Coverage

Rising Arctic iceberg traffic is dropping rocks onto the deep seafloor, boosting biodiversity and raising new risks for ships.

Senators are proposing a ban on foreign spy ships operating in the Arctic, citing increased Chinese and Russian surveillance activity near Alaska, including a U.S. Coast Guard C‑130J flight observed 290 NM north of Utqiagvik.

The NWT government is gauging public opinion via a survey before deciding whether to bid for the 2035 Canada Winter Games, with a feasibility study already outlining possible models, benefits, and challenges. The survey closes June 25, and a bid decision is slated for fall.

Bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Mike Lee and Jeanne Shaheen would ban Chinese and Russian research vessels from U.S. Arctic waters to curb espionage disguised as scientific surveys.

A U.S. oil company’s CEO flew to the remote Greenlandic town of Ittoqqortoormiit, where residents, who had little knowledge of the planned drilling, demanded community benefits. The company offered a modest fund and a handful of jobs, while regulators cited missing permits and oil‑spill plans.

A predictive model built from more than 700,000 chinook salmon tagging data points across Southeast Alaska and the Bering Sea enables trawlers to adjust fishing practices and lower unintended salmon captures.

Gloria Uluqsi was elected president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. on May 27 with 19.6% of the vote, pledging to focus on housing, elder care, food security and better communication with Inuit while her term runs to 2030.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami unveiled a comprehensive poverty‑reduction plan on June 9 targeting Inuit in Nunavut, the NWT, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut, setting goals to raise incomes, increase employment, reduce food insecurity, expand Indigenous business participation, and provide a guaranteed livable income for children and seniors.

Despite a recent surge in investor confidence under President Trump, Alaska’s ANWR lease auction in June 2025 yielded only nine bids—most from a state corporation—covering just 10 % of land, underscoring continued hesitation from major oil majors and raising questions about the region’s economic viability amid environmental concerns.

A University of Saskatchewan graduate is studying a newly discovered Trichinella parasite in Arctic carnivores, shedding light on wildlife health and potential food safety risks.

NATO’s research vessel Alliance performed tests of uncrewed systems designed for Arctic operations, as reported by High North News on June 9.

A federal judge in Boston invalidated the Trump-era $100,000 fee on H‑1B visas, a cost that had made it difficult for Alaska schools to hire international teachers, yet uncertainty remains as the administration may appeal and schools face budget and staffing delays.

Russia accelerated the development of its Arctic capabilities in response to international isolation attempts.

U.S. troops now carry portable DNA sequencers, enabling on‑site genetic analysis in desert, Arctic, or sea environments.

Ottawa issued an order‑in‑council authorizing federal disaster assistance for Tuktoyaktuk after the August 2025 storm surge that washed out roads and flooded homes, enabling the community to access financial help, though the amount and timing remain unspecified.

Japan will send a delegation to Greenland to assess potential rare‑earth mining, according to Nikkei, with officials from its Economy, Trade and Industry ministry, trading firms and the Japan Organization for Metals. The visit aims to evaluate extraction feasibility amid growing demand for rare‑earth elements critical to electronics and green technology.

The 2024 AMAP Arctic Climate Change Update highlights emerging wildfire trends in the Arctic, noting increased lightning ignitions and the persistence of holdover ("zombie") fires, while showcasing improved detection technologies that enable earlier response and better assessment of fire dynamics.

Black icebergs in the Arctic are found to deposit large amounts of rock onto the seafloor, reshaping the seabed and underscoring new climate‑change effects.

Copernicus has released CARRA2, a 40‑year pan‑Arctic reanalysis at 2.5 km resolution, offering unprecedented high‑resolution climate data to support research and policy.

Canada says it will decide on acquiring new submarines that can operate in the Arctic within 30 days, per the procurement chief, as Ottawa seeks vessels capable of operating across three oceans.

The Hill opinion piece notes that on June 5 a lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge began offering public land in the coastal plain, raising concerns about impacts on the refuge.

The Lynx S10 robot dog, equipped with bear‑like paws and AI navigation, became the first four‑legged machine to traverse Arctic ice floes, showcasing new robotic capabilities in extreme polar conditions.

A June 5 lease sale opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain to oil and gas exploration, a move the author argues threatens the refuge’s wildlife, hunting and fishing opportunities, and could set a precedent for future development on public lands.

Capital is moving into Arctic projects that target onshore and offshore ice deposits, marking a new surge of investment in Arctic mining.