Avian Cholera, Found in Alaska for First Time, Caused Seabird Die-Off. Hundreds of seabirds that washed up dead on a Bering Sea island perished from avian cholera, a highly contagious and fast-killing waterfowl infection that had never been detected in Alaska before, according to state wildlife officials. Strains of the bacterial disease generally do not pose a health risk for people, said Kimberlee Beckmen, a veterinarian at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. But residents of St. Lawrence Island, where the birds were found last month, should take care not to eat sick animals. People also should not handle the birds if they have cuts on their hands. Alaska Dispatch

Tight Supplies Strain Finnish Reindeer-Meat Market. The volume of reindeer meat produced in Finland is declining. Finnish reindeer producers had to turn down a German order for the meat from 100,000 animals this autumn because there were not that many to be slaughtered in the country. Recently, orders have come also come in from France and Spain, but to date, all Finnish production has gone into meeting demand in the home market. Alaska Dispatch

Arctic Resources Claim Deadline Today for Canada. Today is the deadline for Canada to file scientific evidence to justify its claim to Arctic resources beyond its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. The federal government is being cagey about the submission that it is supposed to file within 10 years of signing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, an international treaty setting out maritime rules. "It's being a really closely held secret. The big thing that everyone is wondering about is how far up the Lomonosov Ridge we're [Canada] actually going to go," says University of Calgary professor and Arctic expert Rob Huebert. CBC News

Spend Money on Needed Arctic Icebreakers to Assert US Interests [Editorial]. Epic changes in the Arctic climate and landscape are seemingly unstoppable. Environmentalists concerned about what comes next should rally support for new U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers. That might sound like quirky advice, but global excitement about a coveted maritime passage reinforces the need for a vigilant U.S. presence. U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, has renewed efforts, along with Washington Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, to point Congress toward spending money on four heavy polar icebreakers. At more than $850 million apiece, this proposal will take some patient politicking. Seattle Times

Experiment is First to Simulate Warming of Arctic Permafrost. Although vegetation growth in the Arctic is boosted by global warming, it's not enough to offset the carbon released by the thawing of the permafrost beneath the surface, University of Florida researchers have found in the first experiment in the Arctic environment to simulate thawing of permafrost in a warming world. Twice as much carbon is frozen in Arctic permafrost as exists in the atmosphere today, and what happens to it as it thaws -- releasing greenhouse gases that fuel climate change -- is a key question, said professor Ted Schuur, who heads the Permafrost Carbon Network and the Ecosystem Dynamics Research Laboratory in the UF department of biology. Science Daily

Canada, Russia on Collision Course Over North Pole: Denmark Also Claims Resource-Rich Maritime Prize. Canada is expected to apply to the United Nations on Friday to expand its Arctic sea boundary with an eye to claiming the North Pole, setting it on a collision course with Russia and Denmark. The already large claim, which according to a recent news report may eventually expand to include the pole, is expected to anger Moscow and Copenhagen, which also have their eyes on the region. Canada has spent much of the last decade surveying the seabed in the far north and gathering evidence in support of its planned submission to the global body. Japan Times

BOEM Reviews Lease Sale Comments. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management received comments this week on the proposed 2016 lease sale for the Chukchi Sea. Unlike lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, new Arctic lease sales are targeted - certain areas may not be up for auction. This new approach, which was laid out in 2012, got mixed reactions from both industry and conservation groups. In a conference room filled with binders of data and shelves of books, the Audubon Society's science director, Melanie Smith, flips through a 125-page document. APRN