Alaska Lawmakers Frustrated After Meeting With Interior Secretary Jewell. After President Barack Obama announced a plan to designate most of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, Alaska lawmakers seized a chance to meet his Interior Secretary on their own turf. A team of nine legislators took a break from session work in Juneau to travel to Kotzebue this week to confront Sally Jewell about those actions. But while the meeting was hyped, neither the delegation nor the Secretary described it as a showdown. Alaska Public Radio

Murkowski, Jewell Tangle Over Threat of Interior Department Budget Cuts. Alaska leaders continued to pressure U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell at a rare event in Northwest Alaska on Tuesday, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski saying that reducing the budget of the Interior Department is just one of the tools she has to control the agency. Jewell took the threat seriously, saying jobs in Alaska are on the line if that happens. The comments, made separately to reporters, were part of an ongoing turf battle between state and federal officials that at times has overshadowed a board retreat organized by the Alaska Federation of Natives, the state's most prominent Alaska Native group. Alaska Dispatch News

Arctic Council 101-What's the Big Deal, Anyway? In many ways, the future of the Arctic is the future of Alaska, and with the U.S. assuming chairmanship of the intergovernmental Arctic Council in April, now is the time to ensure Alaska's voice is heard on the international level. Listen to an overview of what the Arctic Council does and what some of the priorities for the U.S. will be. Alaska Public Radio

Ocean Acidification and How It Affects Alaska's Fisheries. Shellfish are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification, and colder waters are becoming more acidic than warm waters.  What does this mean for Alaska and its fisheries - especially crabs and oysters? Or for the food chain that feeds other species in the ocean?  The answers are beginning to come in from the scientific world, and we'll learn more about ocean acidification on the next Talk of Alaska. Alaska Public Radio

Arctic Ocean Ice Retreats. Scientists sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) revealed the latest findings from a study on Arctic sea ice - with one expert noting that summer sea ice levels could potentially fall to zero before the end of this century. Speaking at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO, scientists presented initial findings from ONR's Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) experiment that took place last year in the Arctic Ocean-the largest research effort ever using robotic technologies to investigate ice conditions where the frozen ocean meets the open ocean. Armed With Science

US Coast Guard Rescues Australian Fishing Vessel in Antarctica. The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued the crew of a ship that was trapped in the Antarctic ice for nearly a week. The Antarctic Chieftain, a 207-foot Australian-flagged fishing vessel, called for help on Feb. 10 when it suffered damage to three of its four propellers after becoming beset in the ice roughly 900 miles northeast of McMurdo Sound. The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star, the nation's only heavy icebreaker, had to cut through 150 miles of ice that was up to 20 feet thick in some areas -- at times in whiteout conditions -- to reach the Antarctic Chieftain and rescue its crew of 26. Huffington Post

Summary, International Arctic S&T Collaboration and Engagement Workshop. Although there are many opportunities facing the Arctic such as increased resource development and shipping, significant social, environmental and economic challenges remain.  Strengthened bilateral science and technology (S&T) collaboration can assist in better understanding and adapting to these challenges and opportunities. On December 16, 2014, the Canadian High Arctic Research Station Act received Royal Assent.  As a result, the resources and knowledge of the Canadian Polar Commission (CPC) and the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) will be combined to establish a new federal research organization responsible for advancing Canada's knowledge of the Arctic and strengthening Canadian leadership on polar S&T (coming into force date is to be determined).  The planned CHARS research station in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut and its nascent S&T Program represent emerging opportunities for increased international collaboration.  Additional opportunities for collaboration also exist with other Canadian polar researchers and institutions. Canadian Polar Commission