Arctic Update Header
September 16, 2014
 

102nd US Arctic Research Commission Meeting, September 15-16, 2014 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The 102nd USARC meeting will be held in Anchorage. The updated agenda is available here.

 

Ocean Obs and Ecological Forecasting Webinar, September 16, 2014 (Webinar). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is developing an Ecological Forecasting Roadmap and program manager Allison Allen will be in Anchorage on Tuesday Sept. 16 to hear from key researchers and stakeholders about existing efforts and needs across Alaska. Please join us in person or remotely (log-in info below) to hear the latest state of the science on Harmful Algal Blooms, pathogens and other environmental change. Discussion will focus on identifying priorities for developing operational tools in Alaska, scenario modeling, early warning systems and forecasts of marine events. We invite you to join us for lunch following the formal presentation for an opportunity to continue the conversation informally with Allison. This webinar is organized by the Alaska Ocean Observing System.

  

capital Today's Congressional Action:  

The House is expected to consider a short-term authorization of federal funding after September 30, 2014 and non-Arctic legislation. The Senate is expected to consider several judicial nominations.

Media  

 

Bowhead Ottawa Approves Second Bowhead Whale for Baffin Region Next Year. Hunters in Nunavut's Baffin region can look forward to hunting a second bowhead whale next year, when the region's annual bowhead quota increases from one to two. That's following a recent decision by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, whose minister Gail Shea, agreed Aug. 18 to increase Nunavut's total allowable harvest of the bowhead from three to four whales annually. Nunatsiaq Online

 

Shipping. As sea ice in the Arctic recedes, there has been much focus on the impending opening of a northern short-cut between Asia and North America and Europe. The prospect has many - not least those with goods to sail between the two hemispheres - excited about the financial benefit of shaving off as much as 40% from existing routes passing through the Panama and Suez canals. Arctic Journal

 

Researchers to Probe Who Spends How Much in Nunavik. Researchers from Laval University in Quebec City will launch a first-of-its-kind study across the region in January 2015 to track the spending habits of Nunavimmiut. The study will involve surveying families from a number of communities in Nunavik to examine what products they're purchasing and what their weekly budgets look like. Nunatsiaq Online

 

Red Fox Leaping Red Fox Expansion Causing Problems on North Slope. As the winter approaches, many animals are migrating south, but there's one sly creature that scientists say in recent years has started to remain in the high Arctic in the winter. Red foxes have not only expanded their habitat into the far north, the charismatic, bushy tailed mammal is out-competing the native Arctic fox and causing problems at oil field dumpsters in Prudhoe Bay. Alaska Public Radio

 

Challenging Times for the EU Arctic Policy. On 11 September, owing to the seminar "EU in the Arctic, Arctic in the EU", Brussels EU district experienced an influx of Arctic experts and EU decision-makers. The seminar presented the results of a project testing the feasibility of the EU Arctic Information Centre (EUAIC) initiative. High level participants discussed not only the EUAIC concept, but also current challenges and the future of the EU Arctic policy. The speakers included, among others, Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja, representatives of the European Commission and Members of the European Parliament. Barents Observer

 

Danish Support Helps Greenland to Finally Land Its Whaling Quotas. Danish support played a large part in Greenland finally being handed its annual whaling quotas yesterday by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) during the organisation's annual meeting in Slovenia. Greenland's annual quota will allow the Arctic nation to catch 164 Minke whales, 19 Fin whales, ten Humpback whales and two Greenland whales in west Greenland from 2015-2018, and also 12 Minke whales in east Greenland during that same period. The Copenhagen Post

 

rubber duck covered in oil Rosneft and Moscow State University Scientists to Develop Oil-Degrading Arctic Bacteria. The corporate and academic research bodies will come together to research and develop microbial biotechnology capable of performing oils-spill and water contamination clean-up in Arctic regions, focusing on psychrophilic bacteria that survive and thrive in low temperatures. The agreement will also see the upgrading of LMSU's White Sea Biological Station. Oil and Gas Technology

 

Decline in Canada Caribou Herds Threatens Subsistence Hunts. A sharp decline among caribou herds in the Canadian Arctic will mean difficult choices for First Nations who rely on the animals for subsistence, reports the Northern Journal. Caribou populations in the Bathurst and Bluenose herds have declined steeply in recent years, prompting discussions among First nations about limiting hunting or curtailing it altogether: "We have a choice between limited hunting and no hunting," Yellowknives Chief Edward Sangris told Northern Journal. "That's something that still needs to be discussed with our members." Some limits have already been in place, but Northwest Territories Environment and Natural Resources Michael Miltenberger said a voluntary program to limit hunting on the Bluenose-East herd was unsuccessful. Causes aren't clear, though climate change and the development of mines in the region -- which have made the heard more accessible by newly built roads -- are thought to play a role, and a dispute is underway over whether meat wastage is having an impact. The circumstances to some extent mirror the decline of the Northwest Arctic Caribou herd, which has also witnessed sharp decline in recent years, and whose range also faces a proposed new road. The Porcupine caribou herd on the other hand, has seen its highest numbers since biologists began keeping track. Alaska Dispatch News

 

Coast Guard Seal Coast Guard Crew Returns Following Arctic Science Deployment. After completing 130 days of operations in the Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Arctic Ocean, the Coast Guard Cutter Healy will moor in Seattle Thursday, Sept. 11. During the past four months, Healy conducted three missions to further scientific knowledge and understanding of the Arctic. The first mission, the Study of Under Ice Blooms in the Chukchi Ecosystem, was led by Stanford University personnel with funding from the National Science Foundation. Military.com 

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

 

H.J. Res 124, continuing appropriations to fund government operations after September 30, 2014. (Introduced by Representative Harold Rogers and placed on the House Calendar)

Future Events

  

The Administration's Climate Plan: Failure by Design, September 17, 2014 (Washington, D.C.). The House Science, Space and Technology Committee will hold a hearing on the Administration's plan on climate change. Dr. John Holdren, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Janet McCabe, acting assistant administer of the Office of Air and Radiation of the US Environmental Protection Agency, are expected to testify.

 

Tweetchat: Preparing for Arctic Oil Spills, September 18, 2014 (Twitter). In August of 2014, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration sent two GIS specialists aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy for an exercise in the Arctic Ocean demonstrating oil spill tools and technologies. Part of NOAA's focus in the exercise was to test the Arctic Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®), NOAA's interactive mapping tool for environmental response data, during a simulated oil spill. Learn about NOAA's role in the mission and what life was like aboard an icebreaker. Use Twitter to ask questions directly to NOAA GIS specialists Jill Bodnar and Zachary Winters-Staszak.

 

2014 Week of the Arctic, October 6-11, 2014 (Nome, Kotzebue and Barrow, Alaska, USA). The Institute of the North will host the 2014 Week of the Arctic. The 2014 Week of the Arctic is a platform for community leaders, subject matter experts and interested stakeholders to learn about the Arctic while contributing to a growing list of priorities and perspectives. Presentations, roundtable discussions and workshops will be held in Nome, Kotzebue and Barrow. Throughout the week, presentations and interviews will be captured on video for distribution through social media and web-based sharing.

 

2014 FAMOS School and Workshop #3, October 21-24, 2014 (Woods Hole, MA). The Forum for Arctic Ocean Modeling and Observational Synthesis (FAMOS) is an international effort to focus on enhancing collaboration and coordination among Arctic marine and sea ice modelers, theoreticians and observationalists synthesize major results from the field studies and coordinated numerical experiments. The major themes of workshop include but not limited by studies focused on: predictions; Arctic observational and modeling initiatives; fate of sea ice in models and observations; atmospheric, sea ice and ocean dynamics; process studies and parameterizations; model validation and calibration; numerical improvements and algorithms; ecosystems, biological issues, and geochemistry.

 

Transatlantic Science Week 2014, October 27-28, 2014 (Toronto, Canada). The purpose of the annual Transatlantic Science Week (TSW) is to promote enhanced cooperation between Canadian, American and Norwegian stakeholders in research, innovation and higher education. TSW is an arena where different stakeholders can meet with the purpose of developing long-term collaborations or partnerships. The conference also hopes to strengthen the linkages that currently exist between the research and education domains. Finally, TSW also provides an excellent arena for dialogue between the research communities and policymakers. 

 

Arctic Circle, October 31-November 2, 2014 (Reykjavik, Iceland).

The Arctic Circle is nonprofit and nonpartisan. Organizations, forums, think tanks, corporations and public associations around the world are invited to hold meetings within the Arctic Circle platform to advance their own missions and the broader goal of increasing collaborative decision-making without surrendering their institutional independence. The Arctic Circle will organize sessions on a variety of issues, such as: Sea ice melt and extreme weather; Polar law: treaties and agreements; The role and rights of indigenous peoples; Security in the Arctic; Shipping and transportation infrastructure; The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling; Clean energy achievements and sustainable development; Arctic resources; Business cooperation in the Arctic; The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic; Greenland in the new Arctic; Fisheries and ecosystem management; The science of ice: global research cooperation; Arctic tourism; The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas. 
 

US- Canada Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum, November 4-6, 2014 (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada). Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and the Canadian Polar Commission in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior, are hosting the fourth Canada - United States Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum. The Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum is a biennial meeting with representation from government, industry, academia, Aboriginal groups and Northerners from both Canada and the United States. The Forum provides an opportunity to discuss current and future priorities for northern oil and gas research. The Forum will showcase the value of northern research in support of sound decision-making for oil and gas management.

 

Alaska Policy Commission. November 17-18, 2014 (Anchorage, Alaska). The Alaska Arctic Policy Commission (AAPC) has more important work to do in 2014. The Commission will strive to gather public input and engage with Alaskan communities, state agencies, federal partners, and the international organizations working in the Arctic. In order to meet our goals AAPC will convene three in-person meetings over the course of 2014 and focus on implementation and final recommendations. 

 

The Arctic Biodiversity Congress, December 2-4, 2014 (Trondheim, Norway). The Arctic Biodiversity Congress will present and discuss the main scientific findings of the ABA; facilitate inter-disciplinary discussion, action and status updates on the policy recommendations in the ABA; provide scientific, policy, management, NGO, academia, Indigenous peoples and industry audiences the opportunity to collaborate around the themes of the ABA; advise CAFF on national and international implementation of the ABA recommendations and on the development of an ABA Implementation Plan for the Arctic Council; highlight the work of CAFF and the Arctic Council on circumpolar biodiversity conservation and sustainable development; and, contribute to mainstreaming of biodiversity and ecosystem services, ensuring that the recommendations of the ABA are implemented by not just governments, but many organizations and people across disciplines.

 

Arctic Change 2014, December 8-12, 2014 (Ottawa, Canada). The international Arctic Change 2014 conference aims to stimulate discussion and foster collaborations among people with a vested interest in the Arctic and its peoples. Coinciding with the pinnacle of Canada's chairmanship of the Arctic Council and marking ArcticNet's 10th anniversary, Arctic Change 2014 welcomes researchers, students, Northerners, policy makers, and stakeholders from all fields of Arctic research and all countries to address the numerous environmental, social, economical and political challenges and opportunities that are emerging from climate change and modernization in the Arctic. With over 1000 participants expected to attend, Arctic Change 2014 will be one of the largest trans-sectoral international Arctic research conferences ever held in Canada. 

 

Arctic Frontiers: Climate and Energy, January 18-23, 2015. The earth is in the midst of major climate changes. The Arctic is experiencing the impact of these changes more and faster than other parts of the globe. Processes starting in the Arctic may have deep and profound impacts on other parts of the globe. At the same time the Earth's population is rising and with it the global energy demand. New and greener energy sources are gaining market shares, but still the energy mix of the foreseeable future will have a substantial fossil component. The Arctic is expected to hold major oil and gas resources, while the regions green energy potentials are less explored. The Arctic Frontiers conference is a central arena for discussions of Arctic issues. The conference brings together representatives from science, politics, and civil society to share perspectives on how upcoming challenges in the Arctic may be addressed to ensure sustainable development. Arctic Frontiers is composed of a policy section and a scientific section. 

USARC header

Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter 

4350 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 510
Arlington, VA 22203, USA 
(703) 525-0111 (phone)
www.arctic.gov
info@arctic.gov
 
External links in this publication, and on the USARC's World Wide Web site (www.arctic.gov) do not constitute endorsement by the US Arctic Research Commission of external Web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities, the USARC does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. These links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this newsletter and the USARC Web site.