Grizzly-polar hybrid

Wildlife DNA analysis shows that a bear shot near Ulukhaktok, N.W.T. (Canada) was a second-generation hybrid resulting from a female grizzly-polar hybrid mating with a male grizzly bear.

The first known instance of hybrid breeding occurred in 1931 in between a male polar bear and female Kodiak bear in captivity. 

Arctic Ocean: Identification of Significant Habitats

A report by IUCN and the NRDC identifies 13 of the richest and most vulnerable places in the Arctic Ocean that should be considered for protection as summer sea ice melts and industrial activity expands into newly accessible areas. Such places include the Bering Strait, Chukchi Beaufort Coast, Barents Sea Coast and Great Siberian Polynya.

The report is the result of a workshop held in November 2010 where 34 scientists and indigenous peoples’ representatives used internationally accepted criteria developed under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Publication: Workshop Report: IUCN/NRDC Workshop to Identify Areas of Ecological and Biological Significance or Vulnerability in the Arctic Marine Environment

Ice Imaging

“The Ocean Law Daily” has pointed out new imaging provided by the International Arctic Research Center-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Information System (IJIS) for tracking the progression of the retreat of the Arctic ice cover. Instead of using a harsh demarcation between ice covered and open waters as used by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), IJIS’s system feathers the shading to distinguish the change between open waters and ice cover. 

New York Times weighs in on Law of the Sea debate

A piece that appeared in the opinion pages of the New York Times offers several reasons for the United States to sign the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The reasons cited as most important include the international recognition of territorial claims, enhancing national security and not least diplomatic reasons, thus allowing the US to maintain credibility in international alliances.

The article is available here.

US: Military Operations

“The Ocean Law Daily” discussed the news that the President and the Department of Defense have been called upon to decide whether, and how, to apportion responsibility among the three combatant commands (Pacific Command, European Command, and Northern Command) that had responsibilities over segments of the Arctic. Reports claim that NorthCom now has responsibility for the Arctic and for Alaska. With strong links to the Department of Homeland Security, it is possible that this newly achieved responsibility of NorthCom will give the Coast Guard the predominant role in the Arctic Ocean since NorthCom’s primary role is homeland defense. 

Anger at Beluga Whale protection in Alaska

The Beluga whale is a small white toothed whale that inhabits the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas. It has five population segments in Alaskan waters and is currently listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in the segment that inhabits Cook Inlet, an isolated inlet near Anchorage off the coast of Alaska. On April 8, 2011, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association's Fisheries Service (NOAA) designated 3,016 miles of Cook Inlet as critical Beluga habitat, thus closing the area to any kind of oil or gas development. This has prompted anger in the Alaska State House of Representatives. House Speaker Mike Chenault released a statement on the 8th April 2011, saying that “The federal government ignored state data and biologists, and Alaskans and our kids will have to pay for it. That means fewer jobs, less economic multipliers of that payroll, and less energy security and stability for the entire Railbelt region.”

Click on the following links for more information:

For the NOAA rule, please see here.

For the NOAA press release, please click here.

Click here for further discussion.

Alaskan Legislature asks Congress to ratify Law of the Sea Treaty

Alaska State House of Representatives has formally asked U.S. Congress to ratify the U.N.’s Law of the Sea Treaty. House Joint Resolution 19 was passed by both the House and Senate of the state and states that by not joining the Law of the Sea Treaty “the United States is forfeiting sovereign rights to and international recognition of an expansion of United States resource jurisdiction by as much as 1,000,000 square kilometers of ocean”. Further, the Resolution notes that the U.S. cannot participate in deliberations to amend provisions of the Convention that relate to oil, gas, and mineral resources in the Arctic Ocean, the conduct of essential scientific research, the right of the United States to the use of the seas, navigation rules and other environmental concerns.

The full text of the resolution is available here.

Listen to Alaska Rep. Herron talk about why he wishes to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty here.

Focus on Nunavut

Canada’s largest circulation national newspaper The Globe and Mail has issued a series of reports on the largest, and newest, Canadian territory. The series focuses on indigenous human rights, government, youth, culture and crime.

Access the full series here.

USA: Alaskan Legislature Joint Resolution on UNCLOS

The Alaska Legislature sent a resolution on April 6 to the US Congress urging it to sign UNCLOS and thus protect the nation's rights in the Arctic and be a part of the governing body for world ocean policy.

House Joint Resolution 19 passed the Alaska Senate by a vote of 15-2 and was sent to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chair John Kerry, SCFR Ranking Republican Richard Lugar, Alaska's congressional delegation, and all other members of the U.S. Senate.

Ozone Layer Loss

Data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

shows that the Arctic region suffered an ozone column loss of

about 40 per cent from the beginning of the winter to late March

owing to the continuing presence of ozone-depleting substances

and extremely cold temperatures in the stratosphere. The highest

loss previously recorded was about 30 per cent over the winter.

Press Release