Abstracts

1. Permafrost Refreeze: The Reindeer Factor (film), Kaisu Koski, Lab4Living, Sheffield Hallam University 

“Resilience” has been vastly theorized about from different perspectives and disciplines, increasing the conceptual vagueness and challenges associated to its analytical applicability. The rapidly changing climatic and environmental conditions in the Arctic as well as the increasingly visible consequences on the inhabitants have increased the international concern and geopolitical interest in the region. 

The Republic of Sakha is situated in the East side of the Russian Federation and covers over 3.000.000 km² of territory - from which almost half of it is in the Arctic Circle -. This region is particularly well-known for harsh climatic conditions and for being the homeland of different Indigenous Peoples. In order to analyze Arctic narratives of resilience, it is here proposed to use four popular resilience framings as entry points: Shock-Proofing (short term & system focus), Resilience Planning (long-term & system focus), Community Disaster Resilience (short-term & community focus). Narratives from residents of the coastal settlements of Tiksi and Bykovsky (Republic of Sakha, Russian Federation) were collected in 2019. They were coded and qualitatively analyzed using the aforementioned framings as a guideline and as a result, local examples and forms of resilience in the Russian Arctic – as described and experienced by residents- emerged. Everyday life experiences associated to changes in climate and permafrost in the Bulunsky District contributed to understanding the local implications and specificities of resilience from an Arctic perspective, and more specifically, how long-term processes such as migration, mobility, culture, history, identity, and ties to the territory influence and shape the local forms of resilience in the Russian Arctic. 

2. Exploring resilience through the lenses of Arctic narratives: case study of Tiksi & Bykovsky, Natalia Doloisio, Utrecht University

Permafrost thaw plays a significant role in climate change, as global warming leads to massive amounts of organic carbon being released from the permafrost into the atmosphere. This Art&Science project explores the so-called Zimov hypothesis, which involves non-human animals in mitigating permafrost thaw. According to the Zimov hypothesis, large herbivores such as reindeer and horses could prevent permafrost thaw as they compact the snow while grazing, keeping the ground temperature colder. Putting this hypothesis to the test, this film-based research introduces a speculative snow compacting experiment that utilizes the human body as a simulation for the reindeer body to measure the impact of snow stomping on the underlying ground temperature. 

3. Transforming research approaches to highlight the urgency of Arctic change: recommendations from the AGORA workshop to promote community inclusion and scientific communication, Mary Edwards, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton 

A revolution is taking place in arctic research. More value is being placed on transdisciplinary research approaches that facilitate two-way knowledge exchange and cross-cultural collaboration and affect the science-policy interface. This transformation is timely and critical, as rapid environmental change in the Arctic means that we have little time before environmental tipping-points are reached that will bring extensive consequences for socio-ecological systems. 

The AGORA workshop, held at the 2023 Arctic Science Summit, created space to identify recommendations and best practices that can foster a step-change in the urgency with which the research community, the public and decision-makers address climate change.  Participants included a diverse group of researchers spanning various disciplines, career stages and cultures, and included an indigenous youth advocate and champion of communities’ rights. Participants presented topics ranging from permafrost studies and pollution to capacity sharing and environmental activism and engaged in a broad-ranging discussion, which focussed on the importance of developing effective cross-cultural and cross-sectorial working in Arctic research contexts. There was an overwhelming recognition that key stakeholders such as local and regional politicians/policy makers are seldom brought into Arctic research processes (indeed no representative of these stakeholders was present at the workshop) and that the key role of science outreach must be enhanced. Furthermore, societal tipping points linked to environmental change tend to be under-valued and under-represented in arctic research and indeed in wider public discourse.

Preliminary recommendations from the workshop included i) greater support for Indigenous representation at events and conferences; ii) enhancing two-way knowledge exchange to ensure research is equitable and can inform policy; iii) addressing the pressing need for scientists to communicate more effectively and creatively with wider audiences and convey the urgency of the climate crisis and related issues; and iv) promoting inclusive spaces for transdisciplinary dialogue and exploring new ways of working.

4. UK's Arctic Policy Framework, Jane Rumble, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

5. RRS Sir David Attenborough science capability and future look, Sophie Fielding, British Antarctic Survey 

The RRS Sir David Attenborough (SDA) has completed some key science trials in 2022/2023 to commission its acoustic, winch, clean chemistry, and laboratories. These took place in the North Atlantic and South Atlantic, involving scientists from both research institutes and universities. Further trials developing moonpool deployments and coring capabilities are due to occur in July/August 2023. This talk will provide an overview of these trials, providing an update on the current status of these systems.

From September 2023 the RRS SDA heads towards Antarctica to undertake its first grant-funded science cruises (BIOPOLE (Biogeochemical processes and ecosystem function in changing polar systems and their global impacts) and PICCOLO (Processes Influencing Carbon Cycling: Observations of the Lower Limb of the Antarctic Overturning)), before heading north in the austral summer of 2024 to undertake its first Arctic funded-science cruise (KANG-GLAC (Assessing ocean-forced, marine-terminating glacier change in Greenland during climatic warm periods and its impact on marine productivity)).  This talk will provide an overview of the geographic footprint of the RRS SDA into the future, highlight opportunities and engage with the community to identify ways to maximise the science use of the vessel.

6. IC3 - A ten year funded project on ice sheet loss and global carbon cycles, Terri Souster, UiT 

The Arctic University of Norway It is based at The Arctic University Norway but has partners Norwegian Polar Institute and NORCE. The plan is to be world leading including collaborations with BAS to better understand ice sheet loss and what that means for the global carbon cycle.

The project will commence 1st July with kick off meeting planned alongside Arctic Frontiers conference in January 2024, the UK Arctic conference will be a great opportunity to introduce IC3 and so others may see how their research could contribute.

1. Open Arctic Science: how the UK Polar Data Centre supports Open Science and FAIR data principles, Sarah Manthorpe, British Antarctic Survey

The UK Polar Data Centre (PDC), part of the Natural Environment Research Council’s Environmental Data Service (EDS), is a long-term repository for UK polar and cryospheric data.  Our aim is to ensure that environmental data collected in the polar and cryospheric regions are FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). We support scientists with data management planning, data requests and the publication of data using Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) as well as providing long-term storage of data and tools to better access data. This support enables researchers to get more recognition for the datasets they publish and to comply with national and international data legislation and policy (such as UKRI Open Access policy, NERC data policy and IASC Statement of Principles and Practices for Arctic Data Management). Furthermore, making data openly following FAIR principles facilitates the full realisation of their reuse potential, making polar research more inclusive and accessible to future collaborators and to the wider public.  

2. Historical British Arctic Whaling Activities: Analysing their voyages and their catch (recording), Ryan Charles, 

3. Spatiotemporal AI and Digital Twinning for the Polar Environment , Scott Hosking, British Antarctic Survey & The Alan Turing Institute

1. Microclimatic winter conditions shape soil erosion and vegetation patterns in sub-Arctic tundra, Georg Kodl, School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews

The Arctic has recently experienced significant and rapid temperature increases, leading to profound changes in winter conditions and snow cover dynamics. Snow cover duration (SCD) is projected to decrease by up to 30-40% by 2050 with the decline particularly pronounced in maritime areas like Alaska and northern Scandinavia. These changes have far-reaching implications for biogeomorphological processes in cold biomes.

Snow cover plays a crucial role in thermoregulation and serves as a protective barrier against erosive forces during winter. It influences the timing of the growing season and affects vegetation's access to moisture and nutrients. In addition, small 1-2 m variations in topography create microclimates and a highly heterogeneous environment that can exacerbate or alleviate vegetation stress factors, affecting soil erosion susceptibility. 

How mesotopography controls snow and vegetation cover and how these factors influence thermal and hydrological soil properties under winter conditions, contributing to vegetation stress and soil erosion, remains insufficiently studied . To address this, our research uses regional fine-scale spatial information at 3-m resolution on SCD obtained from five years of PlanetScope data, along with land cover information derived from satellite and UAV imagery and morphological information from Lidar and Arctic DEM. Further, soil moisture and temperature probes along mesotopographic transects provide microclimatic information for the winter season 2021 and 2022.

Firstly, the study aims to explore the fine-scale relationships between mesotopography, SCD and land cover. Secondly, to investigate the influence of snow cover on thermoregulation and hydrology, to understand erosion and vegetation patterns in a landscape. To gain comprehensive insights, the study spans two distinct parts of the tundra biome with varying winter conditions and local gradients (elevation, proximity to the ocean): At Svalbarð  (N-Iceland), characterised by a more temperate climate and strongly affected by soil erosion, and Kilpisjärvi (N-Finland), characterised by a colder climate and less soil erosion.

3. Quantifying and characterising geomorphic signatures of active layer detachment slides in the Brooks Range, Alaska, Charlotte Pearson, University of Hertfordshire

Active layer detachment slides (ALDS), a prominent geomorphic process that develop due to abrupt thawing of permafrost slopes, have significant implications for landscape evolution, infrastructure stability, and ecosystem dynamics (Lewkowicz and Harris, 2005; Turetsky et al., 2020). Despite this, they are less well-studied compared to other abrupt thaw features like retrogressive thaw slumps, due to more complex failure processes and shorter, less dynamic disturbance periods (Harris and Lewkowicz, 1993; Runge et al., 2022). Furthermore, whilst individual ALDS do not result in significant material displacement, their large spatial range results in widespread carbon release and thaw subsidence across High Arctic regions (Patton et al., 2021; Turetsky et al., 2020). This research focuses on quantifying and characterising the geomorphic signatures of ALDS in the Brooks Range, Alaska by integrating remote sensing and machine learning algorithms to enhance the mechanistic understanding of these dynamic processes and their potential future impacts. High-resolution digital elevation data from the ArcticDEM within Google Earth Engine is employed to extract topographic attributes associated with known ALDS locations (Swanson, 2021). Statistical analyses are used to identify distinct patterns and trends in terrain and geological parameters, facilitating the differentiation of ALDS morphology from broader regional processes and to establish unique thresholds with which to train a classifier to detect ALDS. This research therefore aims to establish the geomorphic characteristics of a sample set of ALDS in order to develop a machine learning algorithm which can classify ALDS from the ArcticDEM, allowing for the pan-Arctic quantification of abrupt thaw through ALDS. This work contributes to predictive models, enabling better assessments of slope stability, infrastructure planning, and ecosystem management in permafrost regions. Ultimately, it enhances scientific understanding of how ALDS processes respond to climate change, facilitating effective adaptation and mitigation strategies in vulnerable areas. 

4. Location, timing and trajectory of dust emissions from ice-free Greenland (2016-2021), Joanna Bullard, Loughborough University

Modern dust originating from ice-free regions within the Arctic plays an important role in the transfer of nutrients across terrestrial, marine and cryospheric systems.  It makes an important contribution to the development of Arctic soils and can be lofted into the atmosphere to act as ice-nucleating particles in the formation of mixed phase clouds.  However, beyond Iceland, the source locations from which this dust is emitted remain poorly mapped at the regional scale and the nature and impact of temporal patterns of dust emissions are not well understood.  Using true colour Sentinel-2AB (10 m spatial resolution) satellite imagery we mapped dust emissions from ice-free Greenland from 2016-2021 using conservative cloud and scene coverage settings.  Of the c.1000 potential sources examined, active dust emission was observed from 62 locations with the frequency of dust events from these locations ranging from 1 to 24 over the six years.

In order to understand and model the present and future distribution and dynamics of Greenland dust emissions, we developed a land-surface classification of the active dust sources identified.  The classification includes 3 types of delta, 4 non-deltaic glacio-lacustrine landforms and other forms such as alluvial fans, moraines and sand dunes.  Fjordhead deltas are the most frequent dust source types and were associated with the highest number of dust events.   The overall spatial distribution of dust sources maps closely to the distribution of land-terminating glaciers on Greenland and to glaciers that discharge high concentrations of suspended sediment.  Given that suspended sediment delivery to proglacial floodplains and deltas is increasing and many Greenland deltas are prograding it is expected that the extent of, and fine sediment supply to, potential dust sources will increase over the next few decades. 

5. Multiscale remote sensing for understanding dust originating in the Arctic, Sam Poxon, Loughborough University 

The wind-blown entrainment, transportation, and deposition of mineral dust originating in the Arctic plays a significant role in atmospheric, cryosphere, marine and terrestrial environments at the regional scale. Remote sensing (RS) and earth observation (EO) methods and techniques have been pivotal in identifying dust sources, transport pathways and spatial-temporal variability in dust emissions across global dust hotspots. However, this has left research gaps regarding the use of remote sensing data to better understand Arctic dust. Where remote sensing data research has been applied in the Arctic, it has tended to be local event-specific case studies rather than utilising a systematic approach at the landscape/regional scale. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer’s (MODIS) Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is a remote sensing dataset that measures the extinction of light in a column of air indicating the presence of aerosols in the atmosphere. It is used fairly extensively in systematic dust and aerosol research studies globally and presents opportunities for application within the Arctic. 

The research uses MODIS’ AOD Level-3 gridded data products (1° x  1° resolution) to identify/characterise dust sources across Iceland for a twenty-year period (2001 – 2022). Iceland is an actively dusty region driven by aeolian processes, volcanic activity, and glacial sediment supply located in proximity to the Arctic. It is relatively well studied on the ground, with a well distributed weather observation network that will allow for ground-truthed comparison. The research aims to produce a systematic analysis of MODIS AOD products, quantify the spatial and temporal variability of AOD and then evaluate the AOD record against independent methods of dust monitoring (weather records, etc). The intention is to then apply the methodology to other locations across the Arctic.

6. Microstructure of Snow on Sea Ice and Simulation of Radar Altimetry, Melody Sandells, Northumbria University

Radar altimeter measurements from CryoSat-2 are used to monitor sea ice thickness. Scattering of the signal in snow is commonly neglected and retrievals of sea ice thickness performed under the assumption that the radar return is primarily from the snow-sea ice interface. However, scattering of snow is sensitive to snow microstructure and surface roughness. Here we present field measurements of snow on sea ice from the AKROSS (Altimetric Ku-Band Radar Observations Simulated with SMRT) field campaign in April 2022 in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada. Multiple observations of snow microstructure were made by penetrometer, near-infrared reflectance and, for the first time, x-ray tomography from uncasted and casted samples shipped from Canada to Switzerland. Spatially-distributed measurements included snow depth, density and specific surface area as well as sea ice thickness. Snow surface and sea ice surface roughness measurements were derived from structure from motion. The suite of measurements was used to simulate the CryoSat-2 waveform for the 24th April 2022 overpass. Simulations agreed well with observations, with an underestimation in pulse peakiness corrected through a modification of the flat-surface impulse related to large-scale surface roughness. We demonstrate the sensitivity of the altimeter waveform to snow and sea ice properties and discuss implications for retrieval algorithms from the future European Space Agency CRISTAL mission.

7. Weather and glacial controls on fjord ice cover in Nuup Kangerlua (Nuuk Fjord), SW Greenland: Environmental, social and industry implications, James Lea, University of Liverpool

Icebergs and fjord ice exert primary controls on ecological, oceanographic, and glaciological fjord processes. In Nuup Kangerlua (Nuuk Fjord), the fjord system around Greenland’s capital Nuuk, the seasonality of ice cover is a key factor in fishing, hunting, tourism and transport activities. Operations at the Port of Nuuk, Greenland’s busiest containership port, are also potentially vulnerable to future changes in iceberg drift, size and frequency as calving behaviour of the fjord’s three marine terminating glaciers evolve.

Anticipating future ice-cover dynamics, and the resulting human and economic risk, first requires the baseline measurement of past seasonal and inter-annual fjord ice cover. This is established using the cloud-based Google Earth Engine platform to detect Nuup Kangerlua ice cover across the entire Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 archives. We identify the trends and variability of ice cover and the timing of different styles of ice cover, placing this in context of recent glaciological change.

8. Improved Arctic shipping data and methods based on POLARIS show where ships of different ice strength have been in areas of heightened risk from sea ice, 2015-2022, Alison Cook, Scottish Association for Marine Science

Over the past few decades, climate change has caused substantial variability in sea ice extent and thickness across the Arctic. Vast areas now have reduced sea ice, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that ships are safe to travel in regions that were previously inaccessible. The Polar Operational Limit Assessment Risk Indexing System (POLARIS) is an accepted methodology from the International Maritime Organization that can be used to assess the operational capabilities and limitations of ships traveling in ice. We have applied this methodology to historical ship positions, to identify where ships have travelled in regions of normal, elevated, or high risk, based on the ice strength of the ship, and the type and concentration of sea ice at the time. This makes it possible to identify whether certain ship types are more or less prone to navigating in risk areas and also where certain geographic risk hot spots are located. 

Our approach involved converting weekly US National Ice Charts between 2015-2022 to Risk Index Outcome (RIO) maps and using these alongside our newly developed ship attributes database which includes the ship Ice Class. We present our method and results for a sample region in the Arctic, including maps revealing the distribution of ships that were travelling in regions of elevated or high risk, and also discuss the utility of this method as well as limitations. Overall, the temporal and spatial analyses conducted show variability in ships taking risks over time with pleasure craft seemingly taking more risks than other commercial operators. 

2. EISCAT-3D: a new perspective on the polar upper atmosphere, Mervyn Freeman, British Antarctic Survey 

The polar regions are a window on to the Earth's near space environment; the structure of the Earth's magnetic field means that the upper atmosphere at high latitudes is strongly impacted by space weather, and the effects can be coupled throughout the atmosphere.  This makes the polar regions ideal locations for instruments used for studying space weather and its impacts, especially the Arctic due to its relative accessibility.  

EISCAT-3D is the next generation of upper atmosphere radar. It will provide unprecedented measurements of the polar ionosphere at multiple scales allowing scientists to probe the impact of small-scale variability on the large-scale dynamics and chemistry.  Currently under construction in northern Europe, the radar consists of three sites that will allow volumetric imaging to visualize the structures that form in response to both space weather and activity propagating from the lower atmosphere. 

The international EISCAT association consists of the UK, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, and China along with institutes in Germany, South Korea, the US and Ukraine. The UK provided £6M in capital funds towards the construction of the £60M EISCAT-3D radar, which is due to come on-line in Autumn/Winter 2023 and has ESFRI landmark Status. Two UK NERC highlight topic grants (£2M each) have been funded to exploit the new capabilities of the radar and preparatory work is already under way. These projects involve more than 40 scientists from 12 institutes in the UK as well as a host of international project partners.

EISCAT-3D will vastly enhance our understanding of this region of the polar environment, and lead to improvements in our ability to forecast and characterize space weather impacts.

3. Multi-Physics Ensemble Modelling of Arctic Tundra Snowpack Properties, Georgina Woolley, Northumbria

State-of-the-art modelling systems are required to provide estimates of the seasonal evolution and vertical layering of Arctic snowpack microstructure properties e.g. depth, density, snow water equivalent (SWE), specific surface area (SSA). As observations of these properties are sparse within the Arctic region, accurate simulation using land surface models is necessary for hydrological forecasting (flood prediction, hydropower, water resource management), numerical weather prediction, climate modelling and remote sensing. Uncertainties in the simulation of snowpack layering and snow properties are caused by the representation of key Arctic snow processes such as wind-induced compaction, the effect of low vegetation, snowpack thermal conductivity, associated metamorphism, and water vapour flux transport. This study develops on the multi-physics ensemble version of the detailed snowpack scheme Crocus, by modifying process representations and parameterisations for Arctic application. Implementing Arctic parameterisations into an ensemble framework allows for the uncertainty in snow modelling to be assessed. Optimal ensemble members can then be identified for future application of Crocus in Arctic environments. 

Measurements of snowpack properties collected at Trail Valley Creek, NWT, Canada, over a 32-year period (1991-2023) are used to evaluate simulations of snow depth, SWE, density and SSA. Crocus simulations show good agreement with measurements of snow depth and SWE but cannot reproduce measured snow density profiles using its default configuration at Trail Valley Creek. Simulations accounting for missing Arctic processes, wind-induced compaction, and the effect of low vegetation, produce snow density profiles that better match observations. Improved model performance, using optimal ensemble members, will increase the universality of Crocus for satellite retrieval, water resource management and understanding of projected permafrost degradation.  

4. Microbial community assembly in snow, ice and cryoconite habitats on a High Arctic glacier, Amy Bo Tinky Solman, Queen Mary University of London & the Natural History Museum 

Microorganisms in natural environments form complex communities that are shaped by deterministic selection and stochastic dispersal and drift processes. However, the influence of assembly processes in glacier surface microbial communities remains understudied. Here, we systematically investigated spatial and temporal variations in microbial communities inhabiting snow, ice, and cryoconite habitats on a Svalbard glacier, during spring and summer. Communities were profiled using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes before processing with QIIME2. We found similarities in the biogeographic patterns and community assembly mechanisms affecting ice surface microbial communities in spring and summer. Microbial communities in snow are particularly influenced by ecological drift. Moreover, well-connected cryoconite co-occurrence networks suggest biotic selection plays an important role in determining community structure. These findings advance our understanding of the processes shaping microbial communities on High Arctic glaciers.

5. Modelling and measurement of carbon emissions under Arctic snow, Nick Rutter, Northumbria University

Arctic carbon dioxide emissions during the winter months are frequently omitted from global carbon budgets, due to prior assumptions that their contribution is largely insignificant compared to other sources and seasons. This paradigm has recently been challenged, amid a growing awareness of the impact snow-ecosystem interactions have on respiration from high-latitude soils and overall carbon budgets. Through field measurements at Trail Valley Creek, NWT, Canada, and simulations using the Community Land Model 5.0, here we:

1. consider how the representation of snow thermal conductivity in a Terrestrial Biosphere Model impacts simulated near-surface soil temperatures and net ecosystem exchange,

2. report on new low-cost in-situ measurement techniques that aim to quantify carbon dioxide concentrations and fluxes within Arctic snowpacks.

We anticipate new measurement techniques will help evaluate rates of production of carbon dioxide from frozen soils during winter months and address discrepancies between observed and simulated carbon dioxide emissions. Increased confidence in future simulations is important in a region that is highly characteristic of the high latitude critical zone, susceptible to permafrost thaw, and is warming two to three times as fast as the global average since the late twentieth century.

1. Getting to the core of environmental change: a multi-proxy study of three high arctic lacustrine sediment records spanning ~3,300 years, Amy Gray, Loughborough University 

Over the last century, the High Arctic has experienced atmospheric warming at a significantly higher rate than the global average, making it an important location to study in order to better understand the immediate environmental impacts of rapid climate change. However, unlike more populated parts of the world, the Arctic remains relatively sparsely monitored. Consequently, palaeostratigraphic techniques, such as analyses of sediment cores, can prove vital in facilitating the reconstruction of past environmental and climatic conditions, both for time periods that predate reliable instrumentation, and for changes that have not been documented due to lack of monitoring.

Here we describe the sedimentological, geochemical, and algal changes observed in sediment cores collected from three High Arctic lakes located near Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, spanning the last ~3,300 years.  This project overcomes the challenges associated with the lack of high-resolution, long-term environmental monitoring in the Arctic by developing a state-of-the-art multi-proxy approach to analysing lacustrine sediment archives. Analyses of grain size, magnetic susceptibility, geochemical composition (via XRF), mercury (Hg) concentrations, organic content and diatom assemblages have, where possible, been conducted at the highest resolution (0.25 cm or 200 µm for XRF ), providing a detailed insight into how natural environmental (especially climate) change and more recent anthropogenic impacts and atmospheric  contamination in the Arctic affect physical and environmental processes in this region.

2. Arctic and sub-Arctic marine sediment carbon stocks; a meta-analysis, Beth Langley, University of Glasgow 

Marnie sediments constitute an expansive sink of organic carbon and can store carbon for millions of years if undisturbed. These carbon repositories therefore play an important role in the global carbon cycle and are key in regulating climate change. Carbon stored in marine sediments is vulnerable to both climate change and anthropogenic activities, and with the Arctic warming 4 times faster than global averages, it is vital to gain a more comprehensive understanding of marine carbon storage in this region. Here, we synthesise existing data of organic carbon stocks from 633 marine sediment cores across the Arctic and sub-Arctic. This study shows that Arctic marine sediments are a globally important sink of organic carbon. We identify hotspots of carbon burial and investigate factors affecting total organic carbon concentrations. By examining down core variability of total organic carbon, we investigate patterns of carbon burial and remineralisation, and explore spatial differences across the Arctic and sub-Arctic. This study demonstrates the importance of protecting marine sedimentary carbon stocks in the Arctic and sub-Arctic and highlights regions where management and protection efforts should be made to ensure marine sediments remain undisturbed and continue acting as nature-based solutions to mitigating climate change.

3. Evaluating impacts of possible prey loss due to reduced sea ice on Bowhead whales in the Canadian Arctic, Hayley McLennan, University of St Andrews 

Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) are the largest planktivorous predators in the Arctic. They are the longest-lived mammal on earth, reaching over 200 years old, meaning they grow slowly and only reach reproductive maturity after 25 years. This makes them vulnerable to rapid environmental change.  As the only baleen whale resident in the Arctic year-round, their movements are determined by sea ice extent, so Arctic warming and sea ice loss will have serious but as-yet-unknown impacts on their behaviour. Due to their large size relative to the plankton they prey on, they are reliant on finding dense, energy-rich prey patches. The occurrence of these is determined by environmental variables, which will inevitably become more unpredictable with climate change. Furthermore, as waters warm, it is possible that temperate species will expand into polar systems. This shift in the community could cause zooplanktivorous predators, such as bowhead whales, to adjust their foraging behaviours.

In August 2023, in collaboration with Dalhousie University, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Inuit communities, we will conduct the first direct surveys of the zooplankton prey of bowhead whales in Kingnait Fjord, Nunavut. The objective is to determine when, where and on what Eastern Canada – Western Greenland bowhead whales feed in Canada. This will be achieved by collecting multi-scale data about bowhead whale diving and the zooplankton prey field in Kingnait Fjord, Cumberland Sound, which has been identified as an important feeding area. This talk will present first analyses of prey field data collected using EK60 scientific echosounders and discussion of future work using these prey data and concurrently collected bowhead whale dive data. Obtaining understanding of the ecosystem conditions that support current populations of bowhead whales will help us to understand how climate-induced shifts in oceanographic conditions may impact the feeding success of future populations.

4. Walrus from Space: Validating satellite imagery counts using RPAS counts, Hannah Cubaynes, presented by Jaume Forcada, British Antarctic Survey

Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) live throughout much of the circumpolar Arctic, where they rely on sea ice for various biological needs such as giving birth, nursing and resting. However, sea ice in the Arctic is declining at a rapid rate both in terms of extent, thickness and seasonal presence. Understanding how these modifications to their habitat is affecting walruses is essential to predict and safeguard their existence. Walrus monitoring needs to be at the pan-Arctic scale, to reflect their wide distribution, and ideally performed on an annual time scale to capture impacts of the rapid changes in sea ice conditions. However, surveying a region as vast and remote as the Arctic with vessels or aircraft is logistical challenge, limiting the frequency and the areas where field surveys are conducted. Satellite images can be a non-invasive solution to the challenges. Although satellite imagery has been proven to be a useful tool to find walruses, additional work is needed regarding the feasibility of using such imagery to count individuals accurately. In this study, we validate walrus counts obtained from a very high resolution (VHR) WorldView-3 satellite image using a near-simultaneous remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) image. First, we assessed the accuracy of the walrus counts depending on the spatial resolution of the VHR satellite imagery using the same WorldView-3 image provided at three different spatial resolutions (i.e. 50, 30, and 15 cm). Then, we investigated the accuracy of counts in relation to the experience level of the observers (experts and citizen scientists).  Observers tended to underestimate the number of animals. Finally, we developed adjustment factors dependent upon the spatial resolution of the images and the level of expertise of the counters, to correct the walrus abundance estimates. 

5. The importance of ocean meltwater layers on biogeochemical processes in the Central Arctic, Alison L Webb, University of York

As temperatures increase spring to summer, sea ice and snow melt provide a significant source of low-salinity meltwater to the surface ocean in leads, underneath ice, and atop ice floes in ponds. This water results in a persistent (weeks to months), thin (<1m) surface layer in and around the sea ice floes across a significant fraction of the Arctic basin, but observations on this feature are extremely limited, due to the difficulty in detection through standard methods. Cross-cutting observations made during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition in summer 2020 studied the development and variation in these layers from spring through to autumn freeze and highlighted their importance in the coupled Arctic system. A recent review has incorporated new findings from MOSAiC with existing measurements of the meltwater layers in the Arctic. Such layers can reduce bottom ice melt, and allow new ice formation through false bottom growth and accelerated surface ice formation during autumn freeze up. Throughout summer, surface meltwater layers reduce ocean-atmosphere exchange of momentum, energy and material, and significantly impact nutrient exchange and ecosystem diversity and productivity. Strong variation in community composition was identified across extremely small spatial scales (<10 cm depth). Associated biogenic gases including oxygen, carbon dioxide, DMS, N2O and CH4 show strong variation in their profiles in the surface 1 metre, in both melt ponds and leads, but with no unifying trend in concentration profiles across gases. Of key importance is the lack of representation of these thin meltwater layers in regional and global climate models, leading to significant limitations in understanding of regional climate feedbacks in the Arctic and their role for the global climate system. 

6. Silicon isotopes reveal the impact of fjords processes on the transport of reactive silica from glaciers to coastal regions, Tong Wang, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol 

Driven by atmospheric warming, the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has been experiencing accelerated melting in recent years, the mass loss of which leads to retreating glaciers and enhanced fresh water runoff to surrounding fjords and adjacent coastal regions. This glacial meltwater discharge, together with shallow fjordic sediments, potentially provides additional essential nutrients for downstream primary producers and influences the ecosystems with ongoing climate change. Silicon (Si) is one such nutrient, which is critical for the growth of phototrophic silicifiers, such as diatoms, an important group of algae that are essential for oceanic carbon fixation and biological pumps. However, the role of fjords, a critical zone for glacier-ocean interactions, in modulating the supply of Si from the glacial environment to marine ecosystems remains poorly constrained, especially for quantification of Si fluxes from the fjordic sediments into the overlying water columns.

In this study, we analysed the concentration and stable isotopic composition of dissolved silicon (DSi) in pore waters and core-top waters, and amorphous silica (ASi) in sediments (ASised) and suspended particulate matter (SPM; ASiSPM), collected from two fjords in the southwest Greenland margin to address this knowledge gap. We combined downcore observations with core incubations and isotope mass balance models to assess the benthic DSi flux, deconvolve its potential contributors, and estimate the burial efficiency of ASi. Our results suggest that the build-up of pore water DSi is controlled by competing early diagenetic processes including the dissolution of the solid phase, precipitation reactions like reverse weathering, and Si-Fe coupled cycling in these fjordic sediments. Benthic DSi transport is dominated by advection process, with the remaining flux accounted for by molecular diffusion and dissolution of ASiSPM, most likely dominated by glacially-derived ASi. Compared with the proximal continental shelves, our fjord sites show higher burial ASi efficiency but much a smaller benthic DSi flux. Our study also reveals that fjords potentially act as a ‘trap’ for labile Si phases like DSi and ASiSPM, which helps to complete the understanding of reactive Si transport from glaciers to coastal regions.

7. Intra- and interannual variability of the Atlantic Water inflow to the Arctic Ocean, Angelika Renner, Institute of Marine Research, Tromsø, Norway 

Changing Atlantic Water (AW) inflow promotes sea ice decline and borealisation of marine ecosystems and affects primary production in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean. North of Svalbard, the AW inflow dominates oceanographic conditions along the shelf break, bringing in heat, salt, nutrients and organisms, and interacts with polar waters, atmosphere and sea ice. Using a combination of multidisciplinary approaches such as ship-based measurements and sampling, moored sensors, remote sensing and numerical modelling, we have been monitoring and studying the AW boundary current north of Svalbard since 2012. In this presentation, we will highlight some recent findings including the role of advection versus local processes for AW heat loss and sea ice cover, the interplay of hydrography, sea ice, nutrient distribution and primary productivity, and exchanges with the deep basin to the north and the northern Barents Sea to the south. We will discuss our observations in a larger spatial context and their implications for our understanding of ongoing and future changes in the Arctic Ocean.

1. Degradation and composition of organic carbon in the sediment flocculation layer on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, Kirsi Keskitalo, Northumbria University; Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Rapidly rising temperatures in the Arctic promote permafrost thaw and coastal erosion that collectively increase the land-to-ocean exchange of permafrost-derived organic carbon (OC). In the water column, permafrost-OC may either degrade and thus, enhance ocean acidification and climate warming, the latter by adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, or settle on the seabed and either be buried in sediments or get transported offshore before burial. In this study, we focused on the flocculation layer (i.e., turbid region at the sediment-water interface) that transports sediments across the vast Siberian shelves and studied the composition and degradation of the particulate OC (POC) within it. Previous studies have shown that permafrost-OC is largely confined to the POC fraction in the water column. Sampling was performed onboard R/V Akademik Mstistlav Keldysh in the Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, and East Siberian Sea in 2020. Turbulent seabed conditions were mimicked by artificially stirring the overlying water of sediment cores, and the POC that was suspended was collected and incubated (two weeks, in the dark). At set time points, particulate and dissolved OC, dissolved inorganic carbon and δ13C were measured for both the whole-water (i.e., with particles) and control (i.e., filtered) incubations. Additionally, to better understand sediment entrainment and degradation, sediment physical properties, including grain size and mineral-specific surface area, and macromolecular composition by pyrolysis-gas chromatography mass spectrometry were determined. With accelerated coastal erosion and an increase in storminess in the Arctic Ocean due to increased sea ice loss, understanding the dynamics of the flocculation layer and degradation of permafrost-OC on the Arctic sea shelves is important to better constrain their potential climate impact. 

2. Holocene methane emissions from high latitude lakes in Alaska, Maarten van Hardenbroek, Newcastle University 

Lakes are the largest natural source of methane, an important greenhouse gas. A disproportionate number of lakes occur in high-latitude regions, and with arctic amplification of climate warming, an increase in the rate of warming of arctic lakes is expected and, consequently, of their methane emissions. The magnitude and timing of this increase remains uncertain, prompting investigation of warmer than present periods in the recent past, such as the early Holocene (8,000-11,000 cal BP) in Alaska. 

Through the development of proxy-based estimates for methane during the early Holocene, we can explore how much methane is available in lake systems as climate warms. These proxies include the stable carbon isotope values (δ13C) of bacterial hopanoids and aquatic invertebrates. The δ13C values measured on the sedimentary remains of these organisms are lower when methane-derived carbon is an important part of the lake carbon cycle. 

Estimates of methane production in lakes across Alaska during the Holocene based on our proxy records suggest that methane availability was higher during the warmer early Holocene than at present, similar to modelling studies that predict greater high-latitude lake methane emissions under future warming scenarios.

3. The case of Arctic lichens. How plastic is the lichen symbiosis in the face of warming? Jiri Subrt, University of Edinburgh

Lichens are recognized as extremophiles; however, they also serve as sensitive climate indicators. Studies have indicated a decline in Arctic lichen abundance due to climate warming. However, most observational studies lack a mechanistic understanding of these declines. My research focuses on investigating the physiological and morphological responses of lichens subjected to experimental warming using the Open Top Chamber experiment in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. This investigation aims to enhance our comprehension of the carbon balance of polar lichens under warming conditions and ascertain whether these lichens and their symbionts possess adaptive capabilities or experience physiological degradation. Such deterioration may manifest as bleaching, disrupting the lichen symbiosis similar to corals, potentially leading to widespread ecosystem collapse. The results indicate that lichens subjected to warming physiologically deteriorated and did not acclimatise after experiencing warmer conditions. These findings hold significance within the context of the imminent threat posed by climate warming in the Arctic, as well as the potential impact on the ecosystem services provided by lichens.

4. The Polar Summer: Does microclimate set the clock for above- and below-ground tundra phenology? Elise Gallois, University of Edinburgh 

In recent decades, many tundra plants have exhibited earlier growth and reproductive phenology in response to warmer summer temperatures, and at a rate of change higher than the planet’s more temperate regions. The timing of the growing season has cascading ecological implications, including nutrient cycling dynamics, pollinator activity, and the movement of grazing herbivores. While microclimate has been shown to influence spring and mid-summer phenology, we currently lack substantial data to determine whether autumn phenology (and therefore the full growing season length) is also sensitive to microclimatic variation. We also know very little about the drivers of below-ground plant phenology despite the majority of tundra biomass consisting of roots. The below-ground growing season has been observed to extend longer than the above-ground growing season, yet the drivers of this asynchrony and the importance of community type remain key unknowns. 

Here, we analyse imagery from an extensive tundra time-lapse camera network to investigate the extent to which the timings of the growing season vary across climatically heterogeneous landscapes. We use a novel in-growth root core protocol to examine root growth timing in comparison to leaf productivity to assess the (a)synchrony of above- and below-ground growing seasons. We found that all phenophases took place earlier in the season in the warmest microclimates across the landscape - essentially shifting the length of the growing season earlier in time instead of lengthening it across the polar summer. Root growth peaked much later in the season than leaf productivity and the degree of asynchrony differed between plant community types. These results provide a unique space-for-time comparison relating to the tundra growing season and it’s sensitivity to surface temperatures. By examining the microclimate variation in above- and below-ground phenology spanning spring to autumn, we provide a more complete picture of the tundra growing season, the timings of which underpin several ecological phenomena.

5. Dendrochronology and remote sensing for the identification and understanding of socio-ecological impacts of beaver range expansion into Inuit Nunangat, Dr Georgia Melodie Hole, Anglia Ruskin University

The current northward expansion of beaver populations across Inuit Nunangat in Arctic Canada entails a species distribution change that is generating pervasive regime shifts, with community members reporting major changes over the last two decades. Beaver dam building behaviour generates impacts and feedbacks at multiple scales; with observations of local rivers running dry and resulting fish habitat loss, lake and permafrost changes leading to thermokarst lake drainage, and possible impacts on gas fluxes contributing to global climate change. However, at present unknowns remain on the extent of this expansion, the nature and scale of the impacts of beavers on Arctic systems, and the role of rapid climate change and other drivers of this expansion. A key priority is filling these knowledge gaps and addressing how these changes are impacting ecosystems and the people of Inuit Nunangat. Dendrochronology and high-resolution remote sensing imagery can advance our understanding of this species distribution change by identifying patterns in past and present beaver occupancy. Tree-ring width analysis and cross-dating of beaver-cut and reference shrubs, alongside field surveys undertaken with community researchers and high-resolution remote sensing data, provides insight into the permanence and transience of beaver populations, and time since colonisation at focal sights. Contributing to the wider CINUK project, BARIN (Beavers and Socio-ecological Resilience in Inuit Nunangat), the results will aid in understanding the interconnected ecosystem, societal and wellbeing impacts of beaver range expansion into Inuit Nunangat. This information, co-produced with Inuit community members, will be available for near-term community decision-making and adaptation to the social and ecological impacts of beavers in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. The knowledge will feed into the co-design of toolkits and infrastructure for ongoing long-term research and to support Inuit communities in self-determination in research and decision-making.

6. Priorities for research on beavers in the Arctic: reflecting on research processes, Helen Wheeler, Anglia Ruskin University 

Beaver populations are increasing and expanding into the Arctic and dramatically altering ecosystems. For many communities which are already experiencing concurrent rapid environmental change, beaver-induced habitat change has been a concern. Further, the spatial extent of impacts from beavers can be large and has been linked to albedo change, permafrost melt and potential carbon feedbacks. While the impacts of beavers in more southerly latitudes are well-studied, our understanding of biophysical and socio-cultural impacts of beavers in the Arctic is in its infancy. Beavers are an increasing concern for many Indigenous communities and therefore it is important that a research agenda related to beavers and their impacts is developed as a collaboration between Indigenous communities, researchers and decision-makers. To address this need, we conducted an expert elicitation of concerns and research questions regarding beavers across the Arctic using the Delphi technique. This technique was chosen specifically to reduce the impact of power relationships in the expert elicitation process. Research priorities were identified across the following themes: Beaver ecology in the Arctic, Biophysical Impacts, Socio-cultural impacts, Changing relationships with beavers and Local knowledge, decision-making processes and adapting to the future. Despite choosing the Delphi technique to support the equitable inclusion of Indigenous experts in the process, we found that this process was not well tailored to our Indigenous participants. I will discuss the reasons why this may have been the case. I will share reflections on the research process relevant to research collaborations in the Arctic and discuss how we tried to address our study limitations to create a review of question relevant to the Arctic that was more inclusive.

7. Pododermatitis in Captive Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus): investigating patterns and signalling factors, Daniela Eberl, Nottingham Trent University - School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences 

The Arctic environment is changing rapidly and may result in specialist animals struggling to adapt to new environmental conditions. The resultant physiological stress caused by such a rapid and extreme environmental change may lead to catastrophic impacts on the health and welfare of arctic species.  As such, more attention needs to be given to determine the underlying cause and nature of conditions that arctic animals experience in captivity in lower latitudes as these conditions might indicate what the future holds for wild counter parts. Polar bears are iconic arctic species being listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. They are present in zoo collections globally as part of ex-situ conservation programmes. In European zoos, several polar bears have been manifesting recurrent episodes of pododermatitis. This disease is poorly understood with no standardised tools available for the collection of data on pathology and disease progression. To address this knowledge gap, data was collected from medical records from captive polar bears, international studbooks, necropsy, dermatological reports, and photographic evidence. The information was used to identify patterns and signalling factors across cases, and to set a standard for keeping record of these cases when they arise. All analyses made were of qualitative nature. Weight, sex, concurrent allergic dermatoses, and genetic common ancestry were identified as factors that may be playing a role in the manifestation of the pathology. The symptoms and potential influencing factors of the condition presented by polar bears were consistent with those presented by dogs that suffer from interdigital furunculosis. Husbandry and management were beyond the scope of this study, however, recommendations for future research were made creating a starting point for future studies.  

Arctic governance 

1. The impact of the war in Ukraine on the security in the Arctic - the future of northern energy projects, Dr. Slawomir Gromadzki, Department of Internal Security Ignacy Moscicki's University of Applied Sciences in Ciechanów, Poland

The aim of the talk is to present the results of research on the implications of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine on the formula of international security in the Arctic.

The main threats to international security (in political and military terms) in the Arctic are defined, as well as the impact of the policies of world powers on environmental and economic threats.

In the economic terms, special attention is paid to the future of the Arctic energy projects (mainly in the Barents Sea basin and in the Baltic Sea States) - Nord Stream I, Nord Stream II and Baltic Pipe. The potential scenarios for the development of security policy in the Arctic will also be presented.

2. Arctic Governance: a Treaty-Based Regime, Elena Knyazeva, University College Cork (Ireland)

We are living through the most challenging time in the modern history of Arctic governance. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, global climate change processes, and the growing influence of non-Arctic states in the Arctic are all urgent reasons to find a solution to stabilise the region. However, sustainable development of the Arctic is impossible without the coordinated actions of all stakeholders, despite the whole range of existing contradictions. Arctic cooperation has been relying on soft-law mechanisms since 1991. Yet, over 30 years later, those mechanisms might be less resilient than cooperative framework based on treaties. 

Western countries have paused participation in the work of the Arctic Council and the Council of the Barents Euro/Arctic region. On May 11, 2023, Norway took over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council from Russia. It is an opportunity for the Arctic states to restore Arctic cooperation for the benefit of the region’s peoples and actors. The non-Arctic states seek to expand their influence in the region, while the Arctic powers are more interested in maintaining their special status and sovereignty over the territory. China is willing to be a mediator despite geopolitical competition and confrontation. 

If the Arctic cooperation is restored, the Arctic States and indigenous organisations will most probably be ready to introduce innovative thinking into international law. The legally binding instrument for Arctic cooperation could be negotiated to avoid losing momentum. The ideal solution is strengthening the Arctic Council’s existing system by creating a treaty-based system of Arctic governance. However, there is a developing anxiety that Russia and East-Asian countries will establish their form of Arctic cooperation, and NATO Arctic states remain in the Arctic Council.

Whatever the form of the future Arctic governance mechanisms, the top priority should be scientific cooperation in addressing global climate change. Ultimately, one should strive to create a comprehensive international regime for developing scientific research in the Arctic.

3. Walking on Thin Ice: Dealing with Rogue Weather Balloons in the Arctic, Kelsey Frazier, Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies

In February of 2023, two foreign weather balloons were brought down over US territorial waters by the US military. One of these balloons was shot down in the Arctic, just offshore from the northern coast of Alaska. The incident caused international conversation over how best to handle such situations. For research staff at the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies (TSC), the situation brought forth several very interesting questions regarding landing and operating on near-shore sea ice. 

To answer these questions, the team leaned heavily on learnings from the scientific research stations in Antarctic. Activities at these stations have created a wealth of knowledge for on-ice operations, ice physics, and how to best position human activities to prevent ice loading failure. A survey of academic publications and technical reports helped provide critical insight for recovery and removal operations. Over the course of the recovery process, many interesting findings were discovered. These included the complex language barriers between the scientific community and the operational one, the lack of functional science studies concerning sea ice strength and compressibility in the Arctic, and the scale of sea ice forecasting and information that, in many ways, hinders the field operator. 

Recommendations from this study were varied from simple to complex. First and foremost is the need for common language definitions at government websites when describing sea ice thickness, freeboard, and concentration. There is also a critical need for more published information regarding Arctic ice flexural strength and compression strength in terms of large-scale operations. Finally, it is becoming more and more important that local populations and regional operators need fine scale sea ice forecasts in the 1-2 km scale, which is a step beyond the current capacity of most global and regional climate models. 

4. Overview of the Arctic Council and its Working Groups, Ms Reagan Aylmer, Advisor to the Arctic Council Secretariat, Arctic Council Secretariat 

A brief overview of the work of the Arctic Council and its Working Groups, including highlighted projects from Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR), Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), and the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) for UK experts.

Inclusion

1. Beyond physical safety: Psycho-social safety and metal wellbeing, Steve Marshall, British Antarctic Survey

2. Understanding & Supporting wellbeing in Polar exploration: A case study of BAS expedition personnel, Paul Burgum, Durham University 

3. Breaking the Ice: Access Polar and the need for Disabled Inclusion and Representation in Polar Research, Charlotte Cockram, Accessibility in Polar Research

Navigating polar science is tricky, especially for researchers with disabilities. Issues persist that disqualify researchers with disabilities from pursuing their dreams. To address this, Accessibility in Polar Research (APR/@accesspolar) was founded during the pandemic by a small volunteer group of early career researchers with disabilities. At the core of APR’s ethos is the belief that our disabilities make us better scientists, and that we deserve to work at the poles. Through this positive and trailblazing, attitude APR grew rapidly and garnered an international platform to carry out its initiatives. One such initiative is the ‘Accessibility 2023 Questionnaire’, designed to evaluate how the polar field restricts researchers with disabilities. Through collating this information APR is in the process of creating free and open resources for institutions, fieldwork organisers and employers to ensure inclusivity is practiced. As part of this initiative, APR recently ran a workshop helping educate allies and supervisors on how to best accommodate researchers with disabilities. By discussing personal experiences about the barriers researchers with disabilities face in STEM, participant feedback mentioned the event as ‘validating’, ‘useful’ and ‘interesting’. APR’s appearance at the UK Arctic Science Conference will carry this feedback and give you a taste of APR advocacy, a summary of how polar science restricts researchers with disabilities and top tips to make your research more accessible. 

1. Tracing Glacial Meltwater From the Greenland Ice Sheet to the Ocean Using Gliders, Kate Hendry, British Antarctic Survey

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on the Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate recently reported that the Greenland Ice Sheet is extremely likely to experience significant mass loss in coming decades. The freshwater from the melting ice sheet and glaciers will change the density of the surrounding seawater, with major implications for global ocean circulation and will contribute to sea level rise. The meltwater input could also change the chemistry of the ocean, but the extent to which this is the case is poorly understood. One of the challenges is to obtain high-resolution observations of ocean physical and chemical properties around Greenland. Here, we show that such observations are possible using autonomous underwater vehicles. Our results show that fresh, coastal waters, with the chemical fingerprint of glacial meltwater, can be picked out using widely available optical sensors. Reconstructions of ocean currents from the glider velocities show that these particle and organic matter rich waters can cross from the coastal waters into the open ocean, potentially influencing marine biological production on a wide geographical scale.

2. Simulation of acoustic reflection and scattering from Arctic ice observed by an upward looking sonar, Nicholas P Chotiros, Applied Research Laboratories, The University of Texas in Austin

An upward looking sonar, either on a manned or unmanned submersible, could be used to probe the ice overlying the Arctic waters. The reflected sound wave contains information about the ice including thickness and mechanical properties. Numerical simulation is used to explore the acoustic response of ice. The ideal case of a perfectly flat ice floe floating above the water may be modeled using the OASES wavenumber integration code, which can simulate acoustic signals in stratified media. The simulations show that the reflected signal contains a number of features related to the properties of the ice. A spectrogram of the acoustic response contains features related to the compressional and shear waves.  In the real world, the ice-water interface is not perfectly smooth. The finite element code SPECFEM2D is used to simulate the response from ice with a rough ice-water interface. It shows the effects of fine-scale roughness on the acoustic response. Depending on the severity of the roughness, it may enhance or diminish the acoustic features related to the properties of the ice. 

3. Using AI sea ice forecasts for Arctic conservation planning, Ellie Bowler, British Antarctic Survey

As sea ice declines, the future of many Arctic species is uncertain. As ice-dependent species navigate their increasingly unpredictable and diminishing sea ice habitat, conservation practitioners must develop adaptive management plans which are effective under these fast-changing conditions. In recent years, advances in the field of AI-based sea ice forecasting have enabled more accurate forecasts of sea ice conditions. One example is IceNet, an in-development operational AI model, which forecasts daily pan-Arctic sea ice concentration (SIC) up to three months into the future at a 25km2 grid-cell resolution. The IceNet forecast maps have the potential to inform active conservation management and monitoring plans, and provide early warning of SIC tipping points critical for sea ice-dependent species. In this work, we present a case study of using daily IceNet SIC forecasts to predict when and where female Dolphin and Union (DU) caribou make their increasingly treacherous migrations across sea ice in the Coronation Gulf (Nunavut, Canada). First, using passive microwave satellite observations of SIC and GPS collar data, we establish a relationship between SIC and the caribou autumn migrations. We uncover a strong relationship between the SIC reaching sufficiently high levels (~90%) and the caribou beginning their sea ice migrations. Once established, we apply this threshold to IceNet forecasts to predict the date and locations at which DU caribou can begin their migrations across the gulf. These outputs can be used by agencies to assess times and regions where mitigation measures (e.g. limits to ice-breaking traffic) should be introduced, as well as provide early warning of hazards, such as anomalously late freeze-up. Ultimately, we envisage the forecasts being integrated into a human expert-centred decision-support tool, which can be used to empower local ecologists, shipping networks, and Indigenous stakeholders, and be leveraged for conservation of a range of Arctic species.

4. IceNet v2: Towards sharp sea ice forecasts in the Arctic and Southern Oceans, Andrew McDonald, University of Cambridge

Polar sea ice is critically important to the stability of the earth system and provides an early warning signal to changes in Earth’s climate. Arctic sea ice in particular is crucial to the livelihoods of Indigenous communities as well, supporting mobility and enabling hunting. Coupled with ocean dynamics and atmospheric dynamics, sea ice extent evolves rapidly and nonlinearly, hence predicting the extent of polar sea ice proves challenging at lead times greater than one to two weeks. IceNet, a deep learning-based sea ice coverage prediction model developed within BAS, achieved state-of-the-art performance in the task of forecasting sea ice coverage at lead times of 2-6 months, outperforming the well-known physics-based model SEAS5. In this work, we build upon the success of IceNet to improve predictive accuracy and forecast sharpness drawing upon the success of generative modelling in similar problem settings.

5. Improving Walrus Monitoring with Infrared CubeSat Technology, Carlo Convenevole, Cranfield University

The Arctic habitat of walruses is undergoing rapid transformation due to climate change, necessitating innovative monitoring techniques for their conservation. We propose a CubeSat-based thermal infrared mission designed to disrupt and enhance current walrus monitoring methodologies.

Traditional monitoring approaches, including very high-resolution (VHR) optical imagery, often face limitations due to nighttime darkness and cloud cover. 

Conversely, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) provides all-weather and nighttime capabilities but at the cost of lower spatial resolution.

The Infrared CubeSat mission leverages high-resolution thermal infrared imagery to monitor walrus aggregations with unprecedented detail. Thermal infrared technology, unaffected winter darkness, allows for precise population estimation, and assessment of walrus health and behaviour.

Moreover, the Infrared CubeSat's agility and accessibility ensure frequent revisits to critical walrus habitats, capturing dynamic changes with short revisit time. This level of monitoring granularity enhances our understanding of how walruses respond to shifting environmental conditions, facilitating more informed conservation strategies. Our Infrared CubeSat will exploit the Super Sharp infrared deployable telescope, which is the State-of-Art of CubeSats infrared imagers.

In summary, our proposed Infrared CubeSat mission, focused solely on thermal infrared technology, promises to revolutionize walrus monitoring. By eliminating the limitations associated with nighttime darkness and difficult environment conditions during winter, it offers a disruptive approach that will significantly advance our knowledge of walrus populations. This mission represents a critical step towards the effective conservation of these iconic Arctic marine mammals.

1. Project-based carbon accounting, Kris Nicholls, British Antarctic Survey 

Understanding carbon emissions is a key step on an organisation’s journey to reaching Net Zero. Whilst collecting data and conducting carbon accounting at an organisational level provides helpful insights into the carbon intensity of business activities and their overall impact on the planet, the level of insight that can be gained to drive positive action forward can be limited by the quality and granularity of data available.

By developing carbon metrics for specific activities, we can more accurately estimate carbon footprints of our operations, science projects and other activities. We can also forecast expected emissions in the future based on planned activities and expected levels of these activities.

Having reliable carbon metrics available at this level can be used to inform the creation of carbon budgets and help monitor performance against these budgets and also to direct attention to the areas of activity that are most carbon intensive, so that decarbonisation opportunities can be focused there.

Project based carbon footprints can be developed using carbon metrics, which can give science and operations teams a starting estimate regarding expected emissions. This information can then inform decision making, potentially by looking into alternative technologies, or by amending working practices, to both reduce the carbon emissions associated with a project and to maximise the scientific output from unavoidable carbon emissions.

The development of carbon metrics and project level carbon accounting at BAS is in its first stages of completion, but is already helping to show the impact of different operational decisions on a project basis (such as providing measurable carbon impacts of using fuel drums from different depots in the field) and will be an essential tool to aid carbon management processes and decision making in the future.

2. Making best use of historical samples, Jade Boughton, British Antarctic Survey

3. Future Marine Research Infrastructure update, Leigh Storey, NERC 

Panel discussion, chaired by Clara Manno 

Indigenous co-collaboration

1. Working with Indigenous communities on environmental change in the western Canadian Arctic, Callum Pearce, Anglia Ruskin University

In recent years, Inuvialuit communities in the western Canadian Arctic have been impacted by northward beaver population expansion linked to climate change: the construction of beaver dams in areas where beavers have been scarce has transformed local hydrology, disrupted fish populations, and affected the livelihood of people engaged in subsistence hunting, trapping, and fishing. This is the focus of the BARIN project (Beavers and Socio-Ecological Resilience in Inuit Nunangat), funded by CINUK (the Canada-Inuit Nunangat-United Kingdom Arctic Research Programme). This presentation deals with the social research side of BARIN, which aims to incorporate Indigenous perspectives alongside scientific research on beaver impacts. Drawing on fieldwork in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in summer 2023, it will discuss how we are working to co-produce research with Inuvialuit communities and why Indigenous participation is valuable for work of this sort. Finally, it will consider some of the practical issues involved in working with Indigenous communities as part of a larger scientific project.

2. Co-development of a new model for contaminant monitoring to support Indigenous-led research and strategic decision-making, Louise Mercer, Northumbria University

Climate-driven landscape change, legacy waste and ongoing infrastructural investment are leading to concerns around water quality, habitat degradation and contaminant release in Arctic communities. Sustainable development considering threats posed by accelerating environmental change requires immediate and longer-term key strategic decision-making. This has been hindered by mismatches in priorities and timelines between communities and research programs that collect baseline data feeding into decision-making processes. These challenges highlight the importance of advancing collaborative partnerships and capacity sharing to promote resilient and sustainable environmental monitoring approaches. Community-Based Monitoring (CBM) has become increasingly common across Arctic research however, current CBM models have specific limitations that impact program effectiveness and the translation from data collection into decision-making. Here, we highlight key elements of CBM programs that can both enhance or limit the longevity of programs including funding constraints, organisational structures, and operational processes.

Guided by a new model of Community-Based Research (CBR), we outline an evolving environmental CBR program that focuses on addressing contamination threats posed by the legacy of infrastructure including industry, transportation routes and waste. The co-development process will be discussed from the different perspectives of an Inuvialuit Knowledge holder and an early career researcher trained through conventional scientific research processes. We will show how different capacities and insights from diverse knowledge systems came together to guide baseline data collection that will inform the next iteration of the program towards focused monitoring that adheres to quality assurance standards. Important practices we enact to support Indigenous sovereignty over community-collected data will be outlined including sustaining dialogue to ensure the project is continuously relevant, respecting and resourcing community requests during project planning and initiation, supporting paid positions and continuously working to enhance community autonomy over time by supporting Indigenous-led CBR efforts.

3. Implementing the Inuit Strategy on Research – the Canada-Inuit Nunangat-United Kingdom Arctic research Programme 2021-2025, NERC Arctic Office 

Education

1. Teaching and Learning through Place, People and Practices: A Global Intersection of Righting Relations in Education Through Story, Anita Lafferty, University of Alberta 

Indigenous research methodology is grounded in a relational worldview that recognizes that there is no separation between the researcher and the research. In order to re-conceptualize the pedagogy of science and innovation there is a need to escape the word and illusion of education towards a more symbiotic relationship of lifelong learning. This presentation will generate a global intersection of Indigenous pedagogy associated with the rich stories of traditional ecological knowledges of Indigenous peoples centered on Indigenous languages and science. It is “through the oral tradition, story becomes the source of the content as well as the methodology” (Cajete,2018). This is centered on the deep-rooted history of Indigenous Peoples and the stories from Elders and Wisdom Keepers that situate the immense knowledge and mastery of the Lands. This presentation provides insight into how stories from Indigenous perspectives can shape and contextualize the pedagogy of science in the classroom. This work is framed in ethical relationality to allow Indigenous and Western knowledge to coexist (Donald, 2012), addressing the ongoing tensions between the knowledge, being, and doing within classrooms and what we deem education. As I revisit stories it is important that I center the question, “How am I building relationships and connections between educators, communities, cultures, and land? 

2. The Læra Institute, Anthony Speca