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November 2, 2017
 
** New this week **  North Slope Science Initiative Science Technical Advisory Panel, Nomination Period Open October 25 - November 24, 2017  (Anchorage, Alaska USA). Nominations and applications currently are being accepted for new members to fill six vacant positions on the Science Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) for the North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI). The STAP is a federal advisory committee chartered to advise the NSSI Oversight Group on scientific matters including proposed inventory, monitoring, and research activities necessary for addressing the impacts of past, ongoing, and anticipated development activities on Alaska's North Slope and its associated marine environment. The Oversight Group is composed of senior representatives of federal, state, and local government entities that have management and regulatory responsibilities for development activities on the North Slope. More information on the North Slope Science Initiative is available  here .
 
Full Committee Hearing to Receive Testimony on the Potential for Oil and Gas Exploration in the 1002 Area, Today (Washington, DC USA). The full committee hearing will be held on Thursday, November 2, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. EDT in Room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the potential for oil and gas exploration and development in the non-wilderness portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, known as the "1002 Area" or Coastal Plain, to raise sufficient revenue pursuant to the Senate reconciliation instructions included in H. Con. Res. 71. 
Media

New Greenland Maps Show More Glaciers at Risk. New maps of Greenland's coastal seafloor and bedrock beneath its massive ice sheet show that two to four times as many coastal glaciers are at risk of accelerated melting as had previously been thought. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, NASA and 30 other institutions have published the most comprehensive, accurate and high-resolution relief maps ever made of Greenland's bedrock and coastal seafloor. Among the many data sources incorporated into the new maps is data from NASA's Ocean Melting Greenland campaign. Science Daily
 
An Early Christmas Present: Scientists Have Unwrapped the Reindeer Genome. With Halloween over, today is traditionally the day that the Christmas decorations come out, so it is appropriate that an iconic animal associated with the festivity is getting a jump on the holiday spirit by joining the list of species to have its genome sequenced. Published today in the open-access journal GigaScience, is an article describing the sequencing and analysis of the reindeer genome. This work, although unlikely to reveal why Santa's reindeer can fly, provides a great resource for gaining greater understanding of the processes of evolution, domestication, animal husbandry, and adaptation to extreme environments. Science Daily
 
Barrels with Hazardous Waste Found on the East of Russian Arctic. An unauthorized store of hazardous waste has been found in Chukotka, on the coast of the East Siberian Sea, according to the Far-Eastern Transportation Prosecutor's Office. "The Magadan Transportation Prosecutor's Office has inspected the compliance with the environment legislation in the Arctic and sea ports on the Northern Sea Route. During the inspection, an unauthorized store of hazardous waste, which belongs to Chukotsnab, was found at Pevek Port in the Chukotka Autonomous Area, on the coast of the East Siberian Sea," the message reads. The Arctic
 
Murkowski Lisa An Alaska Senator Wants to Fight Climate Change and Drill for Oil, Too. Senator Lisa Murkowski was unequivocal when asked recently about rising global temperatures: "Climate change is real," the Alaska Republican told an audience in Anchorage. Yet her stance on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is just as clear. Senator Murkowski, who heads the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has long argued that it must happen, for the economic prosperity of her state and the security of the country. New York Times
Future Events

** New this week ** Arctic Seminar Series, November 8, 2017 (Durham, New Hampshire  USA). This seminar will be a coordinated, group presentation by three members of the US Arctic Research Commission (USARC, www.arctic.gov), an independent federal agency. After a brief description of the USARC, including its purpose, duties, and eff­orts, John Farrell will discuss Arctic science and public policy, and will highlight recent developments. Jackie Richter-Menge will discuss her current e­fforts, such as highlighting the value of Arctic community participation in research, encouraging the value of interdisciplinary approaches, and highlighting opportunities to be come involved. Larry Mayer will give examples of work being done at UNH that are relevant to policy issues, such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Siberian Arctic shelf as a natural gas resources and the "clathrate bomb" issue, Petermann Glacier and the rapid degradation of the Greenland Ice Sheet, Arctic marine charting using an autonomous surface vessel, and Swedish funding for Arctic collaboration.

Polar Law Symposium 2017 and Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit, November 13-16, 2017 (Rovaniemi, Finland). The purpose of the Polar Law Symposium is to examine, in detail, the implications of the challenges faced by the Polar Regions for international law and policy and to make recommendations on appropriate actions by states, policy makers and other international actors to respond to these emerging and re-emerging challenges. The Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit  Conference is integrated with the Polar Law Symposium, which will be organized by the Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law at the Arctic Center of the University of Lapland.

Arctic Research Seminar with Courtney Carothers and Laura Zanotti: In a Climate of Change: Co-producing Knowledge and Community Researcher Relationships in the Leadership and Strength Project in Utqiagvik, Alaska, November 30, 2017 (Washington, DC  USA). Courtney Carothers is an associate professor of fisheries in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She is an environmental anthropologist currently researching how fishery systems are being remade by enclosure and privatization processes and the total environment of change facing Arctic Indigenous communities. Her work explores human-environment relationships, cultural values, equity, and well-being. She has co-edited two books and published over 30 articles and book chapters on these topics. She currently serves on a number of boards and working groups, including: the SEARCH (Study of Environmental Arctic Change) Science Steering Committee, the North Pacific Research Board Science Panel, the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund Expert Panel, the State of Alaska's Salmon and People. This event is part of the ARCUS DC Arctic Research Seminar Series.

AGU Fall Meeting, December 11-15, 2017 (New Orleans, LA USA). Fall Meeting is the largest and preeminent Earth and space science meeting in the world. The 2017 Fall Meeting will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, offering attendees the chance to discover a new location that features world renowned cuisine, music, arts and culture, and provides access to vital scientific ecosystems. Fall Meeting will offer a unique mix of more than 20,000 oral and poster presentations, a broad range of keynote lectures, various types of formal and informal networking and career advancement opportunities, scientific field trips around New Orleans, and an exhibit hall packed with hundreds of exhibitors.

ArcticNet invites the global Arctic research community to Arctic Change 2017! This conference will bring together Arctic researchers and students with Inuit, Northerners and government, industry and NGO stakeholders. The world's foremost Arctic scientists will presen t research  findings and discuss impacts of climate change and modernization. With over 1500 participants expected, Arctic Change 2017 will be one of the largest trans-sectoral international Arctic research conferences held in Canada. We welcome students and early career researchers to participate in "Student Day" at the start of the Conference. See an excerpt from last year:  ArcticNet ASM2016 .
 
ISAR-5 Fifth International Symposium on Arctic Research, January 15-18, 2018 (Tokyo, Japan). The fifth ISAR has been planned at the recommendation of the science steering committee of ISAR-4, which was held in Toyama, Japan in April 2015. The fifth ISAR will be devoted to discussions on environmental changes in the Arctic and their regional and global implications, to seek additional international scientific collaboration in this area by gathering, synthesizing and sharing information related to these changes occurring in the Arctic. Special emphasis will be placed on the fields of the social sciences and humanities, which were not included in the previous ISARs.  ISAR-5 will consist of general sessions and special sessions. The 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; geospace; policies and economy; and social and cultural dimensions. Special sessions will be solicited on cross-cutting themes.
 
2018 Arctic Frontiers: Connecting the Arctic, January 21-26, 2018 (Tromso, Norway). Arctic Frontiers is an international arena on sustainable development in the Arctic. The conference addresses the management of opportunities and challenges to achieve viable economic growth with societal and environmental sustainability. Arctic Frontiers brings academia, government and business together to create a firmer foundation for decision-making and sustainable economic development in the Arctic. Join the Arctic Frontiers conference preparing the new Arctic future. The conference takes place the fourth week of January in the Norwegian city of Tromsø, known as the Gateway to the Arctic.
 
Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 22-26, 2018 (Anchorage, Alaska.)
The Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS) is Alaska's premier marine research conference. For over 20 years, it has brought together scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and the public to discuss marine research conducted in Alaskan waters. Over 700 people attend this 4-day long conference held annually in January.  Each day of the conference highlights Alaskan marine ecosystems: Arctic (Tuesday), Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands (Wednesday), and the Gulf of Alaska (Thursday). Research topics discussed range from ocean physics, fishes and invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, to local traditional knowledge.  Website for 2018 meeting is here .
 
Alaska Forum on the Environment, February 12-16, 2018 (Anchorage, Alaska) AFE is a statewide gathering of environmental professionals from government agencies, non-profit and for-profit businesses, community leaders, Alaskan youth, conservationists, biologists and community elders. The diversity of attendees sets this conference apart from any other. The 2018 event will be our 20th year providing a strong educational foundation for all Alaskans and a unique opportunity to interact with others on environmental issues and challenges.

The Effects of Climate Change on the World's Oceans, June 4-8, 2018 (Washington, DC USA). 
The 4th International Symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems - and how to respond. The event is hosted by a variety of groups including International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
 
POLAR 2018, June 15-27, 2018 (Davos, Switzerland). POLAR2018 is a joint event from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). The SCAR meetings, the ASSW and the Open Science Conference will be hosted by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL under the patronage of the Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF is organizing POLAR2018.
 
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.

Arctic Biodiversity Congress, October 9-11, 2018 (Rovaniemi, Finland). 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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