The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of November 9, 2020
New Database Helps to Better Track How Climate Change Affects Animals in Arctic
On November 6 a new study published in the journal Science utilized the recently established Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA) to present how a warming climate in the Arctic is potentially affecting animal populations in the area. The research indicates three things; that herds of caribou are giving birth earlier than usual, juvenile golden eagles are migrating to their breeding grounds earlier although adults are arriving around the same time, and a warming climate has the potential to change predator-prey relationship as well as how animals forage. AAMA was established by over 100 scientists from 17 different countries, and it utilizes over 28 years of data to track the movements of 96 different species across the Arctic. (AAMA, Mongabay, Science Journal, Smithsonian Magazine)
Take 1: The three findings and the AAMA in general are useful in showing how the various stressors on the region (climate change, increased tourism, mining, and other human activity) are causing animals to adjust their behaviors. At the same time adjustment doesn’t always imply success. Caribou populations for example have decreased significantly in the last 20 years. Scientists believe that this might be because the caribou calves are being born earlier in areas that are barren and thus don’t provide enough nutrition. The same can almost be said for the golden eagle populations which are seeing their chicks struggle more and more. While more research in these areas still needs to be conducted, the AAMA provides researchers with a wealth of information. As more and more becomes known the hope is not only to understand how the Arctic is changing but also sound an alarm on the negative nature of some of those changes.
Warming Rivers in the Arctic Contribute to Increasing Temperatures
A new study published on November 6 in the journal Science Advances reveals the important role that warming rivers play in melting sea ice and increasing air temperatures in the Arctic. The study utilized modeling techniques to determine that between 1980 and 2015 warming rivers melted as much as 10% of the Arctic ice. The further shows how the warming rivers contribute to a positive feedback mechanism that multiplies this effect. Warm rivers flow beneath sea ice causing them to melt at a faster rate. As the ice disappears, the exposed ocean absorbs more heat from the atmosphere, further warming it up and increasing ice melt. (KTOO, Science Advances)
Take 2: Sea ice this year has been historically slow in forming up. Studies like this help to explain some of the reasons why that might be the case. They also reveal that more and more sea ice will continue to melt and that longer periods of ice-free summers are shortly on the horizon. The issue with this complexity is getting policy makers to understand the importance of seeing the complete picture as many might not fully understand the implications of a warming Arctic. It is also incumbent upon researchers to help policy makers to craft solutions to help mitigate possible issues that arise from the warming temperatures.
Canada Expands its Broadband Infrastructure
On Monday November 9, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government plans to launch a $1.75-billion universal broadband fund that will be used to build infrastructure across Canada, mainly in remote and rural communities in the Arctic. In addition, it was announced that a $600 million deal with Canadian company Telesat has already been reached for secure satellite capacity to improve broadband service in remote areas and in the North. The overall goal is that by 2026 98 % of Canadians will be connected to high-speed internet. In 2030, everyone should have access. (CBC, CRTC)
Take 3: It is about time that all Canadians, including people living in the Arctic regions, gain access to reliable and high-speed internet. So far only 40.8% of rural Canadian households have access to download speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 10 Mbps, speeds that have been considered necessary for allowing people to work and learn online and to access telehealth services. With the current COVID-19 pandemic going on, high-speed internet and a reliable cell phone signal has become more important than ever. The current liberal government has been criticized by the conservatives for the government’s timeline on improving access to such essential services. Hopefully now with a dedicated broadband fund the situation will change and finally close the digital divide in Canada.
Sounds from Under the Sea
On Monday November 9 it was reported that after 10 long hours a team of 55 officers and scientists on board a Norwegian Coast Guard ship had successfully been able to remove one of three underwater listening devices that had been anchored on the bottom of the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic in August 2019. The instruments were placed there as part of an international project called “Coordinated Arctic Acoustic Thermometry Experiment” and were to record sounds from under the water, as well as other oceanographic data like salinity, temperatures and carbon concentration. (CAATEX, Gizmodo)
Take 4: Retrieving the underwater listening instruments is of utmost importance as the instruments contain valuable information that can tell how the Arctic has been warming up the last 20 years. So far, the mission of removing the acoustic devices has proven to be challenging, first with a delay due to an electrical fire that put the team behind schedule, and now with the outside temperatures that continue to drop. If the team of scientists are not able to obtain the other two devices before their batteries run out, there is a potential of losing valuable acoustic information that can tell us more accurately how the ocean is warming. While this would be a huge loss of scientific knowledge, it is important that the operation first and foremost is carried out in a safe manner without great risk to personnel and equipment.
Arctic Shipping Continues to Grow
On November 10, the Russian Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport announced that in the first ten months of 2020 a total of 26.37 million tons of goods was shipped on the Northern Sea Route (NSR), 2.9% more than was shipped during the same period in 2019. Transit shipping accounted for the strongest growth with a total of 1.28 million tons of goods shipped between Asia and Europe, an increase of 83% compared with 2019. The expectation is that shipping volumes on the NSR will exceed the 31.5 million tons of 2019. (Government.ru, kremlin.ru, RBC, The Barents Observer)
Take 5: It is incredible to note that shipping has gone up and continues to increase despite this years’ challenges of coronavirus and the world economic downturn. However, it seems to be a long way before shipments will reach the 80 million tons target set by President Putin back in 2018. While the federal Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic is confident that this target can still be met in 2024, state nuclear power company Rosatom is more sceptical, acknowledging that Russia might not meet its ambitious target before 2025. Even with this uncertainty, the fact that shipping continues to increase as much as it already has, is a positive sign for the country that things are heading in the right direction. Perhaps Russia will be able to meet its new shipping targets established in its most recent Arctic Strategy. This strategy doesn’t include numbers for 2024, but for 2030 and 2035 when the goals are that shipments on the NSR will first reach 90 million tons and then 130 million tons.