The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of June 7, 2021
Bdelloid Rotifer Survives 24,000 Years of Frozen Stasis
A microscopic worm has come back to life after being frozen 24,000 years in the Siberian tundra, Arctic Today reported on Wednesday, June 9. Russian scientists from the Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems discovered the tiny prehistoric animal, called Bdelloid rotifer in soil from the Alazeya River basin in the north of Russia’s Yakutia region. After 24,000 years of stasis, the worm, which is found in freshwater habitats throughout the world, revived and began to reproduce asexually. This was seen after using a freezing and thawing process in the laboratory. The findings were published in the journal Current Biology on June 7, 2021. Previous research has demonstrated that it could survive for a decade when frozen at temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius. (Arctic Today, BBC, Cell Press Journal)
Take 1: This study from Russia’s Institute Physicochemical and Biological Problems is one of a number of fascinating findings from this year alone, concerning permafrost’s preservative capacity. Scientists and the public alike have been aware of permafrost’s amazing capacity for the preservation of ancient species, many of which have been unearthed in almost perfect condition. This study is singular, however, in that the species uncovered not only revived after a period of 24,000 years, but also began to reproduce. The period is by far the longest recorded survival after a frozen state, and suggests that this species can last for thousands of years, if not indefinitely, if frozen. Takeaways from the study pose questions about how multicellular organisms can remain frozen for years and return to life, and suggest that scientists can learn a great deal about these organisms’ adaptive tendencies.
Arctic Coastal Sea Ice is Thinning Faster than Previously Thought
Smithsonian Magazine reported on Tuesday, June 8, that sea ice on Arctic coasts is thinning at twice the rate previously estimated. A team of international researchers from the UK, USA, Canada, and Norway published their findings in the journal Cryosphere on June 4, using new methods of radar measurements and computer models for temperature, snowfall, and ice sheet movement to find more accurate calculations of ice thickness from 2002 to 2018. Previous measurements had failed to account for variability caused by climate change. This study suggests that Arctic sea ice was thinning at least 60 percent faster than previous estimates. (Cryosphere, The Guardian, Smithsonian Magazine)
Take 2: Coming on the heels of the seventh lowest Arctic winter sea ice peak on record, the news that Arctic sea ice is thinning at double the rate previously expected is jarring. It also shows the dramatic difference climate variability can make in scientific measurements. Previous calculations failed to analyze climate variability, and thus were dramatically outdated. Discussing sea ice thickness is incredibly important. Thinning ice will impact coastal Indigenous communities in the Arctic, making hunting and fishing more challenging, and far more dangerous. Not only this, but thinner ice depletes the natural barrier between the ocean and the land, increasing chances for dangerous storms to erode coastlines. The study is therefore significant, as it feeds into an already charged conversation on the human impacts of climate change on not only the environment, but also communities that depend on the Arctic sea ice.
20 Warships Positioned for Barents Sea Exercise
On Wednesday, June 8, High North News reported that more than 20 Russian warships, as well as coastal flotilla, submarines, and aircraft will be conducting a tactical exercise in the Barents Sea under the direction of the Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet, Vice Admiral Oleg Golubev. Beginning on June 7, the Northern Fleet’s exercise is to assess skills in combat, firing different weapons systems to defend Russia’s coastline from imaginary enemy missiles and submarines. The warships will sail from bases on the Kola Peninsula, and will perform the exercise for several days. (Barents Observer, High North News)
Take 3: Over the last year, Russia has taken definitive steps towards increasing its military might in the Arctic. In spite of arguing that its chairmanship of the Arctic Council will not be marked by an emphasis on militarization, Russia’s defensive stockpile, in the form of bases, warships, weapons, and submarines, has only increased in the months leading up to the transfer of power. This exercise, coming on the heels of the NATO exercise Formidable Shield outside the coast of northern Norway, suggests that Russia continues to be distrustful of NATO presence in the Arctic and is threatened by its activity. Norway and Russia have this week signed an updated protocol under the Incidents at Sea Agreement to increase communication and avoid escalation in the Arctic. However, this movement suggests Russia is uneasy about the integrity of the communication, and is moving to assert its own stake in the Arctic.
Nunavut Holds Vigil for Residential School Children
Residents of Iqaluit, Nunavut’s capital, held a vigil for the 215 children found in a mass gravesite at a residential school in Kamloops, Arctic Today reported on Monday, June 7. Dozens were in attendance at the vigil on June 4, which went for four hours as groups cycled in and out of the square to observe COVID guidelines. Mourners left t-shirts, shoes, stuffed animals, and signs for the children, and stood in silence for two minutes and fifteen seconds to commemorate each of the children. The vigil gave the community an opportunity to grieve together, but many expect answers and reparations for Indigenous communities moving forward, particularly from the Canadian government. (Arctic Today, Nunavut News)
Take 4: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimates that 150,000 Indigenous children were made to attend Canadian residential schools, missionary schools that were intended to separate Indigenous children from their culture and “integrate” them into white Canadian society. The last of these institutions closed in 1996, and since then the Canadian government has attempted to forget the horrific institutions. It is estimated that thousands of children died in these schools as a result of abuse and mistreatment; survivors have been left with years of trauma and mental health issues as a result of separation from family and culture. The unmarked mass grave found in Kamloops, British Columbia is therefore a stark reminder of Canada’s horrific colonial history, and many Indigenous communities and activists alike are fighting for reparations and acknowledgement from the Canadian government. This vigil served as a way for the community to come together in their grief, but it is time for Canada to take steps to repair the lasting damage inflicted on its Indigenous population.
Greenlandic Glaciers May Leak Mercury
The Greenland ice sheet could be a potential source of mercury, High North News reported on Wednesday, June 9. A new study published in Scientific American on May 24 suggests that runoff water from the melting glaciers has a mercury content that rivals those found in the world’s most polluted rivers. The research, performed by scientists from Florida State University, involved collecting meltwater samples from the ice sheet between 2012 and 2018, and chemical analyses were later used to gain a better understanding of mercury dynamics in ice sheet runoff under global warming. It was determined that the mercury concentrations downstream in meltwater rivers are at least an order of magnitude higher than in ordinary rivers throughout the Arctic. (High North News, Scientific American)
Take 5: Nearby rivers and fjords remain important sources of fish for coastal Greenland communities. Fishing is in fact one of the pillars of Greenland’s economy. If the industry is affected, this can pose another blockage in Greenland’s path towards independence from Denmark. Although it is likely that the mercury is coming from natural sources, such as bedrock below the ice, increased mercury levels have the potential to severely damage not only the Greenlandic economy, but also Indigenous communities that depend on fishing for food sources.