Temperatures in the Arctic are rising three times faster than the global annual average, according to data from The Arctic Council. The effects of accelerated warming temperatures in the Arctic impact the global climate system and provide a sobering preview of developing conditions in coastal regions as distant as the Gulf Coast of Texas and Florida. Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks across several scientific disciplines are employing unmanned technology to more accurately measure these ecosystems and natural processes. This data provides critical intelligence to understand what is happening in Alaska, and how it may inform measurement as well as mitigation approaches in local and global contexts. 

While infrastructure and regulations present real challenges, Cahill emphasized how operators are strategizing around these limitations. For example, when flying from Fairbanks to Nenana with the Sea Hunter, a 300-pound twin-engine drone, operators avoid populated areas, fly at higher altitudes and rely on a chase plane. But Cahill underscored the need for more reliable onboard detect-and-avoid systems to fly these missions safely without additional support. “The issue with Alaska is that our communications infrastructure and radar coverage are far from adequate to support beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations without onboard solutions.” 

In the cold, choppy waters of Alaska’s Resurrection Bay, all eyes aboard the Nanuq, a University of Alaska Fairbanks research vessel, were fixed on the gray surface—not for humpback whales or sea otters, but for a 5-foot-long, bright pink underwater sea glider. This innovative glider, believed to be the first equipped with a large sensor to measure carbon dioxide levels in the ocean, had just completed its first overnight mission, marking a significant step forward in oceanic climate research. Learn More About Underwater Gliders.

Designed to dive 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) and roam remote parts of the ocean, the autonomous vehicle was deployed in the Gulf of Alaska this spring to provide a deeper understanding of the ocean’s chemistry in the era of climate change. The research could be a major step forward in ocean greenhouse gas monitoring, because until now, measuring CO2 concentrations — a quantifier of ocean acidification — was mostly done from ships, buoys and moorings tethered to the ocean floor.