The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of March 9, 2020
Coronavirus Cancels Arctic Events and Exercises
This week, the media have devoted their attention to the coronavirus outbreak. In the Arctic, it has been reported that the Arctic Winter Games that was to be held in Whitehorse, Canada from March 15-21 has now been cancelled. So has the High North Dialogue conference that was set to be held in Bodø, Norway on March 18-19. NATO’s Cold Response drill near the Atlantic alliance’s northernmost border with Russia from March 2-18 has been halted as well. In addition, the coronavirus has been jeopardizing the international scientific project called MOSAiC in the Arctic as one team member has tested positive for the virus and 20 other members have been quarantined (National Post, highnorthdialogue.no, Nunatsiaq News, Tech Times).
Take 1: These are just a few of many examples of how the coronavirus has affected activity in the Arctic region. It shows once again that no region is really immune to the coronavirus outbreak. No one knows for sure how the situation will develop and what the aftermath of the pandemic will look like, but it is important that we do what we can to limit its spread.
The Effects of Light Under the Sea
On March 11 marine scientists from Norway and the UK released a study in Communications Biology that shows how light affects marine creatures of the polar north. In 2018 the researchers had used a very sensitive light sensor that had been developed at Oban’s Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and echo sounders that detect the presences of organisms to a depth of 200 meters in the Barents Sea. What they found is that marine organisms, regardless of their size, respond to the faintest of light, often moving away from the source (Communications Biology, Phys.org).
Take 2: The latest discovery on how light affects marine animals is of significance as it can help scientists better predict how marine communities will behave and migrate through the water column to find food and avoid predators. This knowledge has and will continue to become increasingly more important with the increased light penetrating the Arctic seas as a result of the reduced sea ice cover brought on by climate change, and the increased light pollution that comes with the rise in Arctic shipping. Seeing how sensitive marine creatures are to light will mean that marine ecosystems potentially can be drastically altered if the trend of increased light pollution continues. This has to seriously be taken into consideration.
Unexpected Chlamydiae in the Arctic
On March 11, a group of scientists from Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, France and Canada published their research findings in the journal Current Biology. Since 2008 they had collected 68 marine sediment samples at various depths and found Chlamydia -related species in a deep-sea hydrothermal vent field that is located at a depth between 0.1 and 9.4 meters below the seafloor in the Arctic Ocean, in an area covering Greenland, Iceland and Norway. 51 of those samples contained Chlamydia and related bacteria (collectively known as Chlamydiae) (Current Biology, Fox News, Phys.org).
Take 3: This study is of importance as it never before has been believed that Chlamydiae can exist in an environment with no oxygen and without a host organism. The current understanding has always been that Chlamydiae depend on interactions with other organisms to survive, for example interactions between animals, plants and fungi, including microscopic organisms like amoeba, algae and plankton. While the findings were completely unexpected, finding that Chlamydiae have marine sediment relatives, now give scientists new insights into how chlamydial pathogens evolved. In addition, the researchers have gained knowledge of the possibility that the bacteria can have a significant impact on marine ecology.
Russia Seeks to Improve Benefits for Arctic Peoples
On March 11, Russia’s Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East, Alexander Krutikov, announced that Russia plans to build a system of additional benefits for people living in Arctic regions later this year. This will not only benefit people living in these regions, but also be used for attracting more economically active people in the future (Arctic.ru).
Take 4: Russia’s plans of creating a new system of benefits for people living in the Arctic doesn’t come long after the federal government in February approved new legislation that gives oil companies incentives to invest more in Arctic oil drilling and exploration. These are just two of many activities that indicate what level of priority the Arctic region has for Russia. The country continues to push for stronger presence and more development in that area of the world.
Canada’s Increasing Arctic Presence
On Monday March 9, the Canadian Department of National Defense announced that the delivery of the first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), HMCS Harry DeWolfe, to the Royal Canadian Navy has been delayed by three months. The ship has been built at Irving Shipyard in Halifax, but still has to go through a second round of formal sea trials followed by crew training, and other pre-delivery work. The new ship is the largest Royal Canadian Navy ship built in Canada in 50 years (Global News, Ottawa Citizen).
Take 5: The HMCS Harry DeWolfe ship is only one of the Navy’s six AOPS ships that will be built by 2024. While the delay of the first vessel has the potential of affecting the delivery timeline of the others, the positive is that lessons have and can be learned from the construction of the first ship that can benefit the construction of the rest. Another thing to note is the construction of these six ships overall. It acknowledges that Canada understands the need of having a strong Arctic presence, and it shows how the country actively works towards this goal.