APECS Webinars

The Fram Centre is the short name for FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment. The Fram Centre is based in Tromsø, and consists of about 500 scientists from 20 institutions involved in interdisciplinary research in the fields of natural science, technology and social sciences. Fram Centre members are: Akvaplan-niva, CICERO Centre for International Climate Environmental Research Oslo, Institute of Marine Research, National Coastal Administration, National Veterinary Institute, NGU - The Geological Survey of Norway, NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, NINA - Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NIKU - Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, Nofima - The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, NORUT - Northern Research Institute, Norwegian Polar Institute, Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute, Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Norwegian Mapping Authority, Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, SINTEF Group, UNIS - The University Centre in Svalbard, University of Tromsø, and Polaria (associated member). More about Fram Centre at http://www.framsenteret.no

The Fram Centre Webinars was a series of webinars organized by APECS with the support of the Fram Centre in fall and winter 2012-2013. They highlighted the Fram Centre itself as well as its five flagship research programs: (1) Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, technology and agreements, (2) Effects of climate change on sea and coastal ecology in the north, (3) Ocean acidification and ecosystems effects in Northern waters, (4) Effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems, landscapes, society and indigenous peoples, (5) Hazardous substances – effects on ecosystems and human health. You will find a description of each Fram Centre Webinar in our past webinars database.

In total, six webinars were organized, and introduced the Fram Centre Concept and its five flagship research programmes. The webinars were organized by Ingeborg  G. Hallanger (University of Tromsø, Norway), Alexey Pavlov (APECS International Directorate, University of Tromsø, Norway) and Angelika Renner (Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway). 

The North Slope Early Career Scientists (NSECS), the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Arctic System Science Thermokarst (ARCSS-TK) Project partnered in April 2012 to present this special webinar series about research on Alaska's North Slope. The North Slope Early Career Scientists is a group of graduate students and early career scientists who conduct research or are interested in working on the North Slope of Alaska. The webinar series highlighted current research activities, logistical considerations, and other lessons learned from North Slope investigators. The series was coordinated by Kristin Timm and Matthew Druckenmiller. You can see a description and the recordings of this series in our past webinars database. 

Wednesdays, Sept 7- Nov 30 2011 (12 seminars)
19:30 - 21:00 GMT

This webinar series took an interdisciplinary look at permafrost and thermokarst dynamics in Alaska's North Slope. It was designed for an audience from a broad range of backgrounds including physical, biological, and social sciences in order to take a holistic look at changes in the terrestrial arctic system. Topics covered include: an overview of permafrost and thermokarst, impacts of thawing permafrost on people, geomorphology, soils and microbes, and arctic vegetation, streams, and lakes. The course was offered for academic graduate-level credit through the University of Alaska Fairbanks (approximate cost for 1 graduate credit is US$384). For more information for the seminar series, please contact Kimberley Maher at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hosted by the NSF Arctic Systems Science Thermokarst Project and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists. For more information on the Thermokarst project and the presenters, visit http://thermokarst.psu.edu.

This course was supported through grants from the US National Science Foundation Arctic System Sciences Program, Collaborative Awards ARC-.0806341, 0806399, 0806329, 0806254, 0806465, 0806451, 0806271, and 0806394. The information presented was based on results from research from the NSF Arctic System Science Thermakarst Project and may not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

The course is also endorsed by the International Permafrost Association (IPA). The IPA, founded in 1983, has as its objectives to foster the disseminationIPA of knowledge concerning permafrost and to promote cooperation among persons and national or international organizations engaged in scientific investigation and engineering work on permafrost.