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June 10, 2021

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No Arctic science events are scheduled for today.

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DOD Announces Center to Collaborate on, Advance Shared Interests in Arctic Region

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The Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies will be the sixth such regional center for the department, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said during a briefing today at the Pentagon. "The Ted Stevens Center will provide a new venue to collaborate across the U.S. government and with our allies and partners to advance shared interests for a peaceful and prosperous Arctic," Kirby said. "Defense Department regional centers are international academic venues for bilateral and multilateral research, communication and training, with the goal of building strong, sustainable, international networks of security leaders."

Department of Defense

Passenger Vessels and the Canadian Arctic: A Risky Combination?

On August 24, 2018, the passenger vessel Akademik Ioffe ran aground in the Canadian Arctic. The vessel had been sailing through narrows in a remote area that was not surveyed to modern or adequate hydrographic standards, and where none of the vessel crew had ever been. Although no one was injured and the expedition staff and passengers were evacuated and transferred to another passenger vessel the next day, the Akademik Ioffe nonetheless sustained serious damage to its hull. The subsequent investigation (M18C0225) by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) identified a number of safety deficiencies, as well as systemic risks that need to be addressed.

Maritime Executive

Iridium Announces Operation Arctic Lynx

Iridium Communications Inc. today announced Operation Arctic Lynx (OAL), a series of partnership-driven field exercises deploying Iridium® and Iridium Connected® technologies and involving more than 20 organizations, primarily focused above 60 degrees north latitude and stretching as far as 82 degrees north latitude. Taking place between June 11 and June 26, 2021, OAL involves an international contingent of organizations including existing Iridium customers like the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. federal agencies, Alaska state and local organizations, Canadian government organizations, scientific research organizations and multiple aerospace industry companies. During OAL, Iridium and Iridium Connected weather resilient satellite communications technology will be deployed through a combination of on-base, communications-on-the-move (COTM), at-the-halt (ATH) and remote environment applications.

SpaceRef

Teriberka Gets Russia’s Second Arctic Research Station Powered by Renewables

It was during an online media conference about the future of green energy Murmansk governor Andrei Chibis announced the creation of the Snowflake international Arctic station in the fishing village of Teriberka on the coast of the Barents Sea. The plans are developed in cooperation with the State Commission for the Development of the Arctic, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev, the Government of Murmansk region informs.

Barents Observer
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Noon ET on JUNE 14, 2021 | VIRTUAL

Creating Space for Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Sphere

This webinar is part of The Arctic Institute's Breaking the Ice Ceiling series to illuminate polar research by those who identify as women & to foster discussion on systemic change in polar sciences to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this webinar, learn from Meredith LaValley, Dr. Olivia Lee, and Liz Weinberg on how an interagency body like the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) create space for diversity and inclusion discussions and progress across the federal government.

Event Link

JUNE 15-20, 2021 | Virtual

10th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS X) Arctic Generations: Looking Back and Looking Forward

The ARCTICenter at the University of Northern Iowa (USA) and Northern Arctic Federal University (Russia) are pleased to host the 10th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS X) organized by the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA). ICASS X will focus on all aspects of human existence in the Arctic in the past, present and future: social, cultural, historical, economic, political, linguistic, educational, archaeological, engineering, health, legal, psychological, to name a few. The Congress will also emphasize history, future and sustainability of Arctic peoples and environments throughout generations and co-production of knowledge with Indigenous knowledge holders and Arctic stakeholders.USARC Commissioner Tom Dans will provide welcoming, introductory remarks.

Event Link

1:30 pm ET on JUNE 16, 2021 | Virtual

10th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS X) Arctic Generations: Looking Back and Looking Forward

October 2021 will mark 50 years since the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was passed and Alaska Native corporations were first established. While Alaska Native corporations are indeed businesses, they are not typical publicly-traded corporations, nor are their shareholders typical. Their primary purpose centers on Alaska Native people, their communities and the promotion of their social, cultural, and economic advancement. Please join the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute, with the ANCSA Regional Association and Alaska Native Village Corporation Association, to explore the unique ownership and missions of their member organizations.

Event Link

2:30- 5:00 pm (CET) on June 17, 2021 | VIRTUAL

The EU's Arctic Influence: Presentation of a Report on the EU Actions Affecting the Arctic

The seminar will present a report prepared in relation to the project “Overview of EU actions in the Arctic and their impact.” The study considers a broad range of ways in which EU policies affect the Arctic and influence the EU’s environmental footprint and economic presence in the region. During the study the EU’s environmental and economic Arctic impact has been considered, relevant policies have been identified and analysed as well as policy options for strengthening the EU Arctic approach have been proposed. The report has been written by a team of experts led by Prof. Timo Koivurova. The seminar will include the presentation of the study, commentaries from Arctic stakeholders as well as insights into the current stage of developing the new EU’s policy towards the Arctic, to which the report is to contribute.

Event Link

N1:00 pm ET on JUNE 22, 2021 | VIRTUAL

Don Anderson: Evidence for Massive and Recurrent Toxic Blooms of Alexandrium Catenella in the Alaskan Arctic

The Arctic Ocean is experiencing rapid and dramatic changes in response to climate-driven warming. Many organisms may spread northward as a result of rising temperatures and loss of sea ice, but few present such significant threats to human and ecosystem health as harmful algal bloom (HAB) species. Alexandrium catenella, a producer of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), has a long history of causing toxicity in the Gulf of Alaska, yet there is little recognition of this organism as a human health concern north of Bering Strait. Here we describe an exceptionally large A. catenella benthic cyst bed and hydrographic conditions across the Chukchi Sea that support germination and development of recurrent, self-initiating, and self-seeding blooms. This event is part of the ARCUS Arctic Research Seminar Series.

Event Link
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OCTOBER 24–29, 2021 | BOULDER, COLORADO, USA

2021 Regional Conference on Permafrost/19th International Conference Cold Regions Engineering

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.

Event Link

MAY 9-12, 2022 | HANKO, FINLAND

2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses

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.

Event Link
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