ArcticNet's 5th International Arctic Change Conference (AC2024) brings together researchers from the natural, health, and social sciences to meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing Arctic region. This conference will push the boundaries of our collective understanding of the Arctic and strengthen our ability to address the issues of today and tomorrow. The Arctic Change Conference brings together a broad range of research in and about the Arctic and northern regions of Canada and the world. The AC2024 advances our collective understanding with an inclusive view of the North spanning from Inuit Nunangat, across the Canadian territories and provinces, circumpolar Arctic regions, and beyond.

Each year, AGU’s annual meeting, the largest gathering of Earth and space scientists, convenes 25,000+ attendees from 100+ countries to share research and connect with friends and colleagues. Scientists, educators, policymakers, journalists and communicators attend AGU24 to better understand our planet and environment, opening pathways to discovery, opening greater awareness to address climate change, opening greater collaborations to lead to solutions and opening the fields and professions of science to a whole new age of justice equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

The AMRCC is a UNOLS Special Committee established in June 2024 by the UNOLS Chair and Council at the request of the NSF, ONR, and USARC.  The purpose of the Committee is to review and refresh science missions and affiliated science mission requirements (SMRs) of future Federal icebreakers operating in the Arctic Ocean and other northern polar regions.  To do so, the Committee is assessing if the existing science missions and SMRs for such missions meet current and emerging needs for Arctic research on Federal icebreakers and is identifying any additional SMRs required to ensure that Federal icebreakers will meet the needs of the Arctic marine research community for the next 30 years. Specifically, the Committee is reviewing and refreshing SMRs for (a) any commercially available polar icebreaker that may be acquired or procured and refit for operation by the Federal government; and (b) the conceptual design of future “medium” or “heavy” Federal-flagged and owned icebreakers. 

At this meeting, Committee members will review the charge to the Committee and the Committee’s activities to date and will welcome comments and input on envisioned science directions and research cruises in the Arctic Ocean for the next 30 years, on existing and future gaps in our ability to address these questions, and on critically needed science enabling capabilities of federal vessels in the Arctic Ocean.

Please contact Carin Ashjian (cashjian@whoi.edu), AMRCC Chair, or Doug Russell (doug@unols.org), UNOLS Executive Secretary, with any questions. The Westin DC Downtown is an ~5-minute walk from the Convention Center.

The federal Bureau of Land Management finalized the restrictions on an oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Monday, aimed at protecting wildlife and other environmental resources, while complying with a 2017 law that mandated the lease sale. In its decision, the BLM limited the lease sales to 400,000 acres, which is one-quarter of the coastal plain section of the refuge. That amount is the minimum mandated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

The Arctic Ocean’s rapidly shrinking cover of sea ice has raised alarms about the far-reaching consequences on ecosystems, economies, and climate systems. But understanding the factors that determine how quickly this ice disappears is far from simple. Now, a new method for tracking sea ice and its movements across the seasons could help researchers predict the fates of both older ice and the new floes that form each year. Much like a river’s flow shaping its course and where it ends up, the route sea ice travels plays a crucial role in its survival.

Domestic and foreign industrial ship traffic continues to increase in the Bering Strait. Concerns include environmental safety, impacts to coastal communities, and/or military security in this unique international waterway. Bella will present an overview of vessel traffic policies - and their impacts - within the Bering Strait during 2015-2022.

The challenges of today go beyond deadlines decided by governments, territorial claims of oceans and lands, or borders drawn on a map. Addressing global issues requires collaborative efforts and swift decision-making. Dismantling the barriers between science, business, and policy is necessary to deepen communication and enhance our understanding of the pan-Arctic ecosystem. Modern challenges, such as the impacts of climate change, fostering sustainable development, and navigating political tensions, are deeply interconnected. Whilst the financial, societal, and environmental costs of the green transition will not be fairly distributed worldwide, the Arctic is part of the solution.

The Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS), Alaska’s premier marine research conference, 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. Over 700 people attend this conference held annually during the month of January. Each day of the conference highlights important Alaskan marine ecosystems: Gulf of Alaska (Tuesday), Arctic (Wednesday), and the Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands (Thursday). Research topics discussed range from ocean physics, fishes and invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, to local traditional knowledge. Since its inception, NPRB has been a proud sponsor and one of the leading organizers of AMSS.

Arctic360’s Annual Event brings together Northern and Indigenous governments, institutions, and corporations; global finance; state leaders; mining, innovation, and other industry leaders; and Arctic experts from Canada and around the circumpolar North to advance the conversation and foster action for building a sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous Arctic region.

Emergency management in the Arctic is a fast-changing landscape. There have been many developments to emergency prevention, preparedness and response, while at the same time, risk factors and environmental and social conditions are rapidly changing. This event is hosted by the Arctic Council.

In lead up to its 35th anniversary in 2025, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is coordinating a multi-year planning process for the Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV) that will engage Arctic researchers, policymakers, residents, and stakeholders from around the world to collegially discuss the state of Arctic science, the place the Arctic occupies in global affairs and systems, to consider the most urgent knowledge gaps and research priorities that lie before us and to explore avenues to address these research needs. This event is hosted by a consortium of US institutions, including the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Northern Iowa, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Alaska Pacific University. ICARP I, II, and III focused the attention of the world’s researchers toward the value of strategic international coordination in accelerating progress in addressing critical challenges. ICARP IV will build upon this concept by striving to achieve consensus and build collaborations among the leading scientific, academic, environmental, Indigenous and political organizations currently concerned with Arctic issues.

Arctic Encounter, North America’s leading conference on Arctic policy and business, annually gathers over 1,000 participants from more than two dozen countries. As a nonprofit NGO, Arctic Encounter convenes and hosts dialogues and policy debates among international leaders, business executives, Indigenous representatives, federal agencies, diplomats, scientists, and policymakers. Hosted in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, the event offers participants a unique blend of arts, culture, and critical discussions, contributing to a deeper understanding of Arctic challenges and opportunities.