Coverage

Iceland’s lone whaling company Hvalur says it could withstand a permanent ban on whaling, arguing previous attempts to outlaw the practice have failed, while the government plans to submit a bill that could end the industry.

Chinese cargo ship Dubai Tower arrives in Teesport, marking the first regular cargo service using a new Arctic route from Asia to Europe.

A new documentary, A Century After Nanook, follows the Inuit community of Inukjuak on Hudson Bay, highlighting daily life amid accelerating Arctic warming while collaborating with local residents.

Researchers report genetic evidence of an acetone‑carboxylation pathway in the Arctic bacterium Porticoccus arcticus, highlighting a potential new route for CO₂ assimilation in oligotrophic Arctic surface waters.

Google is financing a hydrogen‑powered steel mill near Boden, Sweden, just south of the Arctic Circle, and will purchase environmental certificates linked to up to 91,000 metric tons of green steel, aiming to cut emissions by up to 95%.

Peter Adourian, lawyer for homeless encampment residents, argues that encampments in the NWT result from policy and landlord discrimination, and calls for tighter eviction rules and more housing for Indigenous women.

Great Bear Lake, Canada's largest lake, is bigger than Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, deeper than Lake Superior, holds over 2,200 cubic kilometers of water, has a single 500‑person community, remains frozen for most of the year, and lacks major shipping traffic, contrasting sharply with the heavily populated and industrial Great Lakes.

An opinion piece argues that Norway can reinforce the 1920 Svalbard Treaty through equal technical infrastructure registration and inspections, strengthening Arctic security.

The Arctic Circle Trail, linking Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut, is one of the remotest hikes worldwide.

Mike Ranta and his dog Spitziii finished a 76‑day canoe journey from Tuktoyaktuk to Yellowknife, raising funds for veterans and first responders through Warrior Adventures Canada.

Ben Longaker demonstrated that machine‑learning models trained on Large Eddy Simulation data reduce error in Arctic Ocean vertical turbulent mixing predictions compared to traditional KPP models, better capturing the physics of sea‑ice melt and freeze.

Canada has committed C$405 million from its Arctic Infrastructure Fund to advance the Mackenzie Valley Highway, a decades‑old plan to build an all‑season gravel road linking the Mackenzie River communities to the Arctic coast.

Explosion at the Elgin coal mine in Yakutia during welding work reportedly killed four people, with safety violations cited as cause.

Researchers at the Ishlinsky Institute reported that CT‑based and triaxial tests on reservoir rocks in Russia’s Arctic shelf enabled determination of critical pressure drawdown values and sand‑control strategies for weakly cemented gas‑condensate wells.

The review contends that the United States has insufficient Arctic infrastructure and experience, leaving it underprepared for rapid environmental change and providing Russia an advantage.

The crew of the research vessel Oden celebrated its final sunset in the Arctic, noting the region is warming 3–4 times faster than the global average while collecting data that will support worldwide climate‑change studies.

Maj. Gen. John Cogbill prepares to lead an airborne exit from a C‑130 over Malamute Drop Zone at Joint Base Elmendorf‑Richardson, Alaska, on Sept. 22 2026, as part of regular training to keep the 11th Airborne Division—known as the Arctic Angels—combat ready.

Funding call announced for master’s, doctoral, and experienced researchers to conduct fieldwork in Svalbard, outlining application dates, eligibility, cost coverage limits, and reporting requirements.

Laboratory incubations demonstrate that microbial communities from thawed active layers can partially restore missing biochemical functions in thawed permafrost soils, boosting CO₂ emissions by up to 60 % and CH₄ emissions fivefold under anoxic conditions; however, the effect remains less than with a functionally diverse compost inoculum, highlighting ongoing functional limitations in Arctic permafrost carbon cycling.

The executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Sept. 17 calls for increased shark and pinniped harvests to aid Alaska sportfishing, a move that critics say could conflict with existing marine‑mammal protection laws.

Citizen Air Commandos participated in Exercise Northern Viking 2026 alongside NATO allies to enhance Arctic mobility.

Russia completed the second RITM‑200S reactor for the PEB‑106 floating nuclear plant that will power a large copper mining hub in the Arctic Far East, marking the first offshore nuclear plant dedicated to heavy mineral extraction.

Alaska reports a decline in COVID-19 deaths with 22 fatalities in the 2025‑2026 season, yet case numbers remain high. The state’s Department of Health views the virus as endemic and continues to recommend vaccinations, including free childhood doses through the Vaccines for Children program.

Canada and others are exploring new, shorter trade routes through the Arctic as climate change reduces polar ice.