Russia to Get Stronger Nuclear Navy, Putin Says. President Vladimir Putin oversaw the start of construction of one of Russia's newest generation submarines on Monday and vowed to boost nuclear naval forces to safeguard the country's position as a leading sea power. Warning that its navy would protect top energy producer Russia's interests in the oil-rich Arctic, Putin led the ceremony to begin building the submarine Prince Vladimir, named after the ruler who founded a precursor state to modern Russia. The Chicago Tribune 

  

 

China to Build First Polar-Expedition Icebreaker. Melting ice sheets in the far north have opened up the possibility that ships could routinely cross through the Arctic Ocean as a shortcut between China and Europe as well as explore the oil-rich area. The ship "is expected to greatly boost the country's expedition capacities in polar and oceanic regions", the Xinhua state news agency said, citing the State Oceanic Administration. The vessel, which will be designed with the help a Finnish company and will be the first built in China, is set to begin operating in 2014. It will join the already active vessel, Xuelong, which was purchased from Ukraine in 1993. PhyOrg 

  

 Hayes Outlines Next Steps in Facilitating Science-Based Decisions in the Arctic. As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to facilitating evidence-based decision-making in the Arctic, Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes today announced two new efforts to further strengthen the role of science in resource management decisions regarding both onshore and offshore energy development activities in Alaska. The Administration, through the Interagency Working Group on Coordination of Domestic Energy Development and Permitting in Alaska, established by executive order in July 2011, will begin work to establish a centralized hub of scientific information to help inform decision-makers and the public. The Alaska Working Group will also prepare a framework for building a more integrated approach to evaluating potential infrastructure development in the Alaskan Arctic. The initiatives are outlined further in a memorandum available here. Department of Interior 

   

 China Vies for Seat at Council on Arctic Resources and Trade Routes: China wants in on the Arctic Council, and the Council appears to be warming to the idea. As rising temperatures melt ice caps and uncover previously inaccessible natural resources and sea routes, the Arctic has caught the attention of countries near and far - not least the world's second-biggest economic power, China. At the center of the action is the Arctic Council, the most important intergovernmental organization in the region. Now, China is seeking to become a permanent observer."China wants a larger say in the council, which is the only organization which sets the agenda for Arctic affairs," said Chen Gang, a research fellow at the National University of Singapore's East Asian Institute. The Global Post

 

Arctic Rivers Discharging More Water Could Have Broad Climate Effects. A new study shows that freshwater discharge by northern rivers into the Arctic Ocean is up, and the reasons might be surprising. The study, published in the Nature Climate Change journal and authored by seven scientists including Xiangdong Zhang of the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center, found that three rivers in Eurasia -- the Ob, Lena and Yenissey -- are all contributing 10 percent more water than they did 60 years ago. That's about 1,700 cubic kilometers a year, or about one Lake Ontario of freshwater discharged into the Arctic Ocean every year. More fresh water into the Arctic could mean a change of water currents. Fresh water floats on top of salt water and the mixing, or stratification, affects the ocean's density. If the rate of mixing changes, the ocean could see changes, like increasing sea ice or additional climate change in regions surrounding the Atlantic Ocean. Alaska Dispatch

 

 American Arctic: Alaskans Challenge Obama to Back Bold Polar Policy. Alaska's senators drew attention last week to the country's lack of a formal strategy on the Arctic, noting that the U.S. is the only Arctic nation without one. In a letter to the president, Sens. Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski called for action, saying it is time to develop policies and visions that will guide federal agencies dealing with Arctic development. "Developing an American Arctic strategy is especially timely now, with the hope for offshore oil and gas exploration in Alaska's Arctic this summer, the number of cargo ships transiting the Bering Strait are increasing to new record highs and America's indigenous peoples are justifiably concerned with the impacts of these developments and changing conditions on their subsistence way of life," the letter said. Alaska Dispatch 

 

 NOAA Ship Fairweather Conducting Hydrographic Reconnaissance in the Arctic. NOAA Ship Fairweather begins a 30-day survey mission in the Arctic this week, scheduled to check a sparsely measured 1,500-nautical mile coastal corridor from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, north through the Bering Strait and east to the Canadian border. The mission will collect needed information to determine NOAA's future charting survey projects in the Arctic and will cover sea lanes that were last measured by Captain James Cook in 1778. "Much of Alaska's coastal area has never had full bottom surveys to measure water depths," said Cmdr. James Crocker, commanding officer of Fairweather, and chief scientist of the party. "A tanker, carrying millions of gallons of oil, should not be asked to rely on measurements gathered in the 19th century. Unfortunately, that's exactly what navigators have to do, in too many cases. NOAA is changing that." NOAA