Changing Arctic

Shrinking ice — increasing traffic

Launching the Puma Puma SUAS (small unmanned air system)in Beaufort Sea. Beaufort Sea, USA, 07.15.2015, Esther Horvath

2015 was the warmest year on record keeping which began in 1880 by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). According to NOAA on March 24, 2016, Arctic appeared to reach its annual maximum winter extent. 2016 was a new record low.

Due to the warming temperatures, Arctic is undergoing unprecedented change as the summer sea ice continues to shrink. As the ice contracts, shipping within and across the Arctic along with oil and gas exploration and tourism will likely increase. This increase in shipping may have serious environmental consequences because much of the Arctic marine environment is a relatively pristine area, yet highly vulnerable to disturbance and pollution due to the changes in the Arctic sea ice and the generally sensitive nature of the Arctic marine ecosystem. Potential impacts from shipping include: the release of oil through accidental or illegal discharge, ship strikes on marine mammals, disruption of migratory patterns of marine mammals, increased anthropogenic noise and increased atmospheric emissions.

U.S. Coast Guard’s SAREX, Search and Rescue Exercise across the Arctic region. In 2015, the mission focused on search and rescue, a clear nod to the coming spike in ship traffic. Beaufort Sea, USA, 07.13.2015, Esther Horvath

In 2015, there were nearly 500 trans-Arctic crossings, which is more than double the traffic of a decade ago. With the increasing traffic, the US Coast Guard has to be prepared to respond to boat accidents and environmental disaster in this remote area of the Arctic Ocean.

The US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, embarked on July 2015 for its “Rescue and Research” mission with 50 scientist and 100 US Coast Guard crew members on board.

Science and tech team are boardning for US Coast Ship Healy for a Rescue and Research mission in the Arctic Ocean. Nome, AK, 07.08.2015, Esther Horvath

During the mission of the icebreaker Healy scientists from various agencies (@NOAA, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, University of Alaska-Anchorage) collected oceanographic and atmospheric data, deploying buoys and wave gliders, which would take long-term measurements of wind speed, air temperature, humidity, cloud coverage, solar radiation, water temperature, acidity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and many other environmental conditions — key baseline data with global repercussions from a little-studied part of the Arctic.

Left Shaun Bell from UW/JISAO/NOAA with a bouy developed to measure solar radiation in Chukchi Sea. Chukchi Sea, USA, 07.10.2015, Esther Horvath / Right: NOAA CTD deployment in Chukchi Sea. Chukchi Sea, USA, 07.18.2015, Esther Horvath

US Coast Guard Research and Development Center tested and evaluated new technologies to improve capabilities in search and rescue by Coast Guard units in the Arctic.

Left: Kevin Vollbrecht lanuches Puma SUAS (small unmanned air system) from US Coast Guard Ship Healy in Chukchi Sea. Chukchi Sea, USA, 07.09.2015, Esther Horvath. Right: Search and Rescue Excercise (SAREX) operation in Beaufort Sea. Beaufort Sea, USA, 07.13.2015, Esther Horvath

This work is crucial to help prevent and manage environmental catastrophes to protect this important marine habitat in Arctic Ocean.

View of US Coast Guard Ship Healy in Beaufort Sea from Aerostat helium balloon. Beaufort Sea, USA, 07.15.2015, Esther Horvath

Photo and text credit: Esther Horvath