Top leaders to discuss critical impacts of an ice-diminishing Arctic on naval and maritime operations

The U.S. National Ice Center and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission will host the 7th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations, July 18-20, at the U.S. Navy Memorial & Naval Heritage Center offsite link, in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public.

Top leaders from NOAA, the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, other governmental agencies, international partners and academia will discuss new research in the changing Arctic environment, strategic planning and policy issues related to maritime operations and security.  For the first time, the speaker presentations will be live streamed.

The topics for this year’s symposium are:

• Latest research on observed and predicted changes in the Arctic sea ice environment

• Present and future impact of these changes on Arctic operations

• Emerging Arctic policy issues on national and international levels

A media event will be held on July 18, from 10:45 - 11:15 a.m. ET in the Naval Heritage Center’s President’s room to provide reporters an opportunity to get questions answered by key speakers. Invited participants include:  

• Fran Ulmer, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission (moderator)
• Admiral Paul Zukunft, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
• Craig McLean, Acting Chief Scientist and Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, NOAA
• Frank Herr, Head, Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department, Office of Naval Research U.S. Navy
• Lawson Brigham, Fellow, Center for Arctic Study and Policy, U.S. Coast Guard
• David Jackson, Special Projects Adviser, Canadian Ice Services
• Chris Hladick, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development

For more information about the symposium, please visit: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/Ice2017/index.php.  

The U.S. National Ice Center is a multi-agency center operated by the Navy, Coast Guard and NOAA with a mission to provide global to tactical scale ice and snow products, ice forecasting, and other environmental intelligence services for the United States government.

The U.S. Arctic Research Commission’s mission is to develop and recommend U.S. Arctic research policy to the President and to Congress and to build cooperative links in Arctic research within the federal government, with Arctic residents, the State of Alaska, researchers and international partners.