With commercial shipping and the exploration of oil and natural gas increasing in the Arctic due to the melting ice, Canada is not the only country that is planning on increasing and strengthening their presence in the region. The United States is also working on increasing the visibility of the Coast Guard in the Arctic, and is currently testing out operation strategies and equipment to ensure a safe Arctic, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen told the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 20th.

Norwegian engineering major Aker Solutions considers the establishment of a base in northern Norway, which is to help the company get deals in Russia and the Barents Sea.

The wreck of the Russian nuclear powered submarine K-159 is still corroding on the bottom of the Barents Sea. On August 30, it is six years since the submarine sank near the Kildin Island north of Murmansk, an area important for both Russian and Norwegian fisheries.

The Arctic's increased vulnerability to climate change is not limited to higher temperatures and melting permafrost.

New research from the University of Alaska Fairbanks suggests Arctic oceans are particularly susceptible to acidification, with potentially dire consequences to Alaska's rich crab and salmon fisheries.

Melting ice caps are exposing more of the Arctic Ocean than ever before. The US moves to halt fishing in the newly ice-free zones even before a fishing industry blossoms there.

With the world's oceans facing mounting threats from pollution, climate change and overfishing, the Obama administration on Friday held the first of several public hearings intended to help it draft a coordinated policy for managing the health of the seas.

The Finnish businessmen who have applied for underwater mining in the area of the projected Nord Stream pipeline say they will drop their plans if Russia returns Karelia to Finland.

In the past week several leaders in Arctic issues have been pushing the Conservative government of Canada to reinstate the position of Arctic ambassador. But the Conservatives had no plans on reinstating the position that was cut in 2006, stating that Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon has, for all intent, taking the position on himself.

Russia’s largest international rescue exercise – Barents Rescue, starts in Murmansk in two weeks. Minister for Emergency Situations Sergey Shoygu will lead the exercise, which includes personnel from Russia, Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Norwegian energy major StatoilHydro will let BP use the rig Polar Pioneer from year 2011, although the company has a contract with rig owner Transocean until 2014. The Polar Pioneer, one of few rigs licensed for the Barents Sea, will be used in BP’s Skarv project in the Norwegian Sea.