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July 7, 2014

 

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capital Today's Congressional Action:   

The Senate is expected to consider a judicial nomination and S. 2363, the Sportsmen's Act of 2014.

 

 

 

Media

A joint Russia-US marine scientific research expedition, RUSALCA 2014, is departing from Anadyr, Russia on July 8 to deploy a  mooring in the western side of the Bering Strait.  Following a port visit to Provedenia, the team will proceed to carry out the Russia to USA transect along the Distributed Biological Network, where physical, chemical and biological oceanographic data will be collected. Both the US and Russian teams have collaborated since 2003. The RUSALCA program has been lead by NOAA and the Russian Academy of Sciences. USARC, among others, thinks the program has been a great success. 

 

caribou Fortymile Caribou Hunts Delayed; Season to Open September 3. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has announced that the fall hunting season for Fortymile caribou along the Steese and Taylor highways is being delayed to avoid a Labor Day weekend slaughter similar to the one that occurred last year. The season is now set to open Sept. 3. The two hunts were scheduled to open Aug. 29, the start of the Labor Day weekend, but state game managers announced late last week that the season was being delayed for five days "to minimize the risk of over harvest and increase the likelihood of a longer fall season." Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 

 

Muskok The Secret Life of Muskoxen. When dealing with an animal weighing up to 300 kg and known for its bad temperament, it's a good idea to keep your distance. Odd then, that a group of learned scientists from the Aarhus (Denmark) University and the Copenhagen Zoo should travel to north-western Greenland on mission to get up close and personal with the woolly mammals. The mission, however, was no fool's errand. As part of a long string of Arctic research projects being conducted by the university in the hopes of shedding light on how global warming is affecting the region, the scientists traveled to the Zackenberg Field Station this October to fit 14 muskoxen with radio collars that were then used to track the animals using satellite. Arctic Journal

 

For Loons and Fish, Arctic Lake Size, Shape and Connections Matter, Studies Shows. The tens of thousands of lakes that dot the tundra of Alaska's North Slope are so similar that almost all are nameless. But to the birds and fish that use them, there are differences of great consequence among the lakes, according to recently-published studies by scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the U.S. Geological Survey. Alaska Dispatch

 

Researcher Studies Past Climate Change to Understand Future Impact. A former University of Alberta PhD student has come back to campus as an assistant professor, to explore and teach about the mysteries of natural climate warming and ice age history, on the heels of a newly published paper in Nature. Alberto Reyes, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Science who received his PhD from the U of A in 2010, led a study which provides the first scientific evidence that the southern portion of Greenland's ice sheet nearly disappeared in the geologically recent past, during a long period of warm climate about 400,000 years ago. The findings also indicate that the collapse of the ice sheet, which would have contributed 4.5 to six meters of global sea level rise, likely occurred under conditions that may have been only a few degrees warmer than the present day. Phys.org

 

wolverine US Reverses Proposal to List Wolverine as Threatened Species. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official has ordered federal biologists to withdraw their conclusion that the last 300 wolverines in the continental United States deserve threatened species status. The biologists had recommended the protection on grounds that climate change is destined to destroy the near-arctic conditions of the remaining animals' habitat - even though the population of about 300 has shown signs of slight growth in recent years. Los Angeles Times

 

There Could be Many More Seabirds and Marine Mammals in Greenland. Tourism is one of the businesses that Greenland's economy to a large extent must rely on in the future. This should be clear after the somewhat dampening prospects for mineral resource potential that Minik Rosing's committee outlined in the report To the Benefit of Greenland. But there must be a rich and 'confident' wildlife for tourists to enjoy. Icebergs, deep fjords and picturesque villages are not enough if you want to attract an affluent international audience. A rather harsh article in the Danish newspaper Politiken on March 2 reopened the debate on management of Greenland's living resources. Unfortunately, the debate focused more on the 'tone' of the newspaper article than on how to secure and restore abundant wildlife in Greenland for the benefit of hunters, fishermen, tourists and all others with an interest in nature. I am convinced that Greenland will lose revenues from nature tourism and likewise deprive future generations of the opportunity to benefit from abundant wildlife unless healthy populations of marine mammals and seabirds are protected and restored. Arctic Journal

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

 

No Arctic legislation was formally considered Thursday.

Future Events

 

ICETECH 2014, July 28-31, 2014 (Banff, Alberta, Canada). The International Conference and Exhibition on Performance of Ships and Structures on Ice (ICETECH) is organized by the Arctic Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. The theme of the conference is performance of ships and structures in ice (icebreaking ships, ice resistant structures, and operations in ice) with emphasis and special sessions on looking to the future in a warming world. The conference will cover topics including:Global warming implications to Arctic ships and structures; Icebreaking ships, Naval Architecture, construction, and marine operations; Structures in ice/iceberg populated waters; Construction and logistics in ice-covered areas; Ice management; New offshore developments in ice-covered areas; Subsea pipelines and facilities in ice; Marine systems for offshore drilling and production operations in ice; Codes, regulations and standards; Ice conditions, forecasting and remote sensing; Safety, risk and environmental protection; Escape, Evacuation and Rescue (EER); and Arctic Geopolitics.

 

Alaska Policy Commission. August 26-27, 2014 (Kotzebue-Nome, 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.  

 

World Trade Center Alaska: Arctic Ambitions Trade Mission to Northern Europe, September 4-14, 2014 (Finland-Norway-Iceland). The Trade Mission will visit Northern and Arctic Europe starting September 4th in Finland and ending September 14 in Iceland, with an intermediary stop in Norway. The itinerary includes three days in each country and features visits to Arctic communities. Familiarization with Northern Europe's economies, and in particular commercial development in the Arctic, is the main goal of this trade mission. The participants will gain useful networking opportunities and a wealth of information on these three countries. For registration and information, please contact WTCAK at (907) 278-7233.

 

Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, September 9-11, 2014 (Whitehorse, Canada). The Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region is a biennial conference for parliamentarians representing the eight Arctic countries and the European Parliament. The biennial conference is attended by representatives from the national parliaments of the Arctic states and the European Parliament. The Arctic indigenous peoples are permanent participants to the cooperation. Observers participate from governments and inter-parliamentary organizations as well as from observer states and relevant international organizations. 

 

AOOS Film Contest, Submission Deadline September 15, 2014.

In celebration of its 10th Anniversary, Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) is seeking short films highlighting Alaska's coast or oceans.   AOOS welcomes films of any genre relating to the ocean (i.e. people using the ocean and coast, marine research, marine wildlife, ocean-related policy issues, etc).  You don't need to be a professional to submit a film!   

 

102nd US Arctic Research Commission Meeting, September 15-16, 2014 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The 102nd USARC meeting will be held in Anchorage. Additional information and schedule to follow.

 

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 (Reyjavik, 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 13-14, 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. 

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