Will the Arctic Ocean Become Russian? There are several important reasons why the Arctic Ocean should be renamed in this way. The first one has a geographical nature, Professor Pavluk explained to The Voice of Russia. "The longest part of the northern Russian border is along the Arctic Ocean. Russia owns most islands in that ocean. Actually, all of them, except one small island which Russia shares with Norway." The area of the Arctic Ocean is the smallest compared with other Earth's oceans. As for the number of its islands, which mostly have a continental origin, it is second after the Pacific Ocean, the expert says. Voice of Russia

 Unprecedented Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Melt. For several days this month, Greenland's surface ice cover melted over a larger area than at any time in more than 30 years of satellite observations. Nearly the entire ice cover of Greenland, from its thin, low-lying coastal edges to its two-mile-thick center, experienced some degree of melting at its surface, according to measurements from three independent satellites analyzed by NASA and university scientists. Science Daily 

The NASA Press release is available here.

Arctic Expert: Greenland Could Re-join the EU in a Generation. Greenland joined the European Economic Community with Denmark in 1973 but left in 1985 due to quarrels over commercial fishing regulations. With Greenland facing new export potential and possible independence from Denmark, the EU must play a pragmatic and constructive role to secure the island's development. EurActiv

 Senate Pressured to Ratify 'Law of the Sea.' For three decades the Law of the Sea treaty has been debated without ever being approved by the Senate. But proponents say the stakes have never been higher for ratifying the convention. The irony is that just about everyone - of all political stripes, from oil and gas companies, environmental groups, to the U.S. military - is on board with the treaty. Still, a small group of opponents has managed to stall its passage. National Public Radio

 President Obama Honors Outstanding Early-Career Scientists. President Obama today named 96 researchers as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.  "Discoveries in science and technology not only strengthen our economy, they inspire us as a people." President Obama said.  "The impressive accomplishments of today's awardees so early in their careers promise even greater advances in the years ahead." The White House 

Tropical Plankton Invade Arctic Waters. For the first time, scientists have identified tropical and subtropical species of marine protozoa living in the Arctic Ocean. Apparently, they traveled thousands of miles on Atlantic currents and ended up above Norway with an unusual-but naturally cyclic pulse of warm water, not as a direct result of overall warming climate, say the researchers. On the other hand, arctic waters are warming rapidly, and such pulses are predicted to grow as global climate change causes shifts in long distance currents. Thus, colleagues wonder if the exotic creatures offer a preview of climate-induced changes already overtaking the oceans and land, causing redistributions of species and shifts in ecology. The study is by a team from the United States, Norway and Russia. Science Blog