Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub

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Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub

The Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub (A-OK) was established to share information from community-based observations on cryosphere change.
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The Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub (AAOKH) was established to share information from community-based observations on cryosphere change conducted by northern Alaska communities. A Knowledge Hub that provides tools and observational data of relevance to communities in the context of a changing seasonal cycle and offers community members to share insights and observations supports the co

mmunication and information-sharing goals of AAOKH. Vision (to be refined by Steering Committee)
• Coastal communities in Arctic Alaska rely on AAOKH for recording, sharing and archiving of community-based observations of a changing cryosphere, in particular as relevant to community health and sustainability and activities on the water and the land
• Sharing of community observations, scientific data and other tools and stories empowers communities to continue their use of Arctic Alaska waters and lands, and the animals and plants they harbor, with safe travel and subsistence activities
• AAOKH serves as a forum to bring together local experts and researchers for communication and exchange of aspects of the seasonal cycle of snow and ice in all its forms and how this matters to the people in Alaska’s Arctic
• Through AAOKH, community members are empowered and supported to conduct scientific measurements that relate to community concerns

09/02/2026

Good morning! We have observations and photos to share from Ulġuniq, Tikiġaq and Utqiaġvik this week, including fall stormy weather, a polar bear near town, and lots of migratory birds:

9/1 in Ulġuniq: “the fall storms have begun the sea is raging as the winds are sw 25-30 mph temp 34f a bear was harvested near town too close for comfort local hunters put the bear down for safety reason since alot of people are out now picking berries

Live to hunt another day” - Jase Ahmaogak

9/1 in Tikiġaq: “Gm. 36⁰ this morning west winds 15-20mph cloudy rain. 1st snow in the mountain tops and some early morning snow in town. “ - Guy Omnik

8/31 in Utqiaġvik: “An ice breaker from a foreign country getting supplies on a windy day. Whaling captains wives has an organization to help the Barrow Whaling Captain's Association to fundraise for crews as the women are the true leaders in our community of Barrow, we cannot go without their genuine support! Quyanaqpak and God's wonderful Blessings to all this fall to the communities, be safe and strong!” - Billy Adams

8/31 in Utqiaġvik: “Went with UIC Science to retrieve an instrument that was placed on the ice in March near a trail then it drifted to Cooper Island in August. Thank you UIC Science for an enjoyable and learning experience. There were many Shear Water sea birds that are feeding both in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.” - Billy Adams

8/31 in Utqiaġvik: “August has been warmer than usual, the migratory birds with the exception of the ravens are getting ready to head south. The ravens are very smart and these ones were playing catch with a couple rocks. Good to see healthy birds!” - Billy Adams

08/26/2026

Good morning! We have observations and photos to share from Utqiaġvik and Kaktovik today, including high water levels, pack ice near shore, vessel traffic, geese and one nanuq observed:

8/26 in Utqiaġvik: “August continues to remind ourselves to prepare for autumn and her weather and conditions. Southerly and westerly winds brings up water levels and the Chukchi Sea moves the currents and waves with much more intensity and moves sand and soil. Knowledge passed through generations of the seasons and conditions has been helpful for our survival. Let us be glad in it today.” - Billy Adams

8/25 in Kaktovik: “Today we had a mixture of clouds, wind and now rain. The ice pack has moved a little bit , maybe another 1/2 mile out. One healthy polar bear has been visiting the bone pile the last couple days. People keep going out looking for caribou but not having much luck along the coast. The geese are back with their young and are gathering to head south.
Other notes: it’s unusual that the ice pack is just 1-2 miles from shore, 42F, east winds 8mph, overcast and foggy, rain, ice mirage and pack ice visible on the ocean 2 miles away.” - Carla SimsKayotuk

08/25/2026

Good afternoon! We have observations and photos to share from Kotzebue and Wainwright this week, including stormy weather and high surf:

8/24 in Kotzebue: “Hello Donna! Our first little storm! We are experiencing the back side of the storm. It blew South at 40 last night and this morning. Now the wind switched to the Southwest. NWS forecasts a 2 to 4 foot storm surge above flood stage. It’s only a 995 mb low but it’s producing some strong winds.
It petered out after midnight and the water began to drop. But rain forecasted for the rest of the week. Got the folks in Kotzebue a little nervous as I saw a lot of cars checking water levels.” - Bobby Schaeffer

8/25 in Wainwright: “our first big storm of the summer/fall has hit us winds sw 30-35 mph temp 45f we have high surf advisory of 1-3 ft above normal high tide our rock wall is put to work today cab hear the waves slamming into the rock wall” - Jase Ahmaogak

08/20/2026

Good morning! We have observations and photos to share from Point Hope and Wainwright today, including caribou sighted and cool rainy weather after a hot week:

8/20 in Point Hope: "48⁰ mostly cloudy north 10-15mph.... 8-17 hunting trip. Caribou in the Lisbourne peninsula" - Guy Omnik

8/19 in Wainwright: “winds ne 10-15mph temp 40f after a very hot week temps have normalized for now hot weather made for good camping over the weekend we finally got some much needed rain the tundra was so dry its fuel barge season for us up here all the migratory bird have started flying back south” - Jase Ahmaogak

08/04/2026

We are thrilled to announce that AAOKH and Tamamta student Elizabeth Mik'aq Lindley will be defending her PhD in Fisheries with a seminar at the UAF Troth Yeddha' Campus (Room 201 O'Neil) and online this Friday Aug 7 at 10 am. Email [email protected] for a zoom link.

Please join us in celebrating and learning more about Mik's great work to understand salmon in Alaska's Arctic!

Dissertation Title:
Opportunity and Constraint in a Warming North: Pacific Salmon and the Conditions of Redistribution in Arctic Alaska

Research abstract:
Climate change is reshaping marine and freshwater ecosystems in unique ways and altering the distribution of Pacific salmon across coastal Arctic Alaska. Taken together, this dissertation examines how salmon become known, understood, and potentially establish in Arctic Alaska by weaving together diverse forms of salmon knowledge with mechanistic analyses of early life history. In the first of four chapters, I synthesize diverse lines of evidence, including agency reports, workshop discussions, monitoring programs, and local observations to document patterns of Pacific salmon occurrences across Arctic Alaska and identify key uncertainties in their status and recent shifts. Second, I describe the methods, approaches, and critical self-reflections from the Arctic Alaska Salmon Workshop, which convened Iñupiat environmental practitioners and western scientists to produce knowledge and questions regarding shifts in salmon presence in Arctic Alaska. Third, I test the role of temperature as a barrier to successful Arctic incubation by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) using a common garden rearing experiment, applying thermal conditions that emulate a series of spawning dates within an Arctic perennial spring. Variable survival occurred across treatments, and warmer regimes elicited developmental compensation that reduced time to hatching, relative to cooler treatments, suggesting that thermal constraints are dynamics under Arctic establishing contexts. Finally, I analyze spawning phenology and incubation temperatures of observed Arctic-spawning chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), demonstrating that thermal conditions shape emergence timing and its alignment with seasonal windows of opportunity for proceeding life stages. Together, these chapters show that salmon expansion in Arctic Alaska reflects interacting processes of knowledge production, thermal opportunity, and phenology. By linking epistemological reflection with experimental and field-based analyses, this dissertation advances fisheries science understanding of poleward redistribution at high latitudes and provides a framework for exploring ecological reorganization in a rapidly warming Arctic.

07/14/2026

Good afternoon! We have observations and photos to share from Point Hope and Utqiaġvik this week, including some interesting fish observations, shorefast ice hanging around Utqiaġvik and a herd of caribou near Point Hope!

7/14 in Point Hope: “45⁰ yesterdays drive to nuvuk seen lot of qasigiaqs hunting fish. Looks to be 40 or more swimming in the water. Got to see em chasing the fish and the fish jumping out of the water trying to escape the seals.
Idk if we should put this down but as we were watching the seals getting closer to the beach near us we spotted what looked like a 3 ft long tuna looking fish that jumped out of the water escaping the seals. I dont know what kind of fish it was but to me it looked like a tuna , body was at least a foot wide.” - Guy Omnik

7/14 in Utqiagvik: “The shorefast ice is still onshore near Utqiagvik but is starting to break loose near Nuvuk.” - Billy Adams

7/13 in Point Hope: “49⁰ cloudy/rain south winds 10-15mph a friend of mine fishing just caught these .. was on my way to nuvuk and stopped by a friend fishing on the south beach with a net
AAOKH reply: [is that unusual?]
Guy: Not unusual for this time of year. Sitting at the south beach now and my friend just caught over 20 salmon” - Guy Omnik

7/9 in Point Hope: “Gm. 42⁰ foggy south winds 10-15mph. Caribou have arrived in the Lisbourne peninsula some say at least 2000 or more, I haven't seen the big herd but I was able to see a few. Yesterdays hunt felt like low 50⁰s with sunshine and lot of mosquitoes was a nice n hot day.” - Guy Omnik

07/09/2026

Good morning! We have observations and photos to share for the first week of July, including warm weather, shorefast ice hanging around town up north, wildlife sightings in Kaktovik and algae growth (?) in lakes/lagoons around Kotzebue:

7/8 in Wainwright: “wnw 5mph temp 60f we have been packed in for more than a week now with very little movement its been years since our ice has hung around this long” - Jase Ahmaogak

7/8 in Utqiagvik: “June was cooler than expected which delayed migratory birds to lay their eggs about 10 days later than normal near Barrow, July has brought warmer 40f to 60f but the sea ice is still up close but very little to no shore ice movement much due low winds. Not so much mosquito activity either but I must be careful with what I say. Everyone awaits the shorefast ice to move as it is time to hunt bearded seals!” - Billy Adams

7/8 in Kotzebue: “The weather has been quite nice the past few weeks. NWS long range forecast calls for scattered rain showers from Thursday through the weekend as a weak low skirts the Western Chukchi. God knows we need the rain. NWS has a "high danger" for fire in NW Alaska with occasional thunderstorms. A little rain would be nice to water our garden and prevent tundra fires. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the mid sixties during the day with evening lows in the low 50's. West wind breezes are forecasted.

Subsistence fishermen are enjoying fresh salmon. The early run seems to be quite strong as folks report good catches in their nets. Commercial fishing starts on July 10. We deserve a good season as the last two Commercial Fish seasons were disastrous.

Alex Whiting Environmental Coordinator for the Kotzebue Tribe and I will be launching the algae mooring again next week. Once launched this mooring will monitor algae growth in the Kotzebue Sound for the entire summer. The mooring will be placed about one mile East of the mouth of the Noatak River.” - Bobby Schaeffer

7/6 in Kaktovik: “Another gorgeous day, we hit the high 50’s but with wind coming off the ocean it made it feel colder. The have had polar bears ,a brown bear and 5 caribou (one a baby calf) on the island. A lot of the geese have left. Some of the ice has moved back into the lagoon.
Other notes: 38F, ENE winds 11mph, scattered clouds, ice mirage and ice visible on the ocean, waterfowl, bears and caribou sighted as well as arctic char and ringed seal” - Carla SimsKayotuk

7/6 in Kotzebue: "The ice in the Chukchi is nearly all gone. Freight barges are finally delivering freight to Kotzebue. Ugruk hunting season is over and subsistence fishermen are catching salmon and preparing to set subsistence red king pots. Lots of gathering activity.
[Response to question about algae]: We had a lot of clear warm weather this Spring. I did call Alex about seeing algae growth in the warm shallows of Kobuk Lake. Suppose to reach 78 degrees here today. Hotter up the Noatak and Kobuk rivers. With excess heat, I know algae growth will be at or near record. I will assist with the development of the Tribes algae monitoring mooring in a few weeks." - Bobby Schaeffer

06/03/2026

Good afternoon! We have several observations and photos to share for the beginning of June, including west winds up north, lots of migratory birds, a polar bear sighting, and fishing updates and ice conditions around Kotzebue Sound:

6/3 in Utqiaġvik: “ Finally 30f temperatures in Barrow! Some open water but closed up very fast as westerly winds and currents from the south worked together to bring the ice in. The migratory birds have arrived to nest, the usual time for birds to lay eggs near Barrow is around June 6th and this year we still have much snow around so timing for gathering eggs could mean that the event could be delayed. Once again it is good to see healthy birds and very enjoyable to hear their joyful songs upon their arrival. Stay safe and remember to be respectful to the birds and animals as they are replenishing the populations this time of the year.” - Billy Adams

6/3 in Wainwright: “the rains have arrived and the melt is fast today wsw 10-15 mph 34f today the crews went out boating for a few hours they seen a few herds of walrus on the ice flows almost time to switch season and put away whaling gear

Live to hunt another day” - Jase Ahmaogak

6/2 in Point Hope: “Good morning. 42⁰ clear skies calm winds yesterdays forecast and pictures. Good day out in the ocean” - Guy Omnik

6/1 in Utqiaġvik: “The fog and light westerly winds comes to play to bring in polar bears to the shorefast ice and to shore for looking for resident seals that have made breathing holes and lairs throughout the winter on the shorefast ice, the bears also are opportunistic to find any kind of carcasses that have washed ashore during the summer and fall to feed on, bears are also curious what they smell in communities . Here is a young healthy bear approximately a 7 footer that has made its way to land. “ - Billy Adams

6/1 in Kotzebue: “Gooday Donna. Nice photos of the Chukchi and Kotzebue Sound ice. The Kobuk Channel is still closed as no new cracks in the Kotzebue Sound has formed. Looks to be quite solid yet. So does the Eastern Chukchi save broken ice near the shore. The rest of the Chukchi is open water from Kivalina North. Amazing.

I.m back in Kotzebue. Time to do my yearly maintenance on my outboards as Ugruk hunting and subsistence crabbing is just around the corner. Oh, In haste to catch the charter two weeks ago, I forgot my iphone therefore didn't have a camera to record the Spring activities at camp. But, I did go and catch a few Pike and Shee. I caught a 40 inch Shee and it was starving to death. It had nothing in its stomach and it was, by far, the skinniest large Shee I have seen. The herring usually bless the lake with their presence by this time but, for the first time that I can remember, no Spring herring showed up in the lake. The Shee showed up to meet them but, their prized meal did not show. I have a gut feeling that the herring took a beating during last Fall storms just as the smelt and tomcod. All three species of forage fish may have been decimated by these storms. I use "may" loosely as this is my best guess. Logic based on my observations. Not proven by scientific research.” - Bobby Schaeffer

05/26/2026

Good morning! We have observations and photos to share from Kaktovik, Point Hope, Point Lay and Kotzebue this week, including lots of wildlife spotted, bird hunting and blowing snow. We also included here MODIS images from 5/25 for Kotzebue Sound and the North Slope:

5/25 in Kaktovik: “May 24th and I was camping at First Fish Hole about 30 miles up along the Hula Hula River! Usually this is the weekend that the Ukpiilak River goes out and we can no longer cross over to head up the Hula Hula River. There is more ponds and melt run off in the island than up inland. A lot of ground blowing snow still happening, whiteout conditions with freezing rain/snow. Lots (like a hundred) of ptarmigans on the island. A male polar bear has been coming into town during the day ( 3 days now) looking for food. He has long legs, and lean looking(not skinny).
Unusual conditions: The Hula Hula is flowing real strong but hasn’t pushed out all the ice yet and the Ukpiilak River hasn’t even overflowed yet, or at least it hasn’t reached where we cross over to the Hula Hula. There is so much snow yet and and we haven’t seen any ponds or melted water yet on the ground other than the Hula Hula River.
Other notes: 28F, east winds 23 mph, overcast and blowing snow with whiteout conditions, Amauligruaq (Common Eider), Avatalik (Snow Bunting), Brown birds, Kaŋuq (Snow Goose), Nauyaq (Gull), Niġliq (Goose), Qargiq (Ptarmigan), Quagak (Duck), Tulugaq (Raven), Ukpik (Snowy Owl), Nanuq (Polar Bear), Tiġiganniaq (Arctic Fox), Tuttu (Caribou), Umiŋmak (Muskox) and Iqalukpik (Arctic Char) sighted.” - Carla SimsKayotuk

5/23 in Point Hope: “35*north at 5mph cloudy. Pictures from a couple days ago at my camp. Brought my mix lab out to camp and he got my geese for me. He surprised me that day, he deserved and extra scooby snack, ha!” - Guy Omnik

5/22 in Point Lay: “This has been the windiest spring whaling for point lay. Crew has put their whaling gear away due to river water flowing into our lagoon. Hunters are out there inland hunting geese.
Unusual conditions: windy windy windy
Other notes: -3F, NE winds 22 mph, blowing heavy snow, Niġliq (Goose), Qiŋalik (King Eider), Quagak (Duck) sighted" - Robert Lisbourne

5/21 in Kotzebue: “The clouds have moved in and it is raining. This should speed up the melting process. I flew over Kobuk Lake a few days ago and it still looks solid. The only water was next to the beaches and the open water on the Little Noatak-Pike Spit channel. Most of the tundra is now snow free. The Kobuk River is breaking up a is making its way down river. It won't take very long to reach the Kobuk Lake. Folks up the Kobuk River are now out hunting via boat. Lucky folks.” - Bobby Schaeffer

05/21/2026

Good afternoon! We have observations, photos and satellite images to share this week for Kotzebue, Point Hope and Wainwright:

5/21 in Kotzebue: “The clouds have moved in and it is raining. This should speed up the melting process. I flew over Kobuk Lake a few days ago and it still looks solid. The only water was next to the beaches and the open water on the Little Noatak-Pike Spit channel. Most of the tundra is now snow free. The Kobuk River is breaking up a is making its way down river. It won't take very long to reach the Kobuk Lake. Folks up the Kobuk River are now out hunting via boat. Lucky folks.” - Bobby Schaeffer

5/20 in Point Hope: “Gm. 32* calm winds. Foggy. Yesterdays geese hunt... may 16 pho landed its 8th whale of the season, i think there is 1 more strike ..” - Guy Omnik

5/18 in Wainwright: “winds ene 15-18 mph temp 27f white out conditions what a cold spring but the geese have arrived once we warm up it will all melt fast wainwrights second whale was landed 2 days ago been a busy few days her in ulguniq” - Jase Ahmaogak

Address

University Of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK
99775

Telephone

(907) 474-6832

Website

http://arctic-aok.org/

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