The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Wildlife research scientist Paul Smith is a lot like the birds he studies: every spring, when the ice recedes, he migrates north to the Arctic. But while he's been able to adapt to the changing climate, the nesting birds have not been so lucky in the face of new threats.

More young women in Finland’s far north are taking up reindeer herding, according to the Reindeer Herders’ Association. Ida Wessman, 28, bought her family’s herd of reindeer after her father passed away five years ago. “It’s been going pretty well. With this industry is you’ve got high points and low points,” Wessman said, alluding to severe 2019-2020 weather that killed 15,000 of the animals.

Faster than Forecast: the story ice tells about abrupt climate change” Accompanied by numerous first-hand videos and written in plain language, the American ice maverick Professor Jason Box describes a 30 year scientific adventure. This is the story that Greenland ice tells about abrupt climate change, its global consequences and now emphasizes the challenges faced by the COP26-era of policy makers, business leaders and youth.

The Coast Guard concluded its annual Arctic Shield operations on Sunday with the seasonal closure of its Forward Operating Location in Kotzebue, Alaska. Air Station Kodiak air crews and two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters were forward deployed to Kotzebue to provide coverage and reduced response times to remote regions of Alaska during increased summer and fall maritime activities.

Arctic researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Woodwell Climate Research Center will present a sobering assessment of a rapidly changing Arctic, including warming oceans, melting sea ice, disappearing glaciers, and thawing permafrost, at the upcoming international climate negotiations in Glasgow, Scotland, known as the Conference of Parties, or COP26 (October 31 – November 12).

IARPC is currently seeking an Indigenous Engagement and Communication Specialist to coordinate across agencies and serve as a communication hub between IARPC federal agency members and Indigenous communities. This is a full-time position. The full position description, responsibilities, qualifications, and details of how to apply can be found on the IARPC Collaborations website. The position will remain open until filled, with initial review of applications beginning November 1.

IARPC is seeking two fellows to participate in IARPC Collaborations in a leadership capacity. IARPC Collaborations brings together communities of practice led by federal and non-federal co-leaders. Although each of our collaboration teams is discussing issues directly relevant to those living in Alaska and the Arctic and team leaders are experts in their field, very few team leaders have perspectives stemming from deep place-based knowledge in Alaska. This paid fellowship seeks to increase opportunities for Indigenous individuals to lead these communities of practice. Further information, including fellowship description, responsibilities, and how to apply, is available on the IARPC Collaborations website. The positions will remain open until filled, with initial review of applications beginning November 1.

Only the 85 kilometers long Bering Strait separates Russia and the US in the Arctic. The US and Russia have stressed that the Arctic should remain a region of cooperation rather than conflict as climate change impacts are creating both economic opportunities, geopolitical tensions, and environmental challenges in the North. As global warming makes the region more accessible, interest in the Arctic's natural resources, its navigation routes and its strategic position has grown. Chair of the US Arctic Research Commission Mike Sfraga will be a speaker on this panel. This event is hosted by the Fort Ross Conservancy.

The Maritime Risk Symposium is an annual three-day conference in which government and maritime industry leaders, port representatives, researchers, and solution providers convene to examine current and emerging threats to maritime security. Government agencies, commercial entities, institutions of research, and higher education come together to discuss various threats, challenges, and risks to international and domestic maritime sectors.

Former USARC Commissioner Major General Randy “Church” Kee USAF (retired) will be a member of two panels: “Arctic Climate Change— ‘Operationally Relevant’ Arctic-Related Research;” and the summation panel. USARC Executive Director John Farrell will also be a panelist on the “Arctic Climate Change—‘Operationally Relevant’ Arctic-Related Research” panel.

The NOAA bottom trawl survey team returned to the northern Bering Sea this summer after canceling a 2020 survey due to COVID-19 restrictions. Have our seafloor fishes, crabs, and other marine life changed since the 2019 survey? Come learn the results of the 2021 Bering Sea bottom trawl survey and how it compares to past surveys! Learn how these findings can better equip coastal communities, scientists, and resource managers to predict and respond to changes taking place in our regional marine environment.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://tinyurl.com/kuzpbvys

Meeting ID: 858 4738 2860; Passcode: 957524

Or call: 1-253-215-8782 

Lyle Britt is a NOAA research biologist and the new Director of the RACE Division at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle.

The European Commission and the European External Action Service will organize a high-level EU Arctic Forum and the Annual Arctic Indigenous Peoples’ Dialogue. The EU Arctic Forum will bring together key Arctic players and stakeholders to assess recent developments in the region and discuss challenges ahead. The event will provide a strategic outlook for the updated EU Arctic policy and delve into topics that are of particular significance for the Arctic’s inhabitants.

The New England Arctic Network (NEAN) will host its 2021 meeting at the University of New England in Portland, Maine. Additional information will be published soon. 

The Wilson Center's Polar Institute is pleased to co-sponsor the 14th Polar Law Symposium, which will be a hybrid event co-hosted by the Polar Cooperation Research Centre (Kobe University, Japan), Polar Law Institute (University of Akureyri, Iceland), Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law – Arctic Centre (University of Lapland, Finland), University of the Arctic and its Arctic Law Thematic Network (Finland).

Hosted entirely online the ArcticNet Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting 2021 (ASM2021) is a hub for Arctic research in Canada. The ASM2021 brings together researchers from the natural, health, and social sciences to meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing Arctic region, shaped by climate change and modernization. This conference will push the boundaries of our collective understanding of the Arctic and strengthen our ability to address the Arctic issues of today and tomorrow.

The National Academies’ Polar Research Board is convening the following session at the Fall AGU meeting.

Arctic Symposium 2022 continues momentum in Arctic defense and security collaboration established in prior ALCOM-hosted events. AAS22 seeks to address the challenges faced by the U.S. military and our allies and partners in understanding and responding to our respective national interests. AAS22 is planned and organized by the Arctic Domain Awareness Center at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in support and in compliance to guidance from Alaskan Command (ALCOM) Staff and Commander. More information available soon.

The participants in the forum will focus on improving the living standards in the Arctic region, preserving its unique ecological potential, ensuring sustainable socioeconomic development in polar territories, and strengthening international cooperation to this end. The IAF is a unique space for constructive cooperation with international and regional organizations and an opportunity to focus on Russian and international priorities, including climate change, the environment, economic cooperation in the Arctic, sustainable development of transport infrastructure, and human capital development.

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.