The Inupiat people of the Arctic Coast have lived off the bounty of the Arctic Ocean since time immemorial. The preparation and act of harvesting animals and fish from the ocean is a year-round practice and deeply spiritual. One bowhead whale can feed an entire village for a whole year. Climate change is a direct [...]
America’s Arctic Ocean and surrounding coasts are unique and important. For thousands of years, America’s Arctic has been home to vibrant communities that depend on healthy, functioning ecosystems to support their subsistence way of life. The Arctic’s Chukchi and Beaufort Seas provide vital habitat for many of our nation’s most iconic wildlife species—polar bears, walrus, [...]
The Arctic Ocean occupies a roughly circular basin and covers an area of about 14,056,000 km2 (5,427,000 sq mi), almost the size of Russia. The coastline is 45,390 km (28,200 mi) long. Much of the Arctic Ocean is covered by an ice “cap” which varies in extent and thickness seasonally. Endangered marine species in the [...]
