Arctic Update Header
January 13, 2015

"Arctic Modeling: Improving Models and Predictions in the Arctic" January 13, 2015. (Remote access, see here). The Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections (MAPP) program will host this webinar. Additional information will be released soon.

 

Deadline fast approaching: January 16, 5 PM Alaska time

PHOTO CONTEST: The U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC) is holding a photo contest titled "Observing the Arctic" to identify compelling Arctic images to be included in USARC's publication "Report of the Goals and Objectives for Arctic Research 2015-2016." This report, to the President and Congress, outlines scientific research goals and objectives for the Arctic.

 

We invite you to submit original photos of Alaska and the greater Arctic region in the following categories:

  • Environmental Change
  • Human Health
  • Natural Resources
  • Civil Infrastructure
  • Indigenous Cultures and Identities
  • Nature
One overall winner and six runners up will be selected. Consistent with U.S. Federal Government Challenge.gov regulations, the winner will receive a prize of $400.00, and the winning photo will be prominently exhibited in USARC's Alaskan and Washington offices, displayed on the USARC website, and published on the cover of USARC's 2015-2016 Goals Report. The six runners up will receive prizes of $150.00 each, and will also have their photos displayed on the USARC website and published in the report. For details, click here. 

 

capitalToday's Congressional Action:  

The House is expected to consider HR 240, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act among other legislative provisions. The Senate is in session and expected to consider non-Arctic legislation.

 

 

Media  

 

Wildlife Board Hearings on Nunavut Walrus Quota. The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board has postponed upcoming public hearings to discuss a new harvesting quota for Foxe Basin walrus in order to allow wider consultation on the matter. Nunatsiaq News reported last week that the NWMB was planning to hold public hearings in Igloolik Jan. 14 and Jan. 15 to discuss a new limit of 116 walrus for the area and a new management unit that takes in the bulk of Foxe Basin, including the communities of Igloolik and Hall Beach. Nunatsiaq Online 

 

Palestine Joins [UNCLOS]- Ups Membership to 167. Writers and speakers addressing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should take note that a new party was added at the start of the new year. On January 2nd, 2015, Palestine became the 167th party to UNCLOS, joining UNCLOS and several other international agreements at the beginning of the new year. This does to change the other statistics regarding the status of the Convention. There remain 31 non-party states, of which 17 are land-locked. The 14 non-party coastal states are: the United States, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Turkey, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates, Eritrea and Israel. OceanLaw.org

 

Human Rights Group Calls for Inquiry Into Missing, Murdered Indigenous Women. A Washington D.C.-based human rights group has added its voice to the call for a nation-wide inquiry into the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a human rights watchdog group across the Americas, released a report Jan. 12 that analyzed recent cases of murdered and missing indigenous women in British Columbia. Nunatsiaq Online

 

Bowhead Nunavut Hunters Still Waiting for Final Bowhead Quota Decision. Kivalliq hunters are still awaiting a decision from the federal fisheries minister on whether they will be able to harvest two bowhead whales this year, an increase from the current quota of one. But the executive director of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, Jason Akearok, said Jan. 9 that a final decision should be made before the open-water hunting season begins. Nunatsiaq Online 

 

Bowhead Whales Heard Singing Unique New Songs. Some of the most beautiful and beguiling sounds in the natural world are made by singing animals. Beautiful due to quality and range of the sounds, and beguiling due to their complexity and the complicated reasons animals sing them. And perhaps no singing animals have fascinated us more than the great whales... The bowhead whale has the most impressive repertoire of all whales, and scientists have just recorded 12 unique songs being sung by bowhead whales on their annual migration. BBC News

 

[Canada] Feds, Partners to Spend $7M on Arctic Fisheries Research. Federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq has announced funding of more than $7 million for research on new and developing fisheries in the Arctic. Just over half the money is to come from Ottawa. The Nunavut government, Inuit groups and universities are to provide the rest. The Telegram

 

sikuliaq2 Sikuliaq October Voyage to Study Slowing Southern Movement of Sea Ice. What impact does warming Arctic water have on the movement south each winter of sea ice? That's the question scientists with the new Sikuliaq research vessel are trying to answer on their trip out of Nome this October. "What they want to do is head out of Nome and head up to the ice edge. And then follow the ice edge as winter comes on-following it as it works its way south," said Daniel Oliver, operations manager for the Sikuliaq, whose Inupiaq name means "new sea ice." KNOM

 

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

 

HR 240, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (Rep. Harold Rogers - yesterday, the House Rules Committee established a rule under which the bill will be considered.)

 

Future Events

   

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. 

  

Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 19-23, 2015 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The symposium will feature a session on the Communicating Ocean Sciences, keynote addresses, poster sessions, and workshops. As in past years, the main content of the symposium is organized by large marine ecosystem. The 2015 schedule will be: Tuesday, January 20 - Gulf of Alaska; Wednesday, January 21 - Bering Sea; and Thursday, January 22 - Arctic Ocean. The details of the 2015 Alaska Marine Science Symposium program will be available in mid-November.

 

Symposium on Law and Governance in the Arctic, UCI LAW, January 30-31, 2015 (Irvine, California, USA).  The symposium will explore the effectiveness of existing governance in the Arctic region, strategies for improving effective implementation, and possible alternative governance regimes. A segment of the presented papers will be published in the UCI Law Review as a symposium. Presenters include: Betsy Baker, Michael Byers, Joseph DiMento, Tore Henriksen, Brian Israel, Timo Koivurova, Tullio Scovazzi, and Oran Young. 

 

Arctic Encounter Symposium 2015: Charting a Path to US Leadership in the Far North, January 30-31, 2015 (Seattle, Washington, USA). The second annual Arctic Encounter Symposium will focus on the role of the U.S. as an Arctic nation and the challenges it will confront in its upcoming chairmanship of the Arctic Council, including: climate change, natural resources, investment opportunities, and international relations. The goal of the 2015 Arctic Encounter is to facilitate a creative environment for the development of a proactive agenda, short and long-term domestic and international priorities, and a strategic execution plan.The two-day program will take place at the University of Washington with a dinner reception on January 30, 2015 at the Museum of History and Industry.

 

Alaska Forum on the Environment, February 9-13, 2015 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The Alaska Forum on the Environment (AFE) is Alaska's largest statewide gathering of environmental professionals from government agencies, non-profit and for-profit businesses, community leaders, Alaskan youth, conservationists, biologists and community elders. The diversity of attendees and comprehensive agenda sets this conference apart from any other. Each year there are over 80 technical breakout sessions and sensational Keynote Events. There will be a full week of sessions on climate change, energy, environmental regulations, cleanup and remediation, fish & wildlife, solid waste, and of course much more. The event will continue to present expanded content on Marine Debris, Coastal Issues and Tsunami's in order to address the pressing concerns from Alaska rural coastal communities.

 

International Symposium on Northern Development, February 25-27, 2015 (Quebec, Canada). The Québec government, in collaboration with Université Laval, will co-chair with the Nordic Council of Ministers the International Symposium on Northern Development. The event will allow for the pooling of knowledge, experience and perspectives in the realm of northern development. It will assemble representatives of the northern countries, the universities and local populations, including the Aboriginal nations, and businesspeople and enterprises. The key themes will be the North as a living environment; the North as a physical territory; the North as a hub of economic development; and, the North as a hub of knowledge training and research.

 

 US Arctic Research Commission's 103rd Meeting, March 4-5, 2015 (Washington, DC, USA). More information to come.

 

PNWER...Pacific NorthWest Economic Region's Arctic Caucus meeting, March 5, 2015, Washington, DC, USA. More info to come. 

 

Arctic Summit 2015, March 12, 2014 (Oslo, Norway) The Economist is hosting the Arctic Summit 2015 where discussions will focus on whether commercial interest in the Arctic is a bubble about to burst. There are discounted registration fees are available for NGOs, government, academics, charities and students. There are also discounts for groups of 3 or more people.

 

Polar Shelves and Shelf Break Exchange in Times of Rapid Climate Warming, March 15-20, 2015 (Lucca, Italy). The GRCs provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences, and their related technologies. The guiding principle of a GRC is to encourage communication and discussion of ideas and new unpublished results at the very frontier of a particular field of research, by bringing together outstanding scientists from academia, industry, and government, ranging from senior experts to Ph.D. students. With the increasing impacts of reduced sea ice and warming seawater conditions in both the Arctic and Antarctic, this conference can act as a forum for potentially transformative discussions for interdisciplinary, international and compare/contrast evaluation of polar sciences. In addition, the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will precede the GRC to provide a forum for graduate students and post-docs to present and exchange new data and cutting edge ideas with experts in the different polar fields of science.

 

Arctic Science Summit Week, April 23-30, 2015 (Toyama, Japan). The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) is the annual gathering of the international organizations engaged in supporting and facilitating Arctic research. The purpose of the summit is to provide opportunities for coordination, collaboration and cooperation in all areas of Arctic science. The summit attracts scientists, students, policy makers and other professionals from all over the world. 


The Polar Geography and Cryosphere, April 21-25, 2015 (Chicago, IL, USA). The Polar Geography and Cryosphere Specialty Groups of the Association of American Geographers will host its annual meeting in Chicago to consider: current topics in human-environment interactions; current topics in politics, resource geographies, and extractive industries; current topics in Antarctic research; advances in cryosphere research; high latitude environments in a changing climate; an mountain ice and snow.

6th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations. July 14-16, 2015. Naval Heritage Center, Washington, DC. Program in development...check back soon. To see the programs from prior symposia, click here
 

Polar Oceans and Global Climate Change, November 3-6, 2015 (La Jolla, California, USA). The American Polar Society will host this symposium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The agenda and keynote speakers will be determined soon.


 

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.