Arctic Update Header
March 7, 2016
  
Today's C ongressional Action:   
The House is not in session. The Senate is in session and expected to consider non-Arctic legislation.
Media  

Bowhead Scientists Turn Bowhead Whales for Clues to Algal Biotoxin in the Arctic. Temperatures in Arctic waters are warming and sea ice is diminishing. With that could come the potential for harmful algal blooms that produce toxins that can affect marine life. Pacific Northwest scientists are now turning to Arctic bowhead whales to get a better idea of the potential ramifications of toxin exposure caused by the algae. Alaska Dispatch News
 
Coast Guard Orders Extra Icebreakers. As melting sea ice opens new sailing routes through Arctic latitudes, the U.S. Coast Guard is accelerating plans to add new icebreakers to its aging fleet. In September, President Obama moved up plans to buy at least one new Arctic icebreaker from 2022 to 2020. And in January, the Coast Guard took another step toward that goal, announcing it would set acquisition requirements by March for two heavy icebreakers that will cost up to $1 billion each and be capable of operating for up to 40 years. DC Velocity
 
nuunavut Nunavut Officials Press for Arctic Search and Rescue Base. Nunavut's fishing industry is renewing its call for a search and rescue base in the North after two recent major incidents where fishing vessels were in distress in Arctic waters for hours before help arrived. "Within the last six months we've had two near disasters," said Jerry Ward, chair of the Nunavut Offshore Allocation Holders Association. CBC News
 
Bill Introduced to Require Labeling of Genetically Engineered Salmon. Alaska's congressional delegation has introduced bills that would require genetically engineered salmon to go by a market name that includes the terms "genetically engineered" or "G.E." The makers of the AquaAdvantage fish hope to farm the product in Panama and import it to the United States. The fish is a modified Atlantic salmon designed for fast growth. Alaska Public Radio
 
caribou Subsistence Council Floats Plan to Limit Northwest Arctic Caribou Hunt to Locals. A proposal from the Northwest Arctic Subsistence Regional Advisory Council to close caribou hunting on federal lands in Unit 23 to outside users for one year will be up for discussion later this month at its regular meeting in Anchorage. The proposal takes the form of temporary special action request WSA 16-01 which, if approved, would take effect July 1 and last for one regulatory year. Alaska Dispatch News
 
Researcher: Science Must Protect Key Species from Climate Change-Driven Extinction. Mark Urban and other researchers say climate change could wipe out one-sixth of Earth's species that won't be able to adapt to the warming planet. "Some species will be just fine - in fact, will do better in a changed climate," Urban said. "But then there are the others that are in serious danger." KUAC

Legislative Action futureevents   

No Arctic legislation was formally considered Friday.

Future Events
       
Arctic Leadership-From Washington to Helsinki, March 11, 2016 (Washington, DC, USA). The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will host a conversation exploring the priorities and outlooks the United States and Finland share on Arctic issues, and how working closely together will ensure the continuity of a long-term approach to addressing challenges in the Arctic.

5th Annual Fletcher Opening Arctic Conference, March 12, 2016.  The Opening Arctic Conference builds on the Fletcher School's Warming Arctic International Inquiry series, to bring together high-level thought leaders from across disciplines, Fletcher's hallmark. Staged annually, Fletcher's event continues to address the foreign policy, economic, environmental and security implications of the opening Arctic, while dispelling myths.
 
Arctic Science Summit Week Arctic Observing Summit, March 12-18, 2016 (Fairbanks, AK, USA).   ASSW is the annual gathering of international organizations that support and facilitate long-term planning in Arctic research. In 2016, ASSW will be held in conjunction with AOS, which brings people together to facilitate the design, implementation, coordination and sustained long-term operation of an international network of Arctic observing systems.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, March 23-25, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The Fairbanks workshop aims to explore recent advances and innovations in indigenous science and scholarship in the circumpolar north and its neighbors. The workshop will bring together indigenous experts and researchers from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds to explore the role and contributions of indigenous frameworks and knowledge systems in advancing fields of science and informing global solutions.

** New this week **  Using an Environmental intelligence Framework to Evaluate the Impacts of Ocean Acidification in the Arctic, March 31, 2016 (Washington, DC, USA). The intensity and extent of ocean acidification in the Arctic will increase rapidly as atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise making the region a bellwether for the global ocean during the next few decades. The environmental changes brought on by ocean acidification could pose a significant threat to Arctic ecosystems that are already facing challenges from changes in sea ice distribution, warming and increased freshwater discharge. New ways of collecting and integrating critical environmental intelligence will be discussed in the context of developing resilience and adaptation strategies for dealing with ocean acidification. This event is sponsored by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, March 31-April 2, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The Juneau Workshop, organized in collaboration with University of Alaska Southeast Department of Social Science, aims to explore the contributions and potentials of Arctic social sciences in the emerging synergies that involve humanities, natural sciences, and engineering. The connections we attempt to foster reach mainly into two directions within the recent history of Arctic research.

15th Annual Arctic Health Science Seminar, April 1, 2016 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The American Society for Circumpolar Health will host the 15th Annual Arctic Health Science Seminar in Anchorage, Alaska. This event will include the annual meeting of the American Society for Circumpolar Health, the Robert Fortuine Memorial lecture, and the Albrecht Milan Foundation will provide the Albrecht-Milan Emerging Professional Award to one of the Arctic Health Science Seminar presenters. The call for abstracts is open through  Monday February 29, 2016.

The American Arctic: The United States as an Arctic Power in Science, Technology and Security, April 4, 2016 (San Francisco, CA, USA). The Association of American Geographers will host a panel discussion on the American Arctic.  In 2015 the United States assumed the chairmanship of the Arctic Council. In recent years, the Federal government began to pay closer attention to the Arctic owing to dramatic environmental and social changes and growing economic interest in the region's vast resources. President Obama became the first sitting US President to visit the Arctic this August. US Arctic Research Commission Chair Fran Ulmer is expected to be a panelist.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, April 14-16, 2016 (Cedar Fall, Idaho, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. This workshop will gather a diverse group of scholars to discuss the state-of-the art in Arctic social sciences and develop visioning scenarios for the future of social science research in the Arctic. The core topics will parallel discussions held at other regional workshops (Portland, OR and Providence, RI), which include: social sciences research and climate change; interdisciplinary research in the Arctic; social sciences and humanities in the Arctic, and applied social sciences research.

Alaska Rural Energy Conference, April 26-28, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The Alaska Rural Energy Conference is a three day event offering a large variety of technical sessions covering new and ongoing energy projects in Alaska, as well as new technologies and needs for Alaska's remote communities. Building on the growing success, the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power have joined forces again to organize and sponsor the 10th annual Alaska Rural Energy Conference.   

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, May 31-June 2, 2016 (Providence, Rhode Island, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The workshop will bring together researchers working on multidisciplinary natural/social science projects addressing issues of contemporary change in the North with social scientists focused on policy development at a global scale. This focus draws on the expertise of Brown University's Watson Center for International Studies (http://watson.brown.edu ), the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES, http://www.brown.edu/academics/institute-environment-society/about), and the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology's (http://www.brown.edu/haffenreffer) six-decade engagement with northern people and northern heritage.

14th IATS Seminar, June 19-25, 2016 (Bergen, Norway).
The University of Bergen (UiB) is honored to host the 14th IATS Seminar in Bergen, Norway, from Sunday 19 to Saturday 25 June 2016 in co-operation with the Network for University Co-operation Tibet-Norway, an academic network with the universities of Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø as partners. The convenor is Professor Hanna Havnevik, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo, and Chair of the Network.
 
11th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2016), June 20-24, 2016 (Potsdam, Germany). The Alfred Wegener Institute has teamed up with UP Transfer GmbH and the University of Potsdam to organize a great conference for you, permafrost researchers. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, September 23-24, 2016 (Monticello, Rhode Island, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons.  The event will reassemble the members of the National Steering Committee and a small but diverse selection of representatives from the five regional workshops, to total about 15 people. The aim will be to identify and synthesize the core threads of the previous workshops and public contributions proffered between workshops. The target output for the workshop will be a final report draft and outline of steps leading to the final report release in June 2016. The Jefferson Institute will manage production of the publication.

Second International Conference on Natural Resources and Integrated Development of Coastal Areas in the Arctic Zone, September 27-29, 2016 (Arkhangelsk, Russia). The Conference is organized by FASO of Russia, Russian Academy of Sciences, Government of Arkhangelsk region, Arkhangelsk Scientific Center and International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). Conference is aimed at elaboration of research-based practical measures and instruments for realization of human, natural and transport-logistical potential of the Arctic zone, including development of the Northern Sea Route and implementation of models of integrated coastal areas management. For additional information, please email.
  
Inuit traditions are a repository of Inuit culture and a primary expression of Inuit identity. The theme for the 2016 Inuit Studies Conference invites Elders, knowledge-bearers, researchers, artists, policy-makers, students and others to engage in conversations about the many ways in which traditions shape understanding, while registering social and cultural change. The institutional hosts of "Inuit Traditions," Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Nunatsiavut Government, invite you to contribute to an exchange of knowledge to be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, October 7-10, 2016. Presentations on all aspects of Inuit studies will be welcome.
 

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