News Archive

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) invites registration for the 2020 ARCUS Annual Meeting. This meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, 29 October 2020 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. AKDT.

The ARCUS Annual Meeting is an important opportunity for the Council of ARCUS Institutional Member Representatives, ARCUS Individual Members, and other members of the broader Arctic research community to connect with one another, the ARCUS Board of Directors, and staff.

The meeting will be open to all interested participants and there is no cost to attend.

The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) supports a rich range of Arctic research, education, and communication activities. Our Polar Media Archive is a valuable resource that is home to over 20,000 beautiful photos from across the Arctic. Of these, we’re proud to present 30 handpicked images to serve as virtual meeting backgrounds.

Full resolution photos are now available online for PolarTREC educator Katie Gavenus' MOSAiC expedition aboard the R/V Akademik Fedorov icebreaker in the Central Arctic Ocean, that took place from September 18th to October 24th, 2019.

The MOSAiC expedition has met another milestone! On 29 July, researchers and expedition crew began the process of dismantling research equipment, loading it all back onto the Polarstern, and evacuating the ice camp. Want to read more about what happens next? Read educator Katie Gavenus' latest journal online.

If you haven't yet, check out the latest Witness the Arctic issue from Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS). This issue includes updated news about the new NSF Director, Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, updates from NSF’s Office of Polar Programs, summaries of recently released strategic plans from NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and from the American Geophysical Union (AGU), science articles about understanding circumpolar bear ceremonialism and about the changing carbon cycle of the Arctic Ocean, updates on the PolarTREC program and the Sea Ice Prediction Network–Phase 2 project, overviews of the first Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Investigators Meeting and of the sixth annual APECS conference, comments from the ARCUS Executive Director, Board President, and other board members, and a highlight of ARCUS member institution, Kawerak, Inc. Enjoy!

We are excited to announce new resources available through the PolarTREC website. Whether you are a classroom teacher looking for new lessons for next fall, or an informal science educator looking for new ideas to use with your audiences - PolarTREC has resources for you!

Recently Published:

Growing Up on Ice In this STEM-based lesson, students analyze Weddell seal pup growth data, collected by the Growing Up on Ice, B-030, research team.

Don’t Clam Up - The Effect of Warming Seas on Respiration and Biomass This lesson plan is designed to teach students about the importance of the benthic community in the shallow portions of the Arctic and how climate change may affect their respiration.

Jumping Into Warming Seas This lesson introduces students to the impacts of increasing ocean temperatures on marine life. 

Resource Available 2020 State of Arctic Science Report International Arctic Science Committee

The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) announces the release of its 2020 State of Arctic Science Report.

The report aims to be a cohesive synthesis of international Arctic research activities and priorities, as gathered from the Arctic research community itself. Each of the 23 countries represented in IASC’s Scientific Working Groups (Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human, and Terrestrial) was asked to submit a summary detailing the research priorities and activities in their country. This corpus of content was compiled by each Working Group’s leadership. These were condensed into this report, then reviewed by the IASC Executive Committee and Council with an eye towards interdisciplinary connections. For national and/or disciplinary breakdowns, please contact IASC Working Group members directly.

Following an internal recommendation, this report is aimed at Arctic science agencies, Arctic science managers, and Arctic science users including a wide range of decisionmakers and policymakers – e.g., national research councils and scientific foundations, Arctic ministers and ambassadors, international science bodies, and more. It will also be delivered to the organizers of the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial.

From the MOSAiC Expedition Our first set of MOSAiC expedition virtual teacher workshops earlier this month filled up, so we wanted to offer them again later this summer for folks who were unable to attend!

Workshop 1: Exploring the New and Old Arctic - July 28-29, 10 am - 2 pm MDT (8 AM AKDT, 9 AM PDT, 11 AM CDT, 12 PM EDT)

Workshop 2: Arctic Feedbacks: Not All Warming is Equal - August 4-5, 10 am - 2 pm MDT (8 AM AKDT, 9 AM PDT, 11 AM CDT, 12 PM EDT)

Learn more about both workshops and apply here.

Questions? Email Jon Griffith at jonathan.griffith [at] colorado.edu

Check out other MOSAiC expedition educational resources here.

Call for Applications: Caleb Lumen Pungowiyi Scholars Program

Application deadline: 31 July 2020

The Caleb Lumen Pungowiyi Scholars Program announces a call for applications for the 2020 Fall semester. The Caleb Scholars Program is available to students from Norton Sound, Northwest Arctic, and Arctic Slope regions of Alaska and applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in disciplines related to marine conservation.

For more information and to apply, visit the website. For questions, contact: Caleb Scholar Program; cpp.spec [at] kawerak.org; 907-443-4354

COVID-19 has had far-reaching impacts. In response to this uncertainty and for the safety of the teams and the communities of which they would visit, the deployment of all the 2020 PolarTREC educators to both the Arctic and Antarctica has been postponed until 2021. We will continue working with all the teams over the next year and in preparation for 2021. In the meantime, we'll be highlighting past expeditions and continuing to host science-focused seminars.