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Category: YAR & Features

Young Arctic Researchers & Features

  • Gateway to renewable energy activities

    Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) is seeking renewable energy science specialists for their post doctoral positions in Fairbanks, Alaska. The position is in cooperation with the University of Alaska.

    ACEP is an applied research program currently working under a private sector business model within the University of Alaska, in partnership with Alaska Energy Authority, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and others partner institutions. It was established in January 2008 as a gateway for renewable energy related activities.

    Through the years, the Center has been developing various research projects. They include diesel efficiency, energy economics, energy storage, geothermal, biomass, methane capture, alternative fuels, in-river hydro, tidal energy, and wind power. Please, click here for the full list of available projects.

    The Alaska Center for Energy and Power aims to meet international and domestic demands for applied energy research in order to increase a possibility of lowering the cost of energy for state’s industries and private individuals what would equal an increase of economy development. ACEP focuses on world class energy resources as oil, gas and coal, which Alaska is wealthy of.

    The Center strives to be agile, demands – driven and interdisciplinary within their field of expertise, in the middle of global opportunities associated with large, undeveloped areas in the northern hemisphere, rural villages and remote industrial sites. It also seeks to increase educational opportunities for both, young researchers and experienced professionals in order to ensure that the global research is conducted in relevant way on world class level.

    ACEP, through the Institute of Northern Engineering (INE) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), invites applications for a post-doctoral positions in data management, acquisition, and analysis related to hybrid power and energy systems to be filled immediately. Successful applicants will be expected to have a strong commitment to aid in the creative development of research programs to support development of next generation energy systems for rural Alaska and other islanded grid networks.

    ACEP seeks qualified applied research faculty in our multi-disciplinary research organization who are interested in pursuing an exciting, fast paced position. Researchers will have experience in energy related fields and an interest in developing pragmatic solutions for fossil or renewable energy production in the unique Alaskan energy environment. Appointments will generally be made at the assistant research professor level, though higher ranks will be considered.

    The Center is particularly interested in faculty that matches well with its growth areas, energy and natural resources, and climate and the environment. Research faculty positions in INE are grant funded, though ACEP will provide 3 months of salary support when warranted. Although an earned doctorate is not mandatory, it is highly recommended. Successful applicants will have a demonstrated success record in research, including publications and outreach.

    ACEP is based at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the projects and research partners are located through out the state. The mission of ACEP is to meet state and local needs for applied energy research by working toward developing, refining, demonstrating, and ultimately helping commercialize marketable technologies. ACEP is a leader in Alaska-specific energy solutions and strives to exceed expectations by offering dynamic, timely projects responsive to public and private sector needs.

    The Alaskan beauty which is considered to be one of the most amazing places on earth, offers the opportunities to interact with the wildlife, unique landscape and small communities.

    For more information with regards to current projects and career opportunities, please visit the homepage of Alaska Center for Energy and Power, contact Gwen Holdmann at gwen.holdmann@alaska.edu.

  • UArctic´s Thematic Network

    UArctic´s Thematic Network

    UArctic´s network (Photo: UArctic)“In the North, for the North, by the North” – the motto of the University of the Arctic. It was founded in 2001 and is an international cooperative network consisting of universities, colleges and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arctic.

    The overall goal of the University of the Arctic is to create a strong, sustainable circumpolar region by empowering indigenous peoples and other northerners through education, mobility and shared knowledge.

    One aspect of UArctic is it´s Thematic Networks. That increases cooperation between the member institutions on specific topics. Among the topics are Arctic Coastal and Marine Issues, Arctic Medicine, Energy in New Time, Global Change, Northern Agriculture, Northern Tourism and others.

    Each network has a leader and these leaders meet regularly to discuss what they have done, what they want to do and to get ideas and thoughts from their colleagues.

    The last meeting was in Akureyri, Iceland, late in January of 2012. Arctic Portal was there and captured videos of the meetings. Here are interviews with various people around the meeting.

    Lars Kullerud, president of UArctic, talks about the school, the thematic network and the meeting in Akureyri:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouylRLLW_E0

    Kirsi Latola, director of Thematic Networks:
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjP33oblHYI

    Professor Karen Tanino, Dept. Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan , talks about Northern Agriculture Thematic Network.
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbY7-W91GOI

    Peter Weiss, Director of the University Center of the Westfjords, talks about the Arctic Coastal and Marine Themtic Network.
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ieCJU4Ro88

    Tomi Knuutila, University of Lapland, Finland, talks about Thematic Network Digital Media and Media Arts.
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtR0_yNm4pM

  • Friends with a leopard seal

    Friends with a leopard seal

    Paul Nicklen photographing three Atlantic walrusesPaul Nicklen uses his camera to reveal the nature of a world melting away under human-induced global warming. He works for National Geographic magazine.

    “I call myself an interpreter and a translator,” says Nicklen. “I translate what the scientists are telling me. If we lose ice, we stand to lose an entire ecosystem. I hope we can realize through my photography how interconnected these species are to ice. It just takes one image to get someone’s attention.”

    On the website Ted.com he shared some of his amazing stories from the Arctic and Antarctic. He lived with the Inuit for several years as a child, falling in love with the Arctic, and subsequently the Antarctic.

    His pictures are taken both underwater and above water.

    One is particularly amazing, his encounter with a leopard seal where he faced sudden death, but in the end portrayed photos of the seal eating penguins. He formed a friendship with the leopard seal in the ice-cold water.

    Here is Paul’s story and his photos.

  • Polar Graduate Programmes

    Polar Graduate Programmes

    Foreign students at the University of AkureyriAre you interested in learning more about the Arctic, Antarctic or the cryosphere in general? Thinking of going to graduate school or gaining extra credibility through a certificate programme or another degree?

    APECS has gathered information to help prospective students finding their way in Arctic studies.

    On APECS.is you can find a searchable database which includes graduate programmes that have a focus or specialty in any field of Arctic, Antarctic, Alpine or other areas within the cryosphere – ranging from social sciences and law to ecology, geology, physics and more.

    The purpose is to provide prospective students with information on those programmes, such as disciplinary focus areas, website links, typical program duration, application deadlines, costs and, where available, financial support.

    APECS encourages universities and individuals to enter programme information to the database, as well as posting current openings for graduate research and teaching assistantships on the APECS jobs page.

    APECS, the University of the Arctic, and the International Antarctic Institute are working collaboratively to compile this inventory of programmes worldwide.

    Click here to access the database.

  • Our Ice Dependent world summed up

    Our Ice Dependent world summed up

    37The 6th NRF Open Assembly in Hveragerði, Iceland, was a success. From all over the world scientists, policy-makers and others gathered to learn and share their ideas about Our Ice Dependent World.

    Arctic Portal was on site for the Assembly, recording the presentations.

    Along with broadcasting the event live on its website, one can now access all the videos right here on the Arctic Portal website.

    Available are also all the presentations from the lecturers.

    Simply click on the links to download or open the presentations and click on the videos to watch.

    Note that not all speakers had Powerpoint or PDF shows.

    Here are over 100 pictures from the event, taken by Arctic Portal.

    Click here to download the thematic program.

    Important: Note that all the presentations are copyrighted.

    Presentations:

    Videos:

  • Last days of the Arctic: Documentary with Rax

    Last days of the Arctic: Documentary with Rax

    Man on a coast, photo by Ragnar Axelsson (RAX)After 25 years in the Arctic, Icelandic photographer Ragnar Axelsson (Rax) has not only pictured the people in the North, he has seen and felt the effects of climate change to it.

    A new documentary, titled Last days of the Arctic, follows Rax around the Arctic where he revisited the people he met. The film succeeds his books, Faces of the North (2004) and Last days of the Arctic (2010).

    Inuit hunting a seal“The film succeeds the books. We travelled everywhere and met the people, but the weather was too good! I missed the storms I saw when some of the pictures were taken,” Rax told the Arctic Portal website.

    He stopped counting his trips to Greenland. “I think they might be around 25-27. That averages about one a year. It is very expansive to go to Greenland and sometimes I did not gain anything. Then I just had to go home and collect more money for the next trip.”

    Born and raised near a glacier in Iceland, he has seen the effects of global warming, both at home and in his trips. “One can definitely see it when travelling to the same places, 5 or 10 years later. The landscape is constantly changing. I did not realize the effects at first, I just wanted to go and shoot beautiful photos. I wanted to go where nobody had gone, challenging the cold, the distances and the weather. So many photographers just want to sit around in Africa, naked in the sun,” he joked.

    “I saw the effects of climate change when I started. Sometimes with my eyes, the ice had melted, and sometimes with help of the Greenlandic hunters. They are amazing. They know all about this. They can feel it, it is in their bones.”

    “You could ride in a dogsled around one area, but in the next trip the ice was too thin. Some areas became impassible.”

    The film is called Last days of the Arctic, but is that really the case? Are the hunters life’s threatened by climate change?

    “Well, the film is a thought about this. The Arctic will change, including the lives of the people. Hunters rely on areas to fish and hunt, some of these areas will be impossible to reach when the ice is to thin,” Rax said.

    The film was shown on BBC4 and has travelled around the globe since. The receptions have been excellent and it will premiere in Iceland on August 19th.

    The film preview:

    The Last Days of the Arctic – Trailer from Sagafilm Productions on Vimeo.

  • UArctic 10 Years – A History

    UArctic 10 Years – A History

    In Rovaniemi 8th of June 2011, the Council of the University of the Arctic (UArctic) celebrates the tenth anniversary of its launch, which was held in the same city in 2001. The occasion is being marked by a special seminar organized at the University of Lapland on the theme of Green Growth and the Arctic.

    The occasion is being marked by a special seminar organized at the University of Lapland on the theme of Green Growth and the Arctic, with keynote speeches from Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (President of Iceland), Hannele Pokka (Permanent Secretary of Finland’s Ministry of the Environment), Gustaf Lind (Sweden’s Arctic Ambassador), and J. Okalik Eegeesiak (President of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association). The seminar discussions examined the question of whether a ‘Green Growth’ opportunity exists for the Arctic, or whether the destiny of the North is to remain an area of resource extraction.

    The Chair of the UArctic Council, Jim McDonald of the University of Northern British Columbia remarks, “It is only appropriate that the University of the Arctic returns to Rovaniemi to mark the first decade of its remarkable growth and development. Lapland has been the crucible for many important circumpolar processes. It should be noted that UArctic’s tenth anniversary coincides – not coincidentally – with the twentieth anniversary of the Rovaniemi process that began in 1991 with the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy, which led to the establishment of the Arctic Council. The decisions taken here pave the way for our organization’s next ten years.”

    UArctic locationsThe history of UArctic goes long back, to a proposal made to the Senior Arctic Officials of the Arctic Council to look into the establishment of an ‘Arctic university.’ The subsequent work performed by the Circumpolar Universities Association laid the groundwork for the network and activities that exist today.

    On June 12, 2001, the University of the Arctic officially came into being. At a Launch event in Rovaniemi, Finland, two hundred people gathered to celebrate the realization of this dream. The organization was established with the principles of interdisciplinarity, circumpolarity and diversity. Its strength based on support not only by institutions of higher education and governments, but also that of northern indigenous peoples. In the first years after the launch, UArctic’s core programmatic activities were established with the Circumpolar Studies undergraduate program and the north2north mobility program. Enrollments in Circumpolar Studies and north2north exchanges now number many hundred, and these first students are already making their mark in northern science and public leadership.

    The UArctic International Secretariat was established at the University of Lapland, Finland, in 2001, and soon afterwards UArctic hired President Lars Kullerud to lead the activities and overall development of UArctic. UArctic’s administration was gradually distributed to offices in almost all Arctic countries. The establishment of Thematic Networks in 2005 marked a new direction in UArctic’s programmatic delivery, supporting new research and educational cooperation among smaller groups of members with common interests and expertise. This development was also supported by increased graduate-level programs including PhD networks and field schools.

    UArctic thematic networksThe University of the Arctic’s importance as an international actor was demonstrated in the role it played in the 2007-2008 International Polar Year, helping to coordinate the education and outreach activities resulting from the IPY’s international scientific research projects. The UArctic Rectors’ Forum first met in 2007, which provided a new opportunity for the leadership of the circumpolar region’s higher education institutions to address areas of common interest. To better serve its members, UArctic developed the GoNorth program to promote student recruitment to northern higher education institutions and the UArctic Catalogue as joint listing of course and program information from all members.

    UArctic has accomplished much to date in creating an empowered and sustainable North. It is telling that the organization’s original vision, goals and values remain valid today, while it has grown to meet additional needs and serve more areas of the Circumpolar North. The success of the organization can truly be seen, however, in the large numbers of students who have benefited from educational opportunities that would not have been possible without the University of the Arctic and the collective efforts of its members.

    Source: UArctic

  • Reindeer Ultraviolet vision crucial to their survival

    Reindeer Ultraviolet vision crucial to their survival

    reindeerScientists from the UCL University have discovered that reindeer can not only see ultraviolet (UV) light, but that it is also crucial to their survival in the harsh Arctic environment.

    A research team from the UCL, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, published a study which shows that this remarkable visual ability allows reindeer to take in life-saving information in conditions where normal mammalian vision would make them vulnerable to starvation, predators and territorial conflict.

    Winter conditions in the Arctic mean that the sun barely rises in the middle of the day and light is scattered such that the majority of light that reaches objects is blue or UV. In addition to this, snow can reflect up to 90% of the UV light that falls on it.

    “We discovered that reindeer can not only see ultraviolet light but they can also make sense of the image to find food and stay safe. Humans and almost all other mammals could never do this as our lenses just don’t let UV through into the eye.” Says Glen Jeffery, Professor of Neuroscience at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and the lead researcher on the project.

    reindeer3Humans are able to see light with wavelengths ranging from around 700 nanometres (nm), which corresponds to the colour red, right through all the colours of the rainbow in sequence to 400nm, which corresponds to violet. Professor Jeffery and his team tested the reindeer’s vision to see what wavelengths they could see and found that they can handle wavelengths down to around 350–320nm, which is termed ultraviolet, because it exceeds the extreme of the so-called visible spectrum of colours.

    “When we used cameras that could pick up UV, we noticed that there are some very important things that absorb UV light and therefore appear black, contrasting strongly with the snow. This includes urine – a sign of predators or competitors; lichens – a major food source in winter; and fur, making predators such as wolves very easy to see despite being camouflaged to other animals that can’t see UV.” Says Jeffery.

    reindeer4The research also raises the question of how reindeer protect their eyes from being damaged by UV, which is thought to be harmful to human vision.

    “In conditions where there is a lot of UV – when surrounded by snow, for example – it can be damaging to our eyes. In the process of blocking UV light from reaching the retina, our cornea and lens absorb its damaging energy and can be temporarily burned. The front of the eye becomes cloudy and so we call this snow blindness. Although this is normally reversible and plays a vital role to protect our sensitive retinas from potential damage, it is very painful.”

    “The question remains as to why the reindeer’s eyes don’t seem to be damaged by UV. Perhaps it’s not as bad for eyes as we first thought? Or maybe they have a unique way of protecting themselves, which we could learn from and perhaps develop new strategies to prevent or treat the damage the UV can cause to humans.” Professor Jeffery added.

    Source: UCL

  • Arctic Search and Rescue Agreement

    Arctic Search and Rescue Agreement

    The first international agreement made exclusively for the Arctic region was signed at the ministerial meeting in Nuuk, May 12 2011. The agreement, which deals with search and rescue of aeronautical and maritime vessels and passengers, is also the first international agreement made under the auspices of the Arctic Council. The Arctic Council is now planning another international agreement for adoption which will deal with oil pollution in the Arctic.

    Arctic Search and Rescue Agreement - Areas of Application Illustrative Map

    The Agreement on cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic (Agreement) was made in accordance with the 1979 International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) and the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation, both of which are established and widely recognized international law. The objective of the Agreement is, however, to further strengthen aeronautical and maritime search and rescue cooperation and coordination in the Arctic. In order for that to be clear, each member state was given a particular Search and Rescue area which it is responsible for.

    The main emphasis of the Agreement is to develop swift and efficient measures when accidents occur in the harsh Arctic region and to ensure, as much as possible, proper search and rescue operations. This is done by the clauses where the member states commit themselves to nominate certain national institutions in each state that will have full discretion in the field of search and rescue in the area. These national institutions are not only bound to take efficient measures, but also to notify other relevant national institutions when appropriate.

    The most significant clause of the Agreement is Art. 8 where member states obligate themselves to send a permission request to another member state when e.g. a rescue vessel enters the Search and Rescue area of another State. This is obviously not unconventional, but the article also states that the receiving national institution “shall immediately confirm such receipt” and, as soon as possible, let the member state of the requesting vessel know if the request is permitted and under which conditions, if any.

    Needless to say, the Agreement is only the beginning of a specific cooperation among the Arctic states and, as clearly stated in the Agreement, it will develop and be subject of amendments as search and rescue operation in the region become more apparent. The idea is then to make the Agreement more effective and cooperation more efficient. These objectives might be reached by the statements made in Art. 9 of the Agreement, where signatories oblige to maintain widespread cooperation on search and rescue. The most important cooperative measures of the member states is exchange of information on e.g. communication details, information about search and rescue facilities, lists of available airfields and ports and their refueling and resupply capabilities, knowledge of fueling, supply and medical facilities and information useful for training search and rescue personnel.

    The Agreement will without any doubt strengthen cooperation between the Arctic states and improve the way Arctic countries respond to emergency calls in the region. The necessity of such an agreement and cooperation is great, as accidents in the region rely on swift responses and efficient operations, as much as fully qualified rescue personnel and equipment. It is hoped that the Agreement will not just work as an important instrument for saving properties and lives, but also to further forge the cooperation of the Arctic states.

  • Rapid Changes for Arctic Flora and Fauna

    Rapid Changes for Arctic Flora and Fauna

    Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010Unique Arctic habitats for flora and fauna, including sea ice, tundra, lakes, and peatlands have been disappearing over recent decades, and some characteristic Arctic species have shown a decline. The changes in Arctic Biodiversity have global repercussions and are further creating challenges for people living in the Arctic.

    The above statements are examples on the key findings describing changes in Arctic biodiversity that is presented in ‘The Arctic Biodiversity Trends – 2010: Selected Indicators of Change’, a new report synthesizing scientific findings on the status and trends for selected biodiversity in the Arctic issued by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group under the Arctic Council.
    A constant issue noted as critical is the need for Arctic wide monitoring programmes. CAFFs Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme (CBMP – www.cbmp.is) has developed the first arctic wide marine ecosystem monitoring programme which has been endorsed by the Arctic Council. This plan is now starting to be implemented will help short the gap between the collection and analysis of data to its availability to decision makers.

    Arctic Biodiversity – affected by multiple stressors

    Arctic FoxThe Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010 Report, produced by some of the world’s leading experts of Arctic ecosystems and biodiversity, was the Arctic Council’s contribution to the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity in 2010.

    In 2008, the United Nations Environment Program passed a resolution expressing ‘extreme concern’ over the impacts of climate change on Arctic indigenous peoples, other communities, and biodiversity. It highlighted the potentially significant consequences of changes in the Arctic. The Arctic Biodiversity Trends – 2010: Selected Indicators of Change report indicates that some of those anticipated impacts on Arctic biodiversity are already occurring.

    The report is based on twenty-two indicators and provides a snapshot of the trends being observed in Arctic biodiversity today. The polar bear is one of the most well-known species impacted by changes in the Arctic, but it is not the only one. The indicators show that the Arctic has changed dramatically during recent decades and that unique Arctic habitats for flora and fauna are disappearing. Furthermore, some species of importance to Arctic people or species of global attention are declining.

    The report presents a broad spectrum of changes in the Arctic ecosystems and biodiversity.

    • Polar bears are highly specialized for and dependent on sea ice for their habitat. Therefore they are particularly sensitive and vulnerable to the documented significant reductions in sea ice cover in parts of the Arctic and to the thinning of multi-year ice in the polar basin. Status and trends for many populations are not available, but research on some populations demonstrates that they have decreased over the past several decades, and population and habitat modelling have projected substantial future declines in the distribution and abundance of polar bears.
    • The vegetation comprising tundra ecosystems – various species of grasses, sedges, mosses, and lichens – are, in some places, being replaced by species typical of more southern locations, such as evergreen shrubs.
    • Trees are beginning to encroach on the tundra at its southern margin and some models project that by 2100 the tree line will have advanced north by as much as 500 km, resulting in a loss of 51% of tundra habitat.
    • In recent years, on average, the southern limit of permafrost in northern peatlands has retreated by 39 km and by as much as 200 km in some parts of Arctic. Peatlands are significant for the floristic diversity of the Arctic because their species comprise 20–30% of the Arctic and sub-Arctic flora. Moreover, many bird species with conservation priority are strongly associated with tundra and mire habitats.
    • Cold water coral reefs, coral gardens, and sponge aggregations provide a habitat for a variety of fish and invertebrates and thus represent biodiversity hotspots in the Arctic seas. These habitats are vulnerable to fisheries and other human activities such as oil and gas exploration.

    svartfuglDepending on the magnitude of these and other changes, certain ecosystems may no longer be considered ‘Arctic’. The result may be that many of the species thriving in the Arctic today are not able to survive there in the future.

    A key finding in the Report is that climate change is emerging as the most far-reaching and significant stressor on Arctic biodiversity, though contaminants, habitat change, industrial development, and unsustainable harvest levels continue to have impacts.

    The importance of Arctic ecosystems for biodiversity is immense and therefore a more thorough examination of the state of affairs is needed. Thus, leading Arctic scientists are currently engaged in making a full and comprehensive Arctic Biodiversity Assessment, which is will be completed in 2013.

    A primary challenge is to shorten the gap between when data is collected to when it has been processed and presented to decision makers to allow for a quicker response time. CAFF has recognized this challenge and in recent years worked towards developing a solution.

    This approach has focused on not just developing traditional assessments but also addressing the creation of a framework to allow for the collection, processing and analysis of data on a continuous basis – the CBMP. The aim being through the ABA not to produce a traditional one off static assessment but rather to create a baseline of current knowledge and at the same time developing the engine which will feed data into this baseline allowing it to become a dynamic living tool. One which is sustainable and can produce regular and more flexible assessments and analyses.

    Practical information

    Further information and a press kit can be found at www.caff.is.
    Further information can be found by email: tom@caff.is or contacting Tom Barry at +354 861 9824.