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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 Feb. 2021, we will arrange the 15th conf 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 among science, government and industry in the Arctic.
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Media
 Arctic Seals Experiencing Dramatic Weight Loss as Temperatures Rise, Study Warns. The Arctic has seen rapid transformation in recent years as a result of climate change, with rising temperatures and significant fluctuations in sea ice thickness. Those changes could be causing three species of Arctic seals to lose body mass at alarming rates, according to a new study. Researchers from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries studied ribbon, spotted and harbor seals in the Bering Sea and Aleutian islands from 2007 to 2018. They tracked changes in how heavy the seals were in relation to their length, a metric known as "body condition." CBS News
A Break in the Silence: The Sound of a Winter Arctic Voyage. On a months-long winter mission to project U.S. sovereignty and to conduct scientific research, the Coast Guard cutter Polar Star, the nation's sole heavy icebreaker, is using its one-of-a-kind capability to navigate the dark polar wilderness. After departing Seattle, crossing the Gulf of Alaska and transiting the Bering Sea's treacherous waters, where 20-foot swells mercilessly tossed the ship, the crew traversed the Arctic Circle into equally windy but far calmer ice-bound waters. Maritime Executive
 Estonia Kicks Off 'Arctic Month' in Support of its Arctic Council Observer Bid. Seeking to join the Arctic Council as an observer, Estonia on Thursday began a month-long effort to sell the idea to Estonians and to the eight Arctic countries ahead of their biennial meeting in May, when they are expected to decide on its request to join the list of 13 observer countries. The "Arctic Month" is being held after Estonia officially announced on November 9 that it was seeking to join the Arctic Council as an observer in order to be able to "participate in discussions on the sustainable development of the Arctic at an international forum," according to its foreign ministry. Arctic Today
 Dear Colleague Letter: Supporting Data and Sample Reuse in Polar Research. With this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) encourages submission of proposals that leverage existing data, physical samples, and non-physical samples (e.g., films, recordings, etc.), as well as those that facilitate the reuse of existing data. In this way, OPP aims to support both the Arctic and Antarctic research communities to drive polar science forward while capitalizing on NSF's previous research investments. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions to the polar research community's ability to access field sites. While field-based research is, and will continue to be, a critical element of polar science, it is one component of much broader Arctic and Antarctic research practices. This DCL aims to improve utilization of previous investments in in situ data and sample collections while also encouraging more inclusive participation of researchers in polar research who may not have the ability or desire to access field sites. National Science Foundation
UAF's Cahill Appointed to FAA's Drone Advisory Committee. The Federal Aviation Administration has named University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist Catherine Cahill as one of 12 new members of its Drone Advisory Committee. Cahill is the director of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, which is part of the UAF Geophysical Institute. The DAC provides independent advice and recommendations for the safe and effective integration of drones in the national airspace system. The committee was originally formed in 2016 and is composed of 35 representatives from industry, academia, and state and local governments. University of Alaska Fairbanks
'It Brings Back Memories:' Maniilaq Cleared to Make and Serve Long-Prohibited Seal Oil to Elders. In Inupiaq communities, more than any other food, seal oil is a fixture. I had it for lunch today," said Cyrus Harris. "I'll have it for supper tomorrow." Like many Inupiaq people in the Northwest Arctic, Harris grew up eating traditional foods like seal oil, caribou and musk ox. When his relatives moved into Maniilaq's Utuqqanaat Inaat long term care, he found they weren't able to eat the same food they'd lived off for years. KOTZ-AM
Shedding Light on the Polar Night. The polar night is dark - if you're a person. But not if you're a krill or a seabird or a fish. In the first episode of NTNU's new English-language podcast, 63 Degrees North, learn how researchers discovered that there's more than enough light in the polar night for the tiny creatures who live there. Krill eyeballs. The werewolf effect. Diel vertical migration. Arctic marine biologists really talk about these things. There's a reason for that - when it comes to the polar night, when humans see only velvety darkness, krill eyeballs see things a little differently. Norwegian SciTech News
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Future Events
Tracing the Pandemic Through Wastewater: Using Sewage Monitoring to Investigate Infectious Disease, February 2-3, 2021 (virtual). Please join us for a free, virtual workshop featuring guest speakers and panelists from around the world. The two-day workshop will cover an overview of the current state of the science of Wastewater Epidemiology, how this technology is being used during the COVID-19 pandemic, testing goals and potential sampling approaches for Alaska's unique and varied remote communities and ethical/privacy considerations when conducting these activities in small communities. The workshop is open to the public, though aimed at health and water/sanitation professionals. This event is sponsored by the US Arctic Research Commission, Center for Disease Control, and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
Co-producing Arctic Conservation | The Wolf-Pack Hunting Approach, 1:00 pm on February 3, 2021 (virtual). In this webinar, you will learn from Victoria Qutuuq Buschman about co-producing Arctic conservation with Indigenous communities and from Dr. Tayana Arakchaa about Tozhu Hunting Strategy in the Siberian Taiga. This webinar is part of the Breaking the Ice Ceiling webinar series, which 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. Register for free here.
Asian Interests and the Path Forward in the New Arctic, 6:00 pm on February 8, 2021 (virtual). In light of common interests and prospects for cooperation in the Arctic, this international virtual symposium will convene representatives, scholars, and experts from Japan, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of South Korea, and the United States to share their countries' unique Arctic interests and policies. Hosted by the Asia Program, Polar Institute and Kissinger Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, with support from the Government of Japan and the Embassy of Japan in the United States.
Advancing Collaboration in Canada-US Regional Security II, February 25-26, 2021 (virtual). The Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) and the North American and Arctic Defense and Security Network (NAADSN) will host this event as a follow up meeting on the Advancing Collaboration in Canada-U.S. Arctic Regional Security (ACCUSARS) conference in September 2020.The purpose of ACCUSARS II is to create a subset Strategic Foresight Assessment (SFA) for the North American Arctic, by specifically focusing on Alaska and Western Canada.
 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 Domain Awareness Center's (ADAC) Arctic Challenges, Innovations, and Commerce Expo (Arctic CICE) Conference, March 16-17, 2020 (virtual). The Arctic Domain Awareness Center's (ADAC) Arctic Challenges, Innovations, and Commerce Expo (Arctic CICE) seeks to explore the networks, resources, and infrastructure needed to enable the commercial entrance of Arctic-related products and technologies into the Arctic domain. This expo will use an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to foster conversations around Arctic-centered business pressure points, state-of-the-Arctic-focused R&D, gap analysis of investment and innovation, and the future of business in the region. Participants will be exposed to the latest hardware, software, and people-ware emerging to advance domain awareness, risk mitigation, exploration, Arctic operations, and overall, Arctic security.
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.
 One Health, One Future, April 6-11, 2021 (virtual). This is expected to be the largest circumpolar One Health conference held in the United States in 2021, with participation anticipated from across the Arctic region. The event is part of the United States contribution to One Arctic, One Health, an Arctic Council project now in its sixth year of operation. The project aims to develop a circumpolar network of One Health experts that can share knowledge, conduct exercises, and spur collaborative investigations of One Health phenomena.
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.
Department of Homeland Security S&T OUP Centers of Excellence Summit, May 18-21, 2021 (virtual). 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.
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External links in this publication, and on the USARC's World Wide Web site ( www.arctic.gov) do not constitute endorsement by the US Arctic Research Commission of external Web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities, the USARC does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. These links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this newsletter and the USARC Web site.
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