Witness the Arctic - Spring/Autumn 1999, Volume 7 Number 1

1 continued on next page Published by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States • 600 University Avenue • Suite 1 • Fairbanks, AK 99709 USCGC Healy, the first polar icebreaker to be commissioned by the United States Coast Guard since 1978, was launched in 1997 (see Witness Spring and Autumn 1998) and delivered in November 1999. The ship is named for Captain Michael A. Healy, a legendary figure of Alaskan history and Commanding Officer of the U.S. Revenue Cutters Corwin (1884–85) and Bear (1886–95); Captain Healy’s voyages were important in early exploration and mapping of the Arctic. USCGC Healy was designed as a highlatitude research platform for conducting a wide variety of research tasks in diverse fields of science and engineering, and for extended polar operations including the ability to winter over for planned science missions. The Coast Guard intends to operate the ship primarily as an arctic research vessel scheduled for up to 200 Healy Prepares for Arctic Operations by Jonathan Berkson and George Dupree operational days per year. USCGC Healy is commanded by Captain Jeffrey Garrett. Even before the U.S. Congress authorized funds to build the Healy in 1990, vessel requirements for a research icebreaker were developed with input from governmental, academic, and industrial groups. The detailed design and construction contract, managed by the Naval Sea Systems Command, was awarded to Avondale Industries, Inc. in July 1993. The program office consists of Naval Sea Systems Command officers, civilian employees, and Coast Guard officers. Coast Guard Captain Greg Johnson is the Program Manager. The Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding in New Orleans, through a Coast Guard office of technical personnel, managed the construction contract, and will also manage the engineering shakedown, as well as the icebreaking and science trials. To increase involvement of the scientific community during construction and testing, the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee (AICC) was formed in September 1996, with Dr. James H. Swift as Chairman (see Witness Spring 1997). The initial design of the scientific spaces on Healy was modified on the basis of input from scientists. The AICC, which is supported jointly by the U.S. Coast Guard and NSF, provided valuable input to the design of the science suite. It also provides advice for the planning and operation of arctic science support for the two Polar Class icebreakers Polar Star and Polar Sea. Healy ’s Capabilities With a length of 420 feet, beam of 82 feet, and displacement of over 16,000 tons, Healy will be one of the world’s largest non-nuclear polar icebreakers. The ship, built by Avondale Industries, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana, has diesel electric propulsion with 30,000 shaft horsepower. The ship control systems include: • an anti-roll stabilization tank, • a bow thruster, • two rudders, • fixed pitch propellers, and The Healy is equipped with a highly automated engineering plant, a state-of-the-art array of navigational equipment, extensive communication and computer systems, a voyage-management system, and a modern suite of science systems (figure courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard). ARCTIC Chronicles of the NSF Arctic Sciences Program Spring/Autumn 1999, Volume 7 Number 1 2 Feature Article • a bow wash-bow thruster system that can lubricate the hull during icebreaking operations. The minimum icebreaking design requirements are 4.5 feet at 3 knots going ahead and 8 feet backing and ramming. The computerized, integrated navigation system will use electronic charts, an autopilot, and electronic positioning information to automate many ship control functions. A dynamic positioning system allows precise station-keeping and movement. In addition to a variety of ship communication systems, a separate system will provide dedicated satellite communiLaboratory and Science Support Spaces (in square feet) Main Laboratory 1,233 Wet Laboratory 390 Biological/Chemical Analysis Lab 310 Climate-Controlled Chambers (2) 200 Aloft Conning Station 256 (Wildlife Observation Platform) Meteorological Laboratory 64 Lounge/Library/Conference Room 300 Dive Locker Facilities 225 Photography Laboratory 105 Communications Center 62 Electronics/Computer Laboratory 528 Future Laboratory 475 Conning Station 439 Hazardous Materials Locker 100 Freezer 130 Refrigerator 130 Dry Assembly Area 152 Vestibule/Arctic Gear Locker 240 Science Staging Areas Starboard Staging Area 315 Aft Staging Area 315 Exterior Support Spaces Daylight Incubation Area 108 Forward Working Deck 820 Starboard Overside Handling Area 600 Aft Working Deck 3,000 cations for scientific work. Healy is also equipped with a ship-wide computerized data-logging system to record and store data from the navigation, oceanographic, engineering, and communications systems. Healy was designed specifically to accommodate scientific operations. For example: • sonar hydrophones are flush-mounted in the hull, • the ship’s engines are located on the main deck to reduce noise for the sonar systems, and • the ship has the ability to hold overboard discharges up to 24 hours to allow uncontaminated water sampling. With a crew of 75 and maximum scientific party of 50, Healy accommodates more scientists than the Coast Guard’s Polar Class icebreakers with half the crew. The ship normally will carry 35 scientists living two to a stateroom. Each science stateroom can accommodate a third person in a fold-down rack; this allows a surge capacity of 50 people. Living spaces dedicated to the science users include two conference rooms, a lounge, and library. In addition, all personnel have access to the central messroom, laundry, gym, the ship’s store, and medical treatment. Healy is well equipped for towing and for handling the wide variety of sensor arrays and oceanographic gear needed for ocean research. Deck equipment and five cranes are strategically located for: • loading supplies and equipment, • setting up experiments, • positioning vans, and • deploying/recovering scientific gear and boats. Two separate ocean winches and a double-drum trawl/core winch are available for scientific operations. A-frames located on the stern and starboard quarter provide versatility for over-the-side operations. Two helicopters and five boats are available for aiding science operations and logistics. Healy has a helicopter deck, a hangar, and will normally carry two HH65 helicopters. The ship can also carry: • one 39-foot Arctic Survey (ABS) boat, • two 36-foot LCVP cargo boats, and • two 23-foot Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. Science systems and equipment on Healy include the: • Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP); • Bathy2000 depth sounding and subbottom profiling system; • SeaBeam 2112 multibeam sonar system; • Oceanographic Data Acquisition System (ODAS) for expendable oceanographic probes (e.g., Expendable Bathythermographs); • TeraScan weather satellite system; • meteorological measurement system; • Conductivity-Depth-Temperature (CDT) acquisition and analysis system; • rosette water sampling system; • a bow tower for clean air experiments; • a dedicated area for daylight incubation experiments; • a continuous flow, seawater sampling system; and • a jumbo coring system. Data will be stored and analyzed with the aid of a dedicated fiber optic Science Data Network (SDN) with computer jacks throughout the ship, including two in each stateroom. The SDN will dateand time-stamp all data collected from the 24 installed scientific, navigational, and engineering systems and will have the capability of handling 12 additional systems, such as other sensors that scientists may install. To minimize the effect of disk crashes, files will be simultaneously stored on two separate hard disks. For convenience of the scientists, the system will allow the use of Microsoft, OS-2, Apple, and UNIX operating systems. Data can be transferred by e-mail via INMARSAT through the dedicated science communications system. Performance Trials Healy will start a series of warm water shakedown tests in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea in early 2000. During these post-delivery tests, all scientific equipment will be tested, and the bottom mapping sonar will be calibrated. Following the warm water tests, Healy will begin a northward transit to the eastern Arctic to conduct six weeks of icebreaking performance trials followed by four weeks of science suite testing and evaluation. In conjunction with the AICC and the UNOLS Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee (RVTEC), chaired by John S. Freitag, the Healy project office has contracted with a group of engineers, scientists, and technicians to conduct rigorous 3 There are over 5,000 square feet of interior science laboratories and science support rooms in addition to covered science staging areas and exterior space on the Healy. The main science lab is the scientific operations center and has immediate access to the wet lab, the dry assembly area, science vestibule, hazardous material locker, two of the science vans, the two science staging areas, and the after working deck. The layout allows scientists to move from the stateroom or mess area to the after working deck without going through the main science lab or the weather. The biological/chemical analysis lab and the climate-controlled chambers are also accessible from the interior of the ship without going through the main science lab. The three science cargo holds provide for up to 20,000 cubic feet of storage space with hoist. Each of the two staging areas for science operations has roller door access with a freezer curtain to the weather deck. In addition there are spaces for eight 20-foot science vans (two on the 01 level bow, two on the 02 level port and starboard, and four on the fantail, two of which open into the ship and two onto the fantail) and two 40-foot science vans (02 level port and starboard in the location of the science work boat and the LCVPs). The science van spaces are provided with most ship services, including telephone, Science Data Network, various water systems, and electrical power (figure courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard and James Swift). integrated testing of all science systems throughout the shakedown period. Healy will transit to her homeport of Seattle at the conclusion of the testing and trials program. Healy will be operated by the Coast Guard as a dedicated research vessel for the diverse needs of the U.S. science community, with services equivalent to those provided on UNOLS large research vessels. During the shakedown cruises, the Coast Guard will refine administrative and operational procedures to optimize services. The complex array of science equipment will be operated by Coast Guard Marine Science Technicians with support from contracted specialists as required. Science Cruises Healy’s first unrestricted science cruise is anticipated for 2001, after completion of maintenance and warranty work required by shakedown operations. Efficient and full utilization of Healy in the Arctic will require expeditionary planning to identify and coordinate schedules and logistics, and to arrange for companion vessels when high-arctic missions are made. The AICC held the first annual arctic planning meeting in December 1999, at the annual fall American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco, to discuss a five-year rolling communitydrafted plan for arctic marine science use of Coast Guard icebreakers. The advent of Healy, with its extensive capabilities and dedicated scientific mission signals an unprecedented era of research opportunity in the Arctic. To schedule time on Healy, see the UNOLS web site http://gso.uri.edu/unols/ unols.html. For more information, see the Coast Guard web page for Healy http:// www.uscg.mil/hq/g-a/Healy. Jonathan Berkson is the Marine Science Advisor at Coast Guard Headquarters. George DuPree is a U.S. Coast Guard Commander and the Chief of the Icebreaking Division. Main Deck 01 Deck HAZ MAT'L LKR CLIMATE CONTROL CHAMBER CLIMATE CONTROL CHAMBER BIO-CHEM LAB WET LAB DRY ASSEMBLY AREA SCIENCE CONTAINER (TYP) HELO DECK (OVER) MAIN LAB VESTIBULE/ARCTIC GEAR LOCKER STAGING AREA (LOWER LEVEL) SCIENCE FREEZER SCIENCE HOIST MACHINERY HOIST AFT STAGING AREA "A" FRAME STAGING AREAS CONTAINERS LABS BENCHES SCIENCE REFRIGERATOR ELECT/COMPUTER LAB PHOTO LAB (UNA LAB) STAGING AREA (BELOW) SCIENCE CONNING STA MAIN DECK (BELOW) HELO DECK (OVER) SCIENCE CONTAINER (ON MAIN DECK) Feature Article 4 • identify technical experts to review the development of specific capabilities; • report to the arctic research community about logistics improvements and their potential impacts on science; and • assist in the development of the Arctic Logistics Information Access Service (ALIAS) web site as a research support and logistics information resource. For more information, see the ARCUS web site (http://www.arcus.org) or contact ARCUS ([email protected]). organized by the Norwegian Research Council and ARCUS, to discuss joint science plans for Svalbard research. The 20member American delegation worked with Norwegian colleagues to explore research activities, possibilities, policies, and infrastructure in both Longyearbyen, where major research installations are located, and in Ny-Ålesund, where several international research stations operate (see Witness Autumn 1998). The workshop emphasized the importance of long-term observations and research platforms. Participants discussed the potential for: • cooperative projects in upper atmosphere research; • collaborative work in global-change research, including new opportunities for U.S. researchers to participate in programs funded by the European Community; • education of American students at University Courses on Svalbard (UNIS; see page 22), • establishment of a U.S. observation platform in Svalbard; and • collaborations among U.S., Russian, and Norwegian investigators for work in Russian waters. For more information on the U.S.- Norway workshop, contact ARCUS. A draft of the workshop report will be available soon on the ARCUS web site (http:// www.arcus.org). For information about Svalbard, see the Norsk Polarinstitutt web site (http://www.npolar.no/np/). Stephenson Named Arctic Research Support and Logistics Program Manager In June 1999, the NSF Office of Polar Programs (OPP) announced the appointment of Simon Stephenson as the Program Manager for Arctic Research Support and Logistics. Stephenson will provide leadership and serve as a liaison with the science community in improving research infrastructure to support first-class national and international arctic programs. Stephenson comes to the Arctic Program with 21 years experience in polar research. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Glacier Geophysics from the Council for National Academic Awards, UK. He worked 11 years as a glacier geophysicist with British Antarctic Survey and then with a team based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center studying the dynamics of West Antarctic ice streams. In these roles, he participated in light, two-person field teams and large, integrated, multi-institutional field campaigns. More recently, Stephenson worked in OPP as the Research Support Manager for the Antarctic Program, leading development of support plans for more than 100 projects annually and research infrastructure in the disciplines of aeronomy, astrophysics, biology, geology, geophysics, climate studies, and oceanography. Stephenson can be reached at NSF in Arlington, VA (703/306-1029; fax 703/ 306-0648; [email protected]). In October 1999, the NSF OPP signed a “Statement of Cooperation” (SOC) with the Norsk Polarinstitutt in Tromsø, Norway to promote interactions among U.S. and Norwegian scientists in arctic and Antarctic research efforts. The SOC focuses on potential expanded U.S. efforts on Svalbard and potential U.S. presence at the archipelago’s multinational facilities. The two countries also co-sponsored an August 1999 community workshop, In November 1999, the Arctic Research Support and Logistics Working Group (RSLWG) met to outline the scope and identify priorities for an update of arctic logistics needs and opportunities. ARCUS formed the RSLWG at the request of the Office of Polar Programs (OPP), to build upon the work of the former Logistics Working Group, convened in 1995 at the request of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC) and NSF. The new group’s mission is to represent the arctic research community in providing for OPP long-term expertise and advice on arctic logistics and science-support issues. The new working group will first reexamine science priorities and associated research support and logistics requirements, which have shifted in the past two years because of new research findings and improvements in logistical capability. The group will update Logistics Recommendations for an Improved U.S. Arctic Research Capability, the 1997 report that has provided guidance to the OPP Arctic Program in making logistics improvements. The report was designed to be a living document that would be updated periodically to reflect changing science priorities. Arctic Logistics The working group will examine arctic research support issues from a thematic rather than disciplinary perspective. Overarching research issues that transcend traditional disciplines and the support necessary to address those issues will be identified. The group also will: • guide the development of an implementation plan for improving arctic logistics, working with the research community, the USARC, NSF, and other federal agencies; Research Support and Logistics Group Updates Priorities U.S. and Norway Sign Agreement to Promote Joint Polar Research 5 Arctic Logistics Northernmost Community Focuses on Research Support In December 1998, at the request of the NSF Office of Polar Programs, ARCUS organized a community workshop to consider means and priorities to support science activities in the area serviced by Barrow, Alaska. The area around Barrow has supported marine, coastal, freshwater, terrestrial, and atmospheric research for more than 100 years. Barrow is located at 72o N latitude, where the North Slope of the continent meets the Arctic Ocean. The predominantly Iñupiat community is the site of the former Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL), which was established in 1947 and is now owned by the local Native corporation, Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC). Adjacent to the former NARL is the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO), a 7,466-acre research preserve, which was set aside by UIC as a permanent site for scientific research in 1992. In addition to the natural resources and substantial infrastructure in the area, the human resources that the indigenous community has offered to scientists are the foundation for important research projects in the U.S. Arctic (see Witness Autumn 1997). The Barrow Area Research Support (BARS) workshop, which convened in Marshall, California included 63 research scientists, Barrow residents, federal agency representatives, logistics providers, and regional government officials. The goal of the NSF and participants in this planning process is to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and extent of research taking place in the Barrow area. Participants recommended investments to build upon the rich combination of factors in Barrow for the benefit of research in the area. Expanded logistical capability will make possible the pursuit of new research opportunities in the Barrow area. Improved coordination of logistical and research support also could realize considerable economies of scale for the many researchers who now base fieldwork in Barrow. The federal agencies that were represented at the workshop indicated a desire to improve interagency cooperation in support of arctic research efforts in the Barrow area. Five overarching recommendations developed at the workshop were refined through community discussion. They are: • Identify and fund an organization based in Barrow to provide research support, infrastructure development, and coordination. • Evaluate regularly researchers’ needs and the adequacy of facilities and resources to ensure that support evolves adequately and that investments are effectively shared among appropriate agencies. • Promote, through coordination of research and data, integrated multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies that improve the scientific understanding of the arctic system. • Promote interactions between the community and researchers to disseminate research plans and results, incorporate community participation, promote use of traditional knowledge, and develop collaborative projects. • Provide educational opportunities for young researchers and local residents through internships and fellowships to encourage local involvement as well as the development of local scientific capabilities and a strong cohort of arctic researchers in the future. In addition to these overarching recommendations and basic support (e.g., housing, transportation, field gear), participants cited several specific, highpriority needs. These include: • The Arctic Research Facility at UICNARL must be supported in the shortterm to provide some living and work space to visiting researchers. • Planning should begin for construction of a dedicated multipurpose facility to support research. • A master plan for use of the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) should be prepared. The plan should address appropriate uses for the BEO, scientific research requirements, infrastructural needs, and environmental and cultural issues. • A high-speed, high-capacity data link from Barrow to the lower 48 states should be installed. Hardware and software are needed to support the data link and to run a web site to provide logistical information. Copies of The Future of an Arctic Resource: Recommendations from the Barrow Area Research Support Workshop are available from ARCUS and as a PDF file on the ARCUS web site (http:// www.arcus.org). The Arctic Research Facility (ARF) has been converted by the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management into modest laboratory space and bunkhouse living quarters for visiting researchers. Since the closure of NARL, the ARF has been the only multipurpose facility available to assist individual investigators and its capacity of 20 persons is often exceeded during the summer field season.The skull in front and shoulder blades on the wall are from a bowhead whale (photo by Dave Ramey). 6 NSF News NSF Initiatives Open Doors for Arctic Research In early 1999, NSF made several announcements that are expanding opportunities for arctic researchers. Although the deadlines for the 1999 competitions under these new announcements have passed, the programs are expected to continue in FY 2000. Two programs are agency-wide; two are within the Office of Polar Programs (OPP). In addition, OPP has made funding available to improve long-term observations in the Arctic and established an office in Moscow to facilitate logistics for collaborative research in the Russian Arctic. Biocomplexity in the Environment (BE) An NSF-wide effort, Biocomplexity in the Environment (BE) includes both ongoing programs and focused initiatives designed to foster research and education on the complex interdependencies among the elements of specific environmental systems and interactions of different types of systems. Three overlapping and interactive categories of research activity describe NSF’s ongoing efforts related to environmental sciences: • Global and Environmental Change, • Environment and the Human Dimension, and • Biodiversity and Ecosystems Dynamics. In the 1999 Biocomplexity: Phase I initiative, NSF solicited proposals that focused explicitly on the role that microorganisms play in structuring or controlling complex systems. In FY 2000, NSF has announced a special Biocomplexity competition to improve understanding of the complex interdependencies among living organisms and the environments that affect, sustain, and are modified by them. The multidisciplinary $50 million Biocomplexity initiative will emphasize enhancing analytical and predictive capabilities in the study of environmental systems. For more information on Biocomplexity in the Environment, see the NSF web site (http://www.nsf.gov/home/ crssprgm/be/start.htm). For more information on the special Biocomplexity competition, see http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/ 2000/nsf0022/nsf0022.htm. Messages of intent to submit a proposal are due 31 January and full proposals 1 March 2000. Life in Extreme Environments (LExEn) Life in Extreme Environments (LExEn) is an NSF-wide program of particular interest to arctic researchers that explores the relationships between organisms and the environments within which they exist, with a strong emphasis upon those life-supporting environments that exist near the extremes of planetary conditions. Examples include hydrothermal systems, high-radiation fields, sea ice and ice sheets, anoxic habitats, hypersaline lakes, high-altitude or polar deserts, and industrial environments. LExEn is focusing, at least initially, on microbial systems, their diversity, and the mechanisms that allow them to survive and alter extreme environments. The LExEn program announcement is available at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/ getpub?nsf9943. Seventeen proposals were funded in 1999, totaling $7.4 million. Human Dimensions of the Arctic System In February 1999, the OPP disseminated its first Announcement of Opportunity for Human Dimensions of the Arctic System (HARC) research, an ongoing addition to the Arctic System Science program (see Witness Autumn 1998 and http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub? nsf9961). Two proposals were funded for a total of $1.6 million. Future HARC proposals can be submitted at the regular Arctic Section deadlines (15 February and 1 August). Long-Term Observations in the Arctic Based on recommendations formulated at the Opportunities in Arctic Research workshop in September 1998 (see Witness Autumn 1998), OPP announced a new program to improve the observational infrastructure in the Arctic, including: •Environmental Observatories—The coordinated development of strategically placed facilities, equipped for on-site research and collection of year-round observations. •Remote/Autonomous Instruments— Relevant activities not directly tied to specific environmental observatories include moorings, drifting and landand ice-based sampling stations, hydrographic surveys, observations of animal populations, submarine surveys of ice, monitoring of terrestrial and oceanic weather, atmospheric sampling, and snow measurements. Related needs include the development of improved sensing devices and deployment for better spatial and temporal coverage. •Sample Repositories—Facilities for new arctic samples of particular value due to their rarity, importance for studies and education, or expense of re-collection. The program solicitation is at http:// www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf99101. Proposals were due in June 1999. Nine proposals were funded for a total of approximately $14.3 million, with additional awards expected in the near future. Contaminant Behavior and Impact in Northern Polar Regions Another program solicitation that developed from the Opportunities in Arctic Research workshop encourages research on the physical, chemical, and biological processes that sequester and disperse contaminants in arctic natural systems and on the socio-economic impacts and human responses to such contaminants. The program solicitation can be found at http://www.n sf.gov/pubs/1999/ nsf9997/nsf9997.htm. Proposals were due in May 1999. Approximately $2.7 million has been awarded in 10 grants. Improving Logistics Coordination in Russia The Arctic Sciences Section of OPP has established a science liaison office in Moscow to assist U.S. and Russian researchers conducting collaborative research in the geosciences and arctic research. This support is the result of collaboration between OPP and two other branches of NSF—the Geosciences Directorate and the International Office—and the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). For more information, see the Arctic Info archive on the ARCUS web site (http://www.arcus.org) for the message posted on 30 March 1999. Investigators interested in using these services should contact their NSF Program Manager. 7 rating with LAII investigators (see page 10) on long-term changes in land-cover on the North Slope and coastal plain of Alaska; the mutual interest of PARCS and LAII in merging long-term records of change with modern, process-oriented data promises to be an important future direction in ARCSS. Work continues on development of new paleoclimate proxy indicators, including varve-based sediment records, fossil beetle assemblages, and alkenones in lake sediments. Synoptic climate studies and data syntheses continue to underscore the regional heterogeneity in arctic climate patterns. Northeast Siberia, Beringia, and Alaska show clear differences in circulation features centered in the North Pacific sector; heterogeneity is also seen in past records and at smaller scales. This variability emphasizes the need for comprehensive site coverage, and has implications for scaling observations and for predictions about the Arctic’s response to climate changes. For more information, see the PARCS web site (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/ paleo/parcs/index.html) or contact Mike Retelle, co-chair of the PARCS Steering Committee, in Lewiston, ME (207/7866155; fax 207/786-8334; [email protected]). ARCSS Program Updates ARCSS Committee Advances Integrative Agenda The Arctic System Science (ARCSS) Committee (AC) met in Virginia Beach, Virginia in October 1999. The AC provides guidance to the ARCSS Program and acts as a liaison between the program and the arctic research community. At the 1999 meeting, the AC assessed progress on two evolving research agendas in ARCSS: • interactions between global and arctic systems, and • assessments of the effects of global changes on arctic and sub-arctic regions. The AC discussed improving extrapolation, integration, and prediction in the ARCSS Program and developed strategies to advance the evolving research agenda. The AC was briefed on several ARCSS initiatives, including the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (see page 9) and the Western Arctic Shelf-Basin Interactions (see page 8). The AC also discussed: • development of an ARCSS-wide education initiative, • encouragement of ARCSS-focused Biocomplexity proposals (see page 6), • the status of the Long-Term Observatories program (see page 6), and • strategies for improving response to the Human Dimensions of the Arctic System (HARC; see page 6) solicitation. Plans for immediate action include: • Form a HARC Science Steering Committee to facilitate the development of effective proposals. • Sponsor a workshop to develop an ARCSS-wide science-education initiative, including its focus, strategy, and partnerships. • Plan for an ARCSS-wide All-Hands Meeting in 2001. For more information about AC discussions and plans see the ARCUS web site (http://www.arcus.org). For more information on the ARCSS Program, contact Program Director Mike Ledbetter (703/306-1029; fax 703/3060648; [email protected]) or AC Chair Jack Kruse (413/367-2240; fax 413/3670092; [email protected]) or see the ARCSS web site (http://www.nsf.gov/od/ opp/arctic/system.htm). PARCS Research Encompasses PALE and ESH Because arctic paleoclimatic research falls under both the ARCSS and Earth Systems History (ESH) Programs at NSF, the two programs are coordinating a new overarching effort—Paleoenvironmental Arctic Science (PARCS). A science and implementation plan for the program, The Arctic Paleosciences in the Context of Global Change Research, was recently published. PARCS will foster new opportunities for interaction among the disciplines that are contributing to arctic paleo research. The Steering Committee will include representatives from: • the Paleoclimates from Arctic Lakes and Estuaries (PALE) community, as well as • other essential PARCS research sectors (e.g., ice core, marine sediment, tree ring analysis, glacial and sea-level dynamics). PARCS will also build on the international collaborations developed under the GISP2 and PALE paleoenvironmental programs. For more information about the initiative, see the recently released PARCS report (see Publications page 23). Ongoing PALE/PARCS Research Projects The PALE program, which began in 1990, has established a solid network of paleo-sites in the Arctic. Some of the research that continues within the PARCS initiative is described below. New climate-model simulations from the eastern Canadian Arctic and northwest North Atlantic confirm the important role of oceans in arctic climate change. With Icelandic colleagues, PALE researchers are documenting glacial and deglacial ice dynamics off the coast of Iceland, and research with Danish colleagues will describe high-frequency and long-term variability in the Labrador Sea region. The Russian Arctic generally lacks data regarding past land-cover and climatic change. A lake-sediment core recently retrieved by an American-Russian-German team from far eastern Siberia promises a paleoclimate record spanning the Quaternary. This site will contribute substantially to the climate chronology for the Pacific sector. In European Russia, a project documenting treeline changes on the Kola Peninsula is filling a data gap in the postglacial record of the arctic treeline. PALE investigators have been collaborating with the Long-Term Ecological Research Program at Bonanza Creek in interior Alaska to examine the influence of hydrologic change on the boreal forest. With Canadian colleagues, they are developing a paleolimnological description of a transect of lakes from boreal forest to tundra as the basis for future integrated paleomodern studies. Two groups are collabo- 8 more information, see the SBI web site (http://utk-biogw.bio.utk.edu/SBI.nsf/ pages/Arctic), or contact Jackie Grebmeier in Knoxville, TN (423/974-2592; fax 423/974-3067; [email protected]). The OAII Science Steering Committee (SSC) also met in October 1999. Lou Codispoti succeeded Jackie Grebmeier as chair of the SSC. Two new members of the SSC are Patricia Matrai (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science) and Paul Shepson (Purdue University). For more information on OAII, see the OAII web site (http://arcss-oaii.hpl.umces. edu/index.html) or contact Lou Codispoti at the University of Maryland’s Horn Point Lab in Cambridge, MD (410/2218479; fax 410/221-8390; codispot@hpl. umces.edu). ARCSS Program Updates OAII Shares Results at Second All-Hands Meeting The second Ocean-Atmosphere-Ice Interactions (OAII) All-Hands meeting convened in Virginia, in October 1999. More than 100 international scientists participated in briefings and sessions on logistics, with an emphasis on plans for Healy (see page 1), outreach and education, the Study of Environmental Arctic Change initiative (see page 9), SHEBA (see below), and the Western Arctic ShelfBasin Interactions (SBI) initiative. The All-Hands meeting was followed by the organizational meeting for SBI Phase I, which is beginning implementation. SBI is designed to improve understanding of shelf-basin exchange processes and lead to: • an enhanced predictive capability for global change impacts in the Arctic, and In October 1999, data sets from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) field experiment were submitted to the SHEBA data-management system. These unprecedented data sets simultaneously document the upper ocean, sea ice, and atmosphere as a continuous time series over a full year. They have already improved simulations of arctic climate using global climate models. The data sets will be archived at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The Office of Polar Programs (OPP) released the Program Solicitation for Phase 3 of SHEBA in December 1999 (see http:/ /www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf0019). Proposals are due 8 March 2000. The goals of Phase 3 are to utilize data sets collected during the field program to: • determine the ice-ocean-atmosphere processes that control the ice albedo feedback and cloud-radiation feedback mechanisms over an annual cycle, leading to improvement of models of arctic ocean-atmosphere-ice processes; and • develop models that improve simulations of the present arctic climate, using coupled General Circulation Models. To accomplish these goals, Phase 3 projects will combine modeling, synthesis, • an improved understanding of how arctic processes might cause or modulate global change (see Witness Spring and Autumn 1998). The SBI program will include field and modeling studies to elucidate the physical and biological shelf and slope processes that influence the structure and function of the Arctic Ocean. Eighteen SBI Phase I projects, with 31 principal investigators (PIs) and co-PIs and various international collaborators, were funded in the first competition. Funded projects include retrospective, experimental, and modeling studies in fields of biological, chemical, geological, and physical oceanography. An SBI Project Office is coordinated by Jackie Grebmeier and Terry Whitledge. For SHEBA Researchers Plan Analysis of Data and integration of the SHEBA data set to investigate feedback mechanisms and develop improved formulations for climate models. Results from the SHEBA experiment were discussed in more than 60 presentations at the December 1998 meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the January 1999 meeting of the American Meteorological Society. Highlights included: • On their arrival in Fall 1997, the sea ice was considerably thinner than SHEBA investigators expected, and instead of getting thicker over the year as predicted, the ice grew thinner by approximately 35 centimeters. • Sea-ice cover in the study region remained greater than 90–95%. • In winter, the snow-covered ice reflected about 80% of incoming solar radiation. Melt ponds, which have lower albedo than the ice itself, covered more than 20% of the study region during mid-late summer, lowering the reflectivity of the surface to approximately 40%. • Liquid particles constituted approximately 20% of the cloud mass during the coldest season (November-January) and 100% during the peak melt season (late July). • The SHEBA melt season was longer than normal; preliminary results suggest that net surface radiation was enhanced by cloud cover during the summer. • Measurements by the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program’s Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer indicate that current models for clear-sky radiative transfer systematically underestimate the downward spectral irradiance in the water-vapor continuum absorption bands at the low temperatures of the arctic troposphere in winter. • The insulative value of the snow cover on sea ice has been considerably underestimated in previous models. Additional results from the SHEBA field experiment were presented in sessions at the December 1999 AGU meeting in San Francisco. Investigators will also be meeting with collaborators at a joint SHEBA/FIRE (First ISCCP Regional Experiment) workshop 17-20 April 2000. For more information, see the SHEBA web site (http://sheba.apl.washington.edu) or contact Richard Moritz in Seattle, WA (206/543-8023; fax 206/543-3521; [email protected]). 9 In July 1999, 38 researchers from a wide range of fields gathered to draft a science plan for the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) program. SEARCH is envisioned as a long-term program to investigate the changes associated with the increasing Arctic Oscillation (AO) index documented in the Arctic in the past decade (see Witness Autumn 1998). The AO appears to be a natural mode of atmospheric variation that is active over a broad range of time scales and is linked to global atmospheric and ocean circulation patterns. The recent complex of changes related to the AO may be part of an oscillation or the beginning of a long-term modal shift. Because the increase in the AO index appears to be linked to many other environmental changes, workshop participants recommended a multidisciplinary program social science efforts will examine the human impacts of the Onami. Jamie Morison, who is leading the SEARCH planning effort, presented the draft plan at the Ocean-Atmosphere-Ice Interactions (OAII) All-Hands meeting in October 1999 (see page 8). Participants in those discussions agreed that SEARCH should be an ARCSS-wide research program, rather than contained within OAII. SEARCH Science Steering Committee members are David Battisti, Ed Carmack, Lou Codispoti, Hajo Eicken, Doug Martinson, Jamie Morison, Jim Overland, Jonathan Overpeck, Peter Schlosser, Mark Serreze, and Charles Vörösmarty. For information, see the SEARCH web site (http://psc.apl.washington.edu/search/ index.html) or contact Jamie Morison in Seattle, WA (206/543-1394; fax 206/6163142; [email protected]). ARCSS Program Updates SEARCH Plan is Designed to Evolve with New Insights focused on the air-ice-ocean variations that appear connected to the AO, rather than a program defined by discipline or scale. Participants proposed that this suite of changes be named Onami, or “tomorrow” in Inuit—much as the periodic disruption in the ocean-atmosphere system of the tropical Pacific is known as El Niño. SEARCH aims to understand Onami and its implications. The recommended program includes long-term observations, modeling, process studies, and assessment in the physical, biological, and social sciences. Physical science efforts will try to elucidate the feedbacks between land, air, ice, and ocean that drive the Onami complex and couple it to the rest of the globe, with the goal of predicting the course of Onami. The biological science effort will look for the ecosystem changes that are driven by the physical changes, and the The objective of the Russian-American Initiative on Shelf-Land Environments in the Arctic (RAISE) is to facilitate collaborative research between Russian and American scientists in order to understand processes and events in terrestrial, shelf, and ocean environments in northern Eurasia (see Witness Spring 1996, Autumn 1997). RAISE was created in 1995 in accordance with an agreement between NSF and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR). The International RAISE Steering Committee met in November 1999 and made the following recommendations: • Continue to inform Russian, American, and international arctic science communities about the RAISE program. • Publish the RAISE “Prospectus” in Russian. • Publish (in both languages) a list of scientific projects in the Arctic (with abstracts) funded by the NSF Office of Polar Programs and RFBR. • Organize an international workshop in Russia in 2000, to present results of RAISE and other ARCSS projects. First RAISE Projects Receive Funding • Create a mechanism of support for joint RAISE scientific expeditions. • Prepare a draft of an intergovernmental agreement for scientific cooperation in the Russian Arctic. RAISE Proposals Funded in 1999 • An International Workshop on Arctic Coastline Dynamics (E. Bierly and J. Brown); • The Late Pleistocene Glacial and Sea Level History of Wrangel Island, Northeast Siberia (P.M. Anderson, J.B. Grette, S.L. Vartanyan, A.V. Lozhkin, and L. Gualtieri); • Linkages Between Riverine Freshwater Dispersal, Sea-Ice Formation, and LargeScale Sediment Transport in the Central and East Siberian Arctic (H. Eicken and A.Y. Proshutinsky); • Reconstructing the Limits of the Last Glaciation and Postglacial Environments in the Southeastern Barents and Southwestern Kara Seas (L. Polyak and S. Forman); • Russian-American Initiative on Shelf-Land Environments in the Arctic (RAISE) Science Management Office (V.E. Romanovsky and S.L. Forman); • Sensitivity of the West Siberian Lowland to Past and Present Climate (L.C. Smith, G. MacDonald, A. Velichko, and R. Foster); and • Water and Constituent Fluxes Across the Eurasian Arctic: Evolving Land-Ocean Connections Over the Past 20,000 Years (B.J. Peterson, R.M. Holmes, C. Vörösmarty, C. Willmott, S. Forman, R. Lammers, V.V. Gordeev, M. Meybeck, and I. Shiklomanov). For information, contact Vladimir Romanovsky in Fairbanks, AK (907/4747459; fax 907/474-7290; [email protected]) or Steve Forman in Chicago, IL (312/4139404; fax 312/413-2279; [email protected]). 16 to repeal the original rider; in July 1999, hearings were held on Brown’s bill, which had 54 co-sponsors, before the House Committee on Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology. For more information, see the AAAS web site (http://www.aaas.org/), the OMB web site (http://www.whitehouse.gov/ omb/), and the U.S. Congress web site (http://thomas.loc.gov/). NSF Budget Increases in FY 2000 This article has been abstracted from information on FY 2000 federal funding for research and development prepared each year by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Office of Science and Policy Programs. For more information, see the AAAS web site (http://www.aaas.org/spp/R&D). In October 1999, President Clinton signed into law an FY 2000 VA-HUD appropriations bill (HR 2684) that increases the NSF budget by 5.4% ($202 million). Each NSF directorate receives an increase of at least 3%, and the Research and Related Accounts budget climbs 5.5% to $2.9 billion. The budget agreement of 18 November 1999 applied an across-theboard cut of 0.38% to all appropriated programs, including NSF, to bring the budget technically in line with the FY 1997 spending caps. Although growth in the NSF budget slowed in the mid-1990s, recent years have brought significant increases for the agency, and most disciplines have shared in this growth. Highlights of the FY 2000 research appropriations for NSF include: • increased arctic research logistics funding to $25 million, $3 million more than the President’s budget request; • $50 million for the new Biocomplexity initiative (see page 6); • a major increase in NSF’s investments in information technology (IT) research— The Clinton Administration has proposed a multi-agency Information Technology for the 21st Century (IT2) initiative in computing and IT research. Congress appropriated $90 million for the NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering to take the lead on this initiative; • $95 million for Major Research Equipment, $10 million more than requested. The additional $10 million will fund a new high-altitude research aircraft; and • $60 million for the third year of the Plant Genome Research Program. The Education and Human Resources Directorate receives $697 million, $35 million more than FY 1999. This includes $55 million, up from $48 million, for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a program to improve the research competitiveness of 18 states (and Puerto Rico) traditionally under-represented as recipients of federal research funding. The final bill transfers the EPSCoR program and its funds to a new Office of Innovation Partnership; the bill also dedicates $10 million beyond the EPSCoR funds for the new office to assist non-EPSCoR institutions that receive little federal research funding to expand their research capacity and competitiveness. OMB Publishes New Regulations on Data Access Capitol Updates Revision to OMB Circular A-110.36 The Federal Government has the right to (1) obtain, reproduce, publish or otherwise use the data first produced under an award, and (2) authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data for Federal purposes. In addition, in response to a FOIA request for data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used by the Federal Government in developing an agency action that has the force and effect of law, the Federal awarding agency shall request and the recipient shall provide, within a reasonable time, the research data so that they can be made available to the public through the procedures established under the FOIA. implementing the law “will likely harm the process of research in all fields.” In April 1999, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) wrote that “the proposed revisions... represent a fundamental shift in federal policy that will create serious unintended consequences for scientists, their institutions, federal funding agencies, and the wider public.” The late Congressman George Brown (D-CA) introduced legislation (HR 88) A rider attached to the FY 1999 omnibus appropriations bill by Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) effectively subjects federal nonprofit grantees to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), essentially overturning a 1980 Supreme Court decision limiting FOIA to governmental agencies. The Shelby amendment makes “all data” produced under a grant subject to the procedures of FOIA and would permit the federal agency to impose a user fee on the requestor equaling the incremental cost of obtaining the data. In accordance with the new law, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published draft revisions to its data-disclosure regulations (Circular A-110) in February and August 1999. After receiving comments on the drafts, OMB published the final revisions, some of which limited the scope of the law, in September 1999 (see box). The scientific community has expressed concern about the extension of the FOIA to federal grantees. NSF Director Rita Colwell stated, in her February 1999 comments to OMB, that regulations 17 U.S. Arctic Research Commission In its most recent report, Ocean Drilling Research: An Arctic Perspective (see Publications page 23), the Polar Research Board (PRB) argues that the Arctic Ocean Basin should be included in any ocean-drilling research program that reaches past the current program’s scheduled expiration in 2003. According to the report, justification for the perpetuation of scientific ocean drilling should be based, at least in part, on the need for information from the last real frontier in ocean drilling. The Arctic Basin contains the Alpha-Mendeleyev Ridge system—the largest essentially unexplored geologic feature on Earth, and the basin itself is the only one in the world that has never been drilled. As a consequence, its geologic and climatologic histories are largely unknown. The report: • reviews what is known about Earth’s crust and paleoclimate in the Arctic; • outlines questions about the origin and evolution of the Arctic Ocean Basin that remain unresolved; • reviews the technical challenges that have historically prevented deep ocean drilling at arctic sites; and • proposes ways that these might now be addressed. The PRB has two new studies underway. At the request of the National Atmospheric and Space Administration (NASA), the committee is reviewing its polar geophysical data sets and providing advice to make them more useful. Another committee will review the Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem Monitoring Program for the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. Donal Manahan (University of Southern California) succeeded David Clark as Chair of the PRB in Spring 1999. Manahan is a marine environmental physiologist with extensive experience in Antarctica as well as temperate oceans around the globe. His research addresses larval biology of marine invertebrates, environmental chemistry, and developmental changes in physiology. New members of the PRB are Henry Huntington (Huntington Consulting), P. Buford Price (University of California, Berkeley), and Marilyn Walker (University of Alaska Fairbanks). Retiring members were John Anderson (Rice University), Walter Oechel (San Diego State University), Glenn Shaw (University of Alaska Fairbanks), and Robert Walker (Washington University). For more information, contact Chris Elfring, PRB Director, in Washington, DC (202/334-3479; fax 202/334-1477; [email protected]; http://www4.nas.edu/ cger/prb.nsf). PRB Stresses Importance of Ocean Drilling in the Arctic Polar Research Board The USARC Studies Arctic Infrastructure and Bering Sea structure. Robert Perry, Commander of the 1999 SCICEX submarine, gave a detailed report on operations. Rita Colwell, Director of NSF and ex officio Commissioner, joined the meeting for a broad discussion of arctic research needs. In December 1999, the Commissioners convened in Alaska to address research needs and progress in planning for the study of the Bering Sea ecosystem. A multiagency forum was held at the Alaska Resources Library and Information Services (ARLIS) in Anchorage; the Fisheries Industry Technology Center hosted the Kodiak segment of the meeting. The USARC published the 1999 edition of its biennial Report on Goals and Priorities for Arctic Research (see Witness Spring 1998) in January 1999, providing guidance to the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) in its biennial revision of the National Arctic Research Plan. The Plan coordinates the 12 federal agencies engaged in arctic research—NSF (the IARPC lead agency); the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, State, and Transportation; as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Smithsonian Institution. For more information on IARPC, see http://www. nsf.gov/od/opp/arctic/iarpc/start.htm. The January 2001 edition of the Report on Goals and Priorities for Arctic Research will be prepared during Spring and Summer 2000. The 1999 Report can be found on the USARC web site (http:// www.uaa. alaska.edu/enri/arc_web/ archome.htm). Input from the arctic research community is welcomed. For more information, contact Garry Brass in Arlington, VA (800-AURORAB or 703/525-0111; fax 703/525-0114; [email protected]). The U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC) met in July 1999 at the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Margo Edwards, Chief Scientist for the 1999 SCICEX expedition, briefed the Commissioners on the results of that submarine cruise (see page 12). The Commissioners were briefed on INSTAAR research activities and, during visits to their respective facilities, heard reports from: • the National Snow and Ice Data Center, • the National Geophysical Data Center, • the National Ice Core Repository, and • the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The Commission met again in October 1999 in Arlington, Virginia to discuss infrastructure, including the basic and applied research needed to cope with the effects of climate change on arctic infra- 18 Public Awareness, Education, and Outreach A Council priority is public outreach concerning arctic issues within its mandate. Delegations were briefed on: • the science education program Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), which links primary and secondary schools world-wide through the internet and collects valuable environmental data; • progress in forming a University of the Arctic, which will promote use of internet and student/faculty exchanges among institutions of higher learning in the Arctic (see page 22); • use of the Arctic Council web site to build an inventory of arctic research and other programmatic activities; • the Arctic Environmental Data Directory; and • the Arctic Environmental Atlas. The Senior Arctic Officials will meet next in April 2000 in Fairbanks, Alaska. For more information, see the Arctic Council web site (http://arctic-council. usgs.gov) or contact Tracy Hall at the State Department in Washington, DC (202/647-4972; fax 202/647-1106; [email protected]). Arctic Policy Arctic Council Meets Under U.S. Leadership In November 1999, more than 150 delegates to the Arctic Council met in Washington, DC, under the chairmanship of the United States, to discuss cooperative measures to promote environmental protection and sustainable development in the Arctic. The meeting followed up on issues discussed at the previous Arctic Council meeting in Anchorage, Alaska in May 1999. Delegates included senior officials of the eight arctic nations, representatives of arctic indigenous organizations that have Permanent Participant status, and representatives of accredited observers. The Arctic Council is a high-level, intergovernmental forum of the arctic nations established in 1996 (see Witness Spring 1997). The Council grew out of the groundwork initiated between 1991 and 1996 as those nations pioneered the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (see Witness Autumn 1997). Environmental Protection Four of the Council’s five working groups address environmental issues such as contaminants, conservation of living resources, and environmental threats. These groups—the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program; Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna; Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response; and Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment—reported on progress they have made since the May 1999 meetings. Delegates reviewed plans to further develop an Arctic Council Action Plan, which identifies priorities for reducing emissions and cleaning up contaminants. Efforts are also underway to develop a comprehensive Arctic Climate Impact Assessment to examine the implications of climate change and increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the Arctic. Delegates encouraged arctic states to ratify the protocols on persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals that are part of the United Nations’ convention on long-range transboundary air pollution. Canada is the only nation to have ratified the protocols. Sustainable Development The Council’s newly established Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG), chaired by Ray Arnaudo of the U.S. State Department, held its first meetings in May and November 1999. Members reported on progress they have made in improving the well-being of arctic children and youth, managing regional fisheries, and expanding use of telemedicine on a circumpolar basis. The working group endorsed a project to promote cultural and eco-tourism and received an update on the comparative Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic. The SDWG heard presentations and proposals on health issues such as emerging infectious diseases, occupational health and safety in the fishing industry, and the health and environmental needs of indigenous communities. Fae Korsmo, director of the NSF Arctic Social Sciences Program (see pages 14-15), reviewed social science work in the Arctic, calling attention to several international joint projects and the participation of indigenous communities in such research. The SDWG also discussed common themes and possible priorities for the Council’s sustainable development program. The discussion advanced efforts to draft a framework document to guide its activities. The existence of the Arctic Council certainly recognizes that everyone here is neighbors. Alaska shares a common border with our neighbors to the east, in Canada...; less than three miles away at the closest point are our neighbors in Russia...; just over the top of the world are our European neighbors in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, and Iceland. And certainly we are neighbors as well of ...the Council’s permanent participants: the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, the Saami Council, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, and the Aleut International Association. “As we look to a prosperous society in the new century, I believe it must be built on the understanding that economic and environmental policies are not confrontational but are joined—that in progress, each is dependent on the other.... Part of our common work here stems from the legacy of past contamination. The work of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, the Russian PCB-sites assessment project, and the core blood monitoring study all point to the need to plan and prevent.... Responsible development provides the resources necessary to address our other priorities—educating our children, keeping police on our streets, plowing the snow from our roads, caring for our elders, and making the necessary investments to protect our environment.” —Alaska Governor Tony Knowles from an address welcoming the Arctic Council 4 May 1999 19 discussions on the terms of reference, membership, and tasks, which include developing: • a circumarctic network of environmental observatories; • uses of innovative technologies (e.g., satellite observations) and seminars on arctic technologies; and • a database for logistical information. Participants also elected the FARO Executive Committee, whose main task will be to plan the development of FARO. The members are: • Bonni Hrycyk, Chair (Canada), • Anders Karlqvist (Sweden), • Olav Orheim (Norway), and • Tom Pyle (United States). For more information, see the IASC web site (http://www.iasc.no). In 1998, the Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy Development at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade held a series of meetings, at the request of Minister Lloyd Axworthy, addressing the development of a northern foreign policy for Canada. These consultations, workshops, and expert panels resulted in recommendations on the structure of Canadian policy, which are being discussed in the government and will be submitted to the cabinet by Axworthy. Members of a post-secondary education committee of the governing Liberal Party of Canada have toured a number of arctic research programs and communities. They have been active in elevating understanding of northern research and training among parliamentarians. Other initiatives on northern science and technology, such as hearings on arctic research by the Standing Committee on Industry and the increase in support for the Polar Continental Shelf Project in 1999, are further indications of a changing climate for northern research in Canada. For more information, contact Peter Johnson in Ottawa, ON (613/562-5800 ext 1061; fax 613/562-5145; peterj@aix1. uottawa.ca). Arctic Policy IASC Starts Forum of Arctic Operators Changing Climate for Arctic Research in Canada The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) has led the development of a Forum of Arctic Research Operators (FARO). The Forum, which would be similar to the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes, would assist communication and cooperation among the various entities involved in arctic research logistics management. An initial meeting, held in August 1998, was attended by 24 representatives from eleven countries who agreed to initiate the Forum, appointed a small group to draft terms of reference, and had an initial discussion about tasks. The second FARO meeting, held during IASC’s Arctic Science Summit Week in April 1999 in Tromsø, Norway also was well attended. Participants started At the same time that Canada is experiencing political devolution with the formation of separate territories of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, several national initiatives on northern science and technology, research, and foreign policy are demonstrating an increased recognition of science needs in the Canadian North. The new territorial governments and land claims organizations in the North are, however, taking much of the lead in research, promoting research in a wide range of disciplines, developing research capacity within the communities, and stimulating economic activity. In February 1999, a new Chair and Board were appointed to the Canadian Polar Commission, which serves as the link between the population of Canada and the federal government in both north and south polar affairs. The Chair is Michael Robinson, formerly executive director of the Arctic Institute of North America at the University of Calgary, and currently President and Chief Executive Officer of the Glenbow Museum. The northern residents on the Board are Richard Binder, a Native harvester and tourism entrepreneur from Inuvik; Josie Sias, an educator and former park interpreter from the Kluane region; and Jean Dupuis, who has been active in the regional government of Kativik in northern Quebec. The academic community is represented by Julie Cruikshank, a professor of Anthropology (University of British Columbia), and Peter Johnson, a professor of Physical Geography (University of Ottawa) and President of the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies. Johnson was appointed Vice-Chair of the Board. Wayne Adams, a consultant and former cabinet minister in the government of Nova Scotia, completes the Board. In August 1999, Steven Bigras was appointed Executive Director of the Commission. The Canadian Polar Commission is now implementing a Canadian Polar Information Network (CPIN) and has established indicators to monitor the state of polar science in the country (see http://www. polarcom.gc.ca). The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies has established a communication system for northern researchers, NORTHSCI, and has been working to promote northern research in academia and government (see http://aix1. uottawa.ca/associations/aucen-acuns/). The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) are collaborating on a task force on northern research which has been appointed by NSERC. The mandate of the task force is: • to document the state of northern science in Canada, and • to recommend ways in which the challenges of northern science might be addressed in the granting councils. After extensive consultation with the university and northern communities, the final report is now being drafted. A committee of Assistant Deputy Ministers from all federal government departments with an interest in the North, and representatives from the Canadian Polar Commission and the granting councils has been discussing a Northern Science and Technology Strategy for Canada. A working group established by this committee has drafted a framework for northern science and technology within the federal government. 20 on the development of a collaborative network of high-latitude terrestrial research sites (SCANTRAN) to facilitate integrative and comparative research. The emerging SCANTRAN network, if it can be established, will contribute to activities of other international arctic research programs, including the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) and Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) (see page 18), and the Barents Sea Impact Study. An ARTERI workshop in October 1997 explored a case study of the environmental, social, cultural, and economic issues concerning Sami peoples in Upper Lapland. The workshop highlighted: • the differences between official and local viewpoints, and • perceptions of issues and research priorities. The organization of the workshop also provided a model of participatory planning applicable to other situations where interaction between researchers and stakeholders are essential. For more information, see the ARTERI web site (http://www.dpc.dk/ ARTERI.html) or contact Bill Heal in Edinburgh, UK (+44/1968-674-927; fax +44/1968-674-927; [email protected]). but was designed to enhance communication by providing a forum for the exchange of information and development of collaboration within the research community. ARTERI has involved approximately 200 researchers from at least 14 European countries and from Russia, Canada, and the United States. Nine workshops covered the following topics: • climate-change impact scenarios in cold regions; • a high-latitude terrestrial transect (SCANTRAN); • a University of the Arctic (see page 22); and • human-environment interactions. Participants at four workshops focusing on the responses of plants, animals, soils, and landscapes to climate change in cold regions developed detailed climate-change impact scenarios. Participants attending the final ARTERI workshop in January 1999 developed: • a summary of the predicted impacts of climate changes, and • implications for policy. The impact scenarios represent working hypotheses that can guide further research. In collaboration with the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme, ARTERI contributed to three workshops International News The Arctic-Alpine Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Initiative (ARTERI) has just completed its three years (1996–99) of concerted action focusing on the interactive effects of changes in land-use, climate, and composition on arctic and alpine terrestrial ecosystems. The arctic-alpine focus was funded by the European Commission as a component of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Initiative (TERI) program. A final report is now available on the ARTERI web site (http://www.dpc. dk/ ARTERI.html). ARTERI based its work on the research plan developed by the International Arctic Science Commission (IASC) working group on Terrestrial Ecosystems and Feedbacks on Climate Change. Objectives of the latter included understanding the environmental and biological controls on, and spatial and temporal variation in: • feedbacks from surface energy and water balances; • feedbacks of cycling and storage of carbon and nutrients, and consequences for ecosystem structure; • feedbacks from trace-gas fluxes; and • redistribution of species and ecotones, and changes in biodiversity, focusing on causes and consequences of the changes. ARTERI was not a research program Since March 1997, the role of the cryosphere in the climate system has been the subject of discussions within the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). In March 1998, the Arctic Climate System Study (ACSYS) Scientific Steering Group presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) for the WCRP: • identifying gaps in knowledge of some cryospheric processes in the climate system, and • summarizing the various options for the organization of cryospheric studies provided the basis for the endorsement. On the basis of this summary, the JSC endorsed the idea of a broader program ACSYS Broadens into Global Cryosphere ARTERI Links European Research Efforts on Climate and Cryosphere (CLIC) and established a Task Group to develop a science and coordination plan for presentation to the JSC in March 2000. At that time, the JSC will decide whether to initiate CLIC as a full WCRP project. The draft science and coordination plan outlines requirements for: • developing a globally integrated cryospheric component in the WCRP; • including cryospheric elements of present global climate change programs; • enhancing links among global and regional cryospheric studies; • ensuring appropriate treatments of cryospheric processes in climate models; • assembling global and regional cryospheric data sets; • interacting with other WCRP efforts, particularly the Global Energy and Water Experiment (GEWEX) and the Climate Variability Project (CLIVAR); and • identifying appropriate mechanisms for collaboration with other related projects. The draft plan is now available for review and comment on the ACSYS CLIC web site (http://www.npolar.no/acsys/CLIC/ clic_draft.PDF). For more information, see the ACSYS CLIC web site, or contact Howard Cattle in Bracknell, UK (+44/344-856-209; fax +44/344-854-898; [email protected]). 21 management of polar bear populations and representation at international meetings. For more information, contact Charlie Johnson at the Nanuuq Commission in Nome, AK (907/443-5044; fax 907/4435060; [email protected]) or Susanne Kalxdorff at the USFWS in Anchorage (907/786-3828; fax 907/786-3816; [email protected]). Webber is U.S. Delegate to IASC Patrick J. Webber of Michigan State University has been appointed as the new U.S. delegate to the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). He succeeds Oran Young of Dartmouth College, who served two three-year terms and made significant contributions to IASC in its formative years. Professor Young made major contributions to the planning and implementation of the IASC-sponsored First International Conference for Arctic Research Planning in 1995. He continues to advocate for integrating social dimensions into IASC-sponsored projects and will remain active in IASC affairs as a member of several science project committees. IASC was founded in 1990 as a nongovernmental, international organization with the mission of encouraging, facilitating, and promoting the full range of basic and applied research in the Arctic, including “encouraging cooperation and integration of human, social, and natural sciences concerned with the Arctic at a circumarctic or international level and providing scientific advice on arctic issues.” Webber is a plant ecologist who is active in the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX; see page 10) and concerned with the synergism between climate change and surface disturbance from human activities. He was Director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado from 1979 to 1986 and ARCSS Program Director at NSF from 1993 to 1995. The U.S. Polar Research Board (PRB; see page 17) serves as the U.S. National Committee to IASC. Webber will be working closely with the PRB to improve and increase U.S. participation in and understanding of IASC activities. He is particularly keen to represent the broadest possible spectrum of U.S. scholarship to IASC and in the coming months will be attending as many national meetings as is possible in order to increase his effectiveness as a delegate. He is interested in hearing from U.S. arctic scholars. The next meeting of IASC is scheduled for 2-7 April 2000 in Cambridge, United Kingdom (see Calendar page 23). This meeting will feature Arctic Science Summit Week 2000 (ASSW 2000) and back-to-back meetings of several organizations (e.g., Arctic Ocean Sciences Board, European Polar Board, and Forum of Arctic Research Operators). The first ASSW was held in Tromsø, Norway in 1999. A number of international arctic science organizations took part and many held their annual meetings during this week. For more information on IASC and ASSW 2000, see the IASC web site (http://www.iasc.no) or the PRB web site (http:/ www4.nationalacademies.org/cger/prb.nsf) or contact Patrick Webber in East Lansing, MI (517/355-1284; fax 517/432-2150; [email protected]). International News Native Knowledge of Polar Bears Informs Three International Surveys The first U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) survey that officially incorporated traditional ecological knowledge into a management decision document is now serving as the basis for a comparable survey on the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia. Polar bears are difficult to study, because their ranges are large (e.g., in the Chukchi Sea up to 5,500 miles/year, or approximately 15 miles/day) and their habitat use in Alaska is not well documented. Native people who share habitat with polar bears, however, have specialized knowledge of the large arctic mammals that is useful for management purposes. In 1994, hunters from 12 Alaskan villages along the coastline of the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas participated in a USFWS polar bear habitat-use survey. The hunters identified on maps areas used by the bears for denning, feeding, and seasonal movements. Agency representatives compiled the data, entered the information into a geographic information system (GIS), and met again with the villagers to confirm the data and report to the communities. The results of this work are documented in Collection of Local Knowledge Regarding Polar Bear Habitat Use in Alaska (see Publications page 23). As a result of this study, a similar study is being initiated in Russia. Identifying polar bear habitat is part of a larger joint agreement between the United States and Russia for conservation of the shared Bering/Chukchi seas stock of polar bears. This agreement, commonly referred to as the Bilateral Agreement, is awaiting confirmation by the State Committee on Environment and the Duma in Russia, and ultimately by the U.S. Senate. The National Park Service, under its Beringia Program, has joined efforts to promote polar bear conservation by providing funding to the Alaska Nanuuq Commission for conducting the polar bear habitat-use survey in Russia. The USFWS will provide technical assistance to the Alaska Nanuuq Commission and the Union of Marine Mammal Hunters in Chukotka, Russia as they conduct a threeyear study in an area near Anadyr and Pevek on the Chukotka Peninsula. Hunters will map habitat areas based on observations collected over their lifetimes. The Alaska Nanuuq Commission was founded in 1994 to ensure polar bear conservation and subsistence opportunities for Native residents of coastal villages, as well as Alaska Native involvement in the 22 Applications for one-year studies in arctic geology, geophysics, and technology are due in mid-April of each year. (Studies begin in August.) Applications for oneyear studies in arctic biology are due in mid-October. (Studies begin in January.) In addition to semester studies, UNIS hosts academic conferences and seminars, and is considering offering individual courses in the social sciences and humanities. Ultimately, the foundation will form the core of the Svalbard Science Centre, an international arctic center of expertise in research and education on Svalbard, which also will incorporate many other professional and scientific institutions on the archipelago. For more information, see the UNIS web site (http://www.unis.no) or contact UNIS (+47/7902-3300; fax +47/79023301; [email protected]). University of the Arctic Moves into Implementation The Interim Council of the University of the Arctic (UArctic) (see Witness Autumn 1998) met in Akureyri, Iceland in April 1999, hosted by the Stefansson Arctic Institute and the University of Akureyri, Iceland. Discussions related to UArctic implementation included: • plans for a Bachelor of Circumpolar Studies interdisciplinary degree program; • the proposed Governance System; and • funding options and strategies. The Interim Council also discussed UArctic participation in: • a joint workshop with AMAP in Rovaniemi in January 2000; • field schools operating in the North; • a Northern Research Forum; and • a Circumpolar Mobility Forum. With support from the Government of Finland, a circumpolar Coordination Office has been established at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, to support the Interim Council during the implementation period. The Coordination Office has developed a web site, electronic mailing list, and newsletter. The UArctic co-sponsored a Workshop on Sustainable Development in the Arctic immediately prior to the Akureyri meeting, and gave a presentation to the Senior Arctic Officials at the Arctic Council meeting in Anchorage, Alaska in May 1999 (see page 18). A workshop on the UArctic also convened in June 1999 during the Sixth Circumpolar Universities Cooperation Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Interim Council met on Svalbard in October 1999 and will meet next in May 2000 at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, Canada. For more information, see the UArctic web site (http://www.urova.fi/home/ uarctic) or contact the Circumpolar Coordination Office in Rovaniemi, Finland (+358/16-341-2716; fax +358/16-341-2777; [email protected]). Education News UNIS is “the Arctic Alternative” for University Students University Courses on Svalbard (UNIS) is a private foundation established in 1994 by the Norwegian government in cooperation with Norway’s four universities to offer research-based education in the high Arctic (see Witness Autumn 1998). Because high-caliber fieldwork and cruises are the core of instruction, UNIS refers to itself as “the arctic alternative for [undergraduate, masters, and doctoral] students of biology, geology, geophysics, and technology.” UNIS offers semesterand year-long programs of study to students from Norway and abroad. Courses are designed to complement the teaching available at mainland universities. Students typically have at least three years of experience in undergraduate science and/or engineering. They are expected to help plan and participate in real research projects under demanding polar conditions. As one researcher recently observed, “they tend to be a highly self-selected group.” UNIS is located in Longyearbyen (78o N), in the Svalbard archipelago. Mean temperatures are relatively mild for this latitude, ranging from -14oC to +6oC in the summer; annual extremes reach -49oC and +21oC in town. Approximately 66% of Svalbard is glacier-covered, and permafrost is present elsewhere to depths of as much as 500 m. Even so, Svalbard hosts approximately 165 plant species. Reindeer and foxes frequent town, polar bears number 2,000 in the archipelago as a whole, and the largest bird colony in the North Atlantic is found in the archipelago. Longyearbyen itself (pop. 1,500) is a modern town whose economy is based on tourism as well as coal mining. Eight weekly flights to Tromsø provide convenient access to and from the rest of the world. The established infrastructure in the context of arctic wilderness provides an exceptional setting for both field and laboratory work, both the collection and analysis of data. Longyearbyen has been the staging point for many large multinational projects in the past (e.g., the Marginal Ice Zone Experiment [MIZEX] in 1983–84, the Cooperative East Arctic Research Expedition [CEAREX] in 1988–89). Svalbard also offers opportunities for smaller, focused studies that would be difficult elsewhere. The logistics base and research facilities are stable, convenient, and relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, UNIS and the Norwegian Polar Institute provide an exceptional concentration of talented scientific personnel, in both permanent staff and transient lecturers. The foundation is funded by the Norwegian government and Norwegian and international students pay no course fee. UNIS first offered courses in Autumn 1993; in 1999, it offered 33 different courses—16 at the graduate and doctoral levels—to approximately 220 students. UNIS aims to recruit up to half of its students from abroad. Faculty come to UNIS from all over the world. Instruction is in English. 23 The Arctic Paleosciences in the Context of Global Change Research. PARCS. 1999. Earth Systems History Secretariat, American Geophysical Union. Washington, DC. Available on the ARCUS web site (http://www.arcus.org/parcs/fr_parcs.html). Collection of Local Knowledge Regarding Polar Bear Habitat Use in Alaska. S. Kalxdorff. 1997. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Technical Report MMM 97-2, Anchorage, AK. 72 pp. Impacts of Global Climate Change in the Arctic Regions. Gunter Weller and Manfred Lange, editors. 1999. Report from a workshop on the Impacts of Global Change, April 25-26, 1999. International Arctic Science Committee. Center for Global Change and Arctic System Research, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Inuit, Whaling and Sustainability. M. Milton, R. Freeman, L. Bogoslovskaya, R.A. Caulfield, I. Egede, I.I. Krupnik, and M.G. Stevenson. 1998. Contemporary Native American Series, Vol. 1. AltaMira Press, Walnut Creek, CA. Pb/hard $25/$52. (805/499-9774; fax 805/499-0871; [email protected]; http://www.altamirapress. com). Ocean Drilling Research: An Arctic Perspective. 1999. National Research Council, Polar Research Board, Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. 9 pp. (http://www.nap.edu/books/NI000766/html). March 16-18 The 30th International Arctic Workshop. University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. Contact ([email protected]; http://instaar.colorado.edu/AW2000/). April 2-7 Arctic Science Summit Week 2000. Cambridge, United Kingdom. Initial contact is the IASC Secretariat ([email protected]; http://www.iasc.no/default.htm). April 26 Arctic Council Sustainable Development WG Meeting. Fairbanks, AK. Contact the Arctic Council Secretariat in Washington, DC (202/647-0241; fax 202/ 647-4353; [email protected]; http://arctic-council.usgs.gov/). May 6-7 Sixth National Student Conference on Northern Studies. Université Laval, Québec, Canada. Contact the GÉTIC Office in Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada (418/6562131 ext 8365; [email protected]; http://www.uottawa.ca/associations/aucenacuns/en/n_s_conf.html). May 16-19 ARCUS 12th Annual Meeting and Arctic Forum. Arlington, VA. Contact ARCUS (907/474-1600; fax 907/474-1604; [email protected]; http://www.arcus.org). May 30-June 3 American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2000 Spring Meeting. Washington, DC. Contact AGU in Washington, DC (800/966-2481; fax: 202/328-0566; [email protected] [Subject: Spring 2000 Meeting]; http://www.agu.org). June 2-6 CAPE 2000–Sea Ice in the Climate System–The Record of the North Atlantic Arctic. Kirkjubaejarklaustur, Iceland. Contact Organizing Committee Chair, Aslaug Geirsdottir ([email protected]; http://instaar.colorado.edu/~duvall/cape/cape2000.html). June 12-17 18th Polar Libraries Colloquy. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Contact the Conference Organizer Barbara Kelcey ([email protected]) or the Program Chair Anne Morton ([email protected]; http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/ hbca/about/plc/polarpg.html). June 19-23 International Glaciological Society Symposium on Sea Ice and its Interactions with the Ocean, Atmosphere, and Biosphere. Fairbanks, AK. Contact Secretary General, International Glaciological Society in Cambridge, UK (+44/1223-355-974; fax +44/1223-336-543; [email protected]) or Martin Jeffries in Fairbanks, AK (Chairman, Local Organizing Committee; [email protected]; http:// www.gi.alaska.edu/seaicesymposium/). Publications ARCUS 600 University Avenue, Suite 1 Fairbanks, Alaska 99709 USA Phone: 907/474-1600 Fax: 907/474-1604 [email protected] http://www.arcus.org Executive Director Wendy K. Warnick ARCUS is a nonprofit organization consisting of institutions organized and operated for educational, professional, or scientific purposes. ARCUS was established by its member institutions in 1988 with the primary mission of strengthening Arctic research to meet national needs. ARCUS activities are funded through a cooperative agreement with NSF; by DOE, AFN; and by membership dues. Witness the Arctic is published biannually by ARCUS. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF. Submit ideas for the Spring 2000 newsletter by 15 March 2000. Managing Editor: Wendy Warnick Editor/Designer: Marty Peale Editors: Alison York, Sue Mitchell Copy Editor: Diane Wallace Contributors: P.A. Anderson, J. Berkson, G. Brass, J. Brigham-Grette, W. Bristow, H. Cattle, F.S. Chapin III, L. Codispoti, D. Corbett, J. Deming, J. Dionne, L. Duguay, G. Dupree, M. Edwards, C. Elfring, S. Forman, J. Grebmeier, T. Hall, O. Heal, R. Hollister, H. Huntington, G. Jacoby, C. Johnson, P. Johnson, S. Kalxdorff, L. King, F. Korsmo, J. Kruse, R. Langlais, M. Ledbetter, G. LeMoine, L. Lønnum, L. Marincovich, P. Minnett, J. Morison, R. Moritz, T. Pyle, V. Romanovsky, D. Rothrock, T.S. Rupp, R. Sambrotto, B. Smethie, A. Starfield, S. Stephenson, W. Tucker, M. Walker, P. Webber, D. West. wit.ness (wit nis) n. 1.a. One who has heard or seen something. b. One who furnishes evidence. 2. Anything that serves as evidence; a sign. 3. An attestation to a fact, statement, or event. —v. tr. 1. To be present at or have personal knowledge of. 2. To provide or serve as evidence of. 3. To testify to; bear witness. —intr. To furnish or serve as evidence; testify. [Middle English witnes(se), Old English witnes, witness, knowledge, from wit, knowledge, wit.] Check the ARCUS Web site Calendar (http://www.arcus.org) for more... Publications Calendar 24 We are pleased to bring to you, through Witness the Arctic, information about notable arctic research efforts and scientific findings, improved logistical capability, and significant advances in our understanding of the Arctic as a region—these comprise important milestones of our progress in arctic research at the dawn of a new century. Some significant scientific questions that we face include: • What is the expected magnitude of climate change in the Arctic, and what threat does it pose? • What is happening to the fisheries of the North Atlantic and North Pacific? • How should governments deal with the aspirations and rights of First Nations people? • What is the nature and magnitude of the threat of contaminants to arctic ecosystems and food webs? Whether you think of the year 2000 as the end of the 20th century or the beginning of the 21st, and the beginning or end of a millennium, the first decades of the 21st century are likely to bring to arctic research more compelling questions, unexpected problems and tensions—and provocative and exciting findings. Such is the nature of the international, multidisciplinary enterprise in which we are engaged, seeking to understand a part of the world about which relatively little is known, in a time of major environmental Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 99 Fairbanks, AK Printed on Recycled Paper Arctic Research Consortium of the United States 600 University Avenue, Suite 1 Fairbanks, AK 99709 USA An Invitation to the ARCUS 12th Annual Meeting and Arctic Forum —2000 and cultural change. In such an endeavor, a steady exchange of ideas is essential and the fellowship of colleagues vital. The scientific tradition of printed literature and the nearly instantaneous electronic communications now possible are important to such exchanges. ARCUS emphasizes the value of going beyond these methods, however, by bringing together the disciplinarily diverse and geographically dispersed community of arctic researchers. While being in each others’ presence does not guarantee interaction, opportunities for collaboration and integration are created that otherwise do not occur. One important gathering is the ARCUS Annual Meeting and Arctic Forum. The ARCUS 12th Annual Meeting will take place 16–19 May 2000 in Arlington, Virginia. The annual meeting serves as an information clearinghouse at which participants discuss issues important to arctic research, develop recommendations on key questions, and plan strategies and activities to advance arctic research efforts. The Arctic Forum, a science symposium that includes oral and poster presentations, will focus this year on change in the Arctic, looking at significant aspects of observed and predicted environmental, social, economic, and cultural changes. Other meeting activities will include: • briefings from agency personnel; • a panel discussion examining scientific priorities in arctic research, new opportunities, and impediments to the arctic research enterprise; and • information about international arctic research programs and initiatives. Meetings of the Council (representatives of the 35 ARCUS member institutions) and the 13-member ARCUS Board of Directors will focus on the direction and business of the organization. We encourage community participation in these activities, and the involvement of agency personnel and legislators and their staffs. If you are interested in attending, please contact us. For more information about the meeting, see the ARCUS web site (http://www.arcus.org). Please join us. Inside Arctic Logistics 4 NSF News 6 ARCSS Program News 7 Arctic Natural Sciences Program News 11 Arctic Social Sciences Program News 14 Capitol Updates 16 U.S. Arctic Research Commission 17 Polar Research Board 17 Arctic Policy 18 International News 20 Education News 22 Calendar and Publications 23