation and new access to previously difficult to reach regions. This briefing will take stock of the increase of Arctic shipping over the past years, and associated risks like oil spills and search and rescue incidents. It will look at how the Council contributes to safeguarding the marine environment and enables safe and sustainable shipping in Arctic waters. Specific topics will include: the current status of Arctic shipping; insights on marine emergency response; Arctic marine tourism; and emerging issues.

IARPC has released a draft of the next five-year Arctic Research Plan, which will span from 2022-2026. We are now asking the public to comment on the draft plan by June 11, 2021. To provide additional information about the draft plan contents and development, we are hosting a series of one-hour information sessions. A webinar May 17, 10am AKT / 2pm PT will focus on Priority Area 4: Risk Management and Hazard Mitigation.

DHS S&T's Centers of Excellence (COE) Summit is set and focused on Homeland Security Challenges: Evolving Threats & Dynamic Solutions. This event is a special opportunity for COE researchers to connect and network with DHS components, federal, state, and local stakeholders, as well as industry partners to present current and emerging solutions to threats and challenges faced by DHS. Attendees can visit the Innovation Showcase, where COE and vendor partners showcase research breakthroughs, new products and tools to assist operational decision-makers and dynamic solutions to secure our Homeland.

This briefing will shed light on how climate change, pollutants and lifestyles impact human health in the Arctic. It will also overview newly evaluated risks for radiation exposure and how radiation can impact human health. Attendees will hear how the Council is tackling emerging issues like Covid-19, future pandemics and black carbon health effects. Specific topics will include: how Arctic lifestyles, diets and pollution exposure impacts human health; short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) and human health; radiation risks and health impacts; mental health and suicide prevention; and, emerging issues, including Covid-19.

This briefing explores what the world has to learn from the Arctic and presents innovative case studies of what we can learn from Indigenous peoples’ Traditional Knowledge and Local Knowledge, how we can tap into the full potential of Arctic economies and how Arctic communities initiate energy transitions. Specific topics will include: building sustainable economies; mainstreaming biodiversity in the mining sector; cleaning up communities in the Arctic; and emerging issues and energy initiatives.

Twenty years ago, the Arctic was more resilient than now as sea ice was three times thicker than today and provided a buffer against the influence of short-term climate fluctuations. The recent decade has seen an increase in Arctic extreme events in climate and ecosystems including events beyond previous records. Such new extremes include Greenland ice mass loss, sea ice as thin and more mobile, coastal erosion, springtime snow loss, permafrost thaw, wildfires, and bottom-to-top ecosystem reorganizations. While their numbers increase, the distribution of the type, location, and timing of extreme events are less predictable. 

This event is hosted by Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network. In 2021, a coalition of organizations including The Arctic Institute, Women in Polar Sciences, and Women of the Arctic are organizing a webinar series, Breaking the Ice Ceiling, that aims to illuminate polar research and achievements (past and present) by those who identify as women and to foster discussion on systemic change in polar sciences (Indigenous, natural, and social sciences) to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this webinar, you will learn from Director Romani Makkik and Producer Dr. Shari Fox about strengths-based research and transforming the research process through critical reflection and new expression.

ADAC will conduct the Center's Program Year 7 Annual meeting to focus on U.S. Coast Guard Project Champions, key stakeholders and the community of Arctic science and technology researchers. Included in the Program Year 7 Annual meeting are planned guest speakers from HQ U.S. Coast Guard, DHS S&T and senior Arctic Research leadership in Washington D.C.

For the first time, a Regional Conference on Permafrost will be combined with the bi-annual 19th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering. This conference is hosted by the US Permafrost Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the International Permafrost Association, the Permafrost Young Researchers Network, and the University of Colorado Boulder. A complete list of planned sessions is available here.

Organizers announce, that due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses has been postponed to 2022. This symposium will bring together molecular microbial ecologists specializing in different organism groups to share our latest results and discuss methodological problems, as well as future prospects in the field, including practical international collaborations. The environmental focus will be on cryospheric environments including sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, and permafrost, but excellent research in other polar environments is also invited. The methods to be discussed will focus on 'omics' techniques, ranging from single cells to metagenomes, but research using additional methods is encouraged as well.