News From: - Publication

Witness Community Highlights

The August 2021 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue features two articles, "Accelerated Sea Ice Loss in the Wandel Sea Points to a Change in the Arctic’s Last Ice Area" and "Ethnography of and during the Pandemic Era in Alaska."

For questions, or future article suggestions, please contact Betsy Turner-Bogren (betsy [at] arcus.org).


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News From: - Education

PolarTREC Teacher Heads to the Arctic

PolarTREC Teacher Heads to the Arctic

PolarTREC has a teacher heading to the Arctic! Jon Pazol, from West Leyden High School in Illinois is participating in an international ship-based research expedition, Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System (NABOS). Jon will be at sea until late October. You can read about his experience through his journals, view photos, and ask questions.


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News From: - Report

2021 August Sea Ice Outlook Report is Now Available Online

2021 August Sea Ice Outlook Report is Now Available Online

The 2021 August Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2), 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 2021 August report, 45 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, nine also included predictions for pan-Antarctic, nine included predictions for the Alaska Region, and 15 submitted September mean sea-ice extent anomalies. This report includes discussions on current conditions in the Arctic; ocean heat conditions; predictions of Arctic sea-ice probability, ice-free dates, ice-advance dates, and initial conditions for those forecasts; Arctic regional sea-ice extent; Arctic sea-ice extent anomalies; and Antarctic contributions.

For the pan-Arctic, the median August Outlook value for September 2021 sea-ice extent is 4.39 million square kilometers, with quartiles of 4.1 and 4.5 million square kilometers. The forecasts continue to support a September 2021 mean sea-ice extent that is well above the September 2020 value of 4.00 million square kilometers.


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News From: - Meeting

Registration Open for Arctic CCS: Community and Citizen Science in the Far North

Registration Open for Arctic CCS: Community and Citizen Science in the Far North

Registration is now open for Arctic CCS: Community and Citizen Science in the Far North. This is a free, virtual conference scheduled for 5–7 Oct. 2021. The conference, integrated with social media, will focus on sharing, networking, and discussing the various aspects of conducting community and citizen science research in the Arctic. Abstracts are due on Monday, 23 August 2021 at 5:00 PM Alaska Daylight Time. Share your experiences with community and citizen science research in the Arctic. There are no registration or abstract fees.


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News From: - Webinar

Arctic Research Seminar with Jens Terhaar

Arctic Research Seminar with Jens Terhaar

ARCUS invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Dr. Jens Terhaar, a postdoctoral fellow in the division of Climate and Environmental Physics at the Physics Institute of the University of Bern. Dr. Jens Terhaar’s presentation, titled “Stressors of Arctic Ocean Ecosystems: Improved Understanding of Primary Production and Ocean Acidification,” will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, 17 August 2021 at 9:00 a.m. AKDT (1:00 p.m. EDT). Registration is required for this event.


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News From: - Call for Input

Call for Sea Ice Outlook Contributions

Call for Sea Ice Outlook Contributions

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team announces the Call for Contributions to the 2021 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) August Report (based on May, June, and July data). The SIO provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea-ice to share ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. Post-Season reports focus on performance of the Outlooks, analysis and discussion of factors driving sea ice extent, and scientific methods for predicting seasonal conditions.

Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Friday, 13 August 2021 (firm).


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News From: - Report

2021 July Sea Ice Outlook Report is Now Available Online

2021 July Sea Ice Outlook Report is Now Available Online

The 2021 July Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2), 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 2021 July report, 41 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, eight also included predictions for pan-Antarctic, eight included predictions for the Alaska Region, and 14 submitted September mean sea-ice extent anomalies. This report includes discussions on current conditions in the Arctic, ocean heat, predictions of sea-Ice probability and ice-free dates, initial conditions for those forecasts, Arctic regional sea-ice extent, Arctic sea-ice extent anomalies, and Antarctic contributions.

For the pan-Arctic, the median July Outlook value for September 2021 sea-ice extent is 4.36 million square kilometers, with quartiles of 4.09 and 4.52 million square kilometers. The median is close to the 2021 June Outlook, of 4.37 million square kilometers. The observed 2020 September sea-ice extent was 4.00 million square kilometers.


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News From: - Publication

Witness Community Highlights

Witness Community Highlights

The July 2021 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue features an article from the University of Alaska Center for One Health Research with an overview of the international One Health One Future conference they hosted in April 2021. The virtual event brought together scientists, health care providers, policy makers, agency workers, students, and community members to present and discuss One Health issues facing the circumpolar north.

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


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News From: - Webinar

Join PolarTREC for an Upcoming PolarConnect Live Event from Svalbard

Photo by Mark Goldner

Register today for the PolarConnect event with PolarTREC teacher Mark Goldner! The live event takes place on Monday, 26 July 2021 at 11:30AM AKDT [12:30PM PDT, 1:30PM MDT, 2:30PM CDT, 3:30PM EDT]. Learn all about what is happening with a retreating glacier in Svalbard, Norway! This event will focus on the National Geographic supported expedition with the team working with Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette. Teacher Mark Goldner will share what they are learning about the changing glacier and fjord. Learn more about the science at their expedition page.


Register Here


News From: - Announcement

ARCUS Goals & Objectives

ARCUS Goals & Objectives

ARCUS envisions strong and productive connections among U.S. and international Arctic researchers, educators, Indigenous and traditional knowledge holders, Arctic residents and local experts, and other stakeholders to improve understanding of the changing Arctic. We achieve this vision by implementing a set of interconnected goals and objectives, and we invite you to collaborate with us in our efforts! See the the webpage and flyer for all the details!


View Here


News From: - Call for Input

Call for Sea Ice Outlook Contributions

Call for Sea Ice Outlook Contributions

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team announces the Call for Contributions to the 2021 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) July Report (based on May and June data). The SIO provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. Post-Season reports focus on performance of the Outlooks, analysis and discussion of factors driving sea ice extent, and scientific methods for predicting seasonal conditions.

Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Monday, 12 July 2021 (firm).


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News From: - Publication

Summer 2021 Issue of Witness the Arctic

Summer 2021 Issue of Witness the Arctic

This issue includes highlights of a recent NSF Dear Colleague Letter on efforts to improve the inclusion of local and Indigenous voices in Arctic research; news of a new Department of Defense Regional Center, the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies; Arctic social science news about US student knowledge of polar regions; news of the Arctic Data Center’s new award and related services; a perspective on best practices between Arctic researchers and Indigenous communities; a research update on investigating freshwater pathways between the Arctic and the subpolar North Atlantic; highlights from a USARC conference on Arctic Sustainable Energy Research; updates from the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC); a summary of the recently published “Pan-Arctic Report: Gender Equality in the Arctic”; news from PolarTREC, the Sea Ice Outlook for Walrus (SIWO), and the Sea Ice Prediction Network; and a highlight of ARCUS member institution, The University of the Arctic (UArctic).


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News From: - Report

2021 June Sea Ice Outlook Report is Now Available Online

2021 June Sea Ice Outlook Report is Now Available Online

The 2021 June Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) report is now available online. The Sea Ice Outlook, managed by the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2), 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 2021 June report, 38 contributions were received that included pan-Arctic predictions. Of those contributions, eight also included predictions for pan-Antarctic, seven included predictions for the Alaska Region, and 14 submitted September mean sea-ice extent anomalies. This report includes new discussions on Arctic sea-ice extent anomalies, SIO contributor motivations, and the emerging pattern in the Sea Ice Outlooks.

For the pan-Arctic, the median June Outlook value for September 2021 sea-ice extent is 4.37 million square kilometers, with quartiles of 4.07 and 4.61 million square kilometers. The median is close to the 2020 June Outlook, of 4.33 million square kilometers. The observed 2020 September sea-ice extent was 3.92 million square kilometers.


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News From: - Education

PolarTREC Alumnus Returns to the Field After 10 Years

PolarTREC Alumni Returns to the Field After 10 Years

Teacher Mark Goldner is returning to the field with researcher Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette 10 years after his first PolarTREC expedition in 2011. The research, funded through National Geographic, will return to the Svalbard Archipelago and continue to look at ice-ocean interactions and processes at the faces of tidewater glaciers. The team will be mapping bathymetry of the ice margin area to compare with earlier surveys, and recording oceanographic data (including temperature, salinity, and turbidity of the water column) to track the inflow of North Atlantic water at the ice face.


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News From: - Webinar

SIPN2 Webinar: Call for Registration

SIPN2 Webinar: Call for Registration

The Sea Ice Prediction Network-Phase 2 (SIPN2) announces an upcoming webinar, entitled "Prospects for Improved Regional Predictions of Arctic Sea Ice" that will be presented by Mitch Bushuk at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL). This webinar will provide an overview of a newly developed dynamical seasonal prediction system and its performance in predicting regional Arctic sea-ice conditions. The one-hour webinar will be held on Tuesday, 13 July 2021, starting at 9:00 a.m. (AKDT).


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News From: - Webinar

Join PolarTREC for an Upcoming PolarConnect Live Event

Photo by Jeremy May

Register today for the PolarConnect event with PolarTREC teacher Liza Backman! The live event takes place 15 June 2021 and starts at 10:00 am AKDT. Liza is working with researchers studying environmental variability and increased temperature on tundra plant phenology in Alaska as part of the Phenology and Vegetation in the Warming Arctic expedition.


Register Here


News From: - Webinar

Arctic Research Seminar with Don Anderson

Arctic Research Seminar with Don Anderson

ARCUS invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Don Anderson, a Senior Scientist in the Biology Department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Dr. Anderson’s presentation, titled “Evidence for Massive and Recurrent Toxic Blooms of Alexandrium catenella in the Alaskan Arctic,” will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, 22 June 2021 at 9:00 a.m. AKDT (1:00 p.m. EDT). Registration is required for this event.


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News From: - Publication

Witness Community Highlights

Witness Community Highlights

The May 2021 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue features two articles: Studying the Potential for Changing Global Seaborne Trade Flows as a Consequence of a Thawing Arctic Ocean, an overview of efforts to forecast conditions along Arctic passageways to understand related risks to vessels, infrastructure, and communities; and Circumpolar Collaboration: An Arctic Youth Perspective, which includes news about a recent Arctic youth symposium and a perspective on the cultural shifts needed to address systemic problems like climate change and racism.

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


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News From: - Call for Input

Call for Sea Ice Outlook Contributions

Call for Sea Ice Outlook Contributions

The Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 (SIPN2) Project Team announces the Call for Contributions to the 2021 Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) June Report (based on May data). The SIO provides an open process for those interested in Arctic sea ice to share ideas. The monthly reports contain a variety of perspectives—from advanced numerical models to qualitative perspectives from citizen scientists. Post-Season reports focus on performance of the Outlooks, analysis and discussion of factors driving sea ice extent, and scientific methods for predicting seasonal conditions.

Submission Deadline: 6:00 p.m. (AKDT) Friday, 11 June 2021 (firm).


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News From: - Webinar

Arctic Research Seminar with Kaare Sikuaq Erickson

Arctic Research Seminar with Kaare Sikuaq Erickson

ARCUS invites registration for the next Arctic Research Seminar featuring Kaare Sikuaq Erickson. Sikuaq’s presentation, titled “Ingenious Indigenous Technology and Inuit History,” will be held via Zoom on Thursday, 27 May 2021 at 9:00 a.m. AKDT (1:00 p.m. EDT). Registration is required for this event.


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News From: - Job Opening

Position Open: Information Archivist and Data Advisor

Position Open: Information Archivist and Data Advisor

ARCUS and the Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska (ICC AK) are partnering on the creation of an Information Archivist and Data Advisor position to serve the needs of both organizations. This will be a year-long ARCUS staff position detailed to ICC AK and based in Anchorage, AK, or as a home-based position elsewhere in Alaska.

This position will support ICC in fulfilling its objectives by understanding and addressing the information needs of ICC and those for whom we advocate. Primary focus of this work will include: (1) developing a culturally appropriate archiving system; (2) developing and implementing a program of diverse platforms to enhance networking capabilities among the ICC offices; and (3) sharing new techniques developed, as appropriate and under direction of ICC AK.

Applications will be reviewed beginning Monday, 7 June 2021, but the position will remain open until filled.


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News From: - Publication

Witness Community Highlights

Witness Community Highlights

The April 2021 issue of Witness Community Highlights is now available online. This issue features two companion articles about the Fresh Eyes on Ice project: Observing the Cycle of Ice through Fresh Eyes provides an overview of activities documenting changes in river- and lake-ice dynamics in response to climate change, and Broadening Participation in Freshwater Ice Science and Education with Fresh Eyes on Ice provides details about the community science dimension of the project.

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


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News From: - Opportunity

2021 ARCUS Early Career Conference Funding Award

2021 ARCUS Early Career Conference Funding Award

ARCUS is pleased to announce another cycle of our Early Career Conference Funding Award to support attendance of virtual conferences. This award program aims to increase accessibility of Arctic research for early career researchers and students, especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The application period is open until 23 May 2021 for conferences occurring between 1 June – 31 December 2021.


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News From: - Events

Virtual Arctic Research Funders Meet & Greet Event

Arctic Research Funders Meet & Greet Event

ARCUS, IARPC Collaborations, and UC Irvine invite registration for a virtual Arctic Research Funders Meet and Greet networking event on Friday, 7 May 2021 from 9-11am AK/10-12pm PT/11-1pm MT/12-2pm CT/1-3pm ET. The event will provide an informal opportunity for Arctic researchers to connect with multiple agency program officers and gain insight into each organization’s Arctic research interests. 


Representatives from the following U.S. funding agencies will be in attendance:

  • U.S. National Science Foundation
  • NOAA's Arctic Research Program
  • NASA's Cryosphere Program
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Arctic Research Commission
  • North Pacific Research Board
  • U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Register


News From: - Education

Educator Liza Backman Heading to Toolik Field Station, Alaska

Educator Liza Backman Heading to Toolik Field Station, Alaska. Photo by Melissa Lau.

Teacher Liza Backman from Brooklyn Emerging Leaders Academy in Brooklyn, New York, will be traveling to Fairbanks, Alaska in mid-May to prepare for field work before heading to Toolik Field Station, north of the Brooks Range. She’ll be joining researchers Dr. Steve Oberbauer and Dr. Jeremy May as part of the Phenology and Vegetation in the Warming Arctic 2021 expedition. The team will study environmental variability and increased temperature on tundra plant phenology, growth, species composition and ecosystem function. Follow Liza's expedition to the Arctic by learning more about the expedition and following her journals!


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