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Media
 Coast Guard Icebreakers Polar Star Bound for the Arctic in December. For the first time in almost five decades, the Coast Guard's heavy icebreaker won't be supporting Antarctic scientific missions in coming months but will operate instead the Arctic near Alaska, the ice breaker's commander said recently. USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) will deploy in December "to project [U.S.] sovereignty" over its waters off Alaska and "to strengthen the rules based-order in the Arctic," Coast Guard Capt. Williams Woityra, said last week at the Wilson Center. USNI News
UN Approves Ban on Heavy Ship Fuel in Arctic. The United Nations shipping agency approved a ban on the use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic region in a move criticized by green groups which said loopholes will allow many vessels to keep sailing without enough regulatory control. Antarctic waters are protected by stringent regulations, including a ban on heavy oil fuel (HFO) adopted in 2011, even though no cargo moves through the turbulent southern waters. For the Arctic, the rules have been looser. In a virtual session of its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) approved a ban on the use of HFO and its carriage for use by ships in Arctic waters after July 1, 2024. Hellenic Shipping News
 Arctic Animals' Movement Patterns are Shifting in Different Ways as the Climate Changes. For animals in the Arctic, life is a balancing act. Seasonal cues, such as warmer spring temperatures or cooler temperatures in the fall, tell animals when to migrate, when to mate, and when and where to find food. Predators and prey, birds and mammals alike follow this natural schedule, and an overall shift of just a few days or weeks could have unknown impacts on these animals and ecosystems. These changes in seasonal timing are already starting - although the shifts differ between species and populations - according to a new study published Nov. 5 in Science that was funded in part by the NASA Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE). The researchers analyzed data from the Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA), a collection of data from more than 200 research studies tracking nearly a hundred species from 1991 to present, in combination with NASA temperature, rainfall, snowfall, and topographic data. They found that Arctic animals' movement patterns are shifting in different ways, which could disrupt entire ecosystems. NASA
Warm Arctic, Cold Continents? It Sounds Counterintuitive, but Research Suggests it's a Thing. By any measure, the Arctic has changed profoundly in the last 40 years, warming three times as fast as the global average, and losing half its summer sea ice, as well as billions of tons of land-based glacier ice. And even though the Arctic only encompasses about 6 percent of the Earth's surface area, the warming there has kicked off climate chain reactions that are disrupting weather and climate patterns across the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, including most major North American and European cities and agricultural areas. The abrupt and accelerating Arctic warming directly harms the communities, livelihoods and traditions of the 4 million people who live in the polar region. Inside Climate News
 An Extraordinary Winter in the Polar North. The winter of 2019-2020 in the Northern Hemisphere was one of extremes. The massive region of cold polar air encircled by stratospheric winds, known as the stratospheric polar vortex, was particularly strong, keeping the frigid air whirling above the polar region and leading to a very mild winter in many regions farther south. The strong polar vortex coincided with a record-breaking positive Arctic Oscillation circulation pattern and record low ozone levels in the Arctic that lasted into spring. In a review, published as part of an AGU special collection, Lawrence et al. outline the unique conditions that allowed this "truly extraordinary" winter season to arise. EOS
Polar Climate Affects Trade Wind Strength in Tropics. The impact of sea surface temperature variations in the tropical Pacific on global climate has long been recognized. For instance, the episodic warming of the tropical Pacific during El Niño events causes melt of sea ice in far-reaching parts of the Southern Ocean via its effect on the global atmospheric circulation. A new study, published this week in the journal Science Advances by an international team, demonstrates that the opposite pathway exists as well. Using a hierarchy of climate model simulations, the authors demonstrate the physical pathways via which polar climate variations can affect the trade winds in the tropics. Science Daily
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Future Events
The Arctic Resilience Forum: Socio-Ecological Resilience, November 25, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020. The online series, organized by the Arctic Council and the Harvard Kennedy School, will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.
Arctic Futures Symposium 2020, November 30- December 2, 2020 (virtual). Arctic Futures aims to create discussions and best practice exchanges between Arctic stakeholders with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. This year's symposium will focus on: Arctic challenges; Arctic policies of the EU, Arctic states, and Arctic stakeholders; Arctic community needs and preparedness; pollution, climate change and biodiversity: challenges and solutions; community resilience through empowerment; a uniquely Arctic entrepreneurship and investment culture; and, the EU's engagement in the Arctic and implementing the EU green deal.
Lunch & Learn- Solving Present and Future Arctic Challenges, noon on December 1, 2020. This event is hosted by the US Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association. Learn how the Academy's Center for Arctic Study & Policy (CASP) serves as an operationally focused academic think tank to promote research, broaden partnerships and educate future leaders about the complexities of this unique region. CASP Director Ms. Cara Condit and current Class of 1965 Arctic Scholar Dr. Barry Zellen highlight past accomplishments and what's on the horizon.
The Arctic Resilience Forum: Financing Resilience, December 2, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020. The online series, organized by the Arctic Council and the Harvard Kennedy School will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.
Indigenous Peoples' Participation in the ASM3 Process - Contributions to Arctic Science and Research, 5pm UTC on December 3, 2020 (virtual). This event is part of the ASM3 Webinar Series and is hosted by the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial. This webinar brings together a panel of Indigenous leaders to discuss the upcoming Arctic Science Ministerial. They will discuss the importance of inclusion of the knowledge of Indigenous peoples in Arctic science and research and the important role this has on sustainability. They will provide a background of previous efforts and share their insights around the question "Why is it important for Indigenous Peoples to be involved in Arctic science and research?" Please join the panel to learn about how a holistic approach to Arctic Science builds equity and cooperation in the Arctic. The discussion from this webinar will form the basis for recommendations reflected in the ASM3 final report.
Arctic Change 2020, December 7-10, 2020 (virtual). ArcticNet's international Arctic science conference takes place every 3 years, bringing together researchers and partners from around the world. This year the conference will be virtual. Building on the success of our previous Annual Scientific Meeting while facing the realities of our times, the organizers are pulling out all the stops to reach a bigger audience than ever before. The ArcticNet Network of Centers of Excellence and their partners warmly invite the global Arctic community to join them-from wherever you are-at the Arctic Change 2020 Virtual Conference.
The Arctic Resilience Forum: Infrastructure, December 9, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am - 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020. The online series, organized by the Arctic Council and the Harvard Kennedy School, will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas.
Creeping Security in the Arctic? 12:00 pm CET on December 18, 2020 (virtual). Niklas Eklund is an associate professor at the Department of Political Science and Deputy Director at the Arctic Research Center at Umeå University. His research is on public administration, security, leadership and crisis management. He has also contributed to the 'Handbook of Arctic Security' in which he introduce Sweden from a state-based security perspective. In December, Arcum is arranging an online seminar within the Umeå Arctic Seminar series, where Niklas will talk about the creeping securitization in the Arctic. This event is organized by the Arctic Research Center at Umeå University.
Alaska Native Perspectives of an Evolving Arctic Environment, 12:00 pm AKST on January 15, 2021. Join AKWorld for this discussion of climate, security, economic opportunity, science, resilience and other implications of a changing Arctic. Whether you are in Florida, California, Alaska, or another state in-between, you have experienced significant weather changes amplified by a rapidly changing Arctic. Come, listen, and join the conversation with two Alaska Native women who have firsthand knowledge and understanding of this important issue for Alaska, the United States, and the World.
2021 Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 26-28, 2021 (virtual). The Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS) has been bringing together scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and interested public for over twenty years to discuss the latest marine research being conducted in Alaskan waters. Showcasing Alaska's marine science remains the utmost priority despite the challenges we all have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also exploring some additional events (virtual panels, social hours, etc.) surrounding the virtual launch of AMSS 2021, so stay tuned! We are looking for panel ideas Topic ideas may include but are not limited to: coastal resiliency, ocean noise, marine debris, perspectives on changing ecosystems, co-production of knowledge, economics of climate change, and the future of the Arctic Research Post-COVID in local communities. (submit here: https://alaskamarinescience.org/2021-panels).
Arctic Frontiers 2021, February 1-4, 2021 (virtual). Arctic Frontiers started out in 2006 assembling the first global scientific conference on economic, societal and environmental sustainable growth in the north. In February 2021, we will arrange the 15th conference with the theme "Building Bridges". The conference has a pan arctic perspective and builds new partnerships across nations, generations and ethnic groups. Arctic Frontiers provides a forum for dialogue and communication between science, government and industry in the Arctic.
ALCOM's Arctic Senior Leader Summit, 2021, March 10-11, 2021 (virtual). In support of U.S. Northern Command's Arctic mission, please consider joining Lt General David Krumm, USAF, Commander Alaska Command, Alaska NORAD Region and 11th Air Force and a host of Defense and Security Leaders for Arctic Senior Leader Summit 2021 (ASLS 21) 10-11 March 2021. This event is oriented to addressing senior leader strategic views on the developing range of security and defense matters affecting the Arctic region. Due to the on-going complications of in-person meetings as a result of COVID 19, Arctic Senior Summit 2021 will be conducted via video conference. Day 1 of ASLS 2021 is focused on plenary presentations and follow-on strategic discussions. Day 2 ASLS 2021 is a planned tabletop exercise. Further details and registration to be provided soon via ASLS 21 planning team at the Arctic Domain Awareness Center. Please see: https://arcticdomainawarenesscenter.org/Events for more details or email ADAC center leadership at https://arcticdomainawarenesscenter.org/Team.
Arctic Science Summit Week, March 20-26, 2021 (Lisbon, Portugal). The Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Local Organizing Committee will host the Arctic Science Summit Week 2021. The Conference is organized by FCT, Ciência Viva, AIR Center, the Portuguese Arctic Community and by IASC and partners. Framed by the overarching theme for the Science Conference "The Arctic: Regional Changes, Global Impacts," Lisbon invites International experts on the Arctic and Indigenous Peoples to discuss the "New Arctic" and also its impacts and interactions to and with the lower latitudes.
2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses, May 3-6, 2021 (Hanko, Finland). Organizers announce, that due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses has been postponed to 2021. 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.
3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, May 8-9, 2021 (Toyko, Japan). The Japanese and Icelandic organizers of this ministerial continue to plan for an in-person ministerial, in Tokyo, but have moved the dates from November 21-22, 2020 to May 8-9, 2021 because of Covid-19. Since the last Arctic Science Ministerial in 2018, changes in the Arctic ecosystem and the resulting impacts locally and globally have been severely felt. Considering the need for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and repair measures, the relevance of an international Arctic Science Ministerial has never been greater. It is necessary to strengthen scientific cooperation and collaboration among both Arctic and non-Arctic States in order to develop our understanding of the rapid changes impacting the Arctic. The First Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM1) was hosted by the United States in 2016, and two years later, the Second Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM2) was co-hosted by Germany, Finland, and the European Commission. ASM3 will be co-hosted by Iceland and Japan.
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