Past Events

The Maine North Atlantic Institute (MNAI) at the University of Southern Maine is excited to announce Cross-Cultural Collaborations: Opportunities for Addressing Social Issues in the North Atlantic. This is a continuation of their webinar series, MNAI Convenes, that explores topics related to Maine’s relationship to the North Atlantic and Arctic.

This event will take place at the Glickman Family Library at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine and virtually on Zoom. Event is free but registration is required.

For North Atlantic and Arctic communities to prosper, we must ensure those most vulnerable have a voice, are represented in policy decisions, and included in the benefits of our collective efforts.

Social work professors Dr. Bonnie Jensen of Ilisimatusarfik/University of Greenland, Dr. Paula Gerstenblatt of University of Southern Maine, along with social work students Sofie Thomasen, Ilisimatusarfik/University of Greenland, and Emily Lambdin of University of Southern Maine will discuss shared concerns, positive outcomes from community-based research in Maine and Greenland, and ways we can develop innovative strategies through educational exchanges, collaborative research projects, and participatory reciprocal community engagement to address the most pressing social issues facing our communities.

The Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) will be receiving funds from the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for the period of January 1, 2024-December 30, 2028. The total amount to be funded to AOOS is uncertain at this time. IOOS will seek proposals describing activities aimed at improving coastal resilience and advancing equitable service delivery at the regional scale.

To prepare for this funding, AOOS is now accepting project proposal ideas for financial support in the range of $10,000 up to $100,000. These funds will be used for subsidizing new ocean observations on existing projects, purchasing equipment for observing efforts, or helping to implement new projects. Project length can be 1-5 years.

The use of such funds needs to fall within the definition of “coastal resilience” as defined by NOAA: “Coastal resilience means building the ability of a community to “bounce back” after hazardous events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding – rather than simply reacting to impacts.”

Project proposal ideas will be evaluated by AOOS. If selected, AOOS will request a formal proposal to submit to IOOS. All entities receiving federal funds are required to be actively registered and in good standing with SAM.gov.

Proposal submission deadline: 30 October 2023.

For more information on this proposal process, AOOS will host an informational webinar on Friday, 29 September 2023 at 10:00 am AKDT, which will be recorded.

The Engaging with Polar Regions: Science, Human Ecology, and Geopolitics (EPR 2023) conference will explore the interdisciplinary convergence of science, human ecology, and geopolitics in the Polar Regions. It will take place 26-28 October 2023 at the International Centre for Polar Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India.

EPR 2023 will provide an international convergence platform to young scientists, research scholars, policymakers and government officials from various disciplines, including science, social sciences, humanities, environmental studies, and indigenous studies, involved in Polar governance, conservation, and sustainable development. The conference aims to develop consensus among scientists and policymakers towards research and innovations. The physical interactions at EPR-2023 will strive to encourage a higher degree of cooperation and collaboration in cross-border scientific programmes among like-minded research groups/institutions for sustaining research in the area of polar science & geopolitics, climate change and sustainability.

Important Dates

• Online registration starts: 15 August 2023 ​
• Abstract submission extended deadline: 30 September 2023​
• Notification of Acceptance of Abstract: 30 September 2023 ​
• Online registration Closes: 15 October 2023

To better understand zooplankton in a changing world, ICES and PICES are holding the 7th International Zooplankton Production Symposium as a forum to discuss the latest zooplankton research. The ICES/PICES Zooplankton Production Symposium will bring together the top zooplankton researchers globally, showcasing recent advances. Understanding the current and evolving role of zooplankton will require new insights provided by:

• Assessing the impact on zooplankton of climate change, fishing, and pollution such as microplastics
• State-of-the-art sampling techniques such as DNA, imaging, and bioacoustics
• Biochemical methods applied to unravelling complex trophic ecology
• The application of cutting-edge approaches in zooplankton modelling, including size and trait-based biogeochemical and ecosystem models
• Revealing the role of microzooplankton in biogeochemical cycling and food webs
• Exploring the structure and functioning of macrozooplankton communities and their impact on carbon sequestration and trophic ecology
• Examining zooplankton in fisheries science, including dynamics of fish larvae, the impact of zooplankton on fish larval mortality and growth, and the commercial harvest of zooplankton
• Elucidating the vital role of zooplankton in polar environments
• Understanding the role of gelatinous filter feeders and jellyfish in carbon sequestration and trophic ecology
• The use of zooplankton as ecosystem indicators in a changing ocean

The symposium will be held over five days in the historic waterfront district of Hobart, Australia, from 17-22 March 2024. This event will be held in-person and provide the first opportunity since 2016 for zooplankton researchers to meet, build networks, and hear the latest science. Organizers are monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and will adapt plans as needed.

Scientific workshops and sessions will include invited and contributed papers. Contributed papers will be selected for oral or poster presentations.

The abstract submission deadline is 30 September 2023.

The 20th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering (ICCRE) will occur in Anchorage, Alaska, on May 13-16, 2024. The conference is being organized by Cold Regions Engineering Division (CRED) and supported by Aerospace Engineering Division (ASD), Forensic Engineering Division (FED) and Committee on Technical Advancement (CTA), of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and will be hosted by the University of Alaska Anchorage.

The conference aims at connecting engineers, academics, and cold regions experts from various disciplines to share their knowledge and experience. The conference theme is Sustainable and resilient engineering solutions for changing cold regions.

Organizers invite you to prepare and submit abstracts on cold regions engineering topics.

Draft Full Paper Due: 30 September 2023.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the EU Project Arctic PASSION are excited to announce the call for applications for the APECS & Arctic PASSION Sharing Circle for early career professionals and Arctic youth. The Sharing Circle will take place in Sevettijärvi and Inari, Northern Finland.

Applications must be submitted by 10 April 2023 23:59 GMT.

Having grown up in a world of global challenges, Arctic youth and early career professionals have agency in creating positive change for the future. The Arctic will benefit from a close dialogue between Arctic youth and young professionals working in the Arctic arena. The APECS & Arctic PASSION Sharing Circle will foster this dialogue through a week-long program in Northern Finland.

Participants of the Sharing Circle will gain valuable insights into different cultures and the heritage of the Arctic. They will discuss how intercultural and transdisciplinary cooperation can function better, and what types of environmental data and maps are needed for a better understanding of Arctic environmental change. Participants will discuss how the Arctic environment and societies are intertwined, and have the opportunity to present the challenges of their own local Arctic communities. With the Sharing Circle we provide a platform for exchange between Indigenous and local rights holders, Arctic youth, Arctic research experts and early career professionals working with Arctic topics, leading to a better understanding across the region. The connections that will be made among participants, who have diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, will form the basis for equitable and genuine collaborations in the future. Of special interest will be field visits to Indigenous-led ecological restoration sites, such as rivers and lake restoration.

After the Sharing Circle, participants will serve as Arctic PASSION Ambassadors for one year and will develop their own outreach project to pass on their learnings to their communities, institutes or other chosen audiences.

The University of Bergen, The Norwegian Embassy in Denmark, and Avannaata municipality invite researchers and others interested to the Ilulissat Science Forum 2023, and the opening of the Illu – Science and Art Hub in Ilulissat, Greenland.

Sessions include “local perspectives of climate change” and “climate change in Northwest Greenland”.

Registration is now open. There are a limited number of registrations possible.

The 20th Alaska Bird Conference will be held from 11-14 December 2023 at The Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska.

The conference is being organized by the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Migratory Bird Management Division, with significant financial and logistical support from other US Fish and Wildlife Divisions; U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center; Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program; Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management; Audubon Alaska; and Alaska Biological Research Associates, Inc.

This year marks the 20th Alaska Bird Conference. The Conference regularly attracts between 150 and 200 participants reporting on their latest findings and new initiatives. By design, the conference retains a familiar and friendly atmosphere, welcoming new students and ornithologists into the fold, and providing a much-anticipated gathering for those who work with and care about Alaska’s birds.

The theme of the conference is “Bring Birds Back”. Organizers chose this theme to highlight the peril many migratory bird species face today as they transit between their breeding, migratory stopover, and wintering areas.

Abstracts for Oral Presentations and Posters are due 11:59 pm AKDT 2 October 2023.

Every three years the European Global Ocean Observing System (EuroGOOS) conference provides a forum for marine scientists and technologists developing operational oceanography products, and the users of these services including decision and policy-makers as well as the private sector.

The EuroGOOS conference offers an opportunity to discuss how well our ocean monitoring and forecasting are supporting societal and policy needs. The event facilitates dialogue among a broad range of ocean observing and forecasting stakeholders, towards a fit-for-purpose ocean information delivery.

The three-day conference will include plenary, splinter, and poster sessions, as well as round tables with focused discussions. The main outcomes of the conference will be summarized during the last day and key messages will be formulated. Participants will be invited to submit abstracts for their presentations or posters, while full papers will be published in the EuroGOOS conference proceedings.

We are heading into the third year since the start of the UN Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), which was proclaimed with the aim of revolutionising ocean science and triggering a radical change in humanity’s relationship with the ocean.

With this as a reference, and following the EuroGOOS 2030 Strategy, the 10th EuroGOOS International Conference is addressing the latest research and technology in a wide range of oceanographic services for society. The conference will also discuss transversal issues, such as diversity and inclusion and public engagement. The key priorities of the 10th EuroGOOS International Conference are:

• Analysing the state of the art and defining emerging priorities in operational oceanography
• Advancing the framework towards the sustainability and integration of in situ observations
• Developing a seamless forecasting system of the European seas and global ocean
• Strengthening the responsiveness of European operational oceanography to policy and governance needs
• Fostering engagement of all stakeholders to co-design the European operational oceanography
• Promoting diversity, equity and inclusivity in oceanography and ocean science
• Integrating European operational oceanography into the global context

Abstract submission deadline: 16 April 2023 (23.59 CET).

Early bird registration ends 31 May 2023.

The Polar Science Early Career Community Office (PSECCO) is excited to announce its second belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (BAJEDI) workshop specifically designed for polar early career scientists. This workshop will be run by the excellent folks with THRIVE Lifeline in conjunction with PSECCO.

This free online virtual workshop will be run via Zoom.

In this workshop, you can expect to deepen your awareness and understanding of BAJEDI concepts, identify workplace barriers that impede BAJEDI, learn and begin to practice tools for improving your workplace culture, and inspire each other through daring discussions.

To register you must be able to attend the entire workshop, and the workshop will be capped at 50 participants.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is hosting the consultations and engagement sessions on advancing co-stewardship as outlined in the Joint Secretarial Order 3403.

On November 21, 2022, in coordination with the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture, JSO 3403 was amended to include the Department of Commerce. The purpose of JSO 3403 is to ensure Federal lands and waters are managed in a manner that protects the treaty, religious, subsistence, and cultural interests of federally recognized Indian tribes, including the Native Hawaiian Community, with an emphasis on co-stewardship. NOAA is implementing the directives of JSO 3403 and developing co-stewardship opportunities with federally recognized tribes and Native Hawaiian Community. NOAA is interested in working with tribal members and Native Hawaiians to build our collective understanding of stewardship and co-stewardship and identify ways to advance the goals of JSO 3403 at NOAA and within the Department of Commerce. As part of this process, NOAA would benefit from consultations and engagement on a number of issues related to JSO 3403.

NOAA will hold three formal consultations for tribal representatives on the following dates/times:

• 3 October 2023, 1:00-3:00 pm EDT
• 4 October 2023, 2:00-4:00 pm EDT
• 13 October 2023, 3:00-5:00 pm EDT

NOAA will hold an engagement for Native Hawaiian representatives on the following dates/times:

• 5 October 2023, 3:00-5:00 pm EDT (9:00-11:00 am Hawa'i)

The annual Polar CORDEX (COordinated Regional Climate Downscaling EXperiment) meeting will be hybrid but in-person attendance is strongly encouraged. It will be hosted by the University of Utrecht and held in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

There will be three sessions: Arctic CORDEX, Antarctic CORDEX and Plans for 2024 plenum discussions.

If you want to attend, please complete the online registration form.

Deadline to register is 1 September 2023.

Presentations are very welcome on all aspects of Antarctic and Arctic CORDEX related research (e.g., processes, recent and future climate change, keep drivers, coupled modelling, model evaluation, multi-model intercomparisons). Time allotted is 10 minutes per presentation (depending on registration).

The upcoming COP28 conference, scheduled for November, will bring together United Nations members to discuss and strategize the most equitable and effective ways to address climate change.

With the world constantly changing, we must continuously assess the methods needed to proactively respond to rising temperatures. This landmark conference sets out to do just that, begging the question, among others, as to what actions are needed regarding the rapid environmental developments which are occurring within the Arctic.

During this webinar, there will be a review of past commitments made at COP and an exploration of the paths forward with a focus on the role of the renewable energy sector in our fight against climate change in the Arctic. There will be speakers with a wide range of expertise from across the Arctic region and the climate change sector.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is hosting the consultations and engagement sessions on advancing co-stewardship as outlined in the Joint Secretarial Order 3403.

On November 21, 2022, in coordination with the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture, JSO 3403 was amended to include the Department of Commerce. The purpose of JSO 3403 is to ensure Federal lands and waters are managed in a manner that protects the treaty, religious, subsistence, and cultural interests of federally recognized Indian tribes, including the Native Hawaiian Community, with an emphasis on co-stewardship. NOAA is implementing the directives of JSO 3403 and developing co-stewardship opportunities with federally recognized tribes and Native Hawaiian Community. NOAA is interested in working with tribal members and Native Hawaiians to build our collective understanding of stewardship and co-stewardship and identify ways to advance the goals of JSO 3403 at NOAA and within the Department of Commerce. As part of this process, NOAA would benefit from consultations and engagement on a number of issues related to JSO 3403.

NOAA will hold three formal consultations for tribal representatives on the following dates/times:

• 3 October 2023, 1:00-3:00 pm EDT
• 4 October 2023, 2:00-4:00 pm EDT
• 13 October 2023, 3:00-5:00 pm EDT

NOAA will hold an engagement for Native Hawaiian representatives on the following dates/times:

• 5 October 2023, 3:00-5:00 pm EDT (9:00-11:00 am Hawa'i)

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Henry Huntington, Arctic Science Director for Ocean Conservancy and also an independent researcher. Huntington's research looks primarily at human-environment interactions in the Arctic, including Indigenous knowledge and climate change, as well as topics such as shipping and fishing. He is editor in chief of the journal Weather, Climate, and Society. Henry's presentation, titled Effects of Arctic Commercial Shipping on Environments and Communities: context, governance, priorities, will be held via Zoom.

Registration is required for this event. Instructions for accessing the webinar will be sent to registrants prior to the event.

Seminar Abstract

We examined recent shipping trends and assessed their impact on Arctic environments and communities. We conclude that greater international co-ordination is needed to learn from experience, to share assets and capacities, and to guide responsible and sustainable development of Arctic shipping. Given the possibility for opening of the Transpolar Sea Route within the coming decades, further proactive steps, such as developing a governance framework, could help Arctic shipping avoid rather than attempt to correct problems.

The Arctic Monitoring & Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat invites registration for their upcoming webinar, titled Urgent Need to Cut Black Carbon from Arctic Shipping.

The European Union-funded Arctic Black Carbon impacting Climate and Air Pollution (ABC-iCAP) project webinar will review the current status of work to reduce black carbon emissions from shipping impacting the Arctic, in particular present latest data and time trends, consider International Maritime Organization (IMO) policy directions that can reduce emissions in the near-term, and give perspectives of key stakeholders including government, industry, NGOs, and Arctic Indigenous Peoples, with the aim of improving awareness of the issues, identifying best ways forward and informing future decision-making.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is hosting the consultations and engagement sessions on advancing co-stewardship as outlined in the Joint Secretarial Order 3403.

On November 21, 2022, in coordination with the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture, JSO 3403 was amended to include the Department of Commerce. The purpose of JSO 3403 is to ensure Federal lands and waters are managed in a manner that protects the treaty, religious, subsistence, and cultural interests of federally recognized Indian tribes, including the Native Hawaiian Community, with an emphasis on co-stewardship. NOAA is implementing the directives of JSO 3403 and developing co-stewardship opportunities with federally recognized tribes and Native Hawaiian Community. NOAA is interested in working with tribal members and Native Hawaiians to build our collective understanding of stewardship and co-stewardship and identify ways to advance the goals of JSO 3403 at NOAA and within the Department of Commerce. As part of this process, NOAA would benefit from consultations and engagement on a number of issues related to JSO 3403.

NOAA will hold three formal consultations for tribal representatives on the following dates/times:

• 3 October 2023, 1:00-3:00 pm EDT
• 4 October 2023, 2:00-4:00 pm EDT
• 13 October 2023, 3:00-5:00 pm EDT

NOAA will hold an engagement for Native Hawaiian representatives on the following dates/times:

• 5 October 2023, 3:00-5:00 pm EDT (9:00-11:00 am Hawa'i)

Landscapes Live is a weekly online seminar series freely accessible to the international scientific community interested in various aspects of geomorphology.

Abstract

Large icefields and ice caps in high latitude regions are currently contributing significantly to global sea level rise, with Alaska leading contributions from glaciers. This contribution is likely to accelerate since icefield topography drives a non-linear response to climate change. Here we show that icefield area and volume loss from Juneau Icefield has accelerated exponentially over the last few decades, with catastrophic losses reaching -5.91 ± 0.80 km3 a-1 from 2010-2020. Thinning is now pervasive across the icefield plateau, resulting in glacier fragmentation, especially rapidly after 2005. This glaciological threshold response to a warming climate is underlain by the plateau hypsometry. The non-linear behavior is concerning for the future viability of this icefield and for plateau icefields and ice caps globally, with implications for future projections of sea-level contributions.

The Permafrost Discovery Gateway hosts a monthly webinar series on a Thursday at 09:00 Alaska time. The webinar aims to 1) connect the international science community interested in big data remote sensing of permafrost landscapes, and 2) provide the Permafrost Discovery Gateway development team with end-user stories (by the presenter and webinar participants), such as exploring tools the community needs to create and explore big data.

Abstract

Circumpolar land surface characterization at 10m became possible with the availability of data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and -2 missions. Added value is obtained through fusion of the different data types, synthetic aperture radar and multispectral. Novel datasets representing the heterogeneity of the natural environment and the magnitude of human impacts through expansion of infrastructure and natural resource use are presented including retrieval challenges.

The 2024 Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS) will be held 29 January to 2 February 2 2024. AMSS 2024 will be an in-person event. Plenary sessions will be held in the Hotel Captain Cook and the poster sessions at the Egan Civic Center.

The Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Alaska’s premier marine research conference, has been bringing together scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and interested public for over thirty years to discuss the latest marine research being conducted in Alaskan waters. More than 700 people attend this 4-day long conference held annually.

Registration will begin in October 2023.

The abstract submission deadline is 6 October 2023 (11:59PM AKST).