The waters of Russia’s Northern Sea Route – a seasonal shortcut between Europe and Asia – look set to welcome record-level transit traffic this summer. The route’s administrator Rosatom has already issued nearly 200 permits to vessels looking to travel along parts or all of the route. 

End comes to the last open land-border to Schengen-Europe for Russian citizens traveling on leisure and non-essential travel. ‘The decision to tighten the entry rules are in line with the Norwegian approach of standing by allies and partners in the reactions against Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,’ says the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Emilie Enger Mehl, in a press-statement Thursday morning.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks will help host and support a new $15-million federal initiative to better understand the resilience of Arctic organisms and ecosystems amid rapid climate change. Bringing together experts from 14 institutions, the Evolving Meta-Ecosystems Institute will focus on improving scientific and public understanding of how Arctic ecosystems are responding — and will continue to respond — as their environment shifts. The Arctic is at the forefront of climate change, warming at least three times faster than the global average.

In the first successful attempt to calibrate walrus counts from satellite imagery, scientists used drones to validate animal counts in Svalbard, Norway. On this International Day for Biological Diversity, the researchers describe how this study is a big step towards using satellite imagery as a non-invasive method to monitor walruses in the Arctic.

A new study led by Griffith University predicts that future climate change impacts could disrupt the krill-heavy diet that humpback whales in the southern hemisphere consume. The study, "No distinct local cuisines among humpback whales: A population diet comparison in the Southern Hemisphere," has been published in Science of the Total Environment.

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Coast Guard (USCG), Deputy Commandant for Operations (DCO), Assistant Commandant for Response Policy (5R), Emergency Management Directorate (CG-5RI), Office of Marine Environmental Response Policy (CG-MER), Washington, DC. Supervisory Environmental Protection Specialist, GS-0028-14, position in the Office of Marine Environmental Response Policy (CG-MER). This vacancy is open to merit promotion candidates (current/former eligible civilian employees and military members with 3 years of consecutive service (using the VEOA hiring authority)) and closes May 31, 2024. 

Nordland Research Institute and NORD University host this event. The congress includes high-level plenary sessions, several parallel sessions, network activities, and social and cultural events. Researchers, policymakers, businesses, and students exchange knowledge and connect across the Arctic. IASSA and UArctic will also hold their General Assemblies.

The 12^th International Conference on Permafrost will consider “Integrating Perspectives of Permafrost Thaw, Change, and Adaptation.” The conference will address the most recent developments and stimulate engaging technical and scientific discussions among academics, professionals, contractors, suppliers, and students. The impacts of climate change and economic development have significantly changed the Arctic, in recent decades, resulting in a wealth of research initiatives and challenging engineering projects. Event partners include the Canadian Permafrost Association, IPA, and Yukon University.

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.