News Archive

The December 2022 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes three articles: International Arctic Coastal Networks Connecting in Connecticut, a brief report on the retreat focused on climate and land use change issues impacting Arctic coasts and communities; IARPC Releases Arctic Research Biennial Implementation Plan 2022—2024, a summary of the new implementation plan deliverables centered around supporting research, creating products, and coordinating information sharing; and Permafrost Pathways Project: Advancing Just Strategies to Address Arctic Warming, an overview of the project efforts to inform and develop adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the hazards of permafrost thaw.

For questions, or to suggest topics for future articles, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

The 2022 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Post-Season Report is now available online. The (SIO) is a community network activity led by the Sea Ice Prediction Network-Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team with contributions from key partners. This report includes discussions of the 2022 observed Arctic sea-ice, atmospheric, and ocean heat conditions during the sea-ice retreat season; a review of the 2022 contributed forecasts for the pan-Arctic sea-ice extent and extent anomalies, pan-Arctic sea-ice probability, and sea-ice extent forecasts for Alaska regional seas and the Antarctic; a summary from the 2022 Sea Ice Drift Forecast Experiment (SIDFEx); and brief discussion of next steps for the SIO and SIPN project.

Antarctica Day is an international holiday recognizing the anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. It is celebrated on December 1st each year. Along with Midwinter Day, it is one of Antarctica's two principal holidays. Celebrate Antarctica Day with PolarTREC! Join PolarTREC for a live event from the Dry Valleys of Antarctica with PolarTREC teacher Lucy Coleman. The presentation will focus on the history of the Antarctica Treaty and how it relates to science conducted in Antarctica, in particular with the project Lucy is part of Microbial Interactions in Antarctic Lakes.

This event is free to attend but registration is required.

The November 2022 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes three articles: “Decadal Review of the Long-Term Ecological Research Program,” an excerpt from the LTER Network Response to the Fourth Decadal Review Committee Report; "The Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies—Newest Regional Center of the US Department of Defense," an overview the Center's mission-related programs and activities; and "ARCUS 2022 Annual Meeting and Institutional Member Updates," a brief summary of meeting activities and links to member updates.

For questions, or to suggest topics for future articles, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

ARCUS will host two free meeting rooms at the Hilton at McCormick Place (123 E Cermak Road, Chicago, Illinois 60616) for groups planning to connect around Arctic research, science, and education during the AGU Fall Meeting. Rooms will include complementary use of AV equipment, screen projection capabilities, and wifi to support virtual participation. The rooms can accommodate groups of up to 50 people (seated) and may be reserved for 2-hour time blocks. The space is a resource for all Arctic research community members and you do not need to be an ARCUS Member to make a reservation.

ARCUS announces a call for nominations for our December 2022 Board of Directors election! We seek nominations of candidates with enthusiasm and time to dedicate to ARCUS, who are willing and able to help ARCUS fulfill its mission. Terms will be three years and begin in January 2023. Nominees are welcome from any career level and type of organization and we strive to embody our value of “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging” in our Board. The nomination submission deadline is Wednesday, 30 November 2022, 12:00 p.m. AKT.

PolarTREC alumna Lucy Coleman has recently returned to Antarctica as part of a research team led by Dr. Rachel Morgan-Kiss and funded by Miami University in Ohio. This is a continuation of Lucy's research experience that started with PolarTREC in 2014. Lucy and the team are researching Microbial Interactions in Antarctic Lakes. While in the field, the team will be sampling at multiple locations in Lake Fryxell and Lake Bonney within the McMurdo Dry Valley region of Antarctica. The samples being collected will be used to analyze the influence of environmental gradients (light, nutrients, oxygen, sulfur) and seasons on microbial communities. Lucy and the team are scheduled to be in Antarctica until mid-December.

Read about Lucy’s earlier PolarTREC experience in 2014 and follow along on her current expedition.

ARCUS invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Sarah Laske, a fish biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center. Sarah’s presentation, titled “Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Environmental Drivers of Fish Diversity and Composition,” will be held via Zoom on Thursday, 10 November 2022 at 9:00 a.m. AKST (1:00 p.m. EST). Registration is required for this event.

The October 2022 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes two articles: SALVO: Monitoring Arctic Snowmelt and Changes in Albedo in Alaska, a brief report on a 2022 field campaign to monitor snowmelt patterns and albedo trajectories on two tundra and two sea-ice sites; and Tribal Climate Adaptation Guidebook Now Provides Online Resources, an overview of the comprehensive framework to support Indigenous communities in their efforts to prepare for climate change.

For questions, or to suggest topics for future articles, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

ARCUS and IARPC will be co-hosting an Arctic research funders networking event on Monday, 7 November from 9-10:30am AK/10-11:30am PT/11-12:30pm MT/12-1:30pm CT/1-2:30pm ET. This event provides an informal opportunity for Arctic researchers to connect with multiple funding organizations to gain insight into their Arctic research interests and funding opportunities. The event uses a speed networking format that allows small groups of researchers to rotate between multiple funders. Researchers will have the opportunity to meet with approximately 5-6 funding organizations over the course of the event.

The September 2022 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes three articles: Arctic Observing Summit 2022: A Call to Action, a summary of recommendations from the summit; Infrastructure and Permafrost Degradation in Point Lay, Alaska, an overview a multi-disciplinary team’s study of the effects of thawing permafrost on village infrastructure; and ARCUS Member Profile of Gaurav Madan, Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oslo.

For questions, or to suggest topics for future articles, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

Three Arctic Indigenous Scholars—Naidene Baechler, Kimberly Kivvaq Pikok, and Richard Slats—will spend the week of 26–30 September meeting with a variety of policy- and decision-makers engaged in Arctic issues, including NSF, NOAA, EPA, US Department of Education, Bureau of Indian Education, and Senators Sullivan and Murkowski. The Arctic Indigenous Scholars Program is led by ARCUS and the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) Alaska, and supported by the National Science Foundation's Division of Arctic Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution Arctic Studies Center.

The 2022 September Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team, provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

For the 2022 September SIO Report, 22 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, seven included predictions for the Alaska region, seven included predictions for pan-Antarctic, and 10 submitted September mean sea-ice extent anomalies. This report includes discussions of the contributed forecasts for the pan-Arctic, Alaska region, and pan-Antarctic; Arctic sea-ice extent anomalies; predictions from spatial fields; and current conditions.

The median September Outlook value for September 2022 pan-Arctic sea-ice extent is 4.90 million square kilometers, which is higher than that from August (4.83 million square kilometers), July (4.64 million square kilometers), and June (4.57 million square kilometers).

For questions, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

ARCUS invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Charlie Paull, Senior Scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). Charlie’s presentation, titled “Decomposing Submarine Permafrost in the Canadian Beaufort Sea,” will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, 5 October 2022 at 9:00 a.m. AKDT (1:00 p.m. EDT). Registration is required for this event.

Please join ARCUS for our 2022 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, 1 November 2022 from 9am-12pm AK. This virtual event brings the ARCUS membership community together to share news, exchange ideas, and explore Arctic research and education collaboration opportunities. This is an open event and we encourage anyone who might be interested in learning more about ARCUS and how to get more involved to attend.

The August 2022 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes three articles: Supporting Arctic Food Sovereignty through Sustained, Coordinated Observations of Arctic Change, an overview of the Research Networking Activities for Sustained Coordinated Observations of Arctic Change (Arctic CoObs RNA); Puzzling Vegetation Trends in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta are Resolved in 40-year Climate Record, a summary of recent findings that sea-ice concentration drives vegetation trends; and New Project Connects Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science to Better Understand Impacts of Climate Change on Arctic Rivers, highlights of a five-year project guided by an Indigenous Advisory Council with focus on Arctic rivers in Alaska and Canada and the Yukon River drainage.

For questions, or to suggest topics for future articles, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team announces an open Call for Contributions to the 2022 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) September Report and invites predictions for pan-Arctic, pan-Antarctic, and Alaskan regional September monthly mean sea-ice extent (based on May, June, July, and August data). Submissions for the Alaska region (i.e., Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas) are particularly encouraged. The SIO provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea-ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

September Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Monday, 12 September 2022 (firm).

The 2022 August Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team, provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

For the 2022 August report, 28 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, eight included predictions for the Alaska region, nine included predictions for pan-Antarctic, and 12 submitted September mean sea-ice extent anomalies. This report includes discussions of the contributed forecasts for the pan-Arctic, Alaska region, and pan-Antarctic; Arctic sea-ice extent anomalies; predictions from spatial fields; and current condition.

The median August Outlook value for September 2022 pan-Arctic sea-ice extent is 4.83 million square kilometers, which is higher than that from July (4.64 million square kilometers) and June (4.57 million square kilometers).

For questions, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

The Arctic Research Consortium of the US (ARCUS) Early Career Conference Funding Award supports US-based, early career researchers and students to participate in meetings and events relevant to Arctic research. Travel awards will cover airfare, lodging, registration fees, session/abstract submission costs, and other relevant expenses related to conference attendance for one conference or event occurring during the period of 15 October 2022 – 1 April 2023. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m., Friday, 16 September 2022.

ARCUS invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Carolina Behe, the Indigenous Knowledge/Science Advisor for the Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska (ICC Alaska). Carolina’s presentation, titled “Circumpolar Inuit Protocols for Equitable and Ethical Engagement (EEE): Sharing the EEE Protocols - Publication to Implementation,” will be held via Zoom on Thursday, 18 August 2022 at 9:00 a.m. AKDT (1:00 p.m. EDT). Registration is required for this event.

ARCUS is pleased to share a new resource, a curriculum unit focused on the Arctic Ocean. This curriculum unit, funded by the North Pacific Research Board, updates lessons originally created by PolarTREC alumni teachers to create a unit that uses recent data, aligns with NGSS, polar, and ocean literacy principles, and encourages cultural relevancy. The entire unit can be downloaded through the resources section of the PolarTREC website.

Please join us for a live event with teacher Rebecca Siegel on Thursday, 4 August 2022 at 9:00 AM Alaska (1 PM Eastern) time. She will be presenting while aboard the Norseman II somewhere in northern Arctic waters. Rebecca is assisting on a project focused on Harmful Algal Blooms in Arctic Waters. She will be discussing the research, what it’s like to live on a ship, and introduce us to part of the research team. The event will last for one hour with a Q&A session at the end. Tell your friends, colleagues, and family. This event is free and easy to join!

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team announces an open Call for Contributions to the 2022 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) August Report and invites predictions for pan-Arctic, pan-Antarctic, and Alaskan regional September monthly mean sea-ice extent (based on May, June, and July data). Submissions for the Alaska region (i.e., Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas) are particularly encouraged. The SIO provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea-ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

August Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Monday, 15 August 2022 (firm).

The 2022 July Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) Report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team, provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share predictions and ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. The Outlook is not an operational forecast.

For the 2022 July report, 30 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, eight included predictions for the Alaska region, nine included predictions for pan-Antarctic, and 12 submitted September mean sea-ice extent anomalies. This report includes discussions of the contributed forecasts for the pan-Arctic, Alaska region, and pan-Antarctic; Arctic sea-ice extent anomalies; predictions from spatial fields; and current condition.

The median July Outlook value for September 2022 pan-Arctic sea-ice extent is 4.64 million square kilometers, which is slightly higher than the median cited in the June report of 4.57 million square kilometers.

For questions, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).

The July 2022 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue includes two articles: "Satellite Observations Indicate a Boreal Forest Biome Shift is Underway," a summary of emerging evidence that climate change dynamics could lead to a gradual northward shift of boreal trees and shrubs across the circumboreal forest; and "A Community Level and Strength-Based Approach to Suicide Prevention," an overview of work by the Alaska Native Collaborative Hub for Research on Resilience to change the narrative on suicide prevention and re-imagine Indigenous research partnership within an academic environment.

For questions, or to suggest topics for future articles, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren, ARCUS (betsy [at] arcus.org).