Center for Arctic Study and Policy at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy

This month, China submitted a draft plan to the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat for a sixth research station on the remote southern continent, this one in the southwest at Marie Byrd Land. Although this station would add only modestly to the number of research seats in Antarctica – the United States would remain by far the biggest presence on the continent in terms of available capacity – it would enable China to expand its geographic coverage there. China also built the most recent Antarctic research facility – the only one in the last decade – which opened last year. Polar research facilities are important for enabling presence in these regions where science is a substantial part of human presence and activity. There is considerable debate regarding the possibility of using science and scientific capabilities and infrastructure for multiple purposes – regardless of how big a security risk this actually is, we cannot ignore the importance of both the knowledge and the associated infrastructure in Antarctica where human presence is otherwise absent. Nor can we discount the centrality of the services needed to keep consistent human presence in such remote locations which in themselves can add an important national presence. One such example for the U.S. is the Coast Guard, which enables logistics and a safety presence at the high southern latitudes for the science season during the Austral summer. https://lnkd.in/eBjC3fii Photo: Petty Officer 2nd Class Briana Carter via the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, January 2025

There has been a lot of talk about icebreakers, and a lot about the Antarctic lately, but not always in the context of one another. So, we thought this short explainer from CASP Fellow Lawson Brigham, discussing how the U.S. Coast Guard's Polar Icebreakers serve the U.S. national interest in the Southern Ocean would be of interest. We appreciate the Wilson Center | Polar Institute for posting this piece https://lnkd.in/eBAZTJjn

Thanks to the US Coast Guard Academy for amplifying our important work this week examing preparedness for an Arctic aircraft emergency. Great photography that captures the important mix of contributors to this important and complex topic.

CASP has been honored to host its first tabletop exercise (TTX) in our new convening spaces onboard the US Coast Guard Academy this week. We were joined by about two dozen operators and SAR experts from the U.S. and other Arctic nations for the TTX "On Thin Ice -- Investigating Postures for Responding to Commercial Aircraft Emergencies in the Far North." The importance and reality of this event was soberly underscored just last week by the crash of a small commuter aircraft onto the Bering Sea's drift ice, so we started our TTX with an in-person debrief of these tragic events and the rescue and recovery effort from the Coast Guard 17th District's Search and Rescue (SAR) program manager, focusing everyone on this week's important analytical activities. This TTX was inspired by recent work in the Arctic Council's Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Working Group and research from the U.S. Coast Guard's Research and Development Center. Our Abbie Tingstad led the TTX design and facilitation, and we benefitted greatly from our partnership with CGA's Emergency Management and crisis leadership expert Erin Lambie, and the Coast Guard SAR program's Benjamin Strong. An initial analysis of outcomes may be presented at the Arctic Council’s EPPR Emergency Management Conference in Bodo, Norway, Mar. 18-20, 2025. Participants included representatives from: U.S. Coast Guard's Polar Coordination Office, Office of Search and Rescue and the 17th Coast Guard District, Alaska Air National Guard, New York Air National Guard, 109th Airlift Wing, NYANG, 106th Rescue Wing, Joint Rescue Coordination Center North-Norway, Forsvaret - Norwegian Armed Forces, Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, Canadian Armed Forces | Forces armées canadiennes, INUPIAT COMMUNITY OF THE ARTIC SLOPE, International Civil Aviation Organization, the Kingdom of Denmark's EPPR Head of Delegation, RAND, ADAC-ARCTIC and others. Sincere thanks and appreciation for the time and contributions of our participants: Jereme Altendorf, CHMM, PMP, William Albright, MBA, Eric Chan, Sean Gavin, Jens Heine Grauen Larsen, Johannes K., Samuel Krakower, Shawn Lamoureux, Jonathan Nelles, Stephanie Nelson, NEMAA, John Welton, Jennifer Whitcomb, Benjamin Strong, Abbie Tingstad, Erin Lambie, Benjamin Trachik, Joseph Boudrow, Jonathan Roth, Wyman Briggs, Maureen Hammond, Emelia Campbell, William Spada, Elise B., and others.

A complimentary piece reporting on the role of U.S. Icebreakers for national security and prosperity, (sorry, behind the pay wall for some). https://lnkd.in/ey587zNK

A rare in depth look at the strategic importance of polar icebreaking operations shown from an individual level perspective of many of the crew and scientist of USCGC Healy. https://lnkd.in/eK2grJZB "This work is time consuming and difficult, but the importance of it becomes clear when you look at one of the many maps on the ship that show the world from a bird’s-eye view, looking down at the Arctic. Seeing the planet this way, you quickly sense how big Russia is, how geographically important Greenland could be in a warming world, and why America, as an Arctic nation, needs to better understand the vast terrain of a new and more geopolitically important world." Really proud of Michele Schallip and her crew and their service to our nation's security and prosperity. Great journalism by Rana Foroohar, thanks for taking the time to share this important and comprehensive perspective.

A warm Arctic welcome for our cadets Elise B. and Emelia Campbell to Tromso, Norway and Arctic Frontiers Conference. Looking forward to a great week of learning and engagement.

Happy Friday everyone! We realize we have been a bit quiet lately. We were fortunate to have some time off over the holidays but also have been digging into some important work, including our preparations to attend Arctic Frontiers 2025: Beyond Borders next week: https://lnkd.in/druFbydG CASP will be present in force with Tony Russell and Abbie Tingstad, along with two of our Cadet Arctic Scholars Elise B. and Emelia Campbell. We also are following the adventures of Samantha Farquhar and Daniel Piscoya as Arctic Frontiers Emerging Leaders. We are excited about the Side Event we are co-hosting with the Norsk Polarinstitutt • Norwegian Polar Institute, "Re-examining Arctic Marine Use and Associated Information Needs in a Changing Environment," which will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 0900-10:30. Speakers include: lis lindal jørgensen from the Institute for Marine Research in Norway, Vicki Lee Wallgren, Director of the WWF's Arctic Programme, Samantha Farquhar, Integrated Coastal Sciences PhD candidate East Carolina University and visiting The Fulbright Program researcher, Universate Lavel, and Malgorzata (Gosia) Smieszek-Rice, Research Fellow UiT- The Arctic University of Norway. Questions they will be exploring, include: What is the current geography of marine use activities in the Arctic, and what data needs do we have for understanding and monitoring it? Where might additional Arctic marine use activities occur by 2050? How do various current and potential future marine use activities intersect with the concept of a “Blue” economy? What are the tools for marine spatial planning and area-based conservation measures? How could the digital divide stimulated by uneven access to sensing and communication technologies, and further fueled by geopolitical tensions, impact data collection and information sharing needed for ocean science and management activities? If you are in Tromso, we hope you'll join us and we'll provide a follow up summary of the discussion here.

The "Bulldog of the Bering," Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley, has once again been named the Coat Guard's Cutter of the Year, in the medium-sized cutter category, adding to an impressive list of other accolades this year, it's 25th since being homeported in Kodiak. https://lnkd.in/ea_BYG8m Thanks to the awesome crew for all that you do to protect the safety, security and prosperity of the Arctic and its many seafarers!

Yes, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) has experienced record traffic this year, but... As is always the case in a region as unique as the Arctic, the context of this statement matters as we have discussed in the past, https://lnkd.in/eCY-UxPq That is certainly not to say that one should be dismissive of these developments, but there needs to be an understanding of their underlying origins and limitations if we are to accurately try to forecast the true trends. And more immediately concerning, even with the relatively limited activity, potential for permitting irresponsible behaviors that could result in a major maritime incident, requires us to give due consideration to preparedness to respond in the interest of safety and environmental protection.