A new study found that neurotoxins in whales pose risks to Native whale-hunting communities. Arctic whales are ingesting higher levels of toxic algae as warming waters create more suitable conditions ...

The shrinking sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is, overall, a disaster. But paradoxically, the melting of the ice can also fuel the engine of the Arctic food chains: algae. Subscribe to our newsletter for ...

Woods Hole, Mass. (July 9, 2025) -- Rising toxins found in bowhead whales, harvested for subsistence purposes by Alaska Native communities, reveal that ocean warming is causing higher concentrations ...

The Arctic Ocean, once locked in a vault of thick, old ice, now is transforming at lightspeed. Temperatures there are increasing at up to four times the rate of the planet overall, melting sea ice ...

From left to right: Sean Cheng, Anuscheh Nawaz, Aircraft Commander Sarah Cozart and Jiaxu Zhang. A specialized plane, camera and a crew of four are in Alaska to understand the ecosystems of the Bering ...

As the Arctic Ocean loses its sea ice due to climate change, sunlight penetrates deeper into the water and encourages the growth of tiny plant-like organisms (phytoplankton). But to thrive, they need ...

If you pull an ice core from the outer edges of the Arctic polar cap, you might spot what looks like a faint line of dirt. Those are diatoms – single-celled algae with outer walls made of glass. Their ...

New studies show how algae grows on ice and snow, creating “dark zones” that exacerbate melting in the consequential region.

In 2006, when the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, released the first-ever Arctic Report Card, scientists already knew the top of the world was in trouble. It’s now much ...