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Today's Congressional Action:
The Senate is expected to consider non-Arctic legislation. The House is not in session.
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 AK: Citizen Scientists Deploy 'Bat Mobiles' in Southeast. Alaska Fish and Game is stepping up its research on bats in Southeast. The nocturnal, bug-eating animal is being threatened in the Lower 48 by a disease called White-Nose Syndrome. That's prompting Alaska researchers to find out which bats live here and where they roost. But they can't do all the work by themselves, so they're enlisting the public's help. "That's bats! That's it! Isn't that cool?" Pam Randles said, as the sound of bats came through the speakers. The sun has just set, and she is driving her car 20 miles per hour along the Chilkoot River. Alaska Public Radio
Endangered Whales Are Dying Off in Alaska, and Scientists are Racing to Discover Why. Alaskan researchers report that at least nine fin whales have been found dead in the water in recent weeks. It's rare for more than one such death to be discovered every year or so, they say, and they're exhaustively searching for a possible cause. It's possible that warming ocean temperatures could be partially to blame. Alaska Dispatch News
Haper Government Invests in New Protections for Species at Risk on Agricultural Lands in Nova Scotia. Today, Member of Parliament Scott Armstrong, on behalf of the Honorable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council, announced an investment of $52,639 over two years for a new project in Nova Scotia as part of the Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands (SARPAL) initiative. This SARPAL project provides support to the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture to promote the protection and conservation of several species at risk on Nova Scotia farms, including several priority species: Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Common Nighthawk, Short-eared Owl, Bobolink and Wood Turtle. Canada Newswire
The Science Behind Summer Solstice. The start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere officially begins today, June 21, well astronomically speaking. Meteorological summer is the months of June, July, and August. The most direct sunlight shifts between a band of latitudes of the Earth throughout the year, providing the change of seasons we know in the middle and higher latitudes. This is all brought on by the Earth's spin on its axis which is tilted at 23.5° and its orbit around the sun. WOWT
 Harper Government Provides New Support to Help Science Graduates Secure Good Jobs. The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council, today announced a nearly $2 million increase in annual funding to Environment Canada's Science Horizons Youth Internship Program from $1.1 million to $3 million. The Government of Canada's commitment to the Youth Employment Strategy (YES) is a key component of Canada's Economic Action Plan, which is creating jobs, growth and opportunities in an increasingly competitive world. The Science Horizons Youth Internship Program gives post-secondary graduates opportunities to gain experience to prepare them for good, well-paying jobs in environmental science. Through collaborative partnerships with organizations that have been awarded Science Horizons funding, graduates receive hands-on experience working on environmental internships lasting a minimum of six months (24 work weeks). Canada Newswire
US Oversees Shell Arctic Safety Tests. This week the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) oversaw testing of Shell's proposed Arctic-ready capping stack system in Puget Sound. The tests were supervised by Alaska Region Director Mark Fesmire and are meant to ensure compliance with Federal safety standards for oil and gas exploration on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf.
A key piece of Arctic oil exploration containment equipment, the capping stack is used to contain the flow of oil in the unlikely event all primary and backup blowout prevention equipment fails during drilling. It is required to be in position for all of Shell's potential drilling activities in the Arctic. Maritime Executive
 Defense Department Continues to Update Plans to Protect US Interests in Arctic Region, GAO Says. As melting sea ice opens once blocked portions of the Arctic to commerce, the Defense Department is stepping up efforts to support other federal agencies' activities in the region as well as update plans and future needs, congressional investigators said in a new report. The Government Accountability Office published a June 19 report discussing DoD's activities in the region as required by the defense spending law. It reviewed the department's role in the Arctic, its near-term capability needs and future efforts. Fierce Homeland Security
Toxic Algae Bloom Might be Largest Ever. A team of federal biologists set out from Oregon Monday to survey what could be the largest toxic algae bloom ever recorded off the West Coast. The effects stretch from Central California to British Columbia, and possibly as far north as Alaska. Dangerous levels of the natural toxin domoic acid have shut down recreational and commercial shellfish harvests in Washington, Oregon and California this spring, including the lucrative Dungeness crab fishery off Washington's southern coast and the state's popular razor-clam season. Seattle Times
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
6th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations, July 14-16, 2015 (Washington, DC, USA). This biennial symposium, co-hosted by the US National Ice Center and the US Arctic Research Commission, brings together nationally and internationally recognized experts on Arctic observations, climate change, and maritime operations. Past symposia expanded the discussion to include the impact of an ice-diminishing arctic on other nations and their maritime operations including commercial transportation, oil and gas exploration and exploitation, fisheries, and oceanographic research. The continuing reduction in Arctic sea ice extent remains a central focus.
104th Meeting of the USARC, August 25-26, 2015 (Nome, AK, USA).
Attention researchers in the Nome region: USARC (Fran Ulmer, Chair) invites you to share your Arctic research activities and/or suggestions on research when the Commission meets in Nome . There will be limited opportunities for formal presentations to the Commission, as well as a community comment period. If you would like to share your research (or ideas on research) with the Commission and will be in the area during our visit, please contact USARC's Deputy Director, Cheryl Rosa, at crosa@arctic.gov by June 30th. The Agenda will be forthcoming.
Polar Law Symposium (8th) will be held in Alaska ( Sept. 23-24, UAF; Sept. 25-26, UAA). It's sponsored by UAF, UAA (and ISER), UAA Justice Center, UW Law School. Abstracts due 3/15/15. This year's conference theme is, "The Science, Scholarship, and Practice of Polar Law: Strengthening Arctic Peoples and Places."
2015 Arctic Energy Summit, September 28-30, 2015 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The Institute of the North's 2015 Arctic Energy Summit builds on our legacy efforts to address energy as a fundamental element of the sustainable development of the Arctic as a lasting frontier.Central to this concept is a focus on providing pathways for affordable energy development in the Arctic and for Arctic communities.
2015 Arctic Circle Assembly, October 16-18, 2015 (Reykjavik, Iceland).
The Arctic Circle is the largest global gathering on the Arctic. It is attended by heads of state and governments, ministers, members of parliament, officials, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, indigenous representatives, environmentalists, students, activists, and others from the growing international community of partners and participants interested in the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle highlights issues and concerns, programs, policies and projects; it provides platforms for dynamic dialogue and constructive cooperation. While the plenary sessions are the responsibility of the Arctic Circle, the breakout sessions are organized by various participating partners in their own name and with full authority over the agenda and the choice of speakers.
The 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. A flyer with a partial list of presenters is available on the Society's website (americanpolar.org) and from the Society's Membership Chairman by email.
Forum for Arctic Modeling and Observational Synthesis Meeting, November 3-6, 2015 (Cape Cod, MA, USA). On November 3rd, the 2015 School for young scientists will consider "Regional Oceanography of the Arctic marginal seas" with lectures covering major features of atmospheric, sea ice and oceanographic regimes of the: Bering, Chukchi, Beaufort, East-Siberian, Laptev Sea, Kara, Barents and Nordic seas. On November 4-6, the meeting portion will summarize project accomplishments for the last 3 years of activities and will focus on the formulation of scientific questions and directions for FAMOS future research (2016-2019) to: (a) improve Arctic modeling, employing very high resolution models; (b) develop and test new arctic monitoring/observing systems and (c) improve predictions of Arctic environmental parameters with reduced uncertainties.
Due North: Next Generation Arctic Research & Leadership, November 5-8, 2015 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) will convene an interdisciplinary conference of early career scientists working on Arctic issues. Topics will include: Arctic Communities, Arctic Sustainable Development, Arctic Wildlife, Ecosystem and Biodiversity, Arctic Food Security, Arctic Landscapes, Climate Change and Adaptation, Disaster Risk Management, Policy, Politics and Leadership, Arctic Environment (Data and Techniques), Arctic Resources, and Future of Arctic.
Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting, November 17-19, 2015 (Seattle, Washington). The Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting will be 2.5 days and held at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle, Washington. The conference will bring together individuals and teams involved in the collection, processing, analysis, and use of observations in the Arctic - from academia, agencies, industry, and other organizations. The meeting will be convened as a combination of plenary talks, parallel science sessions, and a poster session. The agenda and registration information will be forthcoming.
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