NIH-Funded Research to Explore Oil Spill Health Effects. An NIH-funded network of researchers will evaluate potential harmful effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on reproduction and birth outcomes, the cardiorespiratory system, and behavior and mental health. The network of community and university partnerships, under the leadership of NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), will conduct research to evaluate the level of potentially harmful contaminants in air, water, and seafood, and assess their relationship to health outcomes. National Network of Libraries of Medicine South Central Region 

Coast Guard's Arctic Agenda Heats Up. If regions were given hospitality rankings, the Arctic would fall somewhere between zero and below zero stars. Temperatures can plunge to −60°F, and winds can exceed 75 mph. Half the year, skies are black, making icebergs dangerous obstacles. Still, the Arctic is critical to U.S. commercial and homeland security interests. In 2009, President Obama issued National Security Presidential Directive 66 / Homeland Security Presidential Directive 25, outlining the administration's Arctic Region Policy. The U.S. Coast Guard, a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), plays a critical role in implementing this policy. Their mission includes securing international commerce, protecting the environment, defending America's maritime borders, and saving those in peril at sea or on other navigable waterways. Department of Homeland Security  

Joint Commission to Meet to Discuss Chukchi Polar Bears. Polar bears in the  Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest coast face an uncertain future because of climate warming. A U.S. and Russia commission aims to address short-term threats. The four-person commission, made up a federal and Native representatives from each country, will meet for three days in Moscow starting July 27 to discuss subsistence hunting and other issues for the polar bear population shared by the two countries in the waters north and just south of the Bering Strait. Fairbanks Daily News Miner 

'Ice Wars' Heating up in the Arctic. On a small, floating piece of ice in the Beaufort Sea, several hundred miles north of Alaska, a group of scientists are documenting what some dub an "Arctic meltdown." According to climate scientists, the warming of the region is shrinking the polar ice cap at an alarming rate, reducing the permafrost layer and wreaking havoc on polar bears, arctic foxes and other indigenous wildlife in the region. CNN 

Murkowski "Shines a Light" on Native Sex Trafficking. Senator Lisa Murkowski today seized the opportunity of a U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing to call attention to the "staggering" and "unacceptable" epidemic of domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking among Alaska Natives and American Indians nationwide - and to get answers from federal officials about efforts underway to address the problems. "The statistics on violence and assault are staggering, and whether it's one in three or one in four, any act of violence is unacceptable," Murkowski said, opening the hearing. "I meet with far too many Alaskans who tell me things may be worse - there is so much whispered and silenced into the shadows, which damages not just the victims, but also their families." Senator Lisa Murkowski 

Begich Pleased by NOAA Status of Stocks Report. U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, chairman of the Commerce Committee's subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard, today praised the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and the Alaska fishing industry upon the release the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) annual Status of the Stocks report. Once again, NOAA indicated that there is no overfishing on federally-managed stocks in Alaska. "In Alaska, we do fisheries management right" said Begich. "The men and women of the fishing industry work closely with their representatives on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to ensure that our fishery management is fair and is based on sound science.  When we do that, the result is both a robust seafood industry that employs thousands of Alaskans and healthy, sustainable marine ecosystems." Senator Mark Begich 

Begich Pushes Alaska Development with BOEMRE Officials. Continuing to push for oil and gas development in Alaska's Arctic, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich today met with two officials from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE). Begich met with BOEMRE Director Michael Bromwich and Dr. James Kendall, the newly-installed BOEMRE Alaska Regional Director. "With all of the development potential on the horizon for Alaska, I was glad to get to meet Dr. Kendall and once again talk to Director Bromwich about the need to move forward on oil and gas exploration, particularly in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas," Begich said. "I take every chance I get to push Alaska's case and continue to believe we are making progress." Senator Mark Begich 

Alaska Senators Continue Fight Against "Frankenfish." U.S. Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski joined six other Senators in a letter to the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today, warning the agency not to dismiss the clear congressional opinion opposing the approval of genetically modified salmon.  The agency is considering an application by Aqua Bounty, Inc. to grow genetically-engineered salmon in Panama for importation into the United States, with plans to eventually grow the fish in the U.S.   The genetically-altered fish would grow faster than natural fish and there are serious concerns about the impact of escaped fish on wild salmon stocks, the suitability of such fish for human consumption, and the FDA's approval process for the fish. Senator Mark Begich 

NOAA Ship Fairweather Sets Sail to Map Areas of the Arctic. NOAA Ship Fairweather, a 231-foot survey vessel, departed Kodiak, Alaska, on July 7, on a mission to conduct hydrographic surveys in remote areas of the Arctic where depths have not been measured since before the U.S. bought Alaska in 1867. NOAA will use the data to update nautical charts to help mariners safely navigate this  important but sparsely charted region, which is now seeing increased vessel traffic because of the significant loss of  Arctic sea ice. NOAA