Alaska! Fun Facts about the Land, Oceans and People of our Nation’s Only Arctic State
Before I moved to Alaska to join Ocean Conservancy’s Arctic team, I envisioned a state with plentiful glaciers, bears, fish and mountains. After calling Alaska home for three years, I can say I’ve learned so much more ab...
Alaska! Fun Facts about the Land, Oceans and People of our Nation’s Only Arctic State
In May, Patty Chambers and I traveled to the remote Alaskan island of St. Paul to work with students from the school to clean up marine debris on a beach just outside of town. We both found the experience very rewarding...
Back to St. Paul Island for Bering Sea Days
Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the United States combined, and our beaches are home to marine mammals, birds and other wildlife. Unfortunately, Alaskan beaches also gather derelict fishing gear and other mari...
Ocean Optimism as Youth in Alaska Tackle Marine Debris
If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you probably know that I work with an amazing group of driven, talented people who care deeply about the Arctic. In our line of work, we spend most of our time working on complex r...
What is Your Favorite Arctic Animal?
Alaska just announced a big step forward in leading the way to addressing the causes and effects of climate change. In Anchorage this week, the Climate Action for Alaska Leadership Team delivered its recommended Alaska C...
North to the Future: Alaska’s Climate Action Leadership
This blog was put together by Louie Porta and Susan Ruffo. Louie Porta is vice-president of operations for Oceans North. Susan Ruffo is Managing Director for International Initiatives for Ocean Conservancy. Canada’s G7 P...
Report Urges G7 Countries to Take Action on Reducing Plastic Debris in Oceans
The Arctic Ocean is a unique place. It provides habitat for bowhead and beluga whales, walruses, ice-dependent seals and millions of birds. Every summer, these animals converge on the Arctic to take advantage of the regi...
Drilling for Trouble
Imagine you are on a ship in the Arctic—and it runs aground. You can hear the sound of metal grinding as the ship slowly lists to the side. The crew are busy sealing windows and checking on lifeboats. Rescue is at hand...
A Ship Runs Aground in the Arctic Ocean
For the first time in recorded history, the Arctic’s oldest, thickest ice is starting to break up this summer, exposing open water north of Greenland—a region that normally remains frozen year-round. And it broke up not...
An Unprecedented Breakup of Ice in the Arctic
Each month’s spring tides draw the water higher than usual and also drop down to expose more of the shoreline than can be seen at any other time, at least without getting in the water. When low tides create tidepools, an...