Researchers and explorers will probe the Gakkel Ridge during expedition that begins on July 1. They will be using new robotic vehicles to hunt for life and hydrothermal vents on the Arctic seafloor. Researchers will use two new autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)--Puma and Jaguar--in tandem to locate hydrothermal vent sites on the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean. (Illustration by E. Paul Oberlander, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) More information can be found on the project website. ...

From 1-14th July 2007, high-school students from across Australia and around the world will gather at The University of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia for the 34th International Science School (ISS), EcoScience – two weeks of scientific lectures, activities and social events with a focus on the environment and ecological science, and attention on IPY and the polar regions. On Thursday July 5th, 2007 at 7.00pm Sydney time, the ISS presents a unique opportunity for high-school students to participate in a global webcast discussing polar science. Students, teachers and interested observers attending this 45 minute event hosted in Sydney, both at the ISS and o...

The purpose of our study is to understand how Arctic predators respond to variations in oceanographic conditions. We will be studying Little Auks (Alle alle) at two sites, along the West coast of Spitsbergen and along the East coast of Greenland. We will be comparing the diets, foraging behavior and reproductive success at these two contrasting sites. The Greenland birds feed in cold Arctic water and the Spitsbergen birds feed in warmer water. We are collaborating with researchers from many different countries. We have a blog to decribe our activities which we will update during our expedition. The team at the Spitsbergen site is made up of undergradute students and Prof. Nina Karnovsky from Pomona College, CA. The team at the Greenland site is led by Ann Harding and will ha...

Celebrate the summer solstice and come and see the longest day of the year. Hourly images collected and recorded in the Windows Around the World program let us see and compare daylength from Hawaii to above the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories, CA. The attached worksheet shows the images collected during the summer solstice in 2006. Summer_Solstice.pdf __ Thanks to Juanita Urban-Rich for this post: Juanita is co-developer of Windows Around the World, a web-based exchange program for elementary students that uses visual images. She will use this Blog to suggest ways you can ...

In 1934 James Mann Wordie lead a team of researchers to West Greenland and Baffin Island. They returned with objects, photographs and their own impressions of local Inuit communities. This website, created by the University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in collaboration with the Scott Polar Research Institute, visually represents these objects and the expedition’s encounters and experiences in the Arctic. A comment section is available on most pages for visitors to contribute information relating to the content presented. Wordie Arctic Expedition Website For more information, please contact Imogen Gunn Museum of Archaeology & Anthr...

A new project is being developed to consider the use of Thermographics in Education. A thermographic is a registration of the surface temperature by detecting long-wavelength infrared radiation. You can compare the image with a weather chart. It’s like holding 80.000 thermometers at the same time in front of an animal. The colors added to the measurements create the image. The colors show variations in temperature. You can capture images at night or in daytime, it doesn’t matter, you need different surface temperatures though. In the Polar regions you’ll only find a few species of animals. They are definitely the best to-cold-adapted animals of the world. The biodiversity is not comparable with for example a rainforest, where you’ll find thousands of d...

A new book for children focusing on the Global Warming has recently been published. It forms part of the “Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out Science series which explores challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. Why Are the Polar Ice Caps Melting? The Dangers of Global Warming Written by Anne Rockwell Illustrated by Paul Meisel ISBN-13: 978-0-06-054671-7 Quote on back cover: “The earth is getting hotter, and not just in the summer. The climate in your hometown is changing. But why is this happening, and can we stop it? Read and find out!” The pictures are engaging! The book contains an explanation of the greenhouse effect and the many ways the earth is changing or has cha...

Photos from the launch event of the UNEP cartoon book Ozzy Goes Polar on June 5th in the Tromso Library, Norway - on World Environment Day. Ozzy and Zoe Ozone Launch event of cartoon book Ozzy Goes Polar on June 5th in the Tromso Library accompanied by Ms. Sylvi Liljegren (Norwegian Polar Institute). Ms. Anne Fenner (OzonAction Information Officer) and Ozzy Ozone Children from Lunheim School in Tromso Norway...

A Forum for Ocean Affairs The World Ocean Observatory is a place of exchange for ocean information, education and public discourse about the future of the ocean and its implication for human survival. Incorporating THE CULTURAL OCEAN, a survey of maritime arts, cultural manifestations and research tools; THE PHYSICAL OCEAN, the UN Atlas of the Oceans, UNESCO Ocean Portal, NOAA, NASA, Census of Marine Life, climate, and other useful sites; THE WORLD OCEAN DIRECTORY, an indexed network of more than 18,500 organizations worldwide with ocean interests; THE WORLD OCEAN FORUM, a digest of breaking news, monthly letter, publications, exhibits, and media; FORUM EVENTS include dynamic, media-rich sites on critical ocean topics such as Ocean Acidification and Cities and Oceans; and TH...

World Environment Day 2007 this year is focussing on the polar regions, in recognition of the International Polar Year. Two books are being launched today by UNEP in conjunction with this day. The Global Outlook for Ice and Snow is an in-depth report focussing on the state of ice-covered regions, written for a general audience but containing hard scientific answers. Complementing this Ozzy Goes Polar, focussed for kids, sees the return of our hero, Ozzy Ozone, on an adventure to the polar regions. ...