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March 1, 2018

A Changing Arctic, Registration closes March 1, 2018 (University of Oslo).The University of Oslo will offer a course this summer on the changing Arctic.  Registration closes March 1st. The Arctic region has gained increased public, political, commercial and academic interest over the last decade. High-energy prices and technological advances have made it possible, if not yet commercially attractive, to exploit petroleum resources in the area. Climate change and the retraction of the polar ice have opened new sea transportation routes, considerably shortening the distance from Europe and North America to parts of Asia. The demand for high-quality white fish from the Barents Sea is steadily rising on international markets. States, international organizations and private interests, including emerging economies in Asia, now show a keen interest in the High North and the Arctic at large. 
 
Communities in Harm's Way: Addressing Environmental Change and Extreme Weather Events, March 1, 2018 (Washington, DC USA). The Board on Environmental Change and Society of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine In collaboration with Inter-Agency Forum on Climate Risks, Impacts & Adaptation is hosting this seminar to explore policy and community response mechanisms to prepare for and address threats to the built environment and local communities as a result of environmental change and extreme weather events. Speakers include Joel Neimeyer of the Denali Commission and F. Stuart Chapin, III, of the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
Media
 
Canada flag Canadian Science Wins Billions in New Budget. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's administration released its 2018 budget on 27 February and scientists couldn't be happier. It includes almost Can$4 billion (US$3.1 billion) in new funding for science over the next five years, a significant portion of which will go to the country's three granting councils. This is in contrast to the Can$1 billion in new science funding contained in last year's budget - almost none of which went to basic research. The latest budget is "the single largest investment in investigator-led fundamental research in Canadian history," said finance minister Bill Morneau in remarks to legislators on 27 February. Nature
 
State Veterinarian Urges Farmers to Watch for New Diseases in Alaska Wildlife, Livestock. State Veterinarian Bob Gerlach told a crowd that turned out Saturday for the 46th Annual Delta Farm Forum that diseases that afflict livestock and wildlife are increasingly showing up in Alaska. He says other diseases that are on the increase in northern-tier states and Canada also moving in this direction, due to the warming climate, human-population increase and the movement of agricultural products worldwide. Alaska Public Radio
 
arctic shipping Implications of Climate Change for Shipping: Opening the Arctic Seas. Climate change presents many impacts on human activities, including shipping. In this regard, climate change impacts likely have both positive and negative elements, and Arctic shipping is a schematic exposition of potential climate change-related costs and benefits. Reduced ice cover may present opportunities as certain Arctic marine routes that have historically been covered by sea ice are becoming navigable for part of the year. Arctic thawing may present certain positive implications, such as shorter sea routes and increased resource availability. If so, it could trigger another phase of evolution in shipping, as Northern Hemisphere nautical distances decline with the use of Arctic waters instead of just conventional navigation routes via the world's major canals. Advanced Science News
 
What Can Unflappable Geese Teach us the Future of Arctic. Here's a drama in three acts. The year: 2013. The setting: a marshy patch of brown grass in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve. And there in the middle is a nesting female greater white-fronted goose. For a while, not much happens: the goose just sits on her eggs. But then comes the second act. A small, fuzzy, white Arctic fox approaches the nest. Mother goose springs into action. Alaska Public Radio

Public Meeting: What do the northern seas mean to us as a nation, and to you and me? The Barents Sea is rich in history, resources and opportunities, but also undergoing a major change. We want a dialogue about what these areas in the north mean to us today and in the future. The 6th of March, 6 pm at the cafe of DRIV, Tromsø, we welcome you to the discussion. A panel of climate and ecosystem scientists, representatives from fisheries and petrol industry and from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will discuss what the challenges and what the potentials there are in the northern seas. What does these sea areas mean to us as a nation, and to you and me? The Nansen Legacy
Future Events

Marlene Laruelle (George Washington University): Russia's Arctic Ambitions. Domestic Factors and Foreign Policy Strategies, March 6, 2018 (Washington, DC USA). Russia's ambitions for the Arctic have been shaping the geopolitical landscape of the region, both in terms of securitization, governance, and territorial disputes. Yet many aspects of Russia's Arctic policy are based on domestic imperatives such as that of regional development, transport and infrastructure sustainability, and challenging population management. Moscow envisions shipping routes and energy projects as a leverage for development, but several serious economic, social and climatic elements hamper these projects. This presentation will discuss the dominant role of domestic factors, and their articulation with Russia's foreign policy stances for the Arctic. This event is part of the ARCUS DC Arctic Research Seminar Series.

7th Annual Fletcher Arctic Conference, March 9, 2018 (Medford, MA USA). The Fletcher School is convening its seventh annual Arctic Conference on March 9, 2018 as a platform for policymakers, business leaders, academics, and students to address the implications of a volatile Arctic. Past conferences have addressed the environmental, economic and social challenges posed, drawing upon the insights of keynote speakers like President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson of Iceland and then-U.S. Senator John Kerry, as well as interdisciplinary expert panelists from the Pan-Arctic region. Last year, the Arctic Conference drew more than 200 participants from diverse backgrounds to engage on key Arctic issues. With this year's focus is to explore the concept of going Innovation and Sustainable Development in the Arctic through discussions and breakout panels focused on present and future concerns of the region.

Methane Variation Over Terrestrial and Marine Arctic Areas (2010-2016): IASI Satellite Data, March 13, 2018 (Silver Spring, Maryland USA). There is evidence that methane is being released into the atmosphere at high northern latitudes as the Arctic warms up. Methane concentration in the Arctic lower troposphere was estimated between 2010 and 2016 with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), a thermal IR spectrometer orbiting the Earth on a satellite MetOp-A. The area studied encompasses the Barents/ Kara seas and the Wester Siberian Lowland (WSL), one of the most important methane sources in high northern latitudes. This event is a NOAA's National Ocean Service Science Seminar.

2018 Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference and Forum: Sharing Science and Knowledge, March 28-30, 2018 (Nome, Alaska USA). The annual Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference (WAISC) aims to bring together local and indigenous knowledge of subsistence-based communities and other scientific research relevant to the Bering Strait region, including environmental and health issues important to rural communities. This is the third time WAISC will be held in Nome. This year's conference focuses on how science and traditional knowledge is effectively communicated within rural communities.

48th International Arctic Workshop 2018, April 5-6, 2018 (Boulder, Colorado USA). Hosted by the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado The 2018 Arctic Workshop welcomes a community that includes all career stages - from student to distinguished world-class expert. The Arctic Workshop is open to all interested in high latitude environments, including those of the past, present, and future. Talks and posters on all aspects of Arctic science, social science, and engineering are invited, including Arctic and Antarctic climate, anthropology, atmospheric chemistry, engineering and infrastructure, environmental geochemistry, paleoenvironment, sociology, archeology, geomorphology, hydrology, glaciology, soils, ecology, oceanography, Quaternary history and more. If you are studying the Arctic, this is the conference for you. 

5th Annual Arctic Encounter Symposium (AES), April 19-20, 2018 (Seattle, WA, USA) - The Arctic Encounter, the largest annual Arctic policy conference in the U.S., will convene policymakers, industry leaders, scientists, Arctic artists and musical performers, and other stakeholders to debate and discuss emerging Arctic challenges and opportunities including policy, innovation, security, and development. The mission of AES is to raise awareness, engage challenges, and develop solutions for the future of the Arctic region and the people who live there. The 5th annual AES will take place in downtown Seattle at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center on Pier 66. 

2018 North by North Festival, April 23-29, 2018 (Anchorage, Alaska USA). The North by North Festival captures the spirit of Alaska and the Arctic - to address our challenges and opportunities with Northern innovation and resilience, to build on a rich history and to ensure a future full of promise. The Festival is for the North, and organized by Northerners, with goals of sustainability, livability and growth. The Festival brings innovators from across Alaska, the nation and other Arctic regions to collaborate and address local and circumpolar challenges. Through knowledge, governance, business, design, film, music, food, literature and art, we celebrate the North.

Council on Earth Cryology, May 15-16, 2018 (Moscow, Russian Federation). Scientific council on Earth cryology of Russian Academy of Sciences together with Department of Geocryology of Faculty of Geology of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of the Earth Cryosphere, the Tyumen Scientific Senter, Melnikov Permafrost Institute (Yakutsk) of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science holds on May 15 - 16, 2018 an enlarged meeting with participation of the Russian and foreign scientists, engineers and experts: "Current problems of geocryology." The meeting of Scientific council on Earth Cryology of RAS has the status of the International meeting. The publication of materials in the collection of reports is planned. Submissions (Submission Form), offers on cooperation, support of a conference and papers (Sample of Paper) to e-mail: cryoconf18@gmail.com
 
The Effects of Climate Change on the World's Oceans, June 4-8, 2018 (Washington, DC USA). The 4th International Symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems - and how to respond. The event is hosted by a variety of groups including International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), N. Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
  
International Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) VIII, June 11-14, 2
The international Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) is a forum for earth scientists who study the Arctic. It was founded to help understand the little known Arctic geology and to foster cooperation and collaboration among Arctic researchers. There have been 7 meetings since its  inception in 1991. See here for more information.
 
POLAR 2018, June 15-27, 2018 (Davos, Switzerland). POLAR2018 is a joint event from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). The SCAR meetings, the ASSW and the Open Science Conference will be hosted by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL under the patronage of the Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF is organizing POLAR2018.

Arctic Observing Summit 2018, June 24-26, 2018 (Davos, Switzerland). The Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) is a high-level biennial summit that provides a platform to address urgent and broadly recognized needs of Arctic observing across all components of the Arctic system. AOS 2018 will be held in Davos, Switzerland (June 24-26) and will focus on pressing issues in the implementation and support of sustained observations that can be addressed through a business-case lens. To that end, short submissions are requested that address any and all aspects of the overarching theme and sub-themes. Additional information can be found here.
 
17th International Congress of Circumpolar Health (ICCH17), August 12-15, 2018 (Copenhagen, Denmark). The ICCH congresses are held every third year in different locations in the circumpolar area and represent the largest scientific meetings worldwide on circumpolar health. The ICCH congresses serve as the primary source of information exchange and scholarly communication in issues relating to circumpolar health. More than 750 participants generally register and participate in each Congress, and more than 400 scientific papers or posters are usually presented.

UArctic Congress 2018, September 3-7, 2018 (Oulu and Helsinki, Finland).
The UArctic Congress 2018 will bring together key UArctic meetings and a science conference into one single gathering, including business meetings of the Council of UArctic, Rectors' Forum, Student Forum, and Thematic Networks & UArctic Institutes Leadership Team. The Congress is an integral part of the Finland's Arctic Council chairmanship program, and open to the public. The event will highlight the themes and priorities of the Finnish chairmanship, including the goals of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The second Arctic Biodiversity Congress is hosted by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, and the Ministry of the Environment, Finland. The second Arctic Biodiversity Congress will build on the success of the first Congress, held in 2014 in Trondheim, Norway, and will bring together scientists, policymakers government officials, Indigenous representatives, Traditional Knowledge holders, industry, non-governmental organizations, and others to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity. 

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