Baby Polar Bear Greets The World

February 14th, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in IN THE NEWS

Photo credits: Sussi Køber / Aalborg Zoo, Via Zooborns

Once again the Zooborns website brings us some great baby photos of our favorite bears.

From their site -

For the first time last week, mama Polar Bear “Malik” coaxed her three month old cub out of their cozy den for a little outdoor adventure at Denmark’s Aalborg Zoo.

The Census of Marine Life: Photo of the Week – Arctic Copepod

February 11th, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in Arctic Animals, Current Events, IN THE NEWS

The Arctic copepod, Euaugaptilus hyperboreus. Photo from The Census of Marine Life website.

The Census of Marine Life is an amazing project. From their website -

The Census of Marine Life is a broad global initiative that supports research at the frontiers of our oceans: the hottest undersea vents, the deepest and darkest depths, the rapidly changing poles, and the most interesting biological “hotspots.” CoML projects engage more than 2000 scientists and marine professionals from 80 countries in an initial ten-year effort to assess and explain the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life in the world’s oceans – past, present and future.

A Tipping Point For The Arctic Climate?

February 10th, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in Current Events, IN THE NEWS

This video of Dr. Steven C. Amstrup from Polar Bears International follows up on the Nature.com article we’ve reported on in the past, presenting hope for the future of Polar Bear survival. His research does not find a ‘tipping point’ in the summer sea ice, suggesting the changes in climate are entirely related to greenhouse emissions.

“There’s a widely held perception that nothing can be done to help polar bears and the arctic ecosystem,” says Amstrup. “Our findings show this isn’t true.”

Exploratory Trip With National Geographic Television

February 9th, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in AK NEWS, AK PRODUCTS & SERVICES, Filmmakers, Photographers

Recently shared on our facebook albums, a whole series of great photos from a recent exploratory trip with National Geographic Television to James Bay in northern Ontario.

Aurora over basecamp. Photo credit - Andrew Casagrande, National Geographic Filmmaker.

A turbo beaver waiting on the windswept sea ice of James Bay as we head off by snowmobile and snowshoe to follow polar bear tracks spotted from the air.

Ernest, our Cree guide, naturalist interpreter and animal tracker.

Welcome Back, Sun!

February 8th, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in AK NEWS

After nearly 2 months of absence, the sun crests the horizon just over the mountains. Photo shot on February 3, 2011 by Thomas Lennartz at 12:00 noon in Arctic Bay.

"Inupiaq Word of the Day" On Facebook

February 4th, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in INUIT, Inuit Culture/Art

Here’s something to ‘like’ for sure. Anniagruk Mary Sage saw a need to connect far-flung Iñupiaq speakers and to bring the language to people who are interested in learning more about it in a positive, friendly environment. She records videos and posts them to this Facebook page, while inviting all to participate by creating content, and discussing regional differences in dialect.

From the page, her goal -

To infuse the process of learning to speak the Iñupiaq language with humor and compassion. To excite and inspire non-speakers of the language to speak and to learn. We are all learning, and it’s all ok.

More information on speaking Inupiaq can be found online at alaskool.org, including a dictionary and phrasebook. Language geek.com also has pronunciation guides and a break down of some of the dialect divisions.

Shell Denied Permits to Drill Near Alaska

February 3rd, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in Current Events, IN THE NEWS

The Fuel Fix blog reports on Shell’s ongoing, but so far unsuccessful, efforts to secure permits which will allow the company to drill exploratory wells in the Beaufort Sea near Alaska.

Many groups are opposed to drilling for oil in the arctic area; raising issues of conservation and animal welfare in the case of a spill, and citing logistical difficulties cleaning up a potential disaster in an area frequently covered in ice. Shell is quick to point out important differences between their operations and those of other companies – including the adoption of new technology to prevent a well blowout, and much shallower well depth. They’ve launched a nationwide advertising campaign, also covered on Fuel Fix, claiming “unprecedented spill response plans for the Arctic seas and stepped-up prevention systems.”

National Geographic Video – The Arctic Ocean

January 29th, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in Arctic Animals

Some stunning footage from National Geographic in these two videos. Beluga, seals, polar bears, and the inspiring arctic landscape.

Inspiration Friday – Photos From The Arctic Kingdom Archive

January 28th, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in AK NEWS

Arctic Kingdom's comfortable dome camp accommodations.

Torngat Caribou

Theo Ikummaq, one of our Inuit guides

Ballooning!

Photographer Louise Murray's incredible capture of sunset at Fox Basin

Study Suggests Greenland Ice Sheet Safer Than Feared

January 27th, 2011 | By Tristan Crane | Filed in Current Events, IN THE NEWS

A recent scientific study has ruled out fears that global warming will affect the Greenland ice sheet to the point of melting entirely. Were this to occur, sea levels would rise by a dangerous seven meters – affecting highly populated coastal cities around the world. The Greenland ice sheet is up to 1,000 meters thick in places and is based over land rather than over ocean water.

The GuardianUK writes -

“The Greenland ice sheet is safer than we thought,” said Professor Andrew Shepherd of the University of Leeds, who led the research published tomorrow in Nature.

Shepherd’s team used satellite imagery to track the progress of the west Greenland ice sheet as it slipped towards the sea each summer, over five years.

Researchers had feared that more melting from the surface of the ice in hotter years would in turn provide more meltwater for a slippery film at the sheet’s base. More melting would mean more slippage and a greater rise in the sea level.

But they discovered that, above a certain threshold, the slipping began to slow. On-the-ground studies and work done on alpine glaciers suggest that higher volumes of meltwater form distinct channels under the ice, draining the water more efficiently and reducing the formation of a lubricating film.

While this is heartening news, global warming is still an ongoing concern.

He said the next scientific question to answer was whether warmer oceans would erode the edges of ice caps, causing them to fall rapidly into the ocean. “The real threat now is from the oceans melting the west Antarctic ice sheet, which is 3km-4km thick, of which 1km-2km is below sea level.”

Shepherd said his work was helping to reduce uncertainties about the consequences of climate change. Asked if he thought his work suggested the wider risks of global warming could be discounted, he said: “Not at all.”