EU Pushes Arctic Sanctuary. The European Parliament has put itself at odds with the Arctic Council after the legislature passed a resolution on Wednesday containing a proposal to establish a North Pole sanctuary that would rule out development outside the regional states' off-shore territory. The move is in opposition to the positions of the members Arctic Council, a policy co-ordination group made up of states with Arctic territory. The group's permanent members, with the exception of Finland, have rejected such an idea. Arctic Journal 

Protecting Threatened Ice Seals. In Alaska, there are 4 species of ice seals, of which bearded, ringed, and spotted seals are listed under the Endangered Species Act. In this video, see NOAA scientists studying them and how the information gathered contributes to their protection and recovery.

Protecting Threatened Ice Seals

Research Reveals Surprising Results About Kids' Capacity for Scientific Literacy. It turns out kids can understand complex scientific concepts--like natural selection--beyond what anyone would have expected. To demonstrate this, Boston University cognitive developmental psychologist Deborah Kelemen and her co-researchers created a 10-page picture storybook about pilosas, a group of fictional mammals with long trunks. National Science Foundation 

Icelandic PM: Russia-Ukraine Stand-off Could Impact Arctic Council. Iceland Prime Minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson has said Russia's actions in Ukraine may lead to problems for the Arctic Council. Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson claimed Russia's hardline tactics could make it more difficult for the eight countries in the council to reach agreements during a period in which critical issues need to be resolved. He explained that the Ukraine crisis has a "ripple effect", despite the fact it is happening far away from the Arctic. He noted that nations involved in the Arctic are concerned about what is happening and how things will unwind in the future. IceNews

Five Interesting Facts About Maritime Losses and Casualties in 2013. Global marine insurance provider Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty has released its second annual Safety and Shipping Review 2014, analyzing trends of reported shipping losses for vessels over 100 gross tons during 2013. In the Arctic, where more and more trading routes are quickly opening up, the average number of shipping casualties has increased to 45 per year between 2009 and 2013 from only seven during 2002-2007. In addition to the shipping loss information, the report also goes on to discuss piracy and emerging risks, such as vessel size, use of LNG as a marine fuel and Arctic trading. gCaptain

Warming Arctic and Potential Shifts in Mid-Latitude Weather, March 18, 2014 (Webinar). An apparently increasing number of record-breaking meteorological events have occurred in mid-latitudes during the past decade as well as a large number of recent abrupt climate changes in the Arctic. Opinions differ on whether such recent extreme weather events were related to recent global or Arctic climate change, Pacific or tropical forcing, or simply chaotic random events. Record negative values of the early winter Arctic Oscillation atmospheric circulation index, high pressures over Greenland and warm temperatures (increased geopotential thickness west of Greenland) have been observed in four of the last five early winters, with cold air penetrating into the southeastern United States and a southern location of the jet stream across the Atlantic. So far we have a tantalizing array of possible drivers based on observed correlations, theoretical reasoning and limited model work. Given the recent run of Greenland high pressures and the potential for scientific breakthroughs for improved seasonal forecasting, one should not rule out a possible emergence of a combination of Arctic change, Pacific influences, and chaotic long-wave patterns impacting mid-latitude extreme weather as an important research challenge, but one that will be dominated by uncertainty for the foreseeable future. To access the webinar, please go here.

Meeting Number:  746443948

Meeting Passcode:  PMELSeminar

Meeting Host:  MS LAUREN  KOELLERMEIER

Navigational Developments and the Viability of Commercialized Shipping in the Arctic, March 20, 2014. (Washington, D.C.). The Federal Maritime Commission's Maritime Environmental Committee will be hosting a Brown Bag Speaker Series with a presentation by Dr. John Farrell, Executive Director of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, and Captain David Murk, Senior Maritime Safety and Security Advisor to the Secretary of Transportation at the U.S. Department of Transportation. The speakers will discuss the environmental impact commercial shipping may have in the Arctic, United States' interests in the Arctic, and the viability of commercial shipping in the region.