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Part of the NOAA in Alaska and the Arctic seminar series hosted by NOAA NCEI Regional Climate Services Director, Alaska Region.

Remote Access

Please register for NOAA in Alaska and the Arctic seminar series September 16, 2021 at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7359386883868360206

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Abstract

Loss of sea ice is causing rapid ecosystem change in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, and it is important to synthesize all available data to detect ecosystem trends. These ecosystems also exhibit hotspots in biomass and production, so any synthesis must distinguish spatial from seasonal and interannual variation. Finally, managers and stakeholders are typically interested in understanding localized consequences of changes in the Arctic (whether coast erosion, changes to shipping routes, or other Arctic impacts).
From these considerations, I argue that managers and stakeholders will need a whole-of-ecosystem synthesis that includes spatial and temporal variation. I then review two recent studies illustrating prospects for such a synthesis. The first integrates physics, lower-trophic, surface and demersal fish surveys, fishing effort, and seabirds in the eastern Bering Sea, and demonstrates a synchronous impact of cold-pool extent. The second extends this analysis to include surveys of fish size, physiological condition, and stomach contents for Alaska pollock. Collectively, these two studies illustrate the potential to incorporate physical conditions, numerical densities, and demographic rates within a single synthesis model. I conclude by listing a few potential applications forsuch a synthesis, e.g., to:1. Evaluate alternative ecosystem sampling designs;2. Identifying potential impacts of future changes in shipping routes or offshore energy activities;3. Anticipate changes to food security for local community resulting from shifting availability of living marine resources;Throughout, I emphasize the need for integrated monitoring, modelling, and process research to understand challenges in the Arctic.

Bio

James Thorson works to improve collaboration between NOAA scientists conducting research regarding habitat, stock, ecosystem, and climate assessments, both at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and nationally. To do so, I envision and encourage cross-program research including process research (lab and field experiments),monitoring, and synthesis. In my own research, I also investigate spatio-temporal ecosystem dynamics, life-history theory, and statistical methods.

Part of the NOAA in Alaska and the Arctic seminar series hosted by NOAA NCEI Regional Climate Services Director, Alaska Region.

Remote Access

Please register for NOAA in Alaska and the Arctic seminar series September 16, 2021 at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7359386883868360206

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Abstract

Coastal tribes in Southeast, Southcentral and Arctic Alaska rely on a variety of marine resources, including shellfish, crabs and marine mammals, as traditional and subsistence food. Toxicity levels in subsistence harvested food resulting from the presence of harmful algae are unknown in this region, thus placing Tribal members and the wider community at risk of human health impacts, including death, from toxins from traditional and subsistence harvested food. NOAA supports Alaskan Tribal communities by utilizing the citizen science approach of the Phytoplankton Monitoring Network in building monitoring and forecasting capabilities for algal toxins in Tribal subsistence, traditional, and recreational harvests. An effective harmful algal bloom surveillance program encompasses three distinct phases: phytoplankton monitoring used as an early warning based on the presence of potential HABs, toxin detection to determine if subsistence foods meet the FDA safety guidelines for consumption for Tribal members, and dissemination of results to end user groups to protect communities from HAB impacts. This includes facilitating phytoplankton identification trainings and workshops, expanding and validating toxin detection methods, and communicating results to Tribal harvesters; all which help build a network of user groups that work directly to reduce the impacts caused by HABs and their toxins.

Bios

Steve Morton received his B.S and M.S. from Florida Institute of Technology in Biological Oceanography and his Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Southern Illinois University. He is currently a Research Oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring and Reference Branch. Steve is the Principal Investigator of the NOAA Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN), a citizen science program whose volunteers represent public and private schools, colleges and universities, Native American tribes, state and national parks, aquariums, civic groups, shellfish growers and other non-governmental organizations.

Tod Leighfield received his B.S. from Northeastern University, a MS from College of Charleston and his Ph.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina. He a chemist at NOAA's Charleston laboratory, in the National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Through his research, he has developed detection techniques and conducted toxicological investigations for toxins associated with algal blooms. He has participated in multiple epidemiological investigations resulting from the impacts of harmful algal blooms to both wildlife and humans. He has led the development of environmental monitoring programs for HABs and their toxins both domestically and internationally. His work in applying detection products that empower communities to effectively monitor toxins produced during harmful algal blooms has helped to mitigate the impacts of toxic harmful algal blooms on coastal communities.

The deadline to apply is September 15, 2021. Please note that U.S. citizenship is required. Join a webinar this month to learn more about Fulbright opportunities around the world.

Please join us in one of the following live webinars in March 2021:
- March 10: Fulbright U.S. Scholar Opportunities in South and Central Asia
- March 11: Fulbright U.S. Scholar Opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa
- March 17: Fulbright U.S. Scholar Opportunities in East Asia and the Pacific
- March 24: Opportunities in Social Sciences and the Humanities for Fulbright U.S. Scholar Applicants
- March 30: Opportunities in STEM for Fulbright U.S. Scholar Applicants

All webinars listed will take place 2-3 pm Eastern standard time. Can't join us live? All webinars are recorded and archived on our website. To view more upcoming and archived webinars, visit our Webinar Schedule.

Please follow the link above for more information.

Climate change effects on extreme weather are invalidating old estimates of the likelihood of flood-inducing rain events. With funding and guidance from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, the Scenarios Network of Alaska and Arctic Planning (SNAP) at UAF’s International Arctic Research Center (IARC), with assistance from Neptune, inc. recently updated Alaska-wide precipitation data based on the latest climate change modeling efforts. Join this webinar to learn about the data downscaling and modeling techniques used to apply temporally fine-scale precipitation projections to an online statewide tool designed for and used by engineers.

Please follow the link above for more information and to register.

The International Arctic Research Center alongside UAF’s eCampus team are launching a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) this autumn titled “Climate Change in Arctic Environments”. The course, which is open for registration now, and is designed to be approachable and useful for the general public, aims to provide learners with an overview of the interconnected systems which makes up our Arctic environment through the lenses of atmosphere, ocean, land, and people. It also focuses on the changes to each element of those systems under ongoing climate change. Learners should have a better grasp of the tools and vocabulary needed to discuss climate change from the classroom to the public sphere after completing the course. In this webinar members of the team from eCampus and IARC will present on the growth and strategy behind Massive Open Online Courses as a mechanism of both education and communication, and on the goals and structure of this course more specifically.

Please follow the link above for more information and to register.

Speakers

Rick Thoman, ACCAP Alaska Climate Specialist
John Walsh, ACCAP Chief Scientist
Sean Holland, UAF eCampus Instructional Designer
Mike DeLue, AK CASC and SNAP Science Communicator

On July 16-19, 2018, Inuit delegates from Alaska, Greenland, Canada and Chukotka came together for the 13th General Assembly of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC). Under the theme “Inuit – The Arctic We Want,” delegates discussed their concerns and developed actions to address them throughout the 2018-2022 term. The event culminated in the adoption of the Utqiaġvik Declaration, which reflects Inuit priorities at the international level and serves as the mandate for the ICC’s work over this period. The Utqiaġvik Declaration outlines ten priorities aimed at advancing a future supportive of Inuit leadership and safeguarding the Inuit way of life, including:

• International Indigenous Human Rights and International Partnerships
• Food Security
• Families and Youth
• Health and Wellness
• Education and Language
• Indigenous Knowledge
• Sustainable Wildlife Management
• Environment
• Sustainable Development
• Communication and Capacity Building

Please join the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute as we welcome ICC Alaska leaders to share their perspectives on the Utqiaġvik Declaration, reflections on its implementation since 2018, and goals in the final year of the ICC Chair, Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough. This gathering will feature Inuit priorities across the four membership regions of ICC Alaska and how they relate to the overarching objectives of the ICC.

Please follow the link above for more information and to RSVP.

Update: Due to a glitch in the registration form, if you are planning on attending, please send RSVP sco at geo-summit.org for meeting and connection details, and send along any mini-talks you have. Happy to answer any questions. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

We invite you to a virtual meeting to discuss future goals for NASA and NSF funded field projects working on the Greenland Ice Sheet, Sept 14 and Sept 16, 2021, 12:30-16:30 eastern. Our goal is to discuss synergies for current and future field programs working on the ice sheet. This meeting is designed to be a combination of what in the past has been the GEOSummit workshop discussing future science goals at NSF's Summit Station, Greenland and a mini, field-centric version of NASA's PARCA meeting. We envision a return to PARCA's roots, devoted to discussing the science and results coming out of the various field campaigns supported by NASA and NSF and possible synergies between deploying projects. We are soliciting 5 min lightning talks (two slides max!) focused on fieldwork and field data that include 1) your most recent, exciting Greenland results you want to share and 2) future plans and logistics needs. We welcome any follow-on to recent traverse and field safety workshops and discussions.

The deadline for submitting mini-talks is Sept 10, 2022 to sco at geo-summit.org and let us know if there are any questions.

Please RSVP using the link above by Sept 10.

Part of the NOAA in Alaska and the Arctic seminar series hosted by NOAA NCEI Regional Climate Services Director, Alaska Region.

Remote Access

Please register for NOAA in Alaska and the Arctic seminar series September 14, 2021 at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/36713110240989963

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Abstract

Over the last decade, ocean acidification (OA) has emerged as one of the most prominent issues in Alaskan marine research, and a possible threat to culturally and commercially important marine resources. Multiple communities around the state are now engaged in their own OA studies and monitoring, and are asking a common question: what risks does my region face? These are especially salient questions for Alaskans, given that the intensity, duration and extent of OA events have been greater than other ocean basins. Given the pace of the observed changes due to OA around Alaska, the area is commonly referred to as a bellwether and the proverbial canary in the coal mine for the rest of the global ocean. Here, we will take a look back at the last ten years of OA research in the Bering Sea and the Arctic, and highlight new, cutting-edge biogeochemical modeling, forecasting, and projection efforts that have dramatically increased our capacity to understand Alaskan OA from a large-scale perspective. Our goal is to continue refining our capacity to identify new risks and emerging resilience of Alaskan ecosystems, and guide sound, evidence-based adaptation and mitigation decisions that support sustainable marine resources in the future.

Bio

My current research focuses on carbon biogeochemistry and ocean acidification in Arctic regions, and especially along the Alaskan coast. The main goal is to better understand how acidification processes interact with natural biogeochemical cycles, and eventually to detect impacts of acidification and opportunities for adaptation and mitigation in marine systems. I conduct research across a variety of platforms, including ship-based measurements, moorings, and mobile autonomous platforms like gliders and drones. I also broadly participate in the Arctic research community through the North American Carbon Program, the Ocean Carbon Biogeochemistry Program, the Pacific Arctic Group, and the Interagency Research Policy Committee collaboration teams.

The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies and the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge are pleased to host the Arctic Environmental Humanities Workshop Series.

Full Title:
The Arctic Environmental Humanities Workshop Series: What Can We Learn from Ignorance? Arctic Energy Frontiers, Environmental Regimes, and Indigenous Rights Movements Since the 1970s

Doug Pimlott was shocked. The University of Toronto zoologist — one of Canada’s leading environmentalists — had just discovered a government secret. In 1973, the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs was planning an oil drilling program in the ice-choked Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean). What stunned Pimlott was not that the Department would target such a remote and challenging place for oil exploration. After all, the energy situation in North America in 1973 had grown desperate. Rather, it was that the entire discussion of the risks involved — to the delicate marine environment and to thousands of Inuit who relied upon its bounty — had been shielded from public scrutiny. “Nearly all the substantive information on offshore drilling plans is contained in various confidential proposals put forward by the oil industry and in restricted reports by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs,” the scientist wrote. “Why had native communities in the region not been consulted about offshore drilling plans? Why was this new phase of exploration cloaked in secrecy?” As Pimlott searched for answers, Canada’s Cabinet pressed forward. In 1976, they approved two wells for the Beaufort Sea’s outer continental shelf. A year later, they supported long-term drilling there. The world’s northernmost oil frontier had been opened.

In this talk, Prof. Andrew Stuhl will examine the state of knowledge that Pimlott experienced as a constitutive element of energy frontiers, environmental regimes, and struggles for Indigenous rights in the late twentieth-century Arctic. That is, while actors in the oil industry and the Canadian government produced detailed studies about the risks and rewards of drilling in the Beaufort Sea, their circulation was limited — which also produced deliberate, widespread ignorance. Their efforts to maintain a state of limited knowledge blunted resistance from environmentalists and Indigenous rights advocates whose political power was on the rise. These activists attempted to slow or delay oil development by pointing out that oil companies knew very little about the sensitive ecologies and Indigenous claims to land in the Arctic. In response, oil companies designed elaborate consultation campaigns to nurture local support and undercut opposition to oil exploitation. Drawing on recently declassified sources from the Canadian federal government and the oil and gas industry, Prof. Stuhl will explore how studies of ignorance can thus help explain the shape of public interest groups, corporate social responsibility campaigns, oil and gas schemes, research agendas in the natural sciences, and environmental politics in Arctic North America over the last 50 years.

Join us for a one-hour Zoom webinar to launch UArctic Thematic Network: Bioregional Planning for Resilient Rural Communities. Learn about the network and its mission to support the implementation of bioregional strategies for Northern communities. The purpose of the event is to share the goals for the network, offer some concrete examples of some of the work the inaugural partners are already doing, and invite participants to our October working meeting where we will discuss topics such as engagement of Indigenous communities and potential student engagement.

Hosted by UNE North, SustainaMetrix, University of Highlands and Islands, Agricultural University of Iceland and Tyumen State University.

For questions, please email Holly Parker at hparker3 [at] une.edu