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Abstract:

Deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the Aleutian Islands are important habitat features for many life stages of commercially important fish targets, including Atka mackerel, Pacific cod, and rockfish. The effects of commercial fishing activities on deep-sea corals and sponges has been difficult to quantify due to a lack of spatially-explicit fishery data, bottom contact by different gear types, undetermined location of corals and sponges, and the susceptibility and recovery dynamics these structure-forming invertebrates (SFI). To address these challenges, a fishing effects model was developed in the North Pacific to integrate spatially explicit VMS data with target-specific gear configurations for over 40,000 bottom trawls since 2003. Fishery observer coverage for Aleutian Island trawl fisheries is nearly 100 percent and records catch species composition. Species distribution models provide presence data for coral, sponge, Primnoidae, and Stylasteridae. A simple spatial overlap analysis of the trawl footprint indicates trawl fisheries are extremely aggregated and spatially distinct for three main targets: mackerel, cod, and rockfish. Across the Aleutian Islands, trawl fisheries affect less than 10% of areas of the highest probability of presence for SFIs. Patterns in spatial variation exist longitudinally, from about 5% in the eastern, 10% in the central, and 20% in the western Aleutians. This footprint analysis depicts maximum overlap, as it does not account for bottom contact, estimated at between 20 and 100% for AI fisheries, or susceptibility or recovery of SFIs. However, this analysis does provide valuable information for fishery managers evaluating impacts on SFIs.

Remote Access:
Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6600028956568341772
For audio: Participants can use their computer speakers or call 415-655-0060 followed by passcode 654-149-455

Seminar sponsor:

NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology ProgramSeminar.

Seminar Contact:
heather.coleman [at] noaa.gov (301-427-8650)

Update: The 6th annual Students in Polar and Alpine Research Conference has been postponed. SPARC 2020 will be held in Brno, Czech Republic, on 21-22 September 2020.

We are pleased to announce that the 6th annual Students in Polar and Alpine Research Conference - SPARC 2020. If you are a student or Early-Career Researcher (<3 years after PhD defense), you are cordially invited to attend our conference which serves as a platform for presenting your research, as well as for exchanging experiences and strengthening the bonds within a community of Polar and Alpine scientists, within the fields of both bio- & geosciences.

The Wilson Center's Polar Institute and the Harvard Kennedy School's Arctic Initiative recently released a report entitled "Policy and Action on Plastic Pollution in the Arctic Ocean." This report describes the nature of challenges posed by Arctic marine plastic pollution and provides targeted recommendations to policymakers and researchers; it is based on a workshop the two organizations co-hosted with the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. Ambassador David Balton, Brittany Janis, Halla Hrund Logadóttir, and Marisol Maddox will discuss the report, the challenges of Arctic marine plastic pollution, and recommendations to combat plastic pollution in the Arctic Ocean.

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is hosting weekly live calls to the South Pole to chat with IceCube "winterovers" John Hardin and Yuya Makino about living and working at the coldest, harshest place on Earth. In this week's special kids' edition, our winterovers will be joined by special guest Jocelyn Argueta—aka Jargie the Science Girl! Jocelyn visited the South Pole in December 2019 to work on IceCube through the PolarTREC program. She will share about her journey to the South Pole and teach a little science along the way.

Bring your own questions about life and science at the South Pole. It's free and open to all ages. Watch the Facebook event page on Wednesday (see link above) for the Zoom Webinar link.

You can read more about Jocelyn's experiences at the South Pole here.

This webinar will include a briefing on scientific developments and policy initiatives that are helping protect Alaskan ecosystems and communities from erosion, sea level rise, and other coastal hazards.

Alaska coastal communities are experiencing extreme challenges as shore-fast ice—a coastal buffer to storm water—disappears and houses built on thawing permafrost buckle and become uninhabitable. Stakeholder engagement combined with up-to-date scientific analyses on environmental risk are necessary to create adaptation plans that make economic sense while assisting vulnerable communities.

Coastal Alaska is facing rapid warming and corresponding environmental changes. This briefing aims to provide an overview of the area’s environmental challenges; give specific examples of projects that protect homes, ecosystems, and economies; and showcase the legislation, regulations, and programs that help (or hinder) those projects’ success.

The panelists will describe the collaborative process between federal, state, local, and tribal stakeholders in collecting, sharing, and acting on scientific data to inform policy decisions around adaptation and help communities define and achieve their resilience goals. These projects can serve as a model for other regions experiencing similar issues in high-latitude or coastal areas.

Panelists include:

• Jeremy Littell (Research Ecologist (Climate Impacts), Department of Interior Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center) - Littell will discuss the changing Alaskan coastline, as well as topographic and other mapping data necessary to understand current risks and vulnerabilities along Alaska’s coast.
• Aaron Poe (Coordinator, Aleutian Bering Sea Initiative) - Poe will discuss his work engaging agencies, tribes, researchers, industries, and communities to plan for adaptation at the regional scale through the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) that were originally established by the Department of the Interior but now operate as public-private partnerships.
• Raymond Paddock III: (Environmental Planner, Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska) - Paddock will describe the process of collecting base-level data and carrying out adaptation planning within tribal communities in Southeast Alaska. He will further highlight the damage warming waters are having on traditional food sources and ways of life.

For questions, contact:
Amber Todoroff
Email: atodoroff [at] eesi.org

Most of Alaska has just come off of a colder or snowier (or both) winter than in recent years. Crane Johnson with the NWS Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center will review break-up basics and an overview of current conditions. ACCAP Alaska Climate Specialist Rick Thoman will provide the latest subseasonal outlooks that help inform the APRFC's official break-up outlook.

We strongly encourage pre-registration for webinars. It helps speakers tailor their presentations to the audience. Follow the link above to register.

Update: As a growing number of States and organizations worldwide are voluntarily issuing bans on non-essential travel and gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic the organizing committee for the International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and the Sub-Arctic Region has decided to reschedule the event for the Fall 2020. The priority of the organizers and that of the government of Iceland is to ensure safety for all concerned.

The Government of Iceland in collaboration with the Nordic Council of Ministers is hosting an International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region in April 2020 in connection with the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.

Iceland holds the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council from May 2019 to May 2021 and intends during this period to promote discussion on ways and means that may reduce the impact of plastics in the Arctic Marine Environment.

Iceland holds the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2019. The Icelandic Presidency prioritizes the ocean with a focus on the fight against plastic in the marine environment, one of our times biggest challenges. The Presidency project NordMar Plastic runs for three years, up until 2021 and is in joint partnership of all eight Nordic countries.

The International Symposium will focus on scientific knowledge of the problem and the best practices to deal with the huge challenge. In this way the symposium is expected to build a foundation of science and deliver information and advice for decision makers.

The symposium is furthermore expected to contribute to the Arctic Council's work on plastic litter during the Icelandic Chairmanship.

Key Dates:

• 1 June 2019: Registration opens
• 1 July 2019: Open for abstracts
• 1 November 2019: Early bird registration ends
• 1 December 2019: Abstract submission deadline

The Center for Arctic Policy Studies (CAPS) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks kicks off its webinar series with a webinar on China/Alaska Cooperation in the Arctic, hosted by Dr. Qingchao Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Liz Bowman of University of Alaska Fairbanks. The 30-minute presentation will be followed by a Q & A session. Information on how to join the webinar will be posted on the CAPS website.

The webinar will be online via Zoom (registration link forthcoming – follow URL above).

Update: After extensive deliberation and careful consideration, the Western Snow Conference has made the difficult decision to cancel the 88th annual meeting scheduled for April 20-23, 2020 due to health concerns associated with COVID-19.

The Western Snow Conference provides a forum for individuals and organizations to share scientific, management, and socio-political information on snow and runoff from any viewpoint and advances snow and hydrologic sciences.

The Western Snow Conference is divided into four geographic areas: North Pacific, South Pacific, North Continental, and South Continental. Administration and leadership of the Conference is carried out by a General Chair and an Executive Committee representing each of the four areas.

You are invited to submit an abstract of 150 – 300 words for either an oral or poster presentation by January 31, 2020. Submit abstracts by filling out the online submission form at: https://forms.gle/wDS6rMqsfyzLdPsj7

The theme for the 2020 Western Snow Conference is "snow measurements and water management". Suggested topics for paper submissions include: snow measurements and data collection, snow data in hydrology operations, change in frequency of mid-winter snowmelt, extreme snow events, and snow melt timing. Other aspects of any cryosphere topic are always welcome.

The North Pacific Committee will compile a full agenda of oral and poster papers. In addition, a Monday short course is being planned which will focus on "Satellite remote sensing of snow and ice in British Columbia”. On Thursday, the technical tour will be "A Tour of Whistler Blackcomb Operations & Fitzsimmons Creek Power Plant ".

PYRN is organising monthly online seminars during the time of social distancing due to COVID-19. The first seminar features a talk by ExCom member Evan Wilcox about his research on thermokarst lakes. The title of the talk is "Investigating the influences on Thermokarst Lake Water Balances between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, NT."

If you would like to join, please register here: https://forms.gle/pfRbFtLZLqDymqcM8

The zoom link will not be posted online so please register at least two hours in advance and you will be emailed a zoom invitation.