Environment

The 2026 ESSAS Annual Science Meeting highlighted how accelerating borealization is altering marine ecosystems, human‑nature relationships, and economic dynamics across the Arctic and Subarctic.

Melting sea ice and other stressors are driving a catastrophic mortality event that has cut the Pacific gray whale population from about 20,000 in 2019 to fewer than 13,000 today. With an estimated 2,500‑8,000 deaths this year, environmental groups urge NOAA to relist the species under the Endangered Species Act while the Trump administration threatens to ignore the request.

Permafrost thaw is undermining the ground that supports Arctic military installations, threatening their stability and operational reliability.

A massive landfill blaze in Rankin Inlet ignited on July 4, reigniting the next day and overwhelming a small fire crew that had to rely on limited water supplies and dirt smothering tactics; hazardous smoke prompted health warnings from Nunavut authorities as investigations continue.

Mass gray whale strandings along the Pacific coast are tied to shrinking Arctic sea ice that limits feeding opportunities, according to NOAA Fisheries. The agency has indicated it will only consider certain measures in response.

The ARAON icebreaking research vessel has departed for an 83‑day voyage across the Arctic, gathering in‑situ data that will support development of new polar shipping corridors while advancing studies of climate change impacts and seafloor conditions.

Araon completed an 83‑day mission in the Arctic Ocean, gathering on‑site data on Atlantic water encroachment and the first measurements of gas hydrates that will feed AI models guiding future Korean shipping routes.

Researchers recorded a late‑summer phytoplankton bloom in an Arctic fjord, attributing it to sediment-laden melt from nearby tidewater glaciers and influx of Atlantic waters that reduce light penetration.

A late‑summer phytoplankton bloom in Kongsfjorden on the western Svalbard coast was linked to an influx of warmer Atlantic water, offering new insight into fjord ecosystem dynamics.

Norway had been helping to oversee Soviet nuclear sites in the Arctic for a quarter‑century, but Russia’s recent war has broken that international cooperation and left the broader legacy unmanaged.

A new partnership between the Alaska Federation of Natives and Alaska Native Rural Veterinary Inc. has launched a program that brings spay/neuter, vaccination, and routine veterinary care to villages such as Galena on the Yukon River, aiming to curb dog overpopulation and prevent zoonotic diseases like rabies in remote Arctic communities.

A lone caribou was seen near the Hulahula River in ANWR in 2019.

Scientists warn that rising Arctic temperatures could make 2026 one of the deadliest years for West Coast whales by shrinking prey populations and forcing whales into more hazardous feeding areas.

NASA scientists gather air, space and ground data on Arctic sea ice to refine measurements and improve scientific insight into the region’s changing climate, supporting climate models and policy decisions.

Deep‑sea mining activities near the Jan Mayen Vent Fields on the Arctic Mid-Oceanic Ridge threaten mollusc species that are listed on the IUCN Red List and hold significant scientific value.

A new field campaign uses airborne and satellite platforms to measure Arctic sea ice, aiming to improve understanding of how shrinking ice alters ocean circulation, weather patterns, ecosystems and shipping routes.

Yamal LNG, Russia’s largest LNG export hub, produced over 21 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas in 2024 and earned $8.4 billion from European buyers in 2025, yet its full life‑cycle emissions are estimated at more than 50 million tonnes CO₂‑equivalent per year—far above the figures disclosed in corporate reports.

On 10 June, Greenland Energy’s spokesman Robert Price told residents of Ittoqqortoormiit that the Texas firm had permits for equipment placement and was preparing to drill two wells in Jameson Land, but Greenland’s mineral‑resources ministry said no active exploration permissions exist and the company’s proposals are pending approval.

Scientists urge the scientific community to take urgent steps to fill gaps in observations and research of Arctic polar winters, citing limited data since the MOSAiC expedition that began on December 15 2019.

Spring melting of Arctic sea ice releases algae onto the seafloor, boosting crustacean populations that feed gray whales and contributing to recent mass strandings along the Pacific Coast.